US 12,304,670 B2
Systems for unmanned aerial vehicle docking, storage, and loading
Keenan A. Wyrobek, South San Francisco, CA (US); Brendan D. Wade, South San Francisco, CA (US); Zoltan Laszlo, South San Francisco, CA (US); Brian Boomgaard, South San Francisco, CA (US); Joshua Liu, South San Francisco, CA (US); Gregoire Vandenbussche, South San Francisco, CA (US); Kevin Nalecz, South San Francisco, CA (US); and Radhika Gurumurthy, South San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Zipline International Inc., South San Francisco, CA (US)
Appl. No. 18/039,618
Filed by ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC., South San Francisco, CA (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/061384
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 31, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/154887, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 21, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/153,282, filed on Feb. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/153,203, filed on Feb. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/120,621, filed on Dec. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0017860 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. B64U 80/25 (2023.01); B64F 1/222 (2024.01); B64U 70/97 (2023.01); B64U 70/99 (2023.01); B64U 80/10 (2023.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B64U 101/64 (2023.01)
CPC B64U 70/99 (2023.01) [B64F 1/222 (2013.01); B64U 70/97 (2023.01); B64U 80/10 (2023.01); B64U 80/25 (2023.01); G05D 1/104 (2013.01); B60L 2200/10 (2013.01); B64U 2101/64 (2023.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A docking system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the docking system comprising:
a docking housing; and
a docking assembly coupled to the docking housing, the docking assembly comprising:
a bottom;
a guiding feature on the bottom and configured to receive a docking feature on a top of the UAV and direct the UAV toward a first captured position, wherein the guiding feature defines an alignment feature to encourage lateral movement of the UAV toward the first captured position, wherein the alignment feature defines a tapered docking path along a length thereof; and
an advancement assembly operatively coupled with the guiding feature and configured to move the UAV from the first captured position to a second docked position.