Package delivery using drones integrated with vehicle elevator unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12565149-B2
Application number	US-202318451164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2023
Priority date	Aug 17, 2023
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A delivery vehicle is disclosed. The delivery vehicle may include a vehicle elevator unit configured to move a bin to a bin pickup zone in a vehicle interior portion. The delivery vehicle may further include a vehicle drone unit disposed on a top portion of the vehicle elevator unit. The vehicle drone unit may be removably coupled to the vehicle elevator unit. The vehicle drone unit may include a landing platform for a drone. The landing platform may include an opening to enable the drone to engage with the bin for a bin last-mile delivery. The opening may be in proximity to the bin pickup zone.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle elevator unit configured to move a bin to a bin pickup zone in a vehicle interior portion; and a vehicle drone unit disposed on a top portion of the vehicle elevator unit, wherein the vehicle drone unit comprises a landing platform for a drone, wherein the landing platform comprises an opening to enable the drone to engage with the bin for a bin last-mile delivery, and wherein the opening is in proximity to the bin pickup zone.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle top portion having a cut-out, wherein the cut-out is configured to enclose the vehicle drone unit.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle drone unit is removably coupled with the vehicle elevator unit via a mechanical interface.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle drone unit is coupled with the vehicle elevator unit via a data interface, and wherein the vehicle is configured to transmit delivery information associated with the bin to the drone via the data interface.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle drone unit is coupled with the vehicle elevator unit via a power interface, and wherein the drone is configured to receive power from a power source via the power interface.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle drone unit comprises a sliding hatch at a top portion of the vehicle drone unit, and wherein the sliding hatch is configured to open or close the top portion of the vehicle drone unit to enable drone movement for the bin last-mile delivery.

7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle drone unit further comprises a drone resting platform in an interior portion of the vehicle drone unit, and wherein the drone resting platform is configured to move up and down along a vehicle drone unit height to enable drone movement in the vehicle drone unit.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the bin comprises a bin sidewall, wherein the bin sidewall comprises one or more cut-outs, and wherein the drone is configured to engage with the bin via the one or more cut-outs.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the landing platform comprises a recess configured to receive drone legs.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the recess comprises a first magnetic material and the drone legs comprises a second magnetic material, and wherein the landing platform is configured to be magnetically coupled with the drone via the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the landing platform corresponds to a shape of a drone landing gear, and wherein the landing platform is configured to be mechanically attached with the drone landing gear.

12 . The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to:
obtain a delivery information associated with the bin, wherein the delivery information comprises a delivery location; and
cause the vehicle elevator unit to move the bin to the bin pickup zone responsive to obtaining the delivery information.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine that the bin is placed in the bin pickup zone; generate an instruction for the drone to perform the bin last-mile delivery, responsive to a determination that the bin is placed in the bin pickup zone, wherein the instruction comprises the delivery information; and transmit the instruction to the drone, wherein the drone is configured to receive the instruction and engage with the bin to perform the bin last-mile delivery responsive to receiving the instruction from the processor.

14 . A method comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, a delivery information associated with a bin, wherein the delivery information comprises a delivery location; causing, by the processor, a vehicle elevator unit of a vehicle to move the bin to a bin pickup zone in a vehicle interior portion responsive to obtaining the delivery information; generating, by the processor, an instruction for a drone to engage with the bin in the bin pickup zone and perform a bin last-mile delivery, wherein the drone is disposed in a vehicle drone unit disposed on a top portion of the vehicle elevator unit, wherein the vehicle drone unit comprises a landing platform for the drone, and wherein the landing platform comprises an opening to enable the drone to engage with the bin for the bin last-mile delivery; and transmitting, by the processor, the instruction to the drone, wherein the drone is configured to receive the instruction and engage with the bin to perform the bin last-mile delivery responsive to receiving the instruction.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
determining that the bin is placed in the bin pickup zone; and
generating the instruction for the drone responsive to a determination that the bin is placed in the bin pickup zone.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle drone unit is removably coupled with the vehicle elevator unit via a mechanical interface.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle drone unit is coupled with the vehicle elevator unit via a data interface, and wherein the vehicle is configured to transmit delivery information associated with the bin to the drone via the data interface.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle drone unit is coupled with the vehicle elevator unit via a power interface, and wherein the drone is configured to receive power from a power source via the power interface.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the opening is in proximity to the bin pickup zone.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
obtain a delivery information associated with a bin, wherein the delivery information comprises a delivery location; cause a vehicle elevator unit of a vehicle to move the bin to a bin pickup zone in a vehicle interior portion responsive to obtaining the delivery information; generate an instruction for a drone to engage with the bin in the bin pickup zone and perform a bin last-mile delivery, wherein the drone is disposed in a vehicle drone unit disposed on a top portion of the vehicle elevator unit, wherein the vehicle drone unit comprises a landing platform for the drone, and wherein the landing platform comprises an opening to enable the drone to engage with the bin for the bin last-mile delivery; and transmit the instruction to the drone, wherein the drone is configured to receive the instruction and engage with the bin to perform the bin last-mile delivery.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Panigrahi Smruti
• Lundeen Kurt Michael
• Hoff Sam
• Feldkamp Timothy Mark
• Chen Yifan

Classifications

• B64U70/93

  for use on a land or nautical vehicle · CPC title

• G06Q10/0836 Primary

  Recipient pick-ups · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• B64U70/99

  Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets · CPC title

• B64U80/25

  for recharging batteries; for refuelling · CPC title