US 11,958,629 B2
Elevated station for unmanned aerial vehicles
Tyler P. McNish, Woodside, CA (US); Stefan C. Aprodu, San Francisco, CA (US); Keenan A. Wyrobek, Half Moon Bay, CA (US); William Hetzler, San Mateo, CA (US); Bijal Mehta, San Francisco, CA (US); and Ryan Alam, Brooklyn, NY (US)
Assigned to Zipline International Inc., South San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC., South San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/388,963.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/059,513, filed on Jul. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0033074 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B64F 1/222 (2024.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64F 1/02 (2006.01); B64F 1/04 (2006.01); B64F 1/06 (2006.01); B64F 1/32 (2006.01); B64U 10/25 (2023.01); B64U 30/10 (2023.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); B64U 70/00 (2023.01); B64U 70/30 (2023.01); B64U 80/00 (2023.01); B64U 101/60 (2023.01)
CPC B64F 1/222 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64F 1/029 (2020.01); B64F 1/04 (2013.01); B64F 1/06 (2013.01); B64F 1/32 (2013.01); B64U 10/25 (2023.01); B64U 30/10 (2023.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); B64U 70/00 (2023.01); B64U 70/30 (2023.01); B64U 80/00 (2023.01); B64U 2101/60 (2023.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An elevated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) station, comprising:
an elevated structure for receiving and docking a UAV, wherein the elevated structure is co-located with a building and anchored to an exterior sidewall of the building and comprising:
at least one support that extends between a ground adjacent to the building and the elevated structure; and
a conveyance device configured to raise a payload from an internal loading station within the building to the elevated structure;
wherein the elevated structure is configured to allow takeoff of a UAV therefrom.
 
20. A method comprising:
conveying a payload to an elevated structure co-located with a building and anchored to an exterior sidewall of the building, wherein the elevated structure is exterior to the building and fixed to a ground location adjacent the building;
receiving a payload from the building by a conveyance device configured to raise the payload from an internal loading station within the building to the elevated structure;
assembling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the elevated structure, including loading the payload;
launching the UAV to an offsite location, the UAV carrying the payload; and
recovering the UAV at the elevated structure.