METHODS FOR DELIVERING A PARCEL VIA AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20180155031A1
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2016
• Status: Active Application

• 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
• Application Number:
  US15/870,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20180155031A1
• 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. A method for delivering parcels via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

securing a first parcel to a first parcel carrier;

at a loading point, securing the first parcel carrier to a chassis of a UAV for delivery of the first parcel;

connecting a first power source of the first parcel carrier to propulsion members of the UAV;

navigating the UAV from the loading point to a serviceable point;

at the serviceable point, releasing the first parcel from a parcel carrying mechanism of the first parcel carrier;

navigating the UAV from the serviceable point to the loading point;

at the loading point, removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis;

securing a second parcel carrier coupled to a second parcel to the chassis of the UAV for delivery of the second parcel; and

connecting a second power source of the second parcel carrier to the propulsion members of the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to releasing the first parcel from the parcel carrying mechanism, engaging a ground probe of the first parcel carrier with a landing surface at the serviceable point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of releasing the first parcel from the parcel carrying mechanism comprises moving parcel carrying arms of the parcel carrying mechanism from an engaged position into a disengaged position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the parcel carrying arms comprise a plurality of pins that are engaged with apertures defined by the first parcel in the engaged position, and which are spaced apart from the apertures defined by the first parcel in the disengaged position.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the parcel carrying arms comprise a plurality of pins that in the engaged position, are engaged with apertures defined by a parcel frame coupled to the first parcel, and which are spaced apart from the apertures defined by the parcel frame in the disengaged position.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the parcel carrying arms comprise a pair of support flanges that are engaged with a bottom surface of the first parcel in the engaged position, and which are spaced apart from the bottom surface of the first parcel in the disengaged position.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of releasing the first parcel from the parcel carrying mechanism comprises releasing the first parcel from a parcel housing of the parcel carrying mechanism.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis comprises disconnecting the first power source of the first parcel carrier from propulsion members of the UAV chassis.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, subsequent to the step of removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis, positioning the first parcel carrier on a rack positioned within an interior of a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis comprises moving engagement members of the UAV chassis from an extended position into a retracted position.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis comprises removing the first parcel carrier from an interior cavity defined by the UAV chassis.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis comprises removing the UAV chassis from a cavity defined by the first parcel carrier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises a UAV control system, and the method further comprises receiving, via the UAV control system, a signal from a guidance array at the loading point and navigating the UAV toward the guidance array.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises a UAV control system, and the method further comprises, receiving via the UAV control system, a location coordinate associated with a first desired delivery location at the serviceable point and a location coordinate associated with a second desired delivery location at the serviceable point.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, prior to the step of releasing the first parcel from the first parcel carrying mechanism:

detecting, via the UAV control system, an obstruction positioned at the first desired delivery location; and

navigating the UAV to the second desired delivery location.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the step of securing the second parcel carrier to the chassis of the UAV, engaging the UAV with powered rollers positioned within opposing rails at the loading point.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of engaging the UAV with the powered rollers comprises engaging a reduced width portion of the UAV chassis with the powered rollers.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising landing the UAV to a pair of opposing rails prior to the step of removing the first parcel carrier from the UAV chassis.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of releasing the first parcel from the parcel carrying mechanism comprises disconnecting a power source of the parcel carrier from a refrigeration unit of the first parcel.