The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 19, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 21, 2017
Federal Express Corporation, Memphis, TN (US);
Reuben F. Burch, V, Mississippi State, MS (US);
David A. Doyle, Hernando, MS (US);
Brian D. Popp, Southaven, MS (US);
FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION, Memphis, TN (US);
Abstract
Paired drone-based systems and methods are described that inspect a delivery vehicle. For example, a system may include a docking station within the vehicle and a sensor-enabled inspection drone paired to the vehicle and that aerially inspects targeted inspection points corresponding to respective parts of the delivery vehicle. In response to an activation command, the inspection drone transitions to an active power state, uncouples from the docking station, identifies the targeted inspection points as corresponding to respective parts of the vehicle, moves to respective aerial positions proximate each of the targeted inspection points, automatically identifies an out of range inspection condition about a targeted inspection point based upon sensor-based inspection information detected from at least one of the aerials positions, and responsively transmits an inspection notification message to a vehicle receiver on the vehicle to indicate the targeted inspection point is outside an acceptable range for operation of the vehicle.