US 11,987,422 B2
Cargo containers
Jeffrey Edward Polus, Hillsboro, IL (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on May 9, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/408,152.
Prior Publication US 2020/0354109 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. B65D 25/22 (2006.01); B63B 25/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06Q 10/08 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0835 (2023.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64U 101/60 (2023.01)
CPC B65D 25/22 (2013.01) [B63B 25/004 (2013.01); G05D 1/02 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08355 (2013.01); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64U 2101/60 (2023.01); B65D 2203/10 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cargo container for carrying two or more delivery items to respective delivery destinations, the cargo container comprising:
a cargo container body configured to at least partially enclose and support the two or more delivery items and configured to be selectively and operatively coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle;
a programmable device supported by the cargo container body that stores manifest information regarding each of the two or more delivery items; and
a container communication device supported by the cargo container body and configured to convey a delivery itinerary to a vehicle communication device of the unmanned aerial vehicle to direct the unmanned aerial vehicle to the respective delivery destinations of the two or more delivery items;
wherein the manifest information includes a respective delivery destination of each of the two or more delivery items;
wherein the programmable device is configured to generate the delivery itinerary, independent of communications with an external remotely located communication network, utilizing the manifest information and the respective delivery destination of each of the two or more delivery items comprised in the manifest information, wherein the delivery itinerary includes instructions corresponding to a delivery route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel along to deliver the two or more delivery items to the respective delivery destinations and a delivery sequence in which the two or more delivery items are to be delivered to the respective delivery destinations; and
wherein the container communication device is configured to convey the delivery itinerary, including the instructions corresponding to the delivery route and the delivery sequence in which the two or more delivery items are to be delivered to the respective delivery destinations, from the programmable device to the vehicle communication device independent of communications with the external remotely located communication network, such that the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to receive the delivery itinerary directly from the container communication device independent of communications with the external remotely located communication network.