IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,081,425
Granted Patent B2
US 10,081,425 · App. 15/905,572 · Granted Sep 25, 2018

Drone receiver

Inventors: Jeanette L. Blomberg (Portola Valley, CA); Eric K. Butler (San Jose, CA); Anca A. Chandra (Los Gatos, CA); Pawan R. Chowdhary (San Jose, CA); Thomas D. Griffin (Campbell, CA); Divyesh Jadav (San Jose, CA); Sunhwan Lee (Menlo Park, CA); Robert J. Moore (San Jose, CA); Hovey R. Strong, Jr. (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
B64C39/024B64F1/222B64F1/32B64F1/36B64F1/368B64C2201/128B64C2201/201B64C2201/205B64C2201/206B64C2201/208B64F1/007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,081,425
App. No.
15/905,572
Granted
Sep 25, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus comprising a body including a cavity for storing one or more packages, and a conveyor belt disposed above a top surface of the body. The belt is shaped to receive one or more packages, and the belt is controllable to rotate a package placed on the belt either from the top surface to the cavity for storage or from the cavity to the top surface for dispatch. A package comprises at least one of a drone and a payload transported by the drone. The apparatus further comprises a landing mechanism for stabilizing a drone landing on the apparatus.

Claims (13)

1. A method comprising:

storing one or more packages in a cavity of a body of an apparatus;

controlling a conveyor belt disposed above a top surface of the body, wherein the belt is shaped to receive one or more packages, and the belt is controllable to rotate a package placed on the belt either from the top surface to the cavity for storage or from the cavity to the top surface for dispatch; and

stabilizing a drone landing on the apparatus via a landing mechanism of the apparatus;

wherein a package comprises at least one of a drone and a payload transported by the drone.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

slowing and stabilizing the fall of a drone landing from above the apparatus via the landing mechanism; and

re-charging one or more batteries of one or more drones stored in the cavity using a recharge unit of the body.

3. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code being executable by a computer to implement a method comprising:

storing one or more packages in a cavity of a body of an apparatus;

controlling a conveyor belt disposed above a top surface of the body, wherein the belt is shaped to receive one or more packages, and the belt is controllable to rotate a package placed on the belt either from the top surface to the cavity for storage or from the cavity to the top surface for dispatch; and

stabilizing a drone landing on the apparatus via a landing mechanism of the apparatus;

wherein a package comprises at least one of a drone and a payload transported by the drone.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2018
From: BLOMBERG, JEANETTE L.; BUTLER, ERIC K.; CHANDRA, ANCA A.; CHOWDHARY, PAWAN R.; GRIFFIN, THOMAS D.; JADAV, DIVYESH; LEE, SUNHWAN; MOORE, ROBERT J.; STRONG, HOVEY R., JR.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045447/0112 →
Continuity (2)
Division 15064557 · Mar 8, 2016
Related Publication 20180178912A1 · Jun 28, 2018