IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,534,343
Granted Patent B2
US 12,534,343 · App. 18/511,580 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Inter-floor transport system

Inventors: Seunggyu Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Hyunjae Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Sangmin Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Youngwook Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Yong-Jun Ahn (Suwon-si, KR); Min Kyun Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Sangkyung Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Hyunwoo Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jeonghun Lim (Suwon-si, KR); Junhyuk Chang (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
B66B11/0407B60L9/24B64U10/14B64U30/297B64U50/35B66B7/04B66B9/003B66B11/0226B66B11/043B64U2101/61B64U2101/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,534,343
App. No.
18/511,580
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An inter-floor transport system includes an aerial vehicle configured to move vertically and horizontally along a passage and a power assembly including a power supply adjacent to the passage and a guide cable extending along the passage and connected to the power supply, where the aerial vehicle is configured to receive power through the guide cable without contacting the guide cable.

Claims (78)

1 . An inter-floor transport system comprising:

an aerial vehicle configured to move vertically and horizontally along a passage; and

a power assembly comprising:

a power supply adjacent to the passage; and

a guide cable extending along the passage and connected to the power supply,

wherein the aerial vehicle is configured to receive power through the guide cable without contacting the guide cable, and

wherein the aerial vehicle comprises:

a body; and

at least one connection portion on at least one side of the body, the at least one connection portion partially surrounding the guide cable and being configured to contactlessly engage with the guide cable and receive power though the guide cable when contactlessly engaged with the guide cable.

2 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a loading space, and

wherein the aerial vehicle further comprises:

a driver configured to move the body vertically and horizontally.

3 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one connection portion comprises a recess through which the guide cable passes, the recess being configured to at least partially surround the guide cable without contacting the guide cable.

4 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one connection portion comprises an induction coil and is configured to:

receive power from the guide cable through the induction coil based on electromagnetic induction; and

supply power to the driver.

5 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 2 , wherein the driver comprises:

a plurality of vertical thrusters configured to move the body vertically; and

a plurality of horizontal thrusters configured to move the body horizontally.

6 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 2 , wherein the driver comprises a plurality of thrusters configured to tilt to move the body vertically and horizontally.

7 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 2 , wherein the aerial vehicle further comprises:

a sensor configured to detect a position of the aerial vehicle;

a communicator configured to communicate with another aerial vehicle;

a battery configured to supply auxiliary power to the driver; and

a controller operatively connected to the at least one connection portion, the sensor and the communicator, and configured to control an operation of the driver.

8 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect whether power is supplied from the at least one connection portion, and

control an electrical connection between the battery and the driver.

9 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 2 , wherein the aerial vehicle further comprises a braking assembly configured to fix a position of the aerial vehicle within the passage, and

wherein the braking assembly comprises a support member configured to protrude from the body and contact to an interior wall of the passage.

10 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 1 , wherein the passage comprises a plurality of sub-passages extending vertically and connected to each other, and

wherein the guide cable extends along each of the plurality of sub-passages.

11 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 10 , wherein the guide cable is provided in a side wall of each of the plurality of sub-passages.

12 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 1 , wherein the guide cable comprises a first end and a second end, and

wherein both the first end and the second end of the guide cable are connected to the power supply.

13 . An inter-floor transport system comprising:

a passage comprising a plurality of sub-passages extending vertically and being connected to each other;

at least one aerial vehicle configured to move vertically and horizontally along the passage; and

a power assembly comprising:

a power supply adjacent to the passage, and

a guide cable extending along each of the plurality of sub-passages and connected to the power supply,

wherein the at least one aerial vehicle is configured to receive power through the guide cable without contacting the guide cable, and

wherein the at least one aerial vehicle comprises:

a body; and

at least one connection portion on at least one side of the body, the at least one connection portion partially surrounding the guide cable and being configured to contactlessly engage with the guide cable and receive power though the guide cable when contactlessly engaged with the guide cable.

14 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 13 , wherein the body comprises a loading space,

wherein each of the at least one aerial vehicle each comprises:

a driver configured to move the body vertically and horizontally; and

a battery configured to supply auxiliary power to the driver;

wherein the at least one connection portion is configured to receive power though the guide cable and supply power to the driver, and

wherein the driver is configured to receive power though the guide cable or though the battery.

15 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 14 , wherein each of the at least one aerial vehicle comprises:

a sensor configured to detect a position;

a communicator configured to communicate with another aerial vehicle;

a braking assembly configured to fix a position of the at least one aerial vehicle within the passage; and

a controller operatively connected to the at least one connection portion, the sensor, the communicator, and the braking assembly, and configured to control an operation of the driver and the braking assembly.

16 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 14 , wherein each of the at least one aerial vehicle is configured to use power received from the guide cable to ascend and descend within a corresponding sub-passage of the plurality of sub-passages.

17 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 14 , wherein each of the at least one aerial vehicle is configured to use power received from the battery to horizontally move from one sub-passage to another sub-passage of the plurality of sub-passages.

18 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 13 , wherein the passage further comprises a connection passage extending horizontally and configured to interconnect corresponding sub-passages of the plurality of sub-passages.

19 . The inter-floor transport system of claim 13 , wherein the passage further comprises an auxiliary passage communicating with an outside and configured to load and unload the at least one aerial vehicle.

20 . An inter-floor transport system comprising:

a passage comprising:

a pair of sub-passages that extend vertically and are adjacent to each other; and

a connection passage extending horizontally and interconnecting the pair of sub-passages;

a power assembly comprising:

a power supply connected to an external power source and disposed adjacent to the passage; and

a guide cable connected to the power supply and extending along each of the pair of sub-passages; and

at least one aerial vehicle comprising:

a body comprising a loading space,

a driver configured to move the body vertically and horizontally,

a connection portion on a side of the body, the connection portion partially surrounding the guide cable and being configured to:

contactlessly engage with the guide cable;

receive power though the guide cable; and

supply power to the driver; and

a battery configured to supply auxiliary power to the driver,

wherein the at least one aerial vehicle is configured to:

ascend and descend along a sub-passage of the pair of sub-passages using power received from the guide cable; and

move between the pair of sub-passages using power received from the battery.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2023
From: KANG, SEUNGGYU; KANG, HYUNJAE; KIM, SANGMIN; KIM, YOUNGWOOK; AHN, YONG-JUN; LEE, MIN KYUN; LEE, SANGKYUNG; LEE, HYUNWOO; LIM, JEONGHUN; CHANG, JUNHYUK
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065590/0034 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0040375 · Mar 28, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240327168A1 · Oct 3, 2024
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