DRONE RECEIVING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160101874A1
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frederick J. Onorato, James Mckinnon
• Original Assignee: Frederick J. Onorato, James Mckinnon
• Inventors: McKinnon, James, Onorato, Frederick J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,093,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/14 Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk , or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles , i.e. food or large parcels
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval

Abstract

A drone receiving system having a tray configured to function as a landing pad for the drone delivering a package as well as a nest for the package, wherein the tray is associated with at least a mounting arm for mounting the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure, wherein the at least a mounting arm is expandable to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, and wherein the at least a mounting arm is retractable to move the tray after package delivery toward the structure, so that the package can be unloaded from the tray from inside the structure.

Claims

1. A drone receiving system comprising a tray having a bottom comprising a plurality of perforations such that water cannot accumulate into the tray, a landing area for receiving one or more landing gears of a drone delivering a package, and a package area for receiving the package delivered by the drone, wherein the tray is associated with at least a mounting arm for mounting the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure, wherein the at least a mounting arm is expandable to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, and wherein the at least a mounting arm is retractable to move the tray after package delivery toward the structure, so that the package can be unloaded from the tray from inside the structure.

2. The drone receiving system of claim 1, wherein the tray has a rectangular shape and four lateral walls sloped outwardly to facilitate a release of the package by the drone into the tray.

3. The drone receiving system of claim 2, wherein the at least a mounting arm is associated with a V-shaped mounting bracket attached to the structure for counterbalancing a portion of a weight of the tray and of the package received in the tray.

4. The drone receiving system of claim 3, wherein the at least a mounting arm is telescopic.

5. The drone receiving system of claim 4, further comprising a solar panel positioned onto an upper side of the bottom of the tray, so that the solar panel is exposed to sunlight during daytime when there is no package in the tray.

6. The drone receiving system of claim 5, further comprising a strobe light and a weatherproof box housing at least a member of a group consisting of a retractable cord, a power adapter, a strobe light fuse box, a Wi-Fi transmitter, a GPS transmitter, a transceiver and a battery.

7. The drone receiving system of claim 6, wherein at least a member of a group consisting of the strobe light, the WI-FI transmitter and the GPS transmitter guide the drone during landing.

8. The drone receiving system of claim 1, wherein the structure is a house.

9. A method of delivering and receiving packages using a drone receiving system, wherein the drone receiving system comprises a tray having a bottom comprising a plurality of perforations such that water cannot accumulate into the tray, a landing area for receiving one or more landing gears of a drone delivering a package, and a package area for receiving the package delivered by the drone, wherein the tray is associated with at least a mounting arm for mounting the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure, wherein the at least a mounting arm is expandable and retractable, the method comprising:

attaching the at least a mounting arm to the outside of the structure, expanding the at least a mounting arm to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, delivering the package into the tray, retracting the at least a mounting arm to move the tray toward the structure, and unloading the package from the tray from inside the structure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the structure is a wall under an exterior window of a house or office and wherein the unloading of the package is performed from inside the house or office after opening the exterior window.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the exterior window is a second or higher level window to deter thieves from stealing the package from the drone receiving system.

12. A drone receiving system comprising a tray configured to function as a landing pad for the drone delivering a package as well as a nest for the package, wherein the tray is associated with at least a mounting arm for mounting the drone receiving system to an outside of a structure, wherein the at least a mounting arm is expandable to move the tray away from the structure, so that the drone can deliver the package without being obstructed by the structure, and wherein the at least a mounting arm is retractable to move the tray after package delivery toward the structure, so that the package can be unloaded from the tray from inside the structure.