Drone delivery system hub for facilitating parcel delivery by unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258152-B2
Application number	US-202117532247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 22, 2021
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A drone delivery system hub and method for sending for take-off and receiving for landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The drone delivery system hub includes a center shaft frame, a parcel-conveying system supported by the center shaft frame, structural arms coupled to and extending outward from the center shaft frame in a spoke-like configuration, drone-conveying systems each supported by one of the structural arms, and a linking conveyor span. The drone-conveying system conveys the UAVs along a length of a correspond one of the structural arms toward and away from the center shaft frame. The linking conveyor span selectably rotates to different orientations between different pairs of the structural arms, selectively conveying a UAV thereon between any two of the structural arms. The linking conveyor span is located above the parcel-conveying system such for the UAV thereon to deposit and retrieve parcels from the parcel-conveying system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drone delivery system hub for facilitating parcel delivery, the drone delivery system hub comprising:
a center support frame;
a parcel-conveying system supported by the center support frame, wherein the parcel-conveying system comprises at least one of one or more chutes, an elevator, a spiral conveyor, an L-shaped platform, or a conveyor lift configured for moving parcels from a first elevation to a second elevation;
a plurality of structural arms, wherein each structural arm of the plurality of structural arms is coupled to and extends upward and radially outward from the center support frame;
a plurality of drone-conveying systems, wherein each drone-conveying system of the plurality of drone-conveying systems is supported by at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms, comprises one or more rails for receiving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and is operable to convey the UAV along the one or more rails and a length of the at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms; and
a linking conveyor span selectably extending between at least two drone-conveying systems of the plurality of drone-conveying systems and at least partially operable to convey the UAV between the at least two drone-conveying systems of the plurality of drone-conveying systems.

2. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , further comprising at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to rotate the linking conveyor span based on at least one of the following: a destination of the UAV positioned on the linking conveyor span, wind conditions, or statuses of other incoming UAVs or other outgoing UAV.

3. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , further comprising battery charging stations along one or more structural arms of the plurality of structural arms, wherein at least one battery charging station of the battery charging stations is operable for storing and charging a UAV battery for the UAV.

4. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , wherein the one or more rails for at least one drone-conveying system of the plurality of drone-conveying systems comprise a pair of opposing rails laterally spaced apart, and power rollers positioned within the pair of opposing rails.

5. The drone delivery system hub of claim 4 , further comprising a drone storage system rotatably attached to at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms and rotatable about an axis extending a length of the at least one structural arm, wherein the drone storage system comprises a plurality of rail segments spaced apart about the at least one structural arm and each rail segment of the plurality of rail segments is selectively aligned, upon rotation about the at least one structural arm, with the pair of opposing rails of the at least one drone conveying system of the plurality of drone-conveying systems.

6. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , wherein at least one drone-conveying system of the plurality of drone-conveying systems is operable to catapult the UAV from the at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms upon take-off.

7. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , wherein the one or more chutes comprise a center chute and a plurality of outer chutes positioned around or proximate to the center chute, and the center chute and the plurality of outer chutes each extend down the center support frame.

8. The drone delivery system hub of claim 7 , further comprising a ring of spoke rails cooperatively rotatable to locations above different outer chutes of the plurality of outer chutes, wherein at least one spoke rail of the spoke rails extends between one drone-conveying system of the plurality of drone-conveying systems and the linking conveyor span.

9. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , further comprising at least one autonomous drone diagnosis system located along at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms, wherein the at least one autonomous drone diagnosis system comprises at least one of a sensor, a controller, a processor, or memory configured to perform at least one of a diagnostic check or a pre-flight check of the UAV.

10. The drone delivery system hub of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of structural arms comprises a plurality of upper structural arms and a plurality of lower structural arms, and the plurality of upper structural arms is located higher on the center support frame than the plurality of lower structural arms.

11. A method of sending for take-off and receiving for landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) via a drone delivery system hub, the method comprising:
receiving a first UAV of the UAVs on a first drone-conveying system supported by a first structural arm coupled to and extending outward from a center shaft frame of the drone delivery system hub, wherein the first drone-conveying system comprises one or more rails for receiving the first UAV;
conveying, via the first drone-conveying system, the first UAV along the one or more rails and toward the center shaft frame;
receiving, from the first drone-conveying system, the first UAV on a linking conveyor span of the drone delivery system hub, wherein at least a portion of the linking conveyor span is located or rotatably located over an opening of a center chute of the center shaft frame;
conveying, via the linking conveyor span, the first UAV to a location aligned with the opening of the center chute of the center shaft frame; and
performing at least one of receiving from the first UAV or giving to the first UAV, a parcel via the center chute of the center shaft frame while the first UAV is in the location aligned with the opening of the center chute.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
rotating the linking conveyor span to align at least one end of the linking conveyor span with a second drone-conveying system supported by a second structural arm coupled to and extending outward from the center shaft frame, wherein the second drone-conveying system comprises one or more second rails for receiving the first UAV; and
conveying, via the linking conveyor span, the first UAV to the second drone-conveying system.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising conveying, via the second drone-conveying system, the first UAV outward and off of the second drone-conveying system during takeoff of the first UAV.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the center shaft frame is mounted to an elevated surface of a building.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a battery from the first UAV at a battery charging station on the first structural arm or the first drone-conveying system.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising automatically conducting an autonomous diagnosis of the first UAV when the first UAV reaches, via the first drone-conveying system, an autonomous drone diagnosis system located on the first structural arm, wherein the autonomous drone diagnosis system comprises at least one of a sensor, a controller, a processor, or memory configured to perform the autonomous diagnosis of the first UAV.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the center shaft frame further comprises a plurality of outer chutes positioned around or proximate to the center chute, the plurality of outer chutes comprises a first outer chute, and the method further comprises cooperatively rotating a plurality of spoke rails to a first rotatable position at which at least one spoke rail of the plurality of spoke rails extends between the first drone-conveying system and the linking conveyor s

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Gil Julio
• Ramsager Thomas
• Walp Jeff

Classifications

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64U80/40

  for two or more UAVs · CPC title

• B64U80/25

  for recharging batteries; for refuelling · CPC title

• B64U80/10

  with means for moving the UAV to a supply or launch location, e.g. robotic arms or carousels · CPC title