Stabilized airborne drop delivery

{
  "publication_number": "US9688404B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Stabilized airborne drop delivery",
  "abstract": "Stabilized airborne drop delivery using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is described. In one embodiment, the UAV includes a flight controller configured to control a flight path of the UAV, a winch mechanism secured to an underside of the UAV, a platform tethered to and extendable from the winch mechanism, and a ballast system configured to stabilize the platform. The winch mechanism may be relied upon to drop an item for delivery without landing the UAV. Because the use of the winch mechanism may give rise to certain design and operating considerations, various active and passive flight and/or ballast control systems are described. These systems are configured to maintain an orientation of the UAV, the platform, and/or the item during one or more stages of airborne drop delivery.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus, comprising: an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), comprising: a flight controller configured to control a flight path of the UAV; a winch mechanism secured to an underside of the UAV, the winch mechanism comprising: a first winch including a first extendable tether, the first winch being secured to the UAV in a first orientation; a second winch including a second extendable tether, the second winch being secured to the UAV in a second orientation; and a platform tethered to a distal end of the first and second extendable tethers, the platform including an attachment mechanism to releasably secure an item to the platform; and a payload system configured to stabilize the platform, the payload system comprising: at least one thrust generator; at least one orientation sensor; and a payload controller configured to control the at least one thrust generator to alter an orientation of the platform based on feedback from the at least one orientation sensor, wherein the first extendable tether flexes in a first direction and resists flexing in a second direction, the second extendable tether flexes in the second direction and resists flexing in the first direction, and the first direction is different than the second direction.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flight controller is further configured to: actuate the winch mechanism of the UAV to extend the platform from the UAV; monitor a height of at least one of the platform or the item above a landing surface within a delivery zone; and based on the height, release the item from the platform to deliver the item.",
    "3. An apparatus, comprising: an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), comprising: an orientation sensor; a flight controller configured to control a flight path and orientation of the UAV; a first winch mechanism secured to the UAV in a first orientation; a second winch mechanism secured to the UAV in a second orientation; and a platform tethered to a distal end of the first winch mechanism and the second winch mechanism, the platform including an attachment mechanism to releasably secure an item to the platform, wherein the first extendable tether flexes in a first direction and resists flexing in a second direction, the second extendable tether flexes in the second direction and resists flexing in the first direction, and the first direction is different than the second direction.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the flight controller is further configured to monitor a height of at least one of the platform or the item above a landing surface within a delivery zone.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flight controller is further configured to actuate the attachment mechanism of the UAV to release the item based on the height.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: a contact sensor to detect contact with the landing surface, wherein the flight controller is further configured to release the item from the platform based on a signal from the contact sensor.",
    "7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flight controller is further configured to: determine whether the monitored height is less than a predetermined drop height; receive an instruction to release the item via a communications interface; and release the item from the attachment mechanism.",
    "8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first winch includes a first extendable tether and the second winch includes a second extendable tether.",
    "9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flight controller is further configured to: determine whether tension in at least one of the first extendable tether and the second extendable tether is greater than a predetermined threshold based on a signal from a tension sensor; and disconnect at least one of the winch mechanism or the platform when the tension is greater than the predetermined threshold.",
    "10. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a payload system configured to stabilize the platform, the payload system comprising: at least one thrust generator; at least one orientation sensor; and a payload controller to control the at least one thrust generator based on feedback from the at least one orientation sensor.",
    "11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the payload controller is configured to control the at least one thrust generator to provide thrust in a direction opposing a direction of tilt of the platform.",
    "12. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), comprising: a first winch including a first extendable tether secured to an underside of the UAV in a first orientation; a second winch including a second extendable tether secured to the underside of the UAV in a second orientation; an attachment mechanism to releasably secure an item to the first extendable tether and the second extendable tether; an orientation sensor to provide orientation feedback signals representative of swinging or tilting in at least one of the first extendable tether, the second extendable tether, and the item; and a flight controller configured to control flight of the UAV based on the orientation feedback signals, wherein the first extendable tether flexes in a first direction and resists flexing in a second direction, the second extendable tether flexes in the second direction and resists flexing in the first direction, and the first direction is different than the second direction.",
    "13. The UAV of claim 12, further comprising a payload system at a distal end of the first extendable tether and the second extendable tether.",
    "14. The UAV of claim 13, wherein the payload system comprises: at least one thrust generator; and a payload controller configured to control the at least one thrust generator to alter an orientation of the payload system based on the orientation feedback signals.",
    "15. The UAV of claim 14, wherein the payload controller is further configured to: determine a shift in orientation of the payload system based on the orientation feedback signals; and control an amount of thrust generated by the at least one thrust generator based on the shift in orientation.",
    "16. The UAV of claim 12, wherein the flight controller is further configured to: actuate the first winch and the second winch to extend the first extendable tether and the second extendable tether from the UAV; monitor a height of the item above a landing surface; and actuate the attachment mechanism of the UAV to release the item based on the height.",
    "17. The UAV of claim 16, wherein the flight controller is further configured to: determine whether the height of the UAV above the landing surface is less than a predetermined drop height; receive an instruction to release the item via a communications interface; and release the item from the extendable tether using the attachment mechanism.",
    "18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation.",
    "19. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation.",
    "20. The UAV of claim 12, wherein the first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The delivery of items typically includes picking and packaging the items, providing the packaged items to a carrier for delivery, and delivering the items. Even for small items or small numbers of items, boxes or other packages are transported by relatively large vehicles over roads, sometimes across long distances.\n\nAspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. It is noted that the elements in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily the same, elements throughout the several views.\n\nFIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example stabilized drop delivery unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.\n\nFIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of components of a stabilized drop delivery UAV similar to that provided in FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.\n\nFIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an example platform of the stabilized drop delivery UAV in FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.\n\nFIG. 4A illustrates an example chain tether of a stabilized drop delivery UAV according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.\n\nFIG. 4B illustrates an example drag chain tether of a stabilized drop delivery UAV according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.",
  "cpc": [
    "B64D 1/12",
    "B64C 15/14",
    "B64C 2201/128",
    "B64C 2201/14",
    "B64C 39/024",
    "B64D 1/08",
    "B64D 1/22",
    "B64U 10/14",
    "B64U 2101/67",
    "B64U 2201/00",
    "B64U 2201/20",
    "G05D 1/00",
    "G05D 1/0011",
    "G05D 1/0094",
    "G05D 1/0202",
    "G06Q 10/083"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B64C 15/14",
    "B64D 1/12",
    "G05D 1/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Amazon Technologies Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Daniel Buchmueller",
    "Louis Leroi Legrand, III",
    "Jack Erdozain, Jr.",
    "Scarlett Elizabeth Koller",
    "Eric Alexander Riehl",
    "Trevor Barr Walker"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-12-02",
  "publication_date": "2017-06-27",
  "grant_date": "2017-06-27",
  "priority_date": "2014-12-02",
  "application_number": "US-201414558046-A",
  "family_id": "59069490",
  "cited_by_count": 161,
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}