# US 2020/0286390 A1 · Drone Air Traffic Control over wireless networks for package pickup, delivery, and return > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0286390 A1 - Document ID: US20200286390A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/835,523 - Filed: 2020-03-31 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-10 - Assignees: ETAK Systems, LLC - Applicants: ETAK Systems, LLC - Inventors: Lee Priest - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200286390A1 ## CPC - G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification - G06Q 10/08355: {Routing methods} - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/265: for managing air traffic control [ATC] clearance - G08G 5/32: for flight plan preparation - G08G 5/53: for cruising - G08G 5/54: for approach or landing - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/56: for two or more aircraft - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G 5/58: for emergency situations, e.g. hijacking or bird strikes - G08G 5/59: in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones - G08G 5/727: {from a ground station} - G08G 5/74: for monitoring terrain - G08G 5/76: for monitoring atmospheric conditions - G08G 5/80: Anti-collision systems - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W 4/024: Guidance services - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - B64U 2101/64: for parcel delivery or retrieval - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract Drone systems and method include, in an air traffic control system configured to manage Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight in a geographic region, communicating to one or more UAVs over one or more wireless networks; responsive to a delivery request specifying a delivery location, determining whether the delivery location and a second pickup location for a second package are the same; and directing a UAV of a plurality of UAVs to deliver the first package to the delivery location, and pick up the second package at the pickup location, wherein the air traffic control system provides a flight plan to the UAV based on the delivery and pickup requests. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drone method for package pickup and delivery, comprising: in an air traffic control system configured to manage Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight in a geographic region, communicating to one or more UAVs over one or more wireless networks; responsive to a delivery request specifying a delivery location, determining whether the delivery location and a second pickup location for a second package are the same; and directing a UAV of a plurality of UAVs to deliver the first package to the delivery location, and pick up the second package at the pickup location, wherein the air traffic control system provides a flight plan to the UAV based on the delivery and pickup requests. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drone method of claim 1, wherein the air traffic control system instructs the UAV to scan the delivery location for the second package. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The drone method of claim 1, wherein the delivery location and the second pickup location are the same when at least one of coordinates for the delivery location and the second pickup location match and addresses for the delivery location and the second pickup location match. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The drone method of claim 1, wherein the delivery location and the second pickup location are the same when the coordinates are within a predetermined distance to one another. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The drone method of claim 1, further comprising: directing the UAV to deliver the second package to a distribution center for further processing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The drone method of claim 1, wherein the pickup request includes a second delivery location for the second package, and wherein the method further comprises: directing the UAV to deliver the second package to the second delivery location, the second delivery location being included in the flight plan. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The drone method of claim 6, wherein the air traffic control system directs the UAV to deliver the second package to the second delivery location when the second delivery location is within a flying range of the UAV. ### Claim 8 A drone air traffic control system comprising: a processor and a network interface communicatively coupled to one another; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: communicate to one or more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) over one or more wireless networks; responsive to a delivery request specifying a delivery location, determine whether the delivery location and a second pickup location for a second package are the same; and direct a UAV of a plurality of UAVs to deliver the first package to the delivery location, and pick up the second package at the pickup location, wherein the air traffic control system provides a flight plan to the UAV based on the delivery and pickup requests. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The drone air traffic control system of claim 8, wherein the air traffic control system instructs the UAV to scan the delivery location for the second package. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The drone air traffic control system of claim 9, wherein the delivery location and the second pickup location are the same when at least one of coordinates for the delivery location and the second pickup location match and addresses for the delivery location and the second pickup location match. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The drone air traffic control system of claim 8, wherein the delivery location and the second pickup location are the same when the coordinates are within a predetermined distance to one another. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The drone air traffic control system of claim 8, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to: direct the UAV to deliver the second package to a distribution center for further processing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The drone air traffic control system of claim 8, wherein the pickup request includes a second delivery location for the second package, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to: direct the UAV to deliver the second package to the second delivery location, the second delivery location being included in the flight plan. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The drone air traffic control system of claim 13, wherein the air traffic control system directs the UAV to deliver the second package to the second delivery location when the second delivery location is within a flying range of the UAV. ### Claim 15 An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for delivering packages, the UAV comprising: hardware and antennas adapted to communicate with one or more wireless networks; a processor communicatively coupled to the hardware and antennas; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: communicate with an air traffic control system via one or more wireless networks; obtain and send data to the air traffic control system in association with a flight of the UAV during delivery and pickup of the packages; and pick up a first package at a pickup location, deliver the first package to a delivery location, and pickup a second package at the delivery location based on instructions received from the air traffic control system, wherein the air traffic control system provides a flight plan to the UAV based on a delivery request for the first package and a pickup request for the second package. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The UAV of claim 15, wherein the UAV scans the delivery location for the second package. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The UAV of claim 16, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to: deliver the second package to a distribution center for further processing based on the instructions received from the air traffic control system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The UAV of claim 15, wherein the pickup request includes a second delivery location for the second package, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to: deliver the second package to the second delivery location, the second delivery location being included in the flight plan. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The UAV of claim 15, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to: scan the delivery location for other packages to pick up.