Integrated roofing accessories for unmanned vehicle navigation and methods and systems including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11222300-B2
Application number	US-202017099364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2020
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides systems and methods enabling unmanned vehicle navigation and delivery including an integrated roofing accessory integrated into a roof, the integrated roofing accessory including at least one antenna and a computing module in communication with the at least one antenna, where the computing module, when software is executed, is configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna: electronic operating instructions to at least one unmanned vehicle, and network messages related to the at least one unmanned vehicle to at least one additional integrated roofing accessory. A landing member is on the roof and the electronic operating instructions comprise: at least one landing instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to land on the landing member, and at least one take-off instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to take off from the landing member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an integrated roofing accessory that is integrated into a roof of a structure; and
wherein the integrated roofing accessory comprises:
at least one roofing accessory component;
at least one antenna integrated into the at least one roofing accessory component;
a computing module integrated into the at least one roofing accessory component and in communication with the at least one antenna;
wherein the computing module comprises at least one processor and a non-transitory memory storage having software stored thereon;
wherein the computing module, when the software is executed by the at least one processor, is configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna:
i) electronic operating instructions to at least one unmanned vehicle, and
ii) network messages related to the at least one unmanned vehicle to at least one additional integrated roofing accessory on at least one additional roof;
wherein the at least one additional integrated roofing accessory is configured to transmit the electronic operating instructions to the at least one unmanned vehicle; and

a landing member that is positioned at a predetermined location in a proximity to the structure;
wherein the electronic operating instructions comprise:
i) at least one landing instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to land on the landing member, and
ii) at least one take-off instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to take off from the landing member.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the landing member is a horizontal platform.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one unmanned vehicle is configured to transport at least one delivery item, and
wherein the system further comprises a receptacle that is configured to accept the at least one delivery item.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the landing member comprises the receptacle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the landing member is configured to allow the at least one unmanned vehicle to be electrically charged from a power supply.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna is embedded within a surface of the integrated roofing accessory.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated roofing accessory and the at least one additional integrated roofing accessory form a computer network based at least in part on the network messages.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated roofing accessory has a right edge, a left edge, a front edge, and a back edge;
wherein one or more of the right edge, the left edge, the front edge, and the back edge is configured to contact at least one additional roofing accessory on the roof.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional roofing accessory further comprises at least one shingle that is made from a roofing material.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the right edge, the left edge, the front edge and the back edge is configured to contact the at least one additional roofing accessory on the roof such as to form a seal between the integrated roofing accessory and the at least one additional roofing accessory.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a water shedding layer provided on the roof; and
wherein the integrated roofing accessory is mounted over the water shedding layer.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated roofing accessory has a planar shape; and
wherein the integrated roofing accessory is configured to be installed on a face of the roof.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated roofing accessory has a ridge shape; and
wherein the integrated roofing accessory is configured to be installed in a ridge vent of the roof.

14. A system comprising:
a plurality of integrated roofing accessories are integrated into a plurality of roofs;
wherein each integrated roofing accessory of the plurality of integrated roofing accessories comprises:
at least one roofing accessory component;
at least one antenna integrated into the at least one roofing accessory component;
a computing module integrated into the at least one roofing accessory component and in communication with the at least one antenna;
wherein the computing module comprises at least one processor and a non-transitory memory storage having software stored thereon;
wherein the computing module, when the software is executed by the at least one processor, is configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna:
i) electronic operating instructions to at least one unmanned vehicle, and
ii) network messages related to the at least one unmanned vehicle to each integrated roofing accessory;

wherein the plurality of integrated roofing accessories are configured to transmit the electronic operating instructions to the at least one unmanned vehicle;

a plurality of landing members that are positioned at a plurality of predetermined locations in a proximity to the plurality of roofs;
wherein the electronic operating instructions comprise:
i) at least one landing instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to land on a particular landing member of the plurality of landing members, and
ii) at least one take-off instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to take off from the particular landing member.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of integrated roofing accessories comprises at least three integrated roofing accessories integrated into at least three roofs.

16. A method comprising:
obtaining an integrated roofing accessory;
wherein the integrated roofing accessory comprises:
at least one roofing accessory component;
at least one antenna integrated into the at least one roofing accessory component;
a computing module integrated into the at least one roofing accessory component and in communication with the at least one antenna;
wherein the computing module comprises at least one processor and a non-transitory memory storage having software stored thereon;
wherein the computing module, when the software is executed by the at least one processor, is configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna:
i) electronic operating instructions to at least one unmanned vehicle, and
ii) network messages related to the at least one unmanned vehicle to at least one additional integrated roofing accessory on at least one additional roof;
wherein the at least one additional integrated roofing accessory is configured to transmit the electronic operating instructions to the at least one unmanned vehicle;

mounting the integrated roofing accessory on a roof of a structure;
obtaining a landing member;
positioning the landing member at a predetermined location in a proximity to the structure; and
wherein the electronic operating instructions comprise:
i) at least one landing instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to land on the landing member, and
ii) at least one take-off instruction configured to cause the at least one unmanned vehicle to take off from the landing member.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the landing member is a horizontal platform.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one unmanned vehicle is configured to transport at least one delivery item, and
wherein the method further comprises a receptacle that is configured to accept the at least one delivery item.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the landing member comprises the receptacle.

Assignees

• Bmic Llc

Inventors

• Robinson Rich
• Riley Xavier

Classifications

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/54

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title