Unmanned aerial system kiosk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304657-B2
Application number	US-202117538536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2021
Priority date	Jun 2, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A kiosk for use an unmanned aerial system (UAS) delivery system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the kiosk includes an enclosure comprising at least one vertical wall having a secured entrance therethrough to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the enclosure, wherein an external appearance of the enclosure corresponds to a location of the kiosk; a landing zone for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the UAS located within the enclosure, the landing zone comprising infrastructure from which the UAV can take off and on which the UAV can land; sensors for detecting an environment of at least one of the kiosk and the enclosure; and a guidance system for providing signals to the UAV to guide the UAV into the enclosure and onto the landing zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A kiosk for use in an unmanned aerial system (UAS) delivery system, the kiosk comprising:
an enclosure comprising at least one vertical wall having an entrance therethrough, wherein the entrance is secured by an access control system to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the enclosure;
a landing zone for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the UAS located within the enclosure, the landing zone comprising infrastructure from which the UAV can take off and on which the UAV can land;
sensors for detecting an environment of at least one of the kiosk and the enclosure;
a guidance system for providing signals to the UAV to guide the UAV into the enclosure and onto the landing zone;
a retractable roof disposed over a top of the enclosure; and
a retractable roof control module for selectively controlling a position of the retractable roof in response to control signals from the UAV.

2. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising a secured area within the enclosure having a secured entrance to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the secured area, wherein the landing zone is within the secured area.

3. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising a charging station within the enclosure, the charging station including equipment for charging the UAV.

4. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising a maintenance area within the enclosure, the maintenance area comprising equipment for use by a maintenance personnel to conduct maintenance on the UAV.

5. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising a storage area within the enclosure, the storage area comprising equipment for securely storing the UAV.

6. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising a weather station, the weather station comprising equipment for determining information regarding current weather in the vicinity of the kiosk and for communicating the determined current weather information to a control station of the UAS.

7. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising a package pickup area, the package pickup area comprising equipment for securely storing packages addressed to recipients.

8. The kiosk of claim 7 , wherein the package pickup area equipment automatically and without human intervention comprises a locker, and wherein one of the packages addressed to one of the recipients is stored in the locker.

9. The kiosk of claim 8 , wherein the package pickup area equipment communicates to the one of the recipients' information for enabling the one of the recipients to enter the kiosk and open the locker to gain access to the one of the packages.

10. The kiosk of claim 1 , further comprising ground robots for transporting the UAV within the enclosure.

11. A kiosk for use an unmanned aerial system (UAS) delivery system, the kiosk comprising:
an enclosure comprising at least one wall including a door therethrough;
a package receipt system within the enclosure, the package receipt system comprising:
a package sorting funnel for receiving a package dropped into the package sorting funnel from a UAV hovering above the kiosk and the package sorting funnel, wherein the package includes radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed thereto;
a locker system comprising a plurality of secured lockers;
a package sorting system configured to receive the package from the package sorting funnel and to automatically and without human intervention identify one of the plurality of secured lockers based on the RFID tag and place the received package into the identified one of the plurality of secured lockers; and

a notification system for providing a notification to a recipient of the received package, wherein the recipient is identified based on the RFID tag.

12. The kiosk of claim 11 , wherein the door comprises a keypad and wherein access to the enclosure through the door is gained by entering an access code using the keypad.

13. The kiosk of claim 12 , wherein the notification includes the access code.

14. The kiosk of claim 11 , wherein the notification includes information identifying the one of the plurality of secured lockers and an access code for enabling the recipient to open the one of the plurality of secured lockers to access the package.

15. The kiosk of claim 11 , wherein the notification comprises at least one of a phone call, an email, and a text message.

16. A package receipt system for an unmanned aerial system (UAS) delivery system, the package receipt system comprising:
a package receipt system within an enclosure, the package receipt system comprising:
a package sorting funnel for receiving a package dropped into the package sorting funnel from a UAV hovering above the kiosk and the package sorting funnel, wherein the package includes radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed thereto;
a locker system comprising a plurality of secured lockers;
a package sorting system configured to receive the package from the package sorting funnel and to automatically and without human intervention identify one of the plurality of secured lockers based on the RFID tag and place the received package into the identified one of the plurality of secured lockers; and
a notification system for automatically and without human intervention providing a notification to a recipient of the received package, wherein the recipient is identified based on the RFID tag.

17. The package receipt system of claim 16 , wherein the notification includes information for identifying the one of the plurality of secured lockers and information for enabling the recipient to open the one of the plurality of secured lockers to access the package.

18. The package receipt system of claim 16 , wherein the notification comprises at least one of a phone call, an email, and a text message.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Hurst Jason Paul
• Wittmaak Jr John Robert
• Edler Joshua Allan
• Sparks Chad
• Brodeur Nicholas

Classifications

• G06Q10/0838 Primary

  Historical data · CPC title

• E04B1/343

  Structures characterised by movable, separable, or collapsible parts, e.g. for transport (movable roof parts E04B7/16; floatable buildings B63B; small prefabricated buildings, transportable as a whole, E04H1/12; small garages E04H6/02; tents or canopies, in general E04H15/00) · CPC title

• B64U70/95

  Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means · CPC title

• B64U80/25

  for recharging batteries; for refuelling · CPC title

• B64U10/20

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft (flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17) · CPC title