US 12,258,152 B2
Drone delivery system hub for facilitating parcel delivery by unmanned aerial vehicles
Julio Gil, Veldhoven (NL); Thomas Ramsager, Atlanta, GA (US); and Jeff Walp, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/532,247.
Prior Publication US 2023/0159192 A1, May 25, 2023
Int. Cl. B64U 70/70 (2023.01); B64F 1/32 (2006.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 80/10 (2023.01); B64U 80/25 (2023.01); B64U 80/40 (2023.01); B64U 101/64 (2023.01)
CPC B64U 70/70 (2023.01) [B64F 1/32 (2013.01); B64U 80/10 (2023.01); B64U 80/25 (2023.01); B64U 80/40 (2023.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 2101/64 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drone delivery system hub for facilitating parcel delivery, the drone delivery system hub comprising:
a center support frame;
a parcel-conveying system supported by the center support frame, wherein the parcel-conveying system comprises at least one of one or more chutes, an elevator, a spiral conveyor, an L-shaped platform, or a conveyor lift configured for moving parcels from a first elevation to a second elevation;
a plurality of structural arms, wherein each structural arm of the plurality of structural arms is coupled to and extends upward and radially outward from the center support frame;
a plurality of drone-conveying systems, wherein each drone-conveying system of the plurality of drone-conveying systems is supported by at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms, comprises one or more rails for receiving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and is operable to convey the UAV along the one or more rails and a length of the at least one structural arm of the plurality of structural arms; and
a linking conveyor span selectably extending between at least two drone-conveying systems of the plurality of drone-conveying systems and at least partially operable to convey the UAV between the at least two drone-conveying systems of the plurality of drone-conveying systems.