Granted Patent B2

US 12,561,633 · App. 18/380,528 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Inventor: Timothy B. Clise (Howell, MI)

Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.

G06Q10/083

Abstract

Claims (94)

1. A drug delivery system, comprising:

a distance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to:

perform point-to-point travel to a regional hub; and

transport, to the regional hub, a distance payload including a plurality of regional payloads associated with a plurality of target delivery destinations;

transmit an arrival signal to the distance payload indicating that the distance payload has arrived at the regional hub, the distance payload configured to automatically open in response to the arrival signal from the distance UAV and transmit a beacon signal in response to automatically opening;

a plurality of local unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to:

reside at the regional hub comprising a base station for the plurality of local UAVs, wherein the regional hub includes a flight departing location and a flight returning location for deliveries performed by the plurality of local UAVs;

receive the beacon signal instructing each of the plurality of local UAVs to begin picking up the plurality of regional payloads;

obtain, at the regional hub, the plurality of regional payloads for the deliveries to the plurality of target delivery destinations in response to the beacon;

perform lateral movement and hover operations to perform the deliveries; and

a server including one or more processors and a memory component, the one or more processors configured to:

determine a target delivery destination for one prescription drug item, wherein the plurality of target delivery destinations includes the target delivery destination;

determine estimated travel duration and delivery path parameters to be traveled by the distance UAV and the local UAV;

identify perishable aspects of the one prescription drug item;

calculate a temperature modeling equation factoring in at least the estimated travel duration, the delivery path parameters, and the perishable aspects of the one prescription drug item;

select packaging materials and cooling materials for a regional payload consisting of the one prescription drug item based on the temperature modeling equation to avoid spoilage of the one prescription drug item;

transmit first instructions to the distance UAV instructing the distance UAV to fly to the regional hub with the distance payload including a regional payload consisting of the one prescription drug item, wherein the plurality of regional payloads includes the regional payload; and

transmit second instructions to a local UAV of the plurality of local UAVs, to:

obtain the regional payload consisting of the one prescription drug item;

transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination;

perform the lateral movement and the hover operations to access a delivery site of the target delivery destination; and

deliver the one prescription drug item by releasing the regional payload at the delivery site of the target delivery destination.

2. The drug delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of local UAVs further comprises a plurality of machine-readable code readers; and

wherein the plurality of local UAVs is further configured to:

scan machine-readable code for the plurality of regional payloads, using the plurality of machine-readable code readers;

obtain data parameters associated with the plurality of regional payloads, based on scanning the machine-readable code; and

perform the deliveries based on the data parameters.

3. The drug delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the data parameters include at least the plurality of target delivery destinations including the target delivery destination for the regional payload; and

wherein the local UAV is further configured to transport the regional payload to the target delivery destination based on scanning the machine-readable code.

4. The drug delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the data parameters include at least a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of regional payloads, wherein the plurality of weights includes a weight associated with the regional payload; and

wherein the server is further configured to:

compute an estimated amount of flight resources needed to deliver the one prescription drug item to the target delivery destination, based on the weight associated with the regional payload;

determine whether the local UAV includes sufficient resources to:

transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination; and

perform a return flight to the regional hub; and

based on the local UAV including the sufficient resources, transmit the second instructions to the local UAV.

5. The drug delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the data parameters include at least a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of regional payloads, wherein the plurality of weights includes a weight associated with the regional payload; and

wherein the local UAV is further configured to:

compute an estimated amount of flight resources needed to deliver the one prescription drug item to the target delivery destination, based on the weight associated with the regional payload;

determine whether the local UAV includes sufficient resources to:

transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination; and

perform a return flight to the regional hub; and

based on the local UAV including the sufficient resources, transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination and performing the return flight.

6. The drug delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the distance UAV further comprises an internal combustion engine; and

wherein the distance UAV is further configured to perform the point-to-point travel in a forward motion using the internal combustion engine.

7. The drug delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the distance UAV comprises a fixed-wing aircraft incapable of hover.

8. The drug delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of local UAVs further comprise horizontal rotors; and

wherein the plurality of local UAVs are further configured to perform the lateral movement and the hover operations using the horizontal rotors.

9. The drug delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery site includes at least one of: a balcony, a porch, a garage, a backyard site, and a specialized receptacle.

10. A method for delivering prescription medications, the method comprising:

determining a target delivery destination for a regional payload consisting of one prescription drug item, by a server communicatively coupled to: (i) a distance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to perform point-to-point travel to a regional hub, and (ii) a plurality of local unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to reside at the regional hub and to perform deliveries using lateral movement and hover operations;

determining estimated travel duration and delivery path parameters to be traveled by the distance UAV and the local UAV;

identifying perishable aspects of the one prescription drug item;

calculating a temperature modeling equation factoring in at least the estimated travel duration, the delivery path parameters, and the perishable aspects of the one prescription drug item;

selecting packaging materials and cooling materials for the regional payload consisting of the one prescription drug item based on the temperature modeling equation to avoid spoilage of the one prescription drug item;

transmitting, by the server via a communication device, first instructions to the distance UAV instructing the distance UAV to fly to the regional hub with a distance payload including a plurality of regional payloads associated with a plurality of target delivery destinations, wherein the plurality of regional payloads includes the regional payload consisting of the one prescription drug item, and wherein the plurality of target delivery destinations includes the target delivery destination;

transmitting, by the distance UAV, an arrival signal to the distance payload indicating the distance payload has arrived at the regional hub;

the distance payload automatically opening in response to the arrival signal from the distance UAV;

transmitting, by the distance payload, a beacon signal in response to the distance payload automatically opening; and

transmitting, by the server via the communication device, second instructions to a local UAV of the plurality of local UAVs, to:

obtain the regional payload consisting of the one prescription drug item in response to receiving the beacon signal instructing each of the plurality of local UAVs to begin picking up the plurality of regional payloads;

transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination;

perform the lateral movement and the hover operations to access a delivery site of the target delivery destination; and

deliver the one prescription drug item by releasing the regional payload at the delivery site of the target delivery destination.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

developing at least one UAV model representing performance of local UAV types at the regional hub, by the server, based on historical data associated with the regional hub, the local UAVs, and historical delivery performance associated with the one prescription drug item and the local UAV types; and

when the at least one UAV model indicates that the one prescription drug item can be delivered to the target delivery destination,

transmitting the second instructions to the local UAV, by the server via the communication device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

using the at least one UAV model to determine whether one of the plurality of local UAVs is capable of transporting the one prescription drug item to the target delivery destination, by the server, based on at least one of: a distance capability, a temperature tolerance, an environmental condition tolerance, and a weight tolerance; and

when the one of the plurality of local UAVs is capable,

determining that the one prescription drug item can be delivered.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

using the at least one UAV model to determine whether the one prescription drug item is capable of being delivered to the target delivery destination, by the server, based on at least one of: a temperature tolerance of the one prescription drug item, environmental condition tolerance of the one prescription drug item, and available packaging options and associated temperature tolerances and environmental condition tolerances; and

when the one prescription drug item is capable,

determining that the one prescription drug item can be delivered.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

scanning machine-readable code for the plurality of regional payloads, by the plurality of local UAVs using a plurality of machine-readable code readers;

obtaining data parameters associated with the plurality of regional payloads, by the plurality of local UAVs, based on scanning the machine-readable code; and

performing the deliveries based on the data parameters, by the plurality of local UAVs.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transporting the regional payload to the target delivery destination based on scanning the machine-readable code, wherein the data parameters include at least the plurality of target delivery destinations including the target delivery destination for the regional payload.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

computing an estimated amount of flight resources needed to deliver the one prescription drug item to the target delivery destination, by the server, based on a weight associated with the regional payload, wherein the data parameters include at least a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of regional payloads, wherein the plurality of weights includes the weight associated with the regional payload;

determining, by the server, whether the local UAV includes sufficient resources to:

transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination; and

perform a return flight to the regional hub; and

based on the local UAV including the sufficient resources, transmitting the second instructions to the local UAV, by the server.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

computing an estimated amount of flight resources needed to deliver the one prescription drug item to the target delivery destination, by the local UAV, based on a weight associated with the regional payload, wherein the data parameters include at least a plurality of weights associated with the plurality of regional payloads, wherein the plurality of weights includes the weight associated with the regional payload;

determining whether the local UAV includes sufficient resources to:

transport the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination; and

perform a return flight to the regional hub; and

based on the local UAV including the sufficient resources, transporting the regional payload from the regional hub to the target delivery destination and performing the return flight, by the local UAV.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (51)