IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,396,383
Granted Patent B2
US 11,396,383 · App. 16/132,744 · Granted Jul 26, 2022

Unmanned package storage system for drone package delivery and system thereof

Inventor: Kwan Doo Kim (Paju-si, KR)
B64F1/32B64C39/024B64D1/02B64F1/362H02J7/02H02J7/35H02J50/90H04W4/40H04W4/80B64C2201/027B64C2201/128
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,396,383
App. No.
16/132,744
Granted
Jul 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An unmanned article storage box for automatically receiving an article from a drone and storing the article includes: a box main body configured to form an accommodating space for storing the article therein; an article receiver configured to slidingly be carried in and out from the box main body; a sliding unit configured to slidingly move the article receiver by having a first end that is fastened to the article receiver and a second end that is fastened to an inside of the box main body; a power unit configured to transfer a power to enable the article receiver to move along the sliding unit; and a controller configured to control the power unit.

Claims (42)

1. An unmanned article storage box ( 100 ) for delivering an article to a drone or receiving an article from a drone to store the article, the unmanned article storage box comprising:

a box main body ( 106 ) configured to form an accommodating space for storing the article therein;

an article receiver ( 101 ) configured to slidingly be carried in and out from the box main body ( 106 );

a sliding unit ( 105 ) configured to slidingly move the article receiver ( 101 ) by having a first end that is fastened to the article receiver ( 101 ) and a second end that is fastened to an inside of the box main body ( 106 );

a power unit ( 171 ) configured to transfer a power to enable the article receiver ( 101 ) to move along the sliding unit ( 105 ); and

a controller ( 180 ) configured to control the power unit ( 171 ),

wherein the article receiver includes an article-recept plate that is vertically moved up and down on the sliding unit ( 105 ),

wherein the article-recept plate ( 103 ) includes a wireless charger for wirelessly transmitting a power to the drone safely landed on the article-recept plate.

2. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication unit ( 110 ) configured to transmit and receive data to and from the drone.

3. The unmanned article storage box of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the power unit to enable the article receiver to be carried out along the sliding unit ( 105 ) when a receiver-carrying-out control command is received from the drone through the wireless communication unit.

4. The unmanned article storage box of claim 3 , wherein the controller controls the power unit to enable the article receiver to be carried in along the sliding unit ( 105 ) when a receiver-carrying-in control command is received from the drone through the wireless communication unit after the drone puts the article in the article receiver.

5. The unmanned article storage box of claim 2 , wherein:

the article receiver ( 101 ) stores a target article to be delivered, and

the controller ( 180 ) controls the article receiver ( 101 ) to be opened to allow the drone to receive the target article when the drone approaches to a vicinity and transmits an article-recept message to a user when the drone receives the target article.

6. The unmanned article storage box of claim 5 , wherein the controller ( 180 ) transmits an article-arrival complete message to the user when the drone receiving the article arrives at a destination.

7. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , wherein the article receiver includes a windshield panel provided to surround the article receiver ( 101 ).

8. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , further comprising an impact-absorption pad provided at an upper end of the article-recept plate.

9. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , wherein the article-recept plate ( 103 ) includes a drain line formed therein in a predetermined pattern to be drained by a predetermined depth.

10. The unmanned article storage box of claim 9 , wherein a plurality of drain holes are formed on the drain line in the article-recept plate ( 103 ).

11. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , wherein the article-recept plate ( 103 ) includes a field generator for generating a magnetic field at a predetermined region on the article-recept plate ( 103 ).

12. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , wherein the wireless charger is vertically movable up and down together with the article-recept plate ( 103 ).

13. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , further comprising:

a solar panel ( 104 ) disposed at an upper portion of the unmanned article storage box ( 100 ) to be inclined at a predetermined angle; and

an energy storage unit configured to store the power generated by the solar panel ( 104 ).

14. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , further comprising an output section configured to inform the user that the article is stored,

wherein the controller ( 180 ) controls the output section to report that the article is stored when the article is stored in the article receiver ( 101 ).

15. The unmanned article storage box of claim 14 , wherein the output section is a sound output section for outputting an alarming sound or a light output section for outputting light.

16. The unmanned article storage box of claim 1 , further comprising a storage device ( 2201 ),

wherein the controller ( 180 ) moves the article to the storage device ( 2201 ) when the article arrives at the article receiver ( 101 ).

17. An article delivering system comprising:

a drone ( 311 ) configured to receive an article to be delivered and to move the article to a designed place;

an unmanned article storage box ( 100 ) configured to receive the article from the drone ( 311 );

a server ( 2001 ) configured to provide an article delivery service; and

a communication terminal configured to perform delivery application acceptance to the server ( 2001 ),

wherein, when a delivery application is accepted to the server ( 2001 ), through the communication terminal,

the server ( 2001 ) transmits a start message and an estimated time message to the communication terminal,

the drone ( 311 ) moves to the unmanned article storage box ( 100 ) and transmits an open-control command requesting to open an article receiver ( 101 ),

the unmanned article storage box ( 100 ) receiving the open-control command opens the article receiver ( 101 ),

the drone ( 311 ) receiving the article from the article receiver ( 101 ) delivers the article to the designed place, and

the server ( 2001 ) transmits a delivery-complete message to the communication terminal when the article is completely delivered,

wherein the article receiver includes an article-recept plate that is vertically moved up and down on a sliding unit ( 105 ),

wherein the article-recept plate ( 103 ) includes a wireless charger for wirelessly transmitting a power to the drone safely landed on the article-recept plate.

Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200407079A1 · Dec 31, 2020
Cited By (2)
US 12,304,658 US 12,465,166