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US 12,717,350 B2Granted
Methods and systems for pneumatic tube payload exchange, drone interaction, and payload delivery
AssigneeCVS Pharmacy, Inc.
InventorJoshua Wright
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drone delivery system and network includes host sites that are geographically arranged in a region having overlapping drone delivery ranges. A central flight server of the system determines delivery flight paths for a drone transporting a payload from an originating host site to another host site or a target site in the network. The flight range of the drone is extended based on a delivery type for the payload and a distance of the target site from the originating host site.
Claims18
A drone delivery system, comprising:
- a drone comprising a body, the body comprising a frame that supports a plurality of rotors, a power compartment disposed in the body, the power compartment supporting a battery that provides power to each rotor of the plurality of rotors, and a payload receptacle that is configured to receive and hold a payload during flight;
- a host site comprising a payload capture system that is configured to load the payload into the payload receptacle of the drone, wherein the payload capture system comprises a receiver funnel body that arranges the payload for loading into the drone;
- a central flight server that communicates wirelessly with the drone and automatically directs a delivery of the payload by the drone from the host site to at least one target site that is remotely located apart from the host site;
- and
- a parcel pod comprising a drone interface area, wherein the drone interface area of the parcel pod comprises a payload capture system that is configured to receive the payload from the drone, wherein the payload capture system comprises a receiver funnel body disposed on an exterior space of the parcel pod and a pneumatic tube system coupled with the payload capture system that conveys the payload from the receiver funnel body to a payload sort area of the parcel pod, and wherein the parcel pod further comprises a plurality of payload lockers and a gantry robot adapted to receive the payload from the payload sort area to a payload locker of the plurality of payload lockers.
2 more elements
A delivery network comprising:
- a plurality of host sites, each host site comprising a drone interface area, the drone interface area of each host site further comprising:
- a payload capture system that is configured to load a payload into a payload receptacle of a drone, wherein the payload capture system comprises a receiver funnel body disposed on an exterior space of the host site and that arranges a payload for loading into the drone,
- a pneumatic tube system coupled with the payload capture system that conveys the payload from an interior space of the host site to the receiver funnel body, and
- a charging area configured to transfer energy from a power supply to the drone;
- and a parcel pod comprising a drone interface area, wherein the drone interface area of the parcel pod comprises a payload capture system that is configured to receive the payload from the drone, wherein the payload capture system comprises a receiver funnel body disposed on an exterior space of the parcel pod and a pneumatic tube system coupled with the payload capture system that conveys the payload from the receiver funnel body to a payload sort area of the parcel pod, and wherein the parcel pod further comprises a plurality of payload lockers and a gantry robot adapted to receive the payload from the payload sort area to a payload locker of the plurality of payload lockers.
2 more elements
A delivery network comprising:
- a host site comprising a drone interface area;
- a parcel pod comprising a drone interface area;
- a drone comprising a payload receptacle that is configured to receive a payload from the drone interface area of the host site, hold the payload during flight, and discharge the payload to the drone interface area of the parcel pod;
- and
- a central flight server that communicates wirelessly with the drone and automatically directs a delivery of the payload by the drone from the host site the parcel pod, wherein the drone interface area of the parcel pod comprises a payload capture system that is configured to receive the payload from the drone, wherein the payload capture system comprises a receiver funnel body disposed on an exterior space of the parcel pod and a pneumatic tube system coupled with the payload capture system that conveys the payload from the receiver funnel body to a payload sort area of the parcel pod, and wherein the parcel pod further comprises a plurality of payload lockers and a gantry robot adapted to receive the payload from the payload sort area to a payload locker of the plurality of payload lockers.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.