Delivery of packages by unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,510,036 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lisso, Gregory Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/359,870
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1266 the preformed part being completely encapsulated, e.g. for packaging purposes or as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/5681 Covering the foamed object with, e.g. a lining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/60 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/50 using adhesive tape , e.g. thermoplastic tape; using threads or the like B29C65/3444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/20 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0003 having particular electrical or magnetic properties, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0089 Impact strength or toughness
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/712 Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/04 Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/56 Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/00 Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging forming pockets in sheets, blanks or webs, by pressing the material into forming dies or moving it through folding dies B65B47/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/02 Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/182 by applying tear-strips or tear-tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/50 Internal supporting or protecting elements for contents elements formed by inward-folding of a wall extending from, and continuously around, an end of a tubular body B65D5/06; partitions B65D5/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

A package delivery apparatus uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to deliver a package containing a product to a delivery destination area. The UAV uses GPS signals to guide it to the delivery destination area and an altimeter to determine its height above the delivery destination area. The UAV then adjusts its height to a preferred drop or release height for that package and product and releases the package. An optional camera allows a human operator to view the delivery destination area. An expandable foam package surrounds the product to protect the product from impact and moisture. The package may be streamlined to reduce air resistance and increase the range of the UAV. The package characteristics, such as its thickness, are determined based one or more of the weight and fragile nature of the product, and the drop height.

Claims

1. A method to package a product for air drop delivery by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

determining a package for the product based in part on;

at least one of a weight of the product or a fragility rating for the product; and

a drop height for the product, the drop height based in part on a first nature of the product within the package and a second nature of a delivery destination, the second nature including one or more delivery surface characteristics associated with the delivery destination;

using a mold form and expandable foam to form the package and enclose the product; and

removing the mold form after the expandable foam has at least partially hardened.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing identification information for the package, the identification information including at least one of an identification of a recipient of the package, an order number, the delivery destination, or an identification of the product within the package.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a poly wrap around the package and imprinting the identification information on the poly wrap.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more delivery surface characteristics associated with the delivery destination include at least one of:

a hardness of the delivery surface;

a softness of the delivery surface;

or

a surface material of the delivery surface, the surface material including at least one of concrete, dirt, wood, snow, liquid, grass, a plant, or sand.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a preferred orientation for the product and positioning the product in the package so that a center of gravity of the package enclosing the product orients the product in the preferred orientation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a preferred orientation for the product and placing a weight in the package so that a center of gravity of the package enclosing the product orients the product in the preferred orientation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing an adhesive material on at least one side of the package to reduce a tendency of the package to roll.

8. A method to package a product for air drop delivery by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

receiving location information indicating a delivery destination for the product;

determining a package for the product based in part on;

at least one of a weight of the product or a fragility rating for the product; and

a drop height for the product, the drop height based in part on at least one of a first nature of the product within the package or second a nature of the delivery destination, wherein the second nature includes one or more delivery surface characteristics associated with the delivery destination;

using a mold form and expandable foam to form the package and enclose the product; and

removing the mold form after the expandable foam has at least partially hardened.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location information indicates that the delivery destination for the product includes water, and wherein determining the package includes determining water resistance for at least one of the package or the product.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising placing at least one of tape or string around the product prior to using the mold form and the expandable foam to form the package and enclose the product, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the tape or the string protrudes from the package to enable the package to be removed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein using the mold form and the expandable foam to form the package and enclose the product comprises forming the package in an aerodynamic shape.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more delivery surface characteristics associated with the delivery destination include at least one of:

a hardness of the delivery surface;

a softness of the delivery surface;

or

a surface material of the delivery surface, the surface material including at least one of concrete, dirt, wood, snow, liquid, grass, a plant or sand.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a preferred orientation for the product and placing a sticky material on the package to reduce a tendency for the package to roll after impact and to orient the product in the preferred orientation.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a poly wrap around the package and imprinting identification information on the poly wrap.

15. A system to package a product, the system comprising:

one or more servers to;

receive location information indicating a delivery destination for the product;

determine a package for the product based in part on;

at least one of a weight of the product or a fragility rating for the product; and

a drop height for the product, the drop height based in part on at least one of a first nature of the product within the package or a second nature of the delivery destination, wherein the second nature includes one or more delivery surface characteristics associated with the delivery destination;

cause a mold form and expandable foam to form the package to enclose the product; and

cause the mold form to be removed after the expandable foam has at least partially hardened.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the location information indicates that the delivery destination for the product includes water, and wherein the one or more servers further determine a water resistance for at least one of the package or the product.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more servers further cause at least one of tape or string to be placed around the product prior to causing the mold form and the expandable foam to enclose the product, wherein at a least a portion of the tape or the string protrudes from the package to enable the package to be removed.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more delivery surface characteristics associated with the delivery destination includes at least one of:

a hardness of the delivery surface;

a softness of the delivery surface;

or

a surface material of the delivery surface, the surface material including at least one of concrete, dirt, wood, snow, liquid, grass, a plant or sand.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more servers further determine a preferred orientation for the product and cause a sticky material to be placed on the package to reduce a tendency for the package to roll after an impact and to orient the product based at least in part on the preferred orientation.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more servers further:

cause a poly wrap to be provided around the package; and

cause identification of the product to be imprinted on the poly wrap.