Unmanned aerial vehicle and landing system

{
  "publication_number": "US10453022B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Unmanned aerial vehicle and landing system",
  "abstract": "Systems and methods include UAVs that serve to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands of the transportation and delivery process. A UAV generally includes a UAV chassis including an upper portion, a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis, and a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis. UAV support mechanisms are utilized to load and unload parcel carriers to the UAV chassis, and the UAV lands on and takes off from the UAV support mechanism to deliver parcels to a serviceable point. The UAV includes computing entities that interface with different systems and computing entities to send and receive various types of information.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An enhanced parcel delivery system for delivering parcels via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising: a UAV support mechanism comprising: a pair of opposing rails extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the opposing rails are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, the opposing rails defining: a landing region; a takeoff region positioned opposite the landing region; a transport region positioned between the takeoff region and the landing region, wherein the transport region comprises a conveyor comprising powered rollers positioned within the opposing rails, and wherein the powered rollers are configured to engage the reduced width portion of the UAV chassis when the UAV is positioned within the transport region; and at least one UAV comprising: an upper portion having an upper portion width evaluated in a lateral direction; a lower portion positioned below the upper portion in a vertical direction, the lower portion having a lower portion width evaluated in the lateral direction; and a reduced width portion positioned between the upper portion and the lower portion, the reduced width portion having a width evaluated in the lateral direction, wherein the width of the reduced width portion is less than the upper portion width and the lower portion width, and wherein the reduced width portion is configured to engage the pair of opposing rails of the UAV support mechanism.",
    "2. The enhanced parcel delivery system of claim 1, wherein the opposing rails define an upper surface positioned above the powered rollers and oriented to face upward, and wherein the UAV chassis further comprises landing gear configured to engage the upper surface when the UAV is positioned within the transport region.",
    "3. The enhanced parcel delivery system of claim 2, wherein the landing gear comprises a pair of rollers coupled to the upper portion of the UAV chassis.",
    "4. The enhanced parcel delivery system of claim 2, wherein the landing gear comprises a pair of landing skids coupled to the upper portion of the UAV chassis and oriented to face downward.",
    "5. The enhanced parcel delivery system of claim 2, wherein the landing gear of the UAV chassis is positioned on opposing sides of the reduced width portion.",
    "6. An enhanced parcel delivery system for delivering parcels via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising: a UAV support mechanism comprising: a pair of opposing rails extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the opposing rails are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, the opposing rails defining: a landing region; a takeoff region positioned opposite the landing region; a transport region positioned between the takeoff region and the landing region, wherein the opposing rails converge toward one another moving along the landing region toward the transport region and a width evaluated between the opposing rails is greater at the landing region as compared to the transport region; and at least one UAV comprising: an upper portion having an upper portion width evaluated in a lateral direction; a lower portion positioned below the upper portion in a vertical direction, the lower portion having a lower portion width evaluated in the lateral direction; and a reduced width portion positioned between the upper portion and the lower portion, the reduced width portion having a width evaluated in the lateral direction, wherein the width of the reduced width portion is less than the upper portion width and the lower portion width, and wherein the reduced width portion is configured to engage the pair of opposing rails of the UAV support mechanism.",
    "7. An enhanced parcel delivery system for delivering parcels via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising: a UAV support mechanism comprising: a pair of opposing rails extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the opposing rails are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, the opposing rails defining: a landing region; a takeoff region positioned opposite the landing region; a transport region positioned between the takeoff region and the landing region; and at least one UAV comprising: an upper portion having an upper portion width evaluated in a lateral direction; a lower portion positioned below the upper portion in a vertical direction, the lower portion having a lower portion width evaluated in the lateral direction; and a reduced width portion positioned between the upper portion and the lower portion, the reduced width portion having a width evaluated in the lateral direction, wherein the width of the reduced width portion is less than the upper portion width and the lower portion width, and wherein the reduced width portion is configured to engage the pair of opposing rails of the UAV support mechanism; and the UAV further comprises a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis, the parcel carrier comprising an engagement housing and a parcel carrying mechanism.",
    "8. The enhanced parcel delivery system of claim 7, wherein the engagement housing of the parcel carrier has a parcel carrier width that is greater than a width evaluated between the opposing rails in the transport region."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Parcel transportation between an origin and a destination is traditionally a labor-intensive process. For short distance, “local” deliveries, an item (e.g., parcel) may be transported by a delivery person between the origin and the destination. For example, the delivery person may drive a vehicle to transport the item between the origin and the destination, and may ensure that the item is properly picked up and/or delivered according to delivery instructions. For longer-distance deliveries, transportation of an item may involve a number of delivery personnel, who may individually perform one or more steps for picking up an item, sorting the item one or more times, transporting the item from a final sort location to a final delivery destination, and/or delivering the item from the delivery vehicle to the final destination address (e.g., serviceable point). Because of the labor-intensive nature of this process, various attempts have been made to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands required in the transportation and delivery process; however, prior attempts have faced substantial difficulties in ensuring that various aspects of the transportation and delivery process are properly performed. For example, attempts have been made to utilize unmanned vehicles, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to transport items from a final sort location to an intended delivery destination. However, such concepts are generally limited by the effective range of the UAVs, as well as the number of available UAVs that may be utilized to deliver items to locations a substan tial distance away from the final sort location.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06Q 10/0832",
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    "B64C 39/024",
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    "H04W 4/70"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60P 3/11",
    "B64C 39/02",
    "B64D 1/00",
    "B64D 1/22",
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    "G06Q 10/08",
    "G08G 5/00",
    "G08G 5/02",
    "H04L 29/08",
    "H04W 4/70"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "United parcel service america inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "GIL JULIO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-01-12",
  "publication_date": "2019-10-22",
  "grant_date": "2019-10-22",
  "priority_date": "2016-04-29",
  "application_number": "US-201815870122-A",
  "family_id": "59930747",
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