Methods for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,586,201 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gil, Julio, Cooper, Andrew, Cooper, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Boomer, Jeffrey C
• Application Number:
  US15/582,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20170316701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/11 for carrying aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/00 Dropping, ejecting, releasing, or receiving articles, liquids, or the like, in flight with respect to weapon sights devices F41G takes precedence, parachutes per se B64D17/00; ejectable seats B64D25/10; ejectable capsules B64D25/12; refuelling during flight B64D39/00; launching apparatus for projecting projectiles or missiles F41F1/00, F41F7/00; rocket or torpedo launchers F41F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/0299 characterized by the use of multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/10 using self-propelled vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/22 for handling aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/32 for handling freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/40 Modular UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/70 Constructional aspects of the UAV body
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 : Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 : Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/39 : Battery swapping
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 : Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/70 : Launching or landing using catapults, tracks or rails launching from storage containers B64U70/50
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/10 : with means for moving the UAV to a supply or launch location, e.g. robotic arms or carousels
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 : Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0435 : with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 : with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 : using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 : Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 : specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 : Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 : Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 : Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 : in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 : Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Systems and methods include UAVs that serve to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands of the transportation and delivery process. A UAV generally includes a UAV chassis including an upper portion, a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis, and a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis. UAV support mechanisms are utilized to load and unload parcel carriers to the UAV chassis, and the UAV lands on and takes off from the UAV support mechanism to deliver parcels to a serviceable point. The UAV includes computing entities that interface with different systems and computing entities to send and receive various types of information.

Claims

1. A method performed by at least one processor and at least one memory for landing an unmanned aerial (UAV) on a UAV support mechanism, the method comprising:

navigating a UAV toward a UAV support mechanism;

receiving a signal from a guidance array of the UAV support mechanism;

navigating the UAV to a landing region of a UAV support mechanism;

guiding a portion of the UAV between opposing rails of the UAV support mechanism and engaging the UAV with the UAV support mechanism; and

moving the UAV from the landing region toward a return region of the UAV support mechanism, wherein the step of moving the UAV from the landing region toward the return region comprises engaging the portion of the UAV with powered rollers of the UAV support mechanism, wherein the powered rollers are positioned within each of the opposing rails and along a length of each of the opposing rails.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV support mechanism is coupled to a primary delivery vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to the step of navigating the UAV toward the UAV support mechanism, receiving a notification indicative of a position of the primary delivery vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to the step of guiding the portion of the UAV with the opposing rails, receiving a notification that the primary delivery vehicle has stopped.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, prior to the step of receiving the notification that the primary delivery vehicle has stopped, navigating the UAV to follow the primary delivery vehicle at a predetermined distance from the primary delivery vehicle.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to the step of guiding the portion of the UAV with the opposing rails, receiving a notification indicative of a moving speed of the primary delivery vehicle.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to the step of guiding the portion of the UAV with the opposing rails, receiving a notification indicative of a predetermined delivery route of the primary delivery vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the signal from the guidance array comprises receiving an electronic signal from a positioning beacon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the signal from the guidance array comprises receiving a visual signal from a visual indicator.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising turning off the propulsion members of the UAV subsequent to moving the UAV from the landing region to the return region of the UAV support mechanism.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of navigating the UAV toward the UAV support mechanism comprises receiving a coordinate location of the UAV support mechanism from a global positioning system (GPS).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of navigating the UAV toward the landing region comprises flying the UAV such that the portion of the UAV is positioned between and spaced apart from the opposing rails of the UAV support mechanism.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of guiding the portion of the UAV between the opposing rails comprises engaging a lower portion of a UAV chassis with the opposing rails, guiding the UAV to the transport region.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV support mechanism is coupled to a primary delivery vehicle positioned above a roof panel of the primary delivery vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the return region is positioned over a return portal on and through the roof panel of the primary delivery vehicle.