Systems and methods of delivering products with unmanned delivery aircrafts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11053006-B2
Application number	US-201916390901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2019
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to enhance delivery of packages. Some embodiments provide an unmanned delivery system comprising: a rotational drive shaft; a crane motor cooperated with the drive shaft that is rotated by the crane motor; a first crane system with a first cord fixed with the first crane system, wherein the first crane system is configured to cooperate with the drive shaft to control the first crane system in controlling the spooling and retraction of the first cord; a control circuit coupled with the crane motor; and a stop switch electrically coupled with the control circuit and positioned to be contacted by a package release hanger secured with the first cord when the first cord is retracted to a first threshold; wherein the control circuit is configured to stop the crane motor in response to receiving a signal from the stop switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned delivery system, comprising:
a rotational drive shaft;
a crane motor fixed to an unmanned delivery aircraft, wherein the crane motor is further cooperated with a drive shaft that is rotated by the crane motor;
a control circuit coupled with the crane motor;
a first crane system with a first cord fixed with the first crane system that is spooled and retracted in operation of the first crane system;
a second crane system with a second cord fixed with the second crane system; and
a transmission cooperated between the crane motor and the rotational drive shaft and configured to selectively cooperate the drive shaft through the transmission with one of the first crane system and the second crane system;
wherein the control circuit is coupled with the transmission and controls the transmission to selectively cooperate the drive shaft with one of the first crane system and the second crane system, and controls the crane motor to drive the drive shaft to control the one of the first crane system and the second crane system cooperated with the drive shaft in performing one of retracting and unspooling a corresponding one of the first cord and the second cord.

2. The unmanned delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a package release hanger secured with the first cord and configured to support a package during transport of the package to a delivery location;
a release detector communicatively coupled with the control circuit and configured to detect a release of the package that was supported by the package release hanger and transmit a release signal in response to detecting the release of the package;
wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the release signal and initiate a retraction of the first cord in response to receiving the release signal.

3. The unmanned delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sonar height detection system communicatively coupled with the control circuit and configured to provide height information corresponding to a height the unmanned delivery aircraft is above a delivery surface to the control circuit;
wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the crane motor based on a height the unmanned delivery aircraft is above the delivery surface.

4. The unmanned delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the crane motor to induce variable speeds as the first crane system is being unspooled or retracted such that the speed of unspooling or retracting is increased between a first length and a second length of the first cord, and subsequently decreased between a third length and a fourth length of the first cord.

5. The unmanned delivery system of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit in controlling the crane motor to induce the variable speed further controls changes in speed as a function of a predicted height of a package above the delivery surface.

6. The unmanned delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of propeller motors each cooperated with a propeller and configured to drive the propellers to control the movement of the unmanned delivery aircraft;
wherein the control circuit is further coupled with the plurality of propeller motors and configured to control the propeller motors to maintain the unmanned delivery aircraft at a threshold delivery height relative to the delivery surface while controlling the crane motor in unspooling the first cord.

7. The unmanned delivery system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a sonar height detection system coupled with the control circuit and configured to provide height information corresponding to a height the unmanned delivery aircraft is above a delivery surface to the control circuit;
wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the crane motor based on the height information.

8. The unmanned delivery system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a stop switch position to be contacted by a package release hanger secured with the first cord when the first cord is retracted to a stop threshold relative to the unmanned delivery aircraft, wherein the stop switch is configured to output a signal in response to the activation of the stop switch;
wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the signal from the stop switch and stop the crane motor in response to receiving the signal from the stop switch.

9. A method of delivering packages, comprising:
by a control circuit of an unmanned delivery aircraft:
controlling a transmission of the unmanned delivery aircraft to selectively cooperate through the transmission a drive shaft with one of a first crane system having a first cord fixed to the first crane system and a second crane system having a second cord fixed with the second crane system, wherein the first crane system is configured to unspool and retract the first cord and the second crane system is configured to unspool and retract the second cord;
controlling a crane motor fixed to the unmanned delivery aircraft and further cooperated with the drive shaft to drive the drive shaft to activate the one of the first crane system and the second crane system that is selectively cooperated with the drive shaft; and
controlling the crane motor to drive the drive shaft to control the one of the first crane system and the second crane system cooperated with the drive shaft in performing one of retracting and unspooling a corresponding one of the first cord and the second cord.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, through a sonar height detection system, height information corresponding to a height the unmanned delivery aircraft is above a delivery surface; and
wherein the controlling the crane motor comprises controlling the crane motor based on the height the unmanned delivery aircraft is above the delivery surface.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, at the control circuit, a release signal from a release detector of the unmanned delivery aircraft in response to the release detector detecting a release of a package being transported by unmanned delivery aircraft.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling the crane motor to drive the drive shaft to control the one of the first crane system and the second crane system comprises controlling the crane motor in response to the release signal to cause the one of the first crane system and the second crane system to retract the corresponding one of the first cord and the second cord.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling the crane motor further comprises controlling the crane motor to induce variable speeds as the one of the first crane system and the second crane system is unspooling or retracting the respective first cord and the second cord, comprising:
increasing the speed of unspooling or retracting between a first length and a second length of the respective one of the first cord and the second cord; and
subsequently decreasing the speed of the unspooling or retracting between a third length and a fourth length of the respective one of the first cord and the second cord.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the controlling the crane motor further comprises controlling the crane motor and changing the speed of one of the unspooling and the retracting as a function of a predicted height of a package is above a delivery surface as the package is being delivered by the unmanned delivery aircraft.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
controlling, through the control circuit, propeller motors of the unmanned delivery aircraft to maintain the unma

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Jones Nathan G
• Hicks Gregory A
• High Donald R

Classifications

• B64U2101/67

  the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• B64D47/00

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D1/22

  Taking-up articles from earth's surface · CPC title

• B64C2201/128

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic