| CPC G06Q 10/0832 (2013.01) [B64D 1/12 (2013.01); B64D 1/14 (2013.01); B64D 9/00 (2013.01); B64F 1/32 (2013.01); B64F 1/322 (2020.01); B65D 21/0213 (2013.01); G05D 1/0094 (2013.01); G05D 1/105 (2013.01); G05D 1/461 (2024.01); G05D 1/689 (2024.01); G06F 17/11 (2013.01); G06Q 10/06315 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08355 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0635 (2013.01); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64U 2101/60 (2023.01); B64U 2101/64 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01); G05B 2219/50391 (2013.01); G06Q 50/40 (2024.01)] | 48 Claims |
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1. A low capital and operation cost e-commerce first mile logistics system, the system comprising:
at least one Central Fulfillment Center (CFC) (2) having a storage area of at least about 5,000 m2 and a height of at least two meters between a floor and a top-most roof of the CFC (2), and configured to store at least 10,000 items of e-commerce merchandise, wherein the CFC (2) is located at a distance of not more than 50 km from a runway facility for at least one of take-off or landing of a manned aircraft;
a computing system (3) configured to receive fulfillment information (23) of at least 1,000 orders per day placed from at least one of an online shopping platform or a consumer (22); where the computing system (3) is in network connection or in communication with the at least one CFC (2), in order to receive the fulfillment information (23) of the placed orders;
a sorting system that selects the merchandise stored in the at least one CFC (2) and, based on the fulfillment information (23), prepares at least one multibox package (41) that contains the selected merchandise, wherein the multibox package (41) includes e-commerce merchandise that does not include individual packages and that comprises at least two different final addresses, wherein the at least one multibox package (41) is then configured or prepared as part of at least one air-cargo (43), which is air-dropped by at least one manned air-drop delivery aircraft (5) that is capable of carrying a total air-cargo load of at least 2,000 kgs in average and capable of flying at a speed of at least 200 km/h;
a loading system (6) for loading the air-cargo (43) into the at least one manned air-drop delivery aircraft (5), wherein the loading system (6) comprises a device to read a label attached to the air-cargo (43), to send label information of the air-cargo (43) to the computing system (3), and to receive, from the computing system (3), a loading instruction including a position within the air-drop delivery aircraft (5) to load the air-cargo (43), wherein the position within the air-drop delivery aircraft (5) to load the air-cargo (43) is determined based on the fulfillment information:
at least one air-cargo ejection system (7) located within the aircraft (5), that selectively drops the at least one air-cargo (43) from the aircraft (5) at an altitude of between 5 m and 20,000 m while the aircraft is flying, so that the air-cargo (43) lands within at least one drop zone (8);
at least one drop zone (8), wherein the drop zone (8) is configured to receive the at least one air-cargo (43) dropped from the air-drop delivery aircraft (5);
at least one of a landing assisting system (9) or a path guidance system (10), wherein the landing assisting system is configured to reduce the landing speed of the air-cargo and/or providing a softer landing of the at least one air-cargo (43), and wherein the path guidance system is configured to provide guidance to the at least one air-cargo (43); and
at least one delivery system arranged to deliver the e-commerce merchandise to consumers from the drop zone (8), wherein the e-commerce merchandise can optionally go through an outbound sorting center (14) before being delivered to the consumer.
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