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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.:

US 10510036 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
Dec. 17, 2019

Filed:

Nov. 23, 2016

Delivery of packages by unmanned aerial vehicles

Applicant:

Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);

Inventor:

Gregory Karl Lisso, Seattle, WA (US);

Assignee:

Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);

Attorney:

Lee & Hayes, P.C.

Primary Examiner:

Hunter B Lonsberry

Assistant Examiner:

Luis A Martinez Borrero

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06Q 10/08 (2012.01); B65B 5/02 (2006.01); B65B 59/02 (2006.01); B65B 61/18 (2006.01); B65B 35/56 (2006.01); G01S 19/13 (2010.01); B29C 44/12 (2006.01); B29C 44/56 (2006.01); B29C 44/60 (2006.01); B29C 65/50 (2006.01); B29K 105/04 (2006.01); B29K 105/20 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06Q 10/0832 (2013.01); B29C 44/1266 (2013.01); B29C 44/5681 (2013.01); B29C 44/60 (2013.01); B29C 65/50 (2013.01); B65B 5/02 (2013.01); B65B 35/56 (2013.01); B65B 59/02 (2013.01); B65B 61/182 (2013.01); G01S 19/13 (2013.01); B29K 2105/04 (2013.01); B29K 2105/20 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0003 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0089 (2013.01); B29L 2031/712 (2013.01);
Abstract

A package delivery apparatus uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to deliver a package containing a product to a delivery destination area. The UAV uses GPS signals to guide it to the delivery destination area and an altimeter to determine its height above the delivery destination area. The UAV then adjusts its height to a preferred drop or release height for that package and product and releases the package. An optional camera allows a human operator to view the delivery destination area. An expandable foam package surrounds the product to protect the product from impact and moisture. The package may be streamlined to reduce air resistance and increase the range of the UAV. The package characteristics, such as its thickness, are determined based one or more of the weight and fragile nature of the product, and the drop height.

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