UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE INCLUDING A REMOVABLE PARCEL CARRIER

• US 20170313421A1
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,981,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for delivering a parcel, the UAV comprising:

a UAV chassis comprising;

an upper portion including a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis;

a lower portion positioned below the upper portion in a vertical direction, the lower portion defining an internal cavity; and

a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis, the parcel carrier comprising;

an engagement housing configured for being at least partially inserted within the internal cavity of the lower portion of the UAV chassis and thereby secured to the UAV chassis; and

a parcel carrying mechanism coupled to and positioned below the engagement housing, wherein the parcel carrying mechanism is configured for engaging and holding the parcel.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the parcel carrying mechanism comprises a pair of parcel carrying arms.

3. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the parcel carrying arms are configured to move between an engaged position, in which the parcel carrying arms are configured to engage the parcel, and a disengaged position, in which the parcel carrying arms are configured to be spaced apart from the parcel.

4. The UAV of claim 3, wherein the parcel carrier further comprises:

a motor configured for actuating the parcel carrying arms; and

a parcel carrier controller communicatively coupled to the motor, wherein the parcel carrier controller is configured to command the motor to move the parcel carrying arms between the engaged position and the disengaged position.

5. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the parcel carrier further comprises a ground probe communicatively coupled to the parcel carrier controller and configured to detect when a bottom surface of the parcel contacts a landing surface.

6. The UAV of claim 2, wherein each of the parcel carrying arms comprise an upper portion extending outward from the engagement housing, and a lower portion extending downward from the upper portion.

7. The UAV of claim 6, wherein each of the parcel carrying arms further comprise a plurality of pins extending inward from the lower portion of the parcel carrying arms toward the parcel.

8. The UAV of claim 6, wherein each of the parcel carrying arms comprise a support flange extending inward from the lower portion of the parcel carrying arms, wherein the support flange is configured to extend under a bottom surface of the parcel.

9. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the UAV chassis includes a plurality of retaining members configured to engage the engagement housing of the parcel carrier and secure the parcel carrier within the internal cavity of the UAV chassis.

10. The UAV of claim 9, wherein the plurality of retaining members are positioned around a perimeter of an opening to the UAV chassis'"'"' internal cavity, and

wherein the plurality of retaining members are repositionable between an extended position, in which the retaining members extend inward into the internal cavity and in which the retaining members are configured to secure the engagement housing of the parcel carrier within the internal cavity, and a retracted position, in which the retaining members are withdrawn from the internal cavity and in which the retaining members are configured to allow the engagement housing to be removable from the internal cavity.

11. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a ground landing sensor coupled to the UAV chassis and positioned outside of a maximum parcel envelope.

12. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising landing gear coupled to a downward-facing surface of the upper portion of the UAV chassis.

13. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a camera positioned on the lower portion of the UAV chassis.

14. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for delivering a parcel, the UAV comprising:

a UAV chassis comprising;

an upper portion including a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis;

a lower portion positioned below the upper portion in a vertical direction;

a parcel carrier selectively coupled to and removable from the UAV chassis, the parcel carrier comprising;

an engagement housing configured for being secured to the lower portion of the UAV chassis; and

a parcel carrying mechanism coupled to the engagement housing and positioned below the engagement housing, wherein the parcel carrying mechanism is configured to engage a parcel.

15. The UAV of claim 14, wherein the parcel carrying mechanism comprises a pair of parcel carrying arms.

16. The UAV of claim 15, wherein the parcel carrier comprises:

a motor coupled to the parcel carrying arms; and

a parcel carrier controller communicatively coupled to the motor, wherein the parcel carrier controller is configured to command the motor to move the parcel carrying arms between an engaged position, in which the parcel carrying arms are configured to engage the parcel, and a disengaged position, in which the parcel carrying arms are configured to be spaced apart from the parcel.

17. The UAV of claim 15, wherein each of the parcel carrying arms comprise an upper portion extending outward from the engagement housing in a lateral direction that is transverse to the vertical direction, and a lower portion extending downward from the upper portion.

18. The UAV of claim 17, wherein each of the parcel carrying arms further comprise a plurality of pins extending inward from the lower portion of the parcel carrying arms toward the parcel.

19. The UAV of claim 17, wherein each of the parcel carrying arms further comprise a support flange extending inward from the lower portion of the parcel carrying arms, wherein the support flange is configured to extend under a bottom surface of the parcel.

20. The UAV of claim 14, wherein the engagement housing comprises a shape that is complementary to the lower portion of the UAV chassis.