US20220089281A9

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20220089281A9
Application number: US16/687,427
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthew Sweeny; Jess Hayden; Joseph Rinaldi
Original assignee: Flirtey Holdings Inc
Current assignee: Flirtey Holdings Inc
Priority date: 2017-06-02
Filing date: 2019-11-18
Publication date: 2022-03-24
Also published as: WO2018223031A1; US20200094962A1; US11840333B2; EP3630607B1; EP3630607A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a package delivery mechanism for use by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The package delivery mechanism includes a gravity activated locking mechanism to lock and unlock a package attached to the UAV based on the weight of the package. When the package is attached to suspension means of the UAV that lowers the package to the ground from the UAV, the locking mechanism automatically engages with the package and keeps the package locked to the suspension means, due to the weight of the package. When the package is lowered and reaches on the ground, the weight of the package is offloaded from the suspension means, which enables the locking mechanism to be disengaged, thereby releasing the package. The package delivery mechanism includes a severing module to sever the suspension means from the UAV.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US2018/035657, entitled “PACKAGE DELIVERY MECHANISM,” filed Jun. 1, 2018 which claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 15/612,789, entitled “PACKAGE DELIVERY MECHANISM IN AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE,” filed Jun. 2, 2017 and U.S. application Ser. No. 15/612,989, entitled “PACKAGING CONTAINER FOR DRONE DELIVERY,” filed Jun. 2, 2017. Each of the above-referenced patent applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a package delivery mechanism, and more particularly to a package delivery mechanism comprising a coupling member for engaging with a coupling counterpart associated with a package to be delivered by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

Description of the Related Technology

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as drones, are autonomous and/or remotely operated aerial vehicles. UAVs may be configured to fly using fixed wings or rotors and blades.

Delivery services, such as a postal service and/or a courier service offered by commercial carriers, provide delivery of goods, e.g., letters, packages, parcels or any payload, to recipients such as residences and businesses across the country. Such delivery services have some drawbacks and may not be efficient in catering to the needs of the consumers and/or businesses today. For example, such delivery services involve significant investments in terms of money and effort to procure and maintain a fleet of delivery vehicles, and to manage the human resource required to operate the fleet. In addition, these delivery services find it difficult to deliver goods quickly, in a short period after a customer has placed an order. Often the customer is required to wait several hours or even days between the moment they place the order and the moment they receive the goods.

It has been proposed to utilize UAVs for the delivery of goods to a customer. A UAV can be dispatched within a few minutes of a customer placing an order, and is relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain compared to other types of delivery vehicle. A UAV delivery service can overcome some of the problems discussed above with respect to the conventional delivery services; however some problems still remain. For example, humans are often still required to both manually load a payload onto the UAV before delivery and to manually unload the payload from the UAV once the UAV has arrived at its delivery destination.

Furthermore, UAVs that are powered by rotor blades can be dangerous, so it is desirable to minimize interaction between the UAV and humans. Some UAVs therefore hover at a distance above the ground when collecting and/or delivering a payload. A retractable cable attached to the UAV can be lowered towards the ground, and a human can manually attach the payload to the cable while maintaining a safe distance from the rotating rotor blades of the UAV. Similarly, the payload can be lowered to the ground at the delivery destination, and the customer can manually detach the payload from the cable. However, again this system requires the presence of humans

Some UAVs have automated coupling mechanisms for releasing the payload from the cable at the delivery destination. However, these mechanisms often have a separate communication wire running along the cable to which the package is attached or have some other wireless means to communicate with the coupling mechanism to detach the package from the cable. These coupling mechanisms and communication cables increase the mass of the UAV, increase the complexity of the operation of the UAV, and increase the expense of manufacturing and maintaining the UAV.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved UAV coupling mechanism which overcomes the problems of these prior solutions.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a coupling member for coupling to a coupling counterpart. The coupling member may, for example, be attached to one end of a retractable cable and a UAV can lower and raise the coupling counterpart to couple to a payload having a coupling counterpart attached thereto.

The coupling member defines first and second longitudinal directions, opposite to one another and parallel to a longitudinal axis. The coupling member further defines an azimuthal direction around the longitudinal axis. The coupling member comprises a guide path extending in the first and second longitudinal directions and in the azimuthal direction, the guide path being configured to guide a protrusion of the coupling counterpart from an inlet of the guide path to an outlet of the guide path, the inlet and outlet having different azimuthal positions on the coupling member. The guide path comprises an ingress surface comprising a first part and a second part, the first part being configured to receive the protrusion from the inlet when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart. The first part is inclined so as to extend in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction, thereby to cause the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart after the protrusion is received by the first part. The second part is configured to receive the protrusion from the first part and to abut the protrusion to limit movement of the coupling member relative to the coupling counterpart in the first longitudinal direction.

The guide path further comprises a locking surface comprising a third part and a fourth part, the third part being configured to receive the protrusion from the second part when the coupling member is moved in the second longitudinal direction away from the coupling counterpart. The third part is inclined so as to extend in the second longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction, thereby to cause the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction when the coupling member is moved in the second longitudinal direction away from the coupling counterpart after the protrusion is received by the third part. The fourth part is configured to receive the protrusion from the third part and to abut the protrusion to engage the coupling member in a locking position relative to the coupling counterpart.

The guide path further comprises an egress surface comprising a fifth part and a sixth part, the fifth part being configured to receive the protrusion from the fourth part when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart. The fifth part is inclined so as to extend in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction, thereby to cause the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart after the protrusion is received by the fifth part. The sixth part is configured to receive the protrusion from the fifth part, to abut the protrusion to limit movement of the coupling member relative to the coupling counterpart in the first longitudinal direction, and to release the protrusion towards the outlet when the coupling member is moved in the second longitudinal direction away from the coupling counterpart.

The longitudinal axis defined by the coupling member may be aligned substantially vertically, such that the first longitudinal direction is a downwards direction, towards a surface on which a payload is placed. Similarly, the second longitudinal direction may be an upwards direction, away from the surface. Although the present description generally describes the coupling member moving in a vertical dimension, the coupling member may also be used in any other dimension, such as a horizontal dimension.

As mentioned, a UAV according to an example may comprise the above described coupling member to enable the UAV to couple with a payload having a coupling counterpart attached thereto. Accordingly, the UAV may lower the coupling member towards a payload, which may be attached to the end of a retractable cable, to engage the coupling counterpart. The downward motion and engagement of the protrusion with an inclined surface causes the coupling member to rotate towards a locking position, such that as the coupling member is drawn back towards the UAV, the payload can be engaged and lifted away from the surface. Similarly, to uncouple the coupling counterpart, and therefore the payload, the UAV may lower the payload towards a delivery surface. As the payload engages the delivery surface, the coupling member continues to move towards the delivery surface which causes the coupling member to rotate towards an unlocked position, such that as the coupling member is drawn back towards the UAV, the payload is disengaged and can be left on the delivery surface. In another arrangement, the UAV may comprise the coupling counterpart and the payload may comprise the coupling member.

The coupling member defined above therefore enables automatic coupling to the coupling counterpart and enables automatic uncoupling from the coupling counterpart without the need for human intervention or any instruction from the UAV itself to cause the coupling member to rotate. Instead, as the coupling member moves in the first and second longitudinal directions, the engagement between the protrusion and the inclined surfaces causes the coupling member to automatically rotate relative to the coupling counterpart.

The term “inclined”, when used to clarify a feature of an object, means that in a two-dimensional projection along the longitudinal axis, the object is disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, the angle being measured between the object and the longitudinal axis. In other words, the object is not arranged perpendicular or parallel to the longitudinal axis but is sloped. In one example, this angle is a helix angle.

In one arrangement, the coupling member is a male connector and is configured to fit within the coupling counterpart, which is a female connector. For example, the coupling member may comprise a generally elongate body having an outer surface from which the features of the guide path project outwards, in a radial direction. The coupling counterpart may therefore comprise an inner surface from which the protrusion projects inwards, in a radial direction. Alternatively, the coupling member may be a female connector and is configured to fit around an outer perimeter of the coupling counterpart, which may be a male connector. For example, the coupling member may comprise a generally elongate body having an inner surface from which the features of the guide path project inwards, in a radial direction. The coupling counterpart may therefore comprise an outer surface from which the protrusion projects outwards, in a radial direction. The outer/inner surface of the male/female coupling member therefore extends around the coupling member in the azimuthal direction.

Advantageously, the third part is spaced from the second part along the longitudinal axis and has substantially the same azimuthal position as the second part. Therefore, part of the ingress surface is aligned with part of the locking surface in a direction parallel to the axis. Similarly, the fifth part may be spaced from the fourth part along the longitudinal axis and have substantially the same azimuthal position as the fourth part. This alignment means that the motion of the coupling member can be limited to single dimension, i.e. along the longitudinal axis.

In a particular arrangement, the inlet to the guide path comprises an inlet surface having a curvature in the second longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction, the inlet surface being configured to guide the protrusion towards the first part by causing the coupling member to rotate in a direction opposite to the azimuthal direction when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart. In this way, the inlet surface provides a way to correctly align, in azimuth, the coupling member with respect to the protrusion as the coupling member moves towards the coupling counterpart.

In one example, the inlet surface comprises a seventh part, the seventh part being spaced from the sixth part along the longitudinal axis and having substantially the same azimuthal position as the sixth part such that the protrusion is prevented from entering the outlet and engaging the sixth part when the coupling member moves in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart. The seventh part therefore acts as a component to stop the protrusion entering the guide path in the wrong direction. The seventh part may also be inclined to help guide the protrusion move towards the first part.

As mentioned above, the longitudinal axis may be aligned in a vertical direction. Accordingly, in an example, a gravitational force may act on the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction, thereby to cause the rotation in the azimuthal direction. For example, the coupling member has a mass and therefore a weight which acts in the first longitudinal direction. The gravitational force acting on the coupling member therefore causes the coupling member to rotate when an inclined surface engages a protrusion because the coupling member is being pulled downwards in the first longitudinal direction.

Preferably, the first part of the ingress surface and the fifth part of the egress surface are inclined at substantially the same angle and have substantially the same length. The angle may be defined as subtending between the ingress/egress surface and the longitudinal axis. As a consequence, the coupling member will rotate in the azimuthal direction by the same degree when the coupling member couples with, and uncouples from, the coupling counterpart. Similarly, the distance travelled along the longitudinal axis (i.e. the pitch) during the rotations is the same. This provides greater control of the coupling member.

In one arrangement, the coupling member comprises a plurality of guide paths being azimuthally spaced apart around the coupling member, wherein each of the plurality of guide paths comprise an inlet and an outlet and are configured to engage to a corresponding protrusion of the coupling counterpart. As such, the coupling can be improved by having more than one protrusion and guide path engagement. The guide paths can be equally spaced to ensure that the payload remains level when it is being transported by the UAV. In a particular example, the coupling member comprises three guide paths. For example, the three inlets may be spaced in azimuth around the coupling member such that they are separated by 120 degrees. Having three guide paths and three protrusions provides a particularly stable arrangement.

In a particular example, the coupling member comprises a profile that tapers in the first longitudinal direction. For example, the coupling member may have an outer surface that narrows in width towards a lower surface. This tapered profile allows the coupling member to be guided more easily into the coupling counterpart. The angled surfaces can engage a lip of the coupling counterpart and deflect the coupling member more centrally into an aperture of the coupling counterpart.

As mentioned, a UAV may comprise the above described coupling member attached to a cable, such as a retractable suspension member. Such an arrangement facilitates a package/payload delivery mechanism for a UAV comprising a retractable suspension member and a coupling member as described above, where the coupling member is attached to an end of the retractable suspension member. The retractable suspension member allows the coupling member to be lowered towards a payload comprising the coupling counterpart while maintaining a safe distance from the ground. The payload delivery mechanism could be retrofitted to existing UAVs.

According to further aspects of the present disclosure, there is provided a UAV comprising a payload delivery mechanism as described above, and a coupling system, comprising a coupling member as described above and at least one coupling counterpart. The coupling system may further comprise at least one payload container, each payload container comprising one or more of the at least one coupling counterpart. For example, a payload container, such as a box to receive a payload, can have one or more coupling counterparts attached thereto. These may be located on a number of different surfaces of the container to allow the payload to be collected regardless of its orientation.

According to a yet further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of coupling a coupling member to a coupling counterpart, the coupling member defining first and second longitudinal directions, opposite to one another and parallel to a longitudinal axis, and an azimuthal direction around the longitudinal axis. The coupling member comprises a guide path extending in the first and second longitudinal directions and in the azimuthal direction, the guide path being configured to guide a protrusion of the coupling counterpart from an inlet of the guide path to an outlet of the guide path, the inlet and outlet having different azimuthal positions on the coupling member. The guide path comprises an ingress surface comprising a first part and a second part, the first part being inclined so as to extend in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. The guide path further comprises a locking surface comprising a third part and a fourth part, the third part being inclined so as to extend in the second longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. The guide path further comprises an egress surface comprising a fifth part and a sixth part, the fifth part being inclined so as to extend in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction.

The method comprises moving the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart such that the protrusion moves from the inlet and engages the first part. The method further comprises moving the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction until the protrusion abuts the second part, wherein the first part causes the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction as the protrusion moves towards the second part. The method further comprises moving the coupling member in the second longitudinal direction away from the coupling counterpart, such that the protrusion moves from the second part and engages the third part. The method further comprises moving the coupling member in the second longitudinal direction such that the third part causes the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction as the protrusion moves towards the fourth part to engage the coupling member in a locking position relative to the coupling counterpart. The method further comprises moving the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction, such that the protrusion moves from the fourth part and engages the fifth part. The method further comprises moving the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction until the protrusion abuts the sixth part, wherein the fifth part causes the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction as the protrusion moves towards the sixth part. The method further comprises moving the coupling member in the second longitudinal direction such that the protrusion is released from the sixth part towards the outlet.

The inlet to the guide path may comprise an inlet surface having a curvature in the second longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. The method may therefore further comprise moving the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart such that the protrusion is guided from the inlet towards the first part, wherein the inlet surface causes the coupling member to rotate in a direction opposite to the azimuthal direction.

The inlet surface may comprise a seventh part, the seventh part being spaced from the sixth part along the longitudinal axis and having substantially the same azimuthal position as the sixth part. The method may therefore further comprise engaging the protrusion with the seventh part by moving the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction towards the coupling counterpart, thereby preventing the protrusion from entering the outlet and engaging the sixth part.

The method may further comprise arranging the coupling member such that a gravitational force acts on the coupling member in the first longitudinal direction, thereby to cause the rotation in the azimuthal direction.

The coupling member may comprise a plurality of guide paths being azimuthally spaced apart around the coupling member, wherein each of the plurality of guide paths comprise an inlet and an outlet, and are configured to engage a corresponding protrusion of the coupling counterpart. The method may further comprise repeating the method for each of the corresponding protrusions of the coupling counterpart.

Further features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the disclosure, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system to deliver a package using a drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating the drone enroute to deliver the package, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating suspension means of the drone lowering the package from the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 2C is a block diagram illustrating the suspension means of the drone placing the package on a delivery area at a delivery destination, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 2D is a block diagram illustrating the drone retracting the suspension means after lowering the package to the surface at the delivery destination, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 2E is a block diagram illustrating an example of the coupling member ofFIG. 1, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 2F illustrates a coupling member for a container, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2G illustrates a coupling member inserted into a coupling counterpart, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2H illustrates a top down view of a coupling member, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2I illustrates a side view of a coupling member, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2J illustrates a side view of a coupling member inserted into a coupling counterpart, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an example for severing the suspension means of the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram of an example for severing the suspension means of the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the suspension means according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a top view of the suspension means according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process for locking the package to and unlocking the package from the suspension means of the drone using a coupling member, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process for severing the suspension means of the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a container for delivering food, consistent with various embodiments.

FIGS. 9A and 9B, collectively referred to asFIG. 9, is a block diagram of a container, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 10A is a block diagram of a container having a foam-based base, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 10B is a top view of a container having rounded edges, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 11A is a block diagram of a hood that holds a container onto the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 11B is a block diagram illustrating the container housed in the container housing of the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 12A is a block diagram of an example of a parachute affixed to a container, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 12B is a block diagram of an example in which a parachute connected to the container is deployed, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the drone with various parts of the package delivery mechanism, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the drone with the container housing, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 15A is a block diagram of a hex-box container for delivering food, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 15B is another block diagram of the hex-box container for delivering food, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of another container for carrying beverages, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 17A is a block diagram illustrating the drone enroute to deliver the package, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 17B is a block diagram illustrating the drone lowering the package, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 17C is a block diagram illustrating the drone placing the package on a delivery area at a delivery destination, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 17D is a block diagram illustrating the drone retracting the suspension means after lowering the package to the surface at the delivery destination, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 17E is a block diagram illustrating the hood being fully retracted into a container housing of the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a computer system as may be used to implement features of the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 19A is a diagram illustrating a drone before engaging a payload container, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 19B is a diagram illustrating a suspension member of the drone inserted into a coupling counterpart, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 19C is a diagram illustrating a payload container suspended from the suspension member of the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 19D is a diagram illustrating the payload container fully retracted by the drone, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating another example coupling member being inserted into a coupling counterpart attached to a payload container, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating the example coupling member ofFIG. 20, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 22A is a block diagram illustrating the example coupling member ofFIG. 21, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 22B is a top down view illustrating the example coupling member ofFIG. 22A, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 23 is another diagram illustrating the example coupling member ofFIG. 20, consistent with various embodiments.

FIG. 24A illustrates a coupling counterpart for a container, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 24B illustrates a top down view of a coupling member, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram of a process for coupling the coupling member ofFIG. 21 to a coupling counterpart, consistent with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed are package delivery mechanisms for a UAV, such as a drone, to deliver a package to a delivery destination, e.g., a home or a business. When the drone reaches the delivery destination, the package delivery mechanism (also referred to as a “package delivery module” or a “payload delivery mechanism”) lowers the package from the air onto the ground and leaves the package at the delivery destination on a delivery area, e.g., a suitable location of a home such as the front lawn, on the ground somewhere at the delivery destination, a balcony, a porch, or into the hands of a human. In some embodiments, the package can also be lowered into the hands of a receiving person. The drone may not have to land on the ground to deliver the package; it can continue to hover at the delivery destination at a particular height from the ground and lower the package onto the ground. The package delivery module includes a suspension means/member, e.g., a cable, that lowers the package from the drone onto the ground and deposits the package on the ground. The suspension means can include a locking mechanism, also referred to as a coupling member herein, that holds or locks the package onto the suspension means until the package is to be deposited at the delivery destination, and unlocks to release the package when the package is lowered on to the ground and left at the delivery destination.

In some embodiments, the coupling member is gravity activated. When a package is coupled to the coupling member and lifted off the ground or the surface on which the package is resting, the gravitational force pulls the package down towards the ground due to the weight of the package, which in turn keeps the coupling member engaged with the package causing the coupling member to lock or hold the package onto the suspension means securely. The coupling member continues to be engaged throughout the flight of the drone, e.g., as the gravitational force continues to pull the package down. Upon reaching the delivery destination, the package is lowered to the ground and when the package rests on the ground, the weight of the package is taken off the coupling member, which enables the coupling member to be decoupled or disengaged from the package, thereby releasing or unlocking the package. The suspension means is then retracted by the package delivery module onto the drone. The gravity activated coupling member can eliminate the need to have additional means, e.g., a communication cable that is to be run along the suspension means or a wireless circuitry in the package delivery module, for engaging and/or disengaging the coupling member. Also, the gravity activated coupling member is significantly simpler, convenient, and cheaper to design, manufacture and use compared to other known means. The coupling member can be configured to couple with the package automatically, or passively, which is described in further detail at least with reference toFIGS. 2E-2J.

While the coupling member is described as gravity-activated, it can work using various other methods, e.g., a remote activated lock; or a timed lock; or a computer vision activated lock; or a weight activated lock; or a humanoid hand holding the package. Further, note that the terms “lock,” “hold,” “attach,” “couple” and such similar terms with reference to the coupling member are used synonymously to denote holding of the package by the coupling member, with or without locking the package, onto the suspensions means or any other part of the drone securely for carrying the package. Similarly, the terms “unlock,” “unhold,” “detach,” “decouple” and such similar terms with reference to the coupling member are used synonymously to denote releasing of the package by the coupling member, with or without unlocking the package, from the suspensions means or any other part of the drone to deliver or drop the package at a delivery area.

FIGS. 2E-K show a first such coupling member, which can be rotated, e.g. manually, to attach the package.FIGS. 19-25 show a second such coupling member, which automatically engages the coupling counterpart on the package. The second coupling member not only enables automatic uncoupling, but also enables automatic coupling without the need of a human or additional mechanism to cause the coupling member to rotate. Instead, the rotation is automatic in the sense that inclined surfaces on the coupling member cause the rotation by simply moving the coupling along a longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the package delivery module(s) also include(s) a severing module to sever the suspension means from the drone. The package delivery module may comprise two severing modules, the second of which acts as a backup in case the first severing module fails. In some situations, e.g., when the cable that lowers the package is grabbed onto and pulled by a person and/or an animal, or if the cable is tangled in an obstacle like a tree, the drone can be brought down, which can damage the drone, property near the drone, or people and/or animals near the drone. The severing module can sever the suspension means in such situations, which separates the suspension means from the drone thereby keeping the drone from being dragged down. When the cable is grabbed onto and pulled, the package delivery module can detect the additional load on the suspension means. If the load is beyond a specified value, the package delivery module can instruct the severing module to sever the suspension means from the drone, and the severing module severs the suspension means instantaneously, e.g., in a fraction of a second. In some embodiments, the suspension means can be severed automatically by the drone (e.g., whether due to computer vision, onboard sensor indicating a malfunction, or some other input), and/or by a human operator of the drone.

In some embodiments, the severing module uses a nichrome cutting element for severing the suspension means. When an electric current of certain rating is passed through the nichrome cutting element, the nichrome cutting element generates significant heat, which can be used to sever the suspension means. In some embodiments, the severing module uses other cutting instruments to sever the suspension means.

In some embodiments, the drone includes multiple suspension means, e.g., multiple cables. The multiple suspension means can be used to deliver multiple packages, or one cable can be used as a primary cable and another one as a standby cable in case the primary cable ceases to work.

In some embodiments, the drone includes a package brake module that locks the package to the drone and keeps the package from being removed by unauthorized personnel in case there is a problem with the drone, e.g., a power failure in the drone, or if there is a problem with the package delivery module, e.g., suspension means is not working. The package brake module, when engaged, can also take the weight of the package off of the suspension means, thereby reducing the tension on the suspension means and a load on the mechanism, e.g., a motor of a spool or a spindle, using which the suspension means is operated.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating asystem100 for delivering a package using adrone120, consistent with various embodiments. Thesystem100 includes a user device110, thedrone120, and abase station125 that are configured to communicate with one another via anetwork105. Thenetwork105 can include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), an intranet, an Internet, a cellular or other mobile communication network, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), or any combination thereof. The user device110 can include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a wearable device or an automobile with one or more processors embedded therein, or any other wired or wireless, processor-driven device. The user device110 can be used by auser101, e.g., a recipient of the package, to track the status of the package delivery made by thedrone120, and/or place an order for a product and request that it be shipped using a drone. Thebase station125 can include a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or any other wired or wireless, or a processor-driven device that can be used by operators of thedrone120 for operating thedrone120 to deliver the package.

In some embodiments, theuser101 may have to install an application, e.g., adelivery application115, on the user device110 to access various features provided by the delivery service, including delivery status of the package. In some embodiments, theuser101 may also log into a website provided by the merchant and/or the drone operator to access the above features. The user device110 can include adata storage unit113. Thedata storage unit113 can store data that may be necessary for the working of thedelivery application115. For example, thedata storage unit113 can store data regarding the delivery status of the package. In another example, thedata storage unit113 can store information such as specific delivery instructions provided by the user to the operators of thedrone120. In some embodiments, theuser101 may access thedelivery application115 on the user device110 via a user interface. Theuser101 can sign in to thedelivery application115 and communicate with thebase station125 to arrange for, modify, or cancel the delivery of a product.

Thebase station125 can include aserver144 and adata storage unit147. Thebase station125 can communicate with the user device110, merchant systems, or other package delivery systems that deliver or receive packages. Thebase station125 may be associated with any entity that delivers and/or receives packages. For example, thebase station125 may be associated with a courier company, a shipping company, a postal service, a merchant with whom theuser101 performed a transaction to buy a product that is being delivered, or another party who is operating thedrone120 on behalf of the merchant or the delivery service provider to deliver the product to theuser101.

Thedrone120 may be any type of UAV, e.g., a helicopter, a quadcopter, octocopter, or a fixed-wing UAV. Thedrone120 includes anapplication module122 that facilitates thedrone120 to deliver a package to theuser101. Theapplication module122 can include the hardware and/or software for working with a package delivery module130, suspension means/member135 and acoupling member140 to deliver the package to theuser101 at a delivery destination. Theapplication module122 can receive instructions for package deliveries, e.g., from thebase station125. For example, theapplication module122 may receive an address of a delivery destination, GPS coordinates of the delivery destination, a smartphone location of the delivery destination, delivery route, package details, or other delivery information, such as delivery area at the delivery destination, which can be a balcony, a porch, front lawn, hands of a human user or on ground somewhere at the delivery destination. Theapplication module122 may store the received information, and other suitable data to be used for facilitating the delivery of the package in thedata storage unit123. Theapplication module122 can be configured to determine a delivery route of the drone based on the delivery destination. Theapplication module122 can be configured to monitor a location of thedrone120 and notify the package delivery module130 upon reaching the delivery destination or a pickup address, so that the package delivery module130 can prepare for thedrone120 for picking up or delivering thepackage211, e.g., cause thedrone120 to hover at the delivery destination at a particular height from the ground, lower the suspension means to deliver or pick up the package, etc.

In one arrangement, thesevering module145 comprises one or more of (a) an independent power source, (b) an independent processor, and/or (c) an independent communications system. “Independent” means that the power source, processor and communications system operate independently of any other power sources, processors or communications system located elsewhere on thedrone120. For example, they may be part of a separate circuit. Thus, should the power source, processor and/or communications system of thedrone120 fail, thesevering module145 can still operate despite the failure.

Thedrone120 includes apackage brake module150 that locks the package to thedrone120 and keeps the package from being removed by unauthorized personnel in case there is a problem with thedrone120, e.g., a power failure in thedrone120, or with the package delivery module130, e.g., suspension means135 is not working.

Note that thedrone120 illustrated inFIG. 1 is not restricted to having the above modules. Thedrone120 can include a lesser number of modules, e.g., functionalities of two modules can be combined into one module. Thedrone120 can also include more number of modules, e.g., functionalities performed by a single module can be performed by more than one module, or there can be additional modules that perform other functionalities. The functionality performed by a module described above can be performed by one or more of the other modules as well. Further, thedrone120 can include other modules for performing, or theapplication module122 can be further configured to perform other functions including: controlling thedrone120 in flight; detecting errors in operation of thedrone120; deploying a parachute to decelerate the descent of thedrone120; providing power supply to thedrone120; steering thedrone120; disabling the motors of thedrone120; navigating thedrone120, including providing route information or adjusting the route information dynamically; navigating thedrone120 using auto-pilot; capturing an image, an audio clip, and/or a video clip of various targets from thedrone120; preventing unauthorized interference with the command and control of thedrone120; and deploying an airbag to minimize a damage that can be caused to thedrone120 in case of a crash.

Thedrone120 can be deployed to perform one or more applications, e.g., surveillance of illegal activities to safeguard civil security, anti-poacher operations, forest fire fighting, monitoring flooding storms & hurricanes, traffic monitoring, radiation measurement, searching for missing persons, monitoring harvesting. Theapplication module122 can be configured to perform a specified user-defined application.

FIGS. 2A-2E, collectively referred to asFIG. 2, is a block diagram illustrating an example200 of using a gravity activated coupling member in delivering packages using a drone, consistent with various embodiments. The example200 can be implemented in thesystem100 ofFIG. 1 and using thedrone120. As illustrated inFIG. 2A, thedrone120 is in flight enroute to a delivery destination to deliver apackage211. Thedrone120 is flying at a particular height from theground210. Thepackage211 is attached to thedrone120 via the suspension means135. Thepackage211 is locked to the suspension means135 via thecoupling member140. In some embodiments, thecoupling member140 can be gravity activated. The gravitational force exerted on thecoupling member140 due to the weight of thepackage211 engages thecoupling member140 causing thepackage211 to be locked to the suspension means135. In some embodiments, thepackage211 includes acoupling counterpart250 that holds thepackage211 onto thecoupling member140 when thecoupling member140 is engaged.

Thepackage211 is loaded onto thedrone120 such that thepackage211 rests in a hood (described below at least with reference toFIGS. 11A, 11B, 13), flush against the top and all four sides of the hood. After thepackage211 is raised enough by the suspension means135, e.g., thepackage211 is flush in the hood, a spool brake (e.g., the package brake module150) is automatically engaged to prevent the suspension means135 from lowering during the flight and therefore, prevent thepackage211 from lowering. Thepackage211 is now secure, e.g., locked in place and may not rotate or shift due to protection from the package hood, cannot be lowered because of the spool brake, and cannot separate from the suspension means135 because it cannot unlock itself off of the gravity activatedmale coupler140 because it is flush against the top of the package hood.

In some embodiments, thepackage211 is loaded in the center of and underneath the airframe of the drone120 (e.g., as illustrated inFIGS. 13, 14, and 17A below). Such a mounting can improve the natural stability of the payload by lowering the center of gravity temporarily, until thepackage211 is delivered.

Upon reaching the delivery destination, thedrone120 prepares to deliver thepackage211 at adelivery area215 in the delivery destination. The delivery area can be any designated area in the delivery destination, e.g., a balcony of a house, a front lawn, a porch, an entrance of a business, a patio table in the front lawn. As illustrated inFIG. 2B, thedrone120 hovers in air above thedelivery area215 at a particular height from the ground, releases the spool brake and lowers the suspension means135 to deliver thepackage211 in thedelivery area215. Thedrone120 continues to lower the suspension means135 until thepackage211 rests on thedelivery area215. Thecoupling member140 is still engaged while thepackage211 is being lowered as the weight of thepackage211 keeps thecoupling member140 engaged. In some embodiments, a pilot of thedrone120 has the ability to stop the descent of thepackage211 if the safety of the delivery location is compromised.

In some embodiments, one of the factors considered in determining the particular height at which thedrone120 should hover for delivery is a minimum parachute deployment height. The minimum parachute deployment height is the minimum height from the ground at which thedrone120 is required hover if the parachute is to be deployed. If the hovering height of thedrone120 is less than the minimum parachute deployment height then the parachute may not be deployed. This can be dangerous because if thedrone120 crashes and the parachute is not able to be deployed, it can cause an injury to a human being or a property in the surrounding. Accordingly, the particular height at which thedrone120 has to hover for delivering a package is computed as a function of the minimum parachute deployment height. For example, if the minimum parachute deployment height is4 meters, then thedrone120 is configured to hover and deliver from a height of4 meters plus height of a person plus margin of error to ensure safety for the recipient on the ground. If the minimum parachute deployment height changes, the minimum delivery height also changes accordingly.

As illustrated inFIG. 2C, when thepackage211 rests on thedelivery area215, thecoupling member140 can be disengaged to release thepackage211. When thepackage211 rests on thedelivery area215, the weight of thepackage211 is offloaded from couplingmember140 resulting in the gravitational force exerted on thecoupling member140 to drop below a specified value, which enables the coupling member to be disengaged from thepackage211, thereby releasing thepackage211.

After thepackage211 is lowered in thedelivery area215 and released from thecoupling member140, thedrone120 retracts the suspension means135, as illustrated inFIG. 2D. For example, the package delivery module130 senses the reduction of weight on the suspension means135, determines thepackage211 is delivered onto thedelivery area215 and retracts the suspension means135 back onto the line spool. In some embodiments, if the suspension means135 becomes entangled, the operator or the package delivery module130 can command thesevering module145 to cut the suspension means135 and separate it from thedrone120.

FIG. 2E is a block diagram illustrating an example of the locking mechanism, or coupling member ofFIG. 1, consistent with a particular example. Thecoupling member140 attached to the suspension means135 can be a male coupler, and thecoupling counterpart250 on thepackage211 to which thecoupling member140 engages can be a female coupler, though various other configurations of thecoupling member140 and thecoupling counterpart250 are possible. The suspension means135 can be a microfilament braided line and can be rated to handle a specified weight, e.g., up to100 lbs. Thecoupling member140 can operate as described with reference toFIGS. 2A-2D. For example, during package loading, the suspension means135 is lowered to insert themale coupler140 into thefemale coupler250 that is installed in thepackage211. Themale coupler140 is rotated clockwise in thefemale coupler250, which locks the male and female couplers together. As long as the weight of thepackage211 remains on themale coupler140, thepackage211 will remain attached to themale coupler140 and therefore, to the suspension means135.

Thecoupling member140 can operate in automatic-coupling mode or a passive-coupling mode to lock and/or unlock thepackage211. For example, in the automatic-coupling mode, thecoupling member140 automatically couples the male and female couplers, e.g., rotates themale coupler140 in thefemale coupler250 after inserting themale coupler140 into thefemale coupler250, to hold the male and female couplers together in locked position so that when thepackage211 is lifted off the surface it's resting on, thepackage211 locks onto the suspension means135, e.g., due to its weight. Similarly, when thepackage211 is to be delivered at thedelivery area215, the package delivery module130 lowers the suspension means135 to thedelivery area215 and once thepackage211 rests on thedelivery area215, the weight of thepackage211 will be off the suspension means135 and the package delivery module130 automatically disengages the male and female couplers, e.g., rotates themale coupler140 in a direction opposite to that of the locking, to unlock themale coupler140 from thefemale coupler250 thereby releasing thepackage211. The package delivery module130 then retracts the suspension means135 onto thedrone120. Thecoupling member140 can be caused to engage in various ways. For example, the suspension means135 can have a mechanism to automatically rotate themale coupler140, or the package delivery module130 can have a mechanism to rotate the suspension means135 to rotate themale coupler140. In another example, a package loading equipment, e.g., in the loading facility associated with thebase station125 that automatically loads thepackage211 to thedrone120 can have a mechanism to rotate themale coupler140.

In a passive-coupling mode of thecoupling member140, while the package delivery module130 performs most of the operations performed in the automatic configuration described above, e.g., lowering or retracting the suspension means135, one or more of the operations may be performed by a human user to lock or unlock thepackage211, such as manually rotate themale coupler140 in thefemale coupler250 to lock or unlock thepackage211.

Note that the shape, size and any other configuration of thecoupling member140, the male and female couplers (or thedrone120 or any other part of the drone120) illustrated inFIG. 2E is for illustration purposes only. The actual shape, size and other configurations can be different from what is illustrated inFIG. 2E. In another example, thecoupling member140 can operate using a technique other than gravity.

Thecoupling counterpart250 can be affixed to a top wall of a payload container. Thecoupling counterpart250 can include a plurality of protruding elements (e.g., four protrusions). The plurality of protruding elements can be evenly spaced around a surface of an opening in thecoupling counterpart250. The plurality of protruding elements can have a cross-section that is, for example, square shaped or circle shaped. A shape of the protruding elements can correspond with a shape of a hook element of thecoupling member140.

FIG. 2F shows a side view oncoupling member140 in the direction of arrow A, shown inFIG. 2E. As shown,coupling member140 is attached to a suspension means135. The suspension means135 can be controlled by a drone to lower and/or raise thecoupling member140. Thecoupling member140 includes a plurality of hook elements1620 (e.g., four hook elements), protruding fromsurface1606 of thecoupling member140. An upper portion of any of the hook elements can include aslanted appendage1624. The slantedappendage1624 can be affixed to, or protrude from, an outer surface of thecoupling member140. The slantedappendage1624 can include anunderside1626 sloped toward a hookedportion1622 of thehook element1620. Theunderside1626 of the slantedappendage1624 can be connected to the hookedportion1622 such that a continuous surface extends from theunderside1626 to the hookedportion1622. Theunderside1626 can be slanted upward extending from a first side of the hookedportion1622 to a second side of the hookedportion1622.

In this embodiment, a top terminal end of theunderside1626 extends beyond a second side of the hookedportion1622 or is in line with the second side of the hookedportion1622. If thecoupling member140 is inserted into acoupling counterpart250, protruding elements of thecoupling counterpart250 can glide along theunderside1626 causing thecoupling member140 to rotate out into an out-of-alignment position. An out-of-alignment position includes the protruding element not being above the hookedportion1622.

Since theunderside1626 causes the protruding elements to be shifted out of alignment with the hookedportion1622 if thecoupling member140 is inserted a threshold distance into thecoupling counterpart250, the threshold distance can be utilized to unlock thecoupling member140 from thecoupling counterpart250. For example, a drone having a cable connected to thecoupling member140 can allow slack to develop in the cable causing thecoupling member140 to enter thecoupling counterpart250 beyond a threshold distance causing the out-of-alignment position. Since the hooks are not in position to attach the protruding elements in the out-of-alignment position, the drone can then retract the cable and bring thecoupling member140 up to the drone while leaving thecoupling counterpart250 with the container.

FIGS. 2G-2J illustrate thecoupling member140 inserted into thecoupling counterpart250 from various perspectives.FIG. 2G shows an orthogonal view of thecoupling member140 inserted into thecoupling counterpart250.FIG. 2H is a top down view of the inserting member142 inserted into the receivingmember144.FIG. 2I is a side view of thecoupling member140 inserted into thecoupling counterpart250. A side of thecoupling counterpart250 is shown as substantially transparent to show a position of thecoupling member140 within an opening of thecoupling counterpart250. Various embodiments including opaque sides for thecoupling member140 are contemplated.

Returning toFIG. 2F, a method of engaging theexample coupling member140 with a coupling counterpart250 (shown inFIG. 2E) will be described in more detail. Theexample coupling member140 defines first1608 and second1610 longitudinal directions, opposite to one another and parallel to alongitudinal axis1602, and anazimuthal direction1604 around thelongitudinal axis1602. Thecoupling member140 comprises one or more guide paths which are configured to guide a corresponding protrusion of thecoupling counterpart250 from a locked position P_lockedto an unlocked position P_unlocked. As thecoupling member140 suspends from thesuspension member135, thecoupling member140 is free to rotate in theazimuthal direction1604 and in a direction opposite to theazimuthal direction1604. Thecoupling member140 can also move along thelongitudinal axis1602 in both the first and second

longitudinal directions

1608,1610 by raising and lowering thecoupling member140 by retracting and unravelling thesuspension member135, as previously described.

As noted above, theexample coupling member140 comprises asurface1606, in this case an outer surface, which, by virtue of thehook elements1620, defines one or more guide paths which extend along thesurface1606. A guide path guides a protrusion of thecoupling counterpart250 from a locked position P_lockedwithin the guide path to an unlocked position P_unlockedoutside of the guide path. As described above, the protrusion may be manually moved into the locked position by a human operator, or by a mechanism on thedrone120 orsuspension member135 applying a rotational force which causes thecoupling member140 to rotate. When the protrusion is in the locked position P_locked, thecoupling member140 and thecoupling counterpart250 are said to be engaged and locked together because the package (and therefore the coupling counterpart205) and thecoupling member140 cannot be pulled apart in opposite directions along thelongitudinal axis1602. When the package is suspended from thecoupling member140, the protrusion is in the locked position P_locked.

The protrusion can be guided along the guide path (in the direction of the arrows) by moving thecoupling member140 relative to the stationary protrusion. For example, thecoupling member1904 can be moved in the firstlongitudinal direction1608 when the package is deposited on a delivery surface.

As noted above, the guide path can be formed by one or more structures protruding outwards from thesurface1606 in an outwards radial direction. In another example, the guide path can be formed by forming a groove within thesurface1606, where the groove extends into the surface in an inwards radial direction. In a particular example, thecoupling member140 may be formed from a relatively rigid material such as a metal or plastic.

The protrusion, at position P_locked, is shown initially being within a guide path. The guide path comprises an engagement surface comprising afirst part1612. Thefirst part1612 is configured to abut the protrusion in the locked position P_locked. Thedrone120 may be hovering at a particular height above a delivery surface at this moment in time and can begin lowering the package by allowing, or causing, thesuspension member135 to unravel. Thecoupling member140 therefore moves in the firstlongitudinal direction1608 towards the delivery surface. As the package engages the delivery surface, thecoupling counterpart250 and the protrusion become stationary relative to thecoupling member140 which continues to move in the firstlongitudinal direction1608. This relative movement causes the position of the protrusion to move relative to thecoupling member140 until it engages an egress surface along asecond part1614a.Thesecond part1614areceives the protrusion from thefirst part1612. Thesecond part1614ais spaced from thefirst part1612 along thelongitudinal axis1602 and has substantially the same azimuthal position as thefirst part1612. At position P_Xthe protrusion has engaged thesecond part1614a.Thissecond part1614ais inclined and extends from athird part1614bof the egress surface in the firstlongitudinal direction1608 and in theazimuthal direction1604. As thecoupling member140 continues to move in the firstlongitudinal direction1608 the engagement between the protrusion and the inclined surface of thesecond part1614acauses thecoupling member140 to rotate in theazimuthal direction1604. The weight of thecoupling member140, and the relatively low coefficient of friction between the protrusion and the inclined surface allows thecoupling member140 to rotate in this manner. The rotation and the movement in the firstlongitudinal direction1608 continues until thethird part1614bengages the protrusion at point P_Y. Thethird part1614btherefore receives the protrusion from thesecond part1614ain an out of alignment position.

From here thedrone120 can retract thesuspension member135 to cause thecoupling member140 to move in the secondlongitudinal direction1610. Thethird part1614breleases the protrusion to the unlocked position P_unlockedwhen thecoupling member140 is moved away from thecoupling counterpart250. At this point, thecoupling member140 has fully uncoupled from thecoupling counterpart250, so the package remains on the delivery surface as thedrone120 continues to retract thesuspension member135.

In the above example, theengagement surface1612 and the egress surface of the guide path are defined by thehook element1620, where thehook element1620 protrudes from thesurface1606 of thecoupling member140. As mentioned, thehook element1620 comprises a slantedappendage1624, and theunderside1626 of the slanted appendage defines the egress surface1614 of the guide path. Thehook element1620 further comprises a hookedportion1622 which defines theengagement surface1612. In this example the hookedportion1622 is connected to theunderside1626 of the slantedappendage1624. A top terminal end of theunderside1626 of the slantedappendage1624 defines thethird part1614bof the egress surface1614.

As mentioned, thecoupling member140 described inFIGS. 2E-2J requires thecoupling member140 or the suspension means135 to be rotated to enable thecoupling member140 to engage with the package, while uncoupling of thecoupling member140 is gravity assisted.FIGS. 19 to 25, described in detail below, disclose another coupling member for which gravity assists both the coupling and uncoupling of the coupling member.

FIGS. 3A and 3B, collectively, referred to asFIG. 3, is a schematic diagram of an example300 for severing suspension means of a drone, consistent with various embodiments. As illustrated inFIG. 3A, after thepackage211 is released at thedelivery area215, thedrone120 retracts the suspension means135. When the suspension means135 is pulled, e.g., when pulled by an animal or a person, such as a person310, or when stuck in other objects, such as a tree, either when the suspension means135 is being retracted or being lowered to deliver thepackage211, thedrone120 can be dragged to the ground and crash, injure the person310 and/or damage the property around thedrone120. Further, thedrone120 can be damaged or stolen.

Referring still toFIG. 4, and also toFIG. 5, in one arrangement the suspension means135 can be spooled aroundspindle500 of the delivery mechanism130 by threading a free end of a new line through abottom hole401 of the delivery mechanism130, around a forcesensor lever rod403, through thenichrome cutting element305, through

tensioning rods

501a,501b, and through aline spacer503. As depicted, thespindle500 and associatedmotor405 is an example of a means by which the suspension means135 is lowered from thedrone120 or retracted into thedrone120. As noted above, thespindle500,motor405 andnichrome cutting element305 are preferably powered and controlled separately from other elements of thedrone120.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram aprocess600 for locking and unlocking the package attached to the suspension means of the drone using a coupling member, consistent with various embodiments. Theprocess600 can be performed in thesystem100 and using thedrone120 ofFIG. 1. In some embodiments, the process of locking the package is performed when the package is picked up, and the process of unlocking is performed when the package is dropped off. Atblock605, the package delivery module130 of thedrone120 lowers the suspension means135 to pick-up a package, such aspackage211, from a pick-up address or from the loading facility of thebase station125. In some embodiments, the package delivery module130 lowers the suspension means until thecoupling member140 is in a position to be attached or coupled to thepackage211. For example, the package delivery module130 lowers the suspension means135 until themale coupler140 of the suspension means135 is inserted into thefemale coupler250 of thepackage211. The package delivery module130 can determine whether thecoupling member140 is in a position to be attached to thepackage211 in various ways. For example, when themale coupler140 is inserted into and rests in thefemale coupler250, the weight of themale coupler140 is off the suspension means135 and the package delivery module130 can determine thatmale coupler140 is in position to be attached to thefemale coupler250. In another example, the package delivery module130 can determine the distance between thedrone120 and thepackage211, e.g., using various on-board sensors, and lower the suspension means135 based on the determined distance. In yet another example, the lowering of the suspension means135 can be controlled by an operator of thedrone120.

Atblock610, thecoupling member140 is engaged with thepackage211 to lock thepackage211 to the suspension means135. Thecoupling member140 can be operated, e.g., engaged and disengaged, in an automatic-coupling mode or a passive-coupling mode to lock or unlock the package, e.g., as described at least with reference toFIGS. 2E-J. Once thecoupling member140 is attached to thepackage211 and thedrone120 is airborne, thecoupling member140 continues to be engaged, e.g., due the weight of thepackage211 on thecoupling member140 exerted by the gravitational force, causing thepackage211 to be locked to the suspension means135. In some embodiments, thecoupling member140 is configured to engage only if the weight of thepackage211 is exceeds a first specified value.

Atblock615, thedrone120 flies to the delivery destination where the package has to be delivered.

Atblock620, upon reaching the delivery destination, theapplication module122 instructs thedrone120 to hover at the delivery destination at a particular height from the ground and instructs the package delivery module130 to prepare for delivering thepackage211.

Atblock625, the package delivery module130 lowers the suspension means135 to deliver the package at a delivery area in the delivery destination, e.g.,delivery area215. The package delivery module130 continues to lower the suspension means135 until thepackage211 rests on thedelivery area215. Thecoupling member140 is still engaged while thepackage211 is being lowered as the weight of thepackage211 keeps thecoupling member140 engaged.

Atblock630, when thepackage211 rests on thedelivery area215, the weight of thepackage211 is offloaded from thecoupling member140. When the weight is offloaded, and the weight on thecoupling member140 drops below a second specified value enabling thecoupling member140 to be disengaged, thereby releasing thepackage211.

In some embodiments, the speed at which the suspension means135 is lowered from thedrone120 or retracted into thedrone120, e.g., inblocks605 and/or625, can be regulated. For example, the rate of descent of the suspension means135 is decelerated as thepackage211 reaches the ground or the surface on which thepackage211 is to be delivered, e.g., in order to avoid any damage to thepackage211 from the impact of the delivery. In another example, the speed at which the suspension means135 is retracted into the drone is decreased as thepackage211 or thecoupling member140 reaches thedrone120, e.g., in order to avoid thepackage211 or the coupling member140 (when there is no package attached to the suspension means135) from being retracted too forcefully into thedrone120 and harm the spool of the suspension means135.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process for severing the suspension means of a drone, consistent with various embodiments. Theprocess700 can be performed in thesystem100 and using thedrone120 ofFIG. 1. Atblock705, the package delivery module130 detects an additional weight on the suspension means135. In some embodiments, thedrone120 has on-board sensors that can detect a change in load carried by the suspension means135. For example, when the suspension means135 is pulled by an animal or a person, or when the suspension means135 is entangled in an obstacle like a tree, there can be an additional load added to the suspension means135.

Atdetermination block710, the package delivery module130 determines whether the changed weight exceeds a specified value. If the weight does not exceed the specified value, theprocess700 returns. On the other hand, if the weight exceeds the specified value, atblock715, the package delivery module130 instructs thesevering module145 to sever the suspension means135.

Atblock720, thesevering module145 severs the suspension means135. In some embodiments, thesevering module145 includes anichrome cutting element305 that is used to sever the suspension means135. When the suspension means135 has to be severed, thesevering module145 passes an electric current of a certain rating through thenichrome cutting element305, which generates a significant amount of heat causing the suspension means135 to be severed at the portion where thenichrome cutting element305 is in contact with the suspension means135.

In determining whether the weight exceeds the specified value, the package delivery module130 considers various factors, e.g., weight of the package if the package is still attached to the suspension means135, change in weight because of the haphazard movement of the suspension means135 due to strong winds, etc. The package delivery module130 will calculate the change in weight accordingly.

It should be understood that one or more operations of the processes600-700 can be performed manually, e.g., remotely by an operator of thedrone120 from thebase station125, or automatically by thedrone120. For example, when thedrone120 reaches thedelivery area215 at the delivery destination, the package delivery module130 can automatically deliver thepackage211 or wait to receive instructions from the operator of thedrone120. In another example, thesevering module145 can sever the suspension means135 automatically or wait for the operator to command thesevering module145 to sever the suspension means135.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of acontainer800 for delivering food, consistent with various embodiments. Thedrone120 can be used to deliver and/or pickup goods in a wide variety of containers. In some embodiments, thecontainer800 is similar to thepackage211 ofFIG. 2. Thecontainer800 can include multiple compartments for holding different types of payload and/or different types of payload that are temperature sensitive, e.g., food, medicine, blood. For example, thecontainer800 can have a first compartment for holding a first type of payload that is to be maintained in a first specified temperature range, and a second compartment for holding a second type of payload that is to be maintained in a second specified temperature range. As an example, thecontainer800 includes various compartments for carrying various types of food, e.g., liquid food, solid food, hot food and/or cold food. In some embodiments, thecontainer800 can have separate sections for different types of food. Thecontainer800 includes ahot food compartment805 and acold food compartment810. In some embodiments, the hot food and cold food compartments are separated by awall825, which can have an insulated material. Thecontainer800 includesventilation815 to keep hot food, such as chips, crisp. Thecontainer800 can be connected to the suspension means135 of thedrone120 at acoupler820. In some embodiments, thecoupler820 is similar to thefemale coupler250 ofFIG. 2. Thecoupler820 is offset to a compartment that carries heavier food, e.g., drinks, to ensure the weight is centered when heavier items are included. Theentire container800 is delivered to the customer.

Thecontainer800 can be made of paper, cardboard or other suitable materials. In one example the container includes temperature insulating material, such as polystyrene, Mylar™ or other materials. The container may be fully or partially constructed from such temperature insulating materials. The insulating material helps keep the contents of container within a desired temperature range. Mylar™ is particularly useful since it helps achieve food quality requirements. Thecontainer800 can have one or more lids which, when opened, provide access to the contents inside. In some embodiments, the lids open away from each other so that any area/compartment in thecontainer800 can be accessed conveniently. In one example, the container comprises impact mitigating material, such as a deformable material. The impact mitigating material significantly improves safety in the event that the container is accidentally dropped from thedrone120.

FIGS. 9A and 9B, collectively referred to asFIG. 9, is a block diagram of acontainer900, consistent with various embodiments. Thecontainer900 can be round or round-like, e.g., elliptical, conical, in shape. In some embodiments, the shape of thecontainer900 can be representative of a bucket. Thecontainer900 has aremovable lid950, which can be cylindrical, as illustrated inFIG. 9B. Thecontainer900, like thecontainer800 ofFIG. 8, can include various compartments for carrying various types of food, e.g., liquid food, solid food, hot food and/or cold food. The compartments can be designed such that when a set of food items are placed, thecontainer900 is well balanced, e.g., weight is centered. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 9A, the two compartments for holding liquids, e.g., drinks, are located diametrically opposite to each other in thecontainer900 so as to center the weight. Thecontainer900 can also include a compartment for carrying various types of cutlery.

Thecontainer900 can have means for facilitating a customer to hold or carry the container. For example, thecontainer900 includes a pair of finger grips into which the customer can slip in his/her fingers and carry thecontainer900. The finger grips can be affixed to thecontainer900, or thelid950 of thecontainer900 if thelid950 of thecontainer900 can be locked/secured to thecontainer900.

In some embodiments, thecontainer900 is modular, e.g., can be made using a number of card plates, e.g., made out of cardboard, paper and/or other suitable material. The card plates (not illustrated) can have fold lines, slotted lines and/or slots along which one can fold the card plates to form thecontainer900 or a portion thereof. The card plates can then be assembled together to form thecontainer900. In some embodiments, the modular container portions are adjustable to carry payload of different sizes in different compartments, e.g., pizza in one compartment and medicine in another compartment.

The container900 (or even the container800) can be configured to pick up and/or deliver items other than food, e.g., goods such as electronics, apparel, shoes. Thecontainer900 can be configured to have various types of compartments based on the type of the goods that have to be picked up/delivered. In some embodiments, thecontainer900 has foam or other similar material in the base, as illustrated in the example1011 ofFIG. 10A. The foam-based base can serve various purposes. For example, the foam-based base can hold the packages placed in thecontainer900 in a stable position by minimizing the movement of the package during the flight. In another example, the foam-based base can act an impact-absorbing base by provide additional cushion between a soft outer layer of cardboard of the base of thecontainer900 and a potentially hard inner object such as a bottle of wine which makes it safer if thecontainer900 falls off thedrone120 and hits a person or property. The foam base enables delivering of a variety of shaped objects whether rectangular, triangular, elliptical, etc. (provided they can fit in thecontainer900, and be held in position by the foam-based base). For example, if a box containing a pair of shoes is to be delivered, the box would be placed inside thecontainer900, it would be held in position by foam, and then thecontainer900 holding the box could be picked up to thedrone120; then delivered at the destination.

In some embodiments, thecontainer900 has no corners or edges on the exterior surface of thecontainer900. Thecontainer900 can have a spherical underside with a flat bottom that eliminates corners/edges. The corners can be rounded as illustrated in the example1010 ofFIG. 10A. The rounded corners can be safer than the straight edged corner. With the rounded corners, if thecontainer900 falls from thedrone120 and hits a person or any other object, the round corners/edges of the exterior deforms more than a straight edged corner/edge, that is, absorbs the impact more than the straight edged corners, and is therefore, safer on the person or the object on which thecontainer900 crashed.FIG. 10B is a top view of a square shapedcontainer1020 with round corners, consistent with various embodiments.

In some embodiments, the container can be held onto thedrone120 using a conical hood.FIG. 11A is a block diagram of ahood1105 that holds acontainer1110 onto thedrone120, consistent with various embodiments. In some embodiments, thecontainer1110 is similar to thecontainer900,container800 or thepackage211. A package to be delivered can be placed in thecontainer1110. When a drone picks up a container, the container can turn/rotate/move in the wind and the container may not align itself in a container housing fixed to thedrone120. So to ensure that thecontainer1110 mounts correctly on the underside of thedrone120, e.g., in thecontainer housing1115, thecontainer1110 is affixed to ahood1105, which is then drawn into thecontainer housing1115 by the suspension means, e.g., suspension means135. Thehood1105 can be conical or conical-like, e.g., spherical, in shape. Thehood1105 has a means to connect to the suspension means. In some embodiments, the lid of thecontainer1110 can be designed as theconical hood1105. In some embodiments, thehood1105 is affixed to thecontainer1110, e.g., to the lid of thecontainer1110. When thecontainer1110 is lifted up by thedrone120, thehood1105 is drawn into thecontainer housing1115 and thecontainer1110 is housed within thecontainer housing1115 of thedrone120. In some embodiments, thecontainer housing1115 is a concave structure, e.g., conical concave structure, that can conveniently house theentire container1110 or a portion of thecontainer1110, e.g., a significant portion of thecontainer1110, so as to keep thecontainer1110 from moving due to wind while in flight.FIG. 11B is a block diagram illustrating thecontainer1110 housed in thecontainer housing1115 of thedrone120. However, in other embodiments, thehood1105 is a concave structure and the container housing is a convex structure. This design may be advantageous for certain drones because it still enables self-aligning of the container in the container housing and has thicker padding at the center of gravity of the drone.

Further, having thecontainer housing1115 and thecontainer hood1105 in the conical shape facilitates easy mounting, alignment and/or housing of thecontainer1110 in thecontainer housing1115 compared to other shapes. For example, if thecontainer housing1115 is of a square shape, and if the container is also of square shape, it may be difficult to align thecontainer1110 within thecontainer housing1115, especially if there is any wind.

Also, in the case of food delivery, in some embodiments, thehood1105 contains insulatingmaterial1120 on the interior walls of the hood to keep the food warm/cold. In some embodiments, to maintain the temperature of the food at a given temperature, the amount of surface area of thecontainer1110 that is in contact with thehood1105 has to be maximized, e.g., it has to be a round surface on surface, which can mean thecontainer1110 and thehood1105 may have to be circular/round or conical in shape. In some embodiments, the insulatingmaterial1120 can be a material that provides insulation against electro-magnetic fields and/or electro-static discharges, e.g., faraday cage insulation, which can be helpful for transporting electronic/magnetic goods.

FIG. 12A is a block diagram of an example of a parachute affixed to a container, consistent with various embodiments. Thecontainer1110 to be dropped off at a delivery location can be installed with aparachute1205, e.g., made of cloth, paper or paper-type material. Theparachute1205 can be folded and installed on top of the container. Theparachute1205 has ahole1210, e.g., round in shape, in the top and middle, which is where thecontainer1110 may be mounted to the suspension means135 of thedrone120. Theparachute1205 can be attached to thecontainer1110 at a number of locations, e.g., at least3 locations.

FIG. 12B is a block diagram of an example in which the parachute ofFIG. 12 A is deployed, consistent with various embodiments. In theFIG. 12B, theparachute1205 is connected to thecontainer1110 at four locations, e.g., near the four corners of thecontainer1110. Theparachute1205 can be configured to deploy in response to a trigger. In some embodiments, theparachute1205 will deploy if the suspension means135 of thedrone120 snaps.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of thedrone120 with various parts of the package delivery module ofFIG. 1, consistent with various embodiments. Thedrone120 includesarm guards1305 that are configured to protect the arms of thedrone120, e.g., against impact on crash landing, and also, thepropellers1315 installed on the arms. The package delivery module130 includes a “dog bowl” likestructure1310 onto which acontainer housing1115 fits snugly. The package delivery module130 includes thecontainer housing1115 to house the package during the flight. The packages, e.g.,container1110, are mounted in the center of thedrone120, and therefore thecontainer housing1115 is mounted in the center of thedrone120. By having a center mounting point, the weight of thecontainer1110 is centered at the middle of thedrone120, e.g., even with different size/weight containers, which enables thedrone120 to have stability in flight. Thecontainer housing1115 also limits and/or hide the wobbling of thecontainer1110 during flight. In some embodiments, thedrone120 may not include thecontainer housing1115, e.g., if the suspension means135 is tight enough to limit the wobbling of the package.

The package delivery module130 includes thecontainer hood1105. As described above, thehood1105 contains insulating material on the interior walls, e.g., to keep the food being delivered warm/cold. In some embodiments, to maintain the temperature of the food at a given temperature, the hood can be installed with sensor to monitor and regulate the temperature to ensure the food arrives to the customer at guaranteed food quality standards (and at safe temperatures). Thehood1105 can log the temperature data and store it and/or report it to an on-board processor (not illustrated) of thedrone120 and/or to the operator. The on-board processor or the operator can then take necessary steps, e.g., increase or decrease the temperature, to keep the food at required temperatures. Thedrone120 typically has a temperature controlling mechanism, e.g., heating elements and/or cooling elements in the package, to regulate the temperature of the food during the flight, and is powered by the power supply of thedrone120 and/or of the package delivery module130. The insulating material can also provide electro-magnetic and/or electro-static shielding.

The package delivery module130 also includes an anti-roll feature. The anti-roll feature facilitates thedrone120 to land on thecontainer housing1115 even without thehood1105 inside it, e.g., for emergencies. The anti-roll feature also prevents tipping, and even if thedrone120 tilts, thepropellers1315 cannot hit the ground, as shown by the angle depicted inFIG. 14.

Referring back toFIG. 13, thecontainer1110 to be delivered by thedrone120 can be of various shapes and sizes. In some embodiments, thecontainer1110 is similar to the package or container described at least with reference toFIGS. 2, 8, 9A, 9B, 10A and 10B. Thecontainer1110 is designed so it can carry a variety of different product sizes including parcels and fast food with none-to-minimum changes to the container1110 (besides adding inserts to ensure the goods that are delivered have a snug and insulated fit so they don't roll around and are kept at the correct temperature). Thecontainer1110 can include variable padding based on the center of gravity of thedrone120, e.g., padding is thickest where the center of gravity is of greatest which makes it safer for people upon impact when the container crash lands on people. Thehood1105 can also cover the container in foam, which provides an additional safety measure. For example, if the suspension means135 is severed and when thecontainer1110 falls, in the event of an impact with a person, thecontainer1110 hits the person with the foam rather than with a corner or edge, which makes it safer.

Note that the components or parts of thepackage delivery module135 or thedrone120 illustrated inFIG. 13 are in just one embodiment. Other embodiments can have more parts or have fewer parts. For example, in one embodiment, thepackage delivery module135 may not have thedog bowl1310.

FIGS. 15A, 15B and 16 also illustrate various configurations of thecontainer1110.FIG. 15A is a block diagram of a first hex-box container1500 for delivering food, consistent with various embodiments. The first hex-box container1500 can be used to carry food and drinks such as a pizza and a beverage, e.g., soda or wine. The first hex-box container1500 is an adjustable hex box, which has three compartments stacked one over the other. The top two of the three compartments can be used to carry pizza, and the bottom compartment can be used to carry drinks. The first hex-box container1500 can be made of paper, cardboard or a similar suitable material and can be assembled easily from an initial flat sheet, e.g., by folding the sheet along the fold lines1525. The first hex-box container1500 can be adjusted to three stacked compartments or to two stacked compartments.

The first hex-box container1500 can haveadhesive pads1505 under the lid using which theleft lid1510 and theright lid1515 can be secured to each other. The lids also have one ormore slots1520 for the coupler of the container, which connects to the suspension means135. The lids can have more than slot for the coupler as the position of the coupler of the first hex-box container1500 can change depending on whether the first hex-box container1500 is two layered container or a three layered container.

FIG. 15B is a block diagram of a second hex-box container for delivering food, consistent with various embodiments. The second hex-box container1530 inFIG. 15B shows a pair of wine bottles housed in the slots in thebottom-most compartment1535 of the second hex-box container1530. The second hex-box container1530 can also be configured to carry one or more drinks. For example, the second hex-box container1530 will have a single slot for carrying one drink and two slots for two drinks. The second hex-box container1530 can be configured, e.g., folded across appropriate fold lines, to have two layers for carrying solid food, e.g., pizza, and one bottom layer for beverages as shown by example1540, and configured to have one layer for carrying solid food and one bottom layer for beverages as shown by example1545. The shape and size of the slots can vary and depends the shape and size of the drink containers to be carried.

Note that the configuration of the containers, e.g., shape, size, the number of compartments, are completely configurable and is not restricted to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of another container for carrying beverages, consistent with various embodiments. Thecontainer1600 is a rectangular or square shaped container configured to carry a beverage. The container has slots for carrying two beverages, e.g., a pair of wine bottles. Also, the beverages in the container can be wrapped with an insulatinglayer1605 as illustrated to keep the beverages at a constant temperature or to minimize the temperature change. Thecontainer1600 also has a slot for placing the coupler, which is used to attach thecontainer1600 to the suspension means135 of thedrone120. In some embodiments, thecontainer1600 is similar to thecontainer1110 or thepackage211.

FIGS. 17A-17E, collectively referred to asFIG. 17, is a block diagram illustrating an example of delivering a package using a drone, consistent with various embodiments. The example can be implemented in thesystem100 ofFIG. 1 and using thedrone120. In some embodiments, the example is similar to the example200 illustrated inFIG. 2. As illustrated inFIG. 17A, thedrone120 is in flight enroute to a delivery destination to deliver a package, e.g.,container1110. In some embodiments, thecontainer1110 is attached to thedrone120 via the suspension means135 and is locked to the suspension means135 via thecoupling member140.

Upon reaching the delivery destination, thedrone120 prepares to lower thecontainer1110 at a delivery area in the delivery destination. As illustrated inFIG. 17B, thedrone120 while hovering at the delivery area at a particular height from the ground, lowers the suspension means135 to deliver thecontainer1110. Thehood1105 is lowered to deliver thecontainer1110. WhileFIG. 17B illustrates thecontainer1110 being visible from outside thehood1105, note that thecontainer1110 can be concealed in thehood1105. Thedrone120 continues to lower the suspension means135 until thecontainer1110 rests on thedelivery area215, as illustrated inFIG. 17C. When thecontainer1110 rests on thedelivery area215, e.g., the ground, thecoupling member140 is disengaged to release thecontainer1110. Thecoupling member140 can be operated in automatic-coupling mode or a passive coupling-mode to unlock, as described at least with reference toFIG. 2E.

After the package is lowered in thedelivery area215 and released from thecoupling member140, thedrone120 retracts thehood1105 as illustrated inFIG. 17D. Thedrone120 continues to retract the suspension means135 until thehood1105 is secured into thecontainer housing1115, as illustrated inFIG. 17E.

The configuration of thehood1105 and thecontainer housing1115 can enable self-aligning retraction of thecontainer1110, which enables the package delivery mechanism to perform pickups in addition to deliveries. The self-aligning retraction can also facilitate mid-delivery aborts, e.g., aborting delivery midway and retracting thecontainer1110 back to thecontainer housing1115. The packages can be picked up from or delivered to consumers while thedrone120 is in hover.

Also, since thehood1105 lowers with thecontainer1110, in some embodiments, if thesuspension mechanism135 is severed, the likelihood of thecontainer1110 landing on its edge on someone is reduced significantly and therefore, it is safer. Also thehood1105 can keep the hot food hot on its the way to the destination. Further, since thecontainer1110 is concealed in thehood1105, after thecontainer1110 is delivered on the ground, thehood1105 lifts away to reveal thecontainer1110, which provides a magical effect of thecontainer1110 appearing all of a sudden.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a computer system as may be used to implement features of the disclosed embodiments. Thecomputing system1800 may be used to implement any of the entities, components, modules, mechanisms, or services depicted in the examples of the foregoing figures (and any other described in this specification). Thecomputing system1800 may include one or more central processing units (“processors”)1805,memory1810, input/output devices1825 (e.g., keyboard and pointing devices, display devices), storage devices1820 (e.g., disk drives), and network adapters1830 (e.g., network interfaces) that are connected to aninterconnect1815. Theinterconnect1815 is illustrated as an abstraction that represents any one or more separate physical buses, point to point connections, or both connected by appropriate bridges, adapters, or controllers. Theinterconnect1815, therefore, may include, for example, a system bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or PCI-Express bus, a HyperTransport or industry standard architecture (ISA) bus, a small computer system interface (SCSI) bus, a universal serial bus (USB), IIC (I2C) bus, or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1394 bus, also called “Firewire”.

Thememory1810 andstorage devices1820 are computer-readable storage media that may store instructions that implement at least portions of the described embodiments. In addition, the data structures and message structures may be stored or transmitted via a data transmission medium, such as a signal on a communications link. Various communications links may be used, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a point-to-point dial-up connection. Thus, computer readable media can include computer-readable storage media (e.g., “non-transitory” media) and computer-readable transmission media.

The instructions stored inmemory1810 can be implemented as software and/or firmware to program the processor(s)1805 to carry out actions described above. In some embodiments, such software or firmware may be initially provided to theprocessing system1800 by downloading it from a remote system through the computing system1800 (e.g., via network adapter1830).

The embodiments introduced herein can be implemented by, for example, programmable circuitry (e.g., one or more microprocessors) programmed with software and/or firmware, or entirely in special-purpose hardwired (non-programmable) circuitry, or in a combination of such forms. Special-purpose hardwired circuitry may be in the form of, for example, one or more ASICs, PLDs, FPGAs, etc. Improved Coupling Member

FIGS. 2A-J described a particular example of a coupling member which allows a package to be uncoupled automatically, via gravity, without human intervention or without some other mechanism to rotate the coupling member or suspension means. Initial attachment of the coupling member to the package, however, requires the coupling member to be rotated relative to the package. An improved coupling member will now be described which not only enables automatic uncoupling, but also enables automatic coupling. The rotation is automatic in the sense that several inclined surfaces on the coupling member cause the rotation by simply moving the coupling along a longitudinal axis.

The primary difference between the coupler ofFIGS. 2A-J and the improved coupling member is that the improved coupling member has a guide path with two ends, the two ends forming an inlet and an outlet. This allows a protrusion to be guided through the inlet towards a locking position when the coupling member is coupled to the coupling counterpart, and then guided from the locking position to the outlet when uncoupled from the coupling counterpart. In contrast, the coupler ofFIGS. 2A-J has a guide path with only one end which acts as both the inlet and outlet. To guide the protrusion through the guide path of the updated coupler, the guide path comprises several inclined surfaces to cause the coupler to rotate several times. Again, this is in contrast with the guide path of the coupler ofFIGS. 2A-J, which has a single inclined surface. These differences allow the improved coupler to automatically couple and uncouple from the coupling counterpart, via gravity.

FIG. 19A depicts aUAV1900 having a payload delivery mechanism comprising aretractable suspension member1902 and theimproved coupling member1904 according to an embodiment, attached to a lower end of thesuspension member1902.FIG. 19A shows theUAV1900 before it has picked up apayload container1906 comprising a payload. To pick up thepayload container1906, thesuspension member1902 is released so that it moves in a firstlongitudinal direction1908, towards thepayload container1906. The combined weight of thesuspension member1902 and the improved coupling member1904 (hereinafter referred to as “coupling member1904”) causes the coupling member to move in this direction.

FIG. 19B depicts theUAV1900 at a later time. Thecoupling member1904 has been lowered by thesuspension member1902 to the extent that it has now been received within acoupling counterpart1912 located on/in a container comprising thepayload container1906. Thecoupling counterpart1912 comprises one or more protrusions which engage with thecoupling member1904 to allow the payload container to be attached to thecoupling member1904. Thecoupling member1904 is shown within thecoupling counterpart1912 as dashed lines. By moving thecoupling member1904 in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 relative to the protrusion, an inclined surface on thecoupling member1904 engages the protrusion and causes thecoupling member1904 to rotate relative to thecoupling counterpart1912, and therefore the protrusion. This rotation occurs without human intervention, and without the UAV applying an external force to cause thecoupling member1904 or thesuspension member1902 to rotate. Instead, the rotation occurs through the motion of thecoupling member1904 in the first longitudinal direction1908 (due to gravity) and the abutment of the protrusion with the inclined surface on thecoupling member1904.

FIG. 19C depicts theUAV1900 at a later time. Thecoupling member1904 has been fully inserted into thecoupling counterpart1912 and drawn back towards the UAV in a secondlongitudinal direction1910. Initial motion in the secondlongitudinal direction1910 again causes thecoupling member1904 to rotate due to the engagement of the protrusion with another inclined surface. This rotation causes the protrusion to move into a locking position, such that continued motion in the secondlongitudinal direction1910 locks thecoupling member1904 and thecoupling counterpart1912 together. The weight of thepayload container1906, which acts in the firstlongitudinal direction1908, keeps thecoupling member1904 and thecoupling counterpart1912 locked together as thepayload container1906 is transported to a delivery destination.FIG. 19D depicts theUAV1900 after thepayload container1906 has been fully retracted into a container housing of the UAV1900 (shown inFIG. 19D with dashed lines). The payload container may be stored this way until theUAV1900 arrives at its delivery destination.

Once theUAV1900 arrives at its delivery destination, theUAV1900 can hover at a certain distance above a delivery surface.FIG. 19D therefore also depicts the UAV hovering above the delivery surface. To deliver thepayload container1906, theUAV1900 can lower thepayload container1906 towards the delivery surface by causing thesuspension member1902 to unwind. The weight of thepayload container1906 and thecoupling member1904 pulls thepayload container1906 andcoupling member1904 in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 towards the ground.FIG. 19C can also represent the lowering of thepayload container1906 towards the delivery surface.

FIG. 20 depicts a more detailed view of thecoupling member1904 attached to thesuspension member1902, and thecoupling counterpart1912 affixed to an upper surface of apayload container1906.

Thecoupling counterpart1912 comprises one ormore protrusions2000 which engage thecoupling member1904. In this example, thecoupling member1904 is a male connector and is configured to fit within afemale coupling counterpart1912. Thecoupling counterpart1912 comprises an inner surface from which the protrusion projects inwards, in a radial direction. In another example, however, thecoupling member1904 may be a female connector and is configured to fit around an outer perimeter of amale coupling counterpart1912. In a further example, thecoupling member1904 may be affixed to thepayload container1906 and thecoupling counterpart1912 may be attached to thesuspension member1902.

FIG. 21 depicts an enlarged view of thecoupling member1904 according to an embodiment. Theexample coupling member1904 defines first1908 and second1910 longitudinal directions, which point opposite to one another and are parallel to alongitudinal axis2100 defined by thecoupling member1904. Anouter surface2104 of thecoupling member1904 extends in anazimuthal direction2102 around thelongitudinal axis2100. As thecoupling member1904 suspends from thesuspension member1902, thecoupling member1904 is free to rotate in theazimuthal direction2102 and in a direction opposite to theazimuthal direction2102. Thecoupling member1904 can also move along thelongitudinal axis2100 in both the first and second

longitudinal directions

1908,1910 by raising and lowering thecoupling member1904 by retracting and unravelling thesuspension member1902.

For ease of understanding,FIG. 22A depicts a simplified view of thecoupling member1904 depicted inFIG. 21.FIG. 22B depicts a top down view of thecoupling member1904, which more clearly indicates theazimuthal direction2102.

Referring to bothFIGS. 21 and 22A, theexample coupling member1904 comprises asurface2104, in this case an outer surface, comprising one or more guide paths which extend around thesurface2104. A guide path guides a protrusion of thecoupling counterpart1912 from aninlet2106 of the guide path to anoutlet2108 of the guide path. When the protrusion has entered the guide path, thecoupling member1904 can guide the protrusion into a locking position, where the coupling member and coupling counterpart are said to be locked together. The protrusion is guided by moving thecoupling member1904 relative to the stationary protrusion. The guiding can be achieved by simply moving thecoupling member1904 in the first and second

longitudinal directions

1908,1910 and allowing thecoupling member1904 to rotate as the protrusion engages a number of surfaces within the guide path.

The guide path can be formed by various structures protruding outwards from thesurface2104 in an outwards radial direction. These structures form a number of surfaces which can engage a protrusion of thecoupling counterpart1912. In another example however, the guide path can be formed by forming a groove within thesurface2104, where the groove extends into the surface in an inwards radial direction. In a particular example, thecoupling member1902 may be formed from a relatively rigid material such as a metal or plastic.

To guide a protrusion through the guide path, the protrusion is initially received in aninlet2106. In this example the guide path at the inlet tapers and therefore narrows in width as it extends in the secondlongitudinal direction1910. This tapered shape is particularly useful to more easily guide the protrusion into the guide path. The arrows inFIG. 21 depict the relative movement of a protrusion through a guide path as thecoupling member1904 moves in the first and second

longitudinal directions

1908,1910 and is caused to rotate as the protrusion engages a number of surfaces within the guide path.

If theUAV1900 were to continue unravelling thesuspension member1902, thesuspension member1902 would begin to go slack. At this point, theUAV1900 can retract thesuspension member1902, and cause thecoupling member1904 to move in the secondlongitudinal direction1910, which causes the position of the protrusion to move relative to thecoupling member1904 until it engages a locking surface along athird part2112a.Thethird part2112atherefore receives the protrusion from thesecond part2110b.Thethird part2112ais spaced from thesecond part2110balong thelongitudinal axis2100 and has substantially the same azimuthal position as thesecond part2110b.At position P₃the protrusion has engaged thethird part2112a.Thisthird part2112ais inclined and extends from afourth part2112bof the locking surface in the second longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. As thecoupling member1904 continues to move in the secondlongitudinal direction1910 the engagement between the protrusion and the inclined surface of thethird part2112acauses thecoupling member1904 to rotate in theazimuthal direction2102. The rotation continues until thefourth part2112babuts the protrusion at point P₄. In this position, the protrusion can be said to be in a locked position, and so thecoupling member1904 is in a locking position relative to thecoupling counterpart1912. Thefourth part2112btherefore receives the protrusion from thethird part2112a.

As theUAV1900 continues to retract thesuspension member1902, thecoupling member1904 continues to move in the secondlongitudinal direction1910. Because the protrusion at point P₄is trapped within a “U”, “V” or hook-shapedfourth part2112bof the guide path, thecoupling counterpart1912, and therefore the payload, can be lifted away from a surface by theUAV1900. The payload can then be transported to its delivery destination.

As theUAV1900 reaches its delivery destination, the payload can be lowered in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 by allowing thesuspension member1902 to unwind. As the payload container engages the delivery surface, the coupling counterpart and the protrusion become stationary relative to thecoupling member1904 which continues to move in the firstlongitudinal direction1908. This relative movement causes the position of the protrusion to move relative to thecoupling member1904 until it engages an egress surface along afifth part2114a.Thefifth part2114atherefore receives the protrusion from thefourth part2112b.Thefifth part2114ais spaced from thefourth part2112balong thelongitudinal axis2100 and has substantially the same azimuthal position as thefourth part2112b.

InFIG. 21, thefifth part2114aof the particular guide path being described is obscured from view towards the rear side of thecoupling member1904. For illustrative purposes, thefifth part2114aof another adjacent guide path is used to describe the remaining features of the guide path.

At position P₅the protrusion has engaged thefifth part2114a.Thisfifth part2114ais inclined and extends from asixth part2114bof the egress surface in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. As thecoupling member1904 continues to move in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 the engagement between the protrusion and the inclined surface of thefifth part2114acauses thecoupling member1904 to rotate in theazimuthal direction2102. The rotation and the movement in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 continues until thesixth part2114babuts the protrusion at point P₆. Thesixth part2114btherefore receives the protrusion from thefifth part2114a.This abutment stops or limits further movement and rotation of thecoupling member1904.

If theUAV1900 were to continue unravelling thesuspension member1902, thesuspension member1902 would begin to go slack. At this point, theUAV1900 can retract thesuspension member1902, and cause thecoupling member1904 to move in the secondlongitudinal direction1910, which causes the position of the protrusion to move relative to thecoupling member1904 until it is released towards and out of theguide path outlet2108 at position P_outlet. At this point, thecoupling member1904 has fully uncoupled from thecoupling counterpart1912, so the payload container remains on the delivery surface as theUAV1900 continues to retract thesuspension member1902.

FIG. 23 depicts the coupling member ofFIG. 21 again to more clearly illustrate other features of theinlet2106 to the guide path. Theinlet2106 in this example comprises aninlet surface2116 which has a curvature in the second longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. Theinlet surface2116 can be used to guide the protrusion towards thefirst part2110aby causing thecoupling member1904 to rotate in a direction opposite to the azimuthal direction when thecoupling member1904 is initially moved in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 towards the coupling counterpart when thepayload container1906 is being collected by theUAV1900.

In some examples, theinlet surface2116 comprises aseventh part2118, theseventh part2118 being spaced from thesixth part2114balong thelongitudinal axis2100 and having substantially the same azimuthal position as thesixth part2114bsuch that the protrusion is prevented from entering theoutlet2108 and engaging thesixth part2114bwhen thecoupling member1904 moves in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 towards thecoupling counterpart1912.

For example, P_inletis the position of the protrusion as it first enters theinlet2106 as thecoupling member1904 moves in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 towards thecoupling counterpart1912. Unlike the example described inFIG. 21, the protrusion is not aligned with thefirst part2110abecause the protrusion has a different azimuthal position to thefirst part2110a.Therefore, as thecoupling member1904 continues to move in the firstlongitudinal direction1908, the protrusion engages theinlet surface2116 along aseventh part2118 at position P₇. As mentioned above theinlet surface2116 and therefore theseventh part2118 has a curvature that extends in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction. As thecoupling member1904 continues to move in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 the engagement between the protrusion and the surface of theinlet surface2118 causes thecoupling member1904 to rotate in a direction opposite to theazimuthal direction2102. The rotation and the movement in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 continues until thefirst part2110areceives the protrusion at point P₁. Because the protrusion engages theseventh part2118, it cannot accidentally enter theoutlet2108 because theseventh part2118 blocks access to the outlet2018 and thesixth part2114b.The protrusion cannot erroneously enter the guide path in the wrong direction. Theoutlet2108 can be said to be arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis2100, which means that movement in along thelongitudinal axis2100 does not allow the protrusion to enter theoutlet2108.

Thecoupling member1904 advantageously has a generally cylindrical form to allow for a fluid rotation within thecoupling counterpart1912. In a particular example, the bottom end of thecoupling member1904 has a tapered profile to assist in guiding thecoupling member1904 into thecoupling counterpart1912.FIGS. 21-23 depict the width of thecoupling member1904 narrowing in the first longitudinal direction. As thecoupling member1904 is being lowered towards thecoupling counterpart1912, and is slightly misaligned with thecoupling counterpart1912, the tapered or pointed end can help guide thecoupling member1904 back towards the center of thecoupling counterpart1912.

As mentioned,FIG. 22A depicts a simplified view of thecoupling member1904 depicted inFIGS. 21 and 23. In this two-dimensional projection of thecoupling member1904, the inclined nature of the

surfaces

2110a,2112a,2114ais more easily seen. For example,FIG. 22A shows that an acute angle subtends between thefirst part2110aand thelongitudinal axis2100. Similarly, an acute angle subtends between thethird part2112aand thelongitudinal axis2100, and an acute angle also subtends between thefifth part2114aand thelongitudinal axis2100. In the example ofFIG. 22A, thefirst part2110aof the ingress surface and thefifth part2114aof the egress surface are inclined at substantially the same angle and have substantially the same length.

FIG. 22A depicts the route taken by a protrusion through a single guide path. As previously mentioned, thecoupling member1904 may comprise one or more guide paths, being azimuthally spaced apart from each other, around thecoupling member1904. For example, inFIG. 22A a guide path is shown on a front facing surface of thecoupling member1904, but one or more further guide paths may be formed on a rear facing surface of thecoupling member1904. Each guide path therefore receives and engages a corresponding protrusion of thecoupling counterpart1912.

InFIGS. 21 and 23, the guide path is formed between two structures which extend from thesurface2104 of thecoupling member1904. For example, the ingress and egress surfaces are part of the same structure and a barrier, extending in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 separates the ingress and

egress surfaces

2110a,2110b,2114a,2114b.Similarly, the

locking surface

2112a,2112band theinlet surface2116 are part of the same structure. InFIG. 22A, however, the guide path is formed by three separate structures which extend from thesurface2104. It is therefore clear that the guide path can be formed by two or more separate structures which extend from the surface of the coupling member.

In one example thecoupling member1904 and the structures for engaging the protrusion(s) are a unitary member. For example, the guide path may be formed by removing material from the coupling member in order to create a groove or channel along the surface of the coupling member, where the groove or channel defines the guide path. In another example the structures may be formed separately from thecoupling member1904 and are attached to thecoupling member1904.

FIGS. 24A and 24B depict anexample coupling counterpart1912 suitable for use with the coupling members described inFIGS. 19-23. The coupling member may however be similar or identical to thecoupling counterpart250 described inFIGS. 2G-J.FIG. 24B depicts a partial top down view of thecoupling counterpart1912. Thecoupling counterpart1912 can be affixed to a payload container so that the payload container can be picked up by a coupling member. For example, thecoupling counterpart1912 can be fitted within an aperture on an outer surface of the payload container so that it is at least partially recessed within the payload container.

Thecoupling counterpart1912 comprises anaperture2400 to receive acoupling member1904 therein. In this example the aperture is elongate and cylindrical, to correspond to the cylindrical profile of thecoupling member1904. Thecoupling counterpart1912 further comprises anouter portion2402 which surrounds theaperture2400 and is designed to rest upon an outer surface of the payload container while at least a recessedportion2404 of the aperture extends within the payload container. One ormore wings2406 may extend between theouter portion2402 and the recessedportion2406 to provide strength and stability. An edge orlip2408 of theaperture2400 can engage the tapered outer profile of thecoupling member1904 to help guide thecoupling member1904 into theaperture2400 if they are slightly misaligned.

FIG. 24B depicts a partial top down view of thecoupling counterpart1912. Threeprotrusions2404 can be seen extending radially inwards from an inner surface of theaperture2400. Each protrusion is configured to engage a corresponding guide path of thecoupling member1904.

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram of amethod2500 for coupling thecoupling member1904 to thecoupling counterpart1912. Themethod2500 can be performed in thesystem100 and using the

drones

120,1900 ofFIGS. 1 and 19.

Atblock2502, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 towards thecoupling counterpart1912 such that the protrusion moves from theinlet2106 and engages thefirst part2110a.

Atblock2504, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 until the protrusion abuts thesecond part2110b,wherein thefirst part2110acauses thecoupling member1904 to rotate in theazimuthal direction2102 as the protrusion moves towards thesecond part2110b.

Atblock2506, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the secondlongitudinal direction1910 away from thecoupling counterpart1904, such that the protrusion moves from thesecond part2110band engages thethird part2112a.

Atblock2508, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the secondlongitudinal direction1910 such that thethird part2112acauses thecoupling member1904 to rotate in theazimuthal direction2102 as the protrusion moves towards thefourth part2112bto engage thecoupling member1904 in a locking position relative to thecoupling counterpart1912. TheUAV1900 may then transport the payload to a delivery destination.

Atblock2510, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the firstlongitudinal direction1908, such that the protrusion moves from thefourth part2112band engages thefifth part2114a.

Atblock2512, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the firstlongitudinal direction1908 until the protrusion abuts thesixth part2114b,wherein thefifth part2114acauses the coupling member to rotate in theazimuthal direction2102 as the protrusion moves towards thesixth part2114b.

Atblock2514, the method comprises moving thecoupling member1904 in the secondlongitudinal direction1910 such that the protrusion is released from thesixth part2114btowards theoutlet2108.

The following clauses define further examples.

- 1. A coupling member for coupling to a coupling counterpart, the coupling member defining first and second longitudinal directions, opposite to one another and parallel to a longitudinal axis, and an azimuthal direction around the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the coupling member comprises a guide path extending in the first and second longitudinal directions and in the azimuthal direction, the guide path being configured to guide a protrusion of the coupling counterpart from a locked position to an unlocked position, wherein the guide path comprises:
- an engagement surface comprising a first part, the first part being configured to abut the protrusion in the locked position; and
- an egress surface comprising a second part and a third part, the second part being configured to receive the protrusion from the first part when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction, the second part having a curvature in the first longitudinal direction and in the azimuthal direction, thereby to cause the coupling member to rotate in the azimuthal direction when the coupling member is moved in the first longitudinal direction after the protrusion is received by the second part, and the third part being configured to receive the protrusion from the second part and to release the protrusion to the unlocked position when the coupling member is moved in the second longitudinal direction away from the coupling counterpart.
- 2. The coupling member of clause 1, wherein the engagement surface and the egress surface of the guide path are defined by a hook element, the hook element protruding from a surface of the coupling member.
- 3. The coupling member ofclause 2, wherein the hook element comprises:
- a slanted appendage, wherein a lower surface of the slanted appendage defines the egress surface of the guide path; and
- a hooked portion defining the engagement surface, wherein the hooked portion is connected to the lower surface of the slanted appendage.
- 4. The coupling member of clause 3, wherein an end of the lower surface of the slanted appendage defines the third part of the egress surface.
- 5. A drone comprising:
- suspension means configured to hold a package that is to be delivered or picked up;
- a coupling member in the suspension means configured to securely hold the package onto the suspension means; and
- a package delivery module configured to control a movement of the suspension means for delivering the package on a delivery area at a delivery destination, or for picking up the package.
- 6. The drone of clause 5, wherein the suspension means is configured to be wound around a spindle on the drone when the suspension means is in a retracted position.
- 7. The drone of clause 5, wherein the suspension means is a cable made of at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, a filament, a fiber, a thread, or a microfilament.
- 8. The drone of clause 5, wherein the suspension means includes a first end that is attached to the package delivery module and a second end that is attached to the coupling member.
- 9. The drone of clause 5, wherein the suspension means is made of a material that is severable by application of heat or using a cutting instrument.
- 10. The drone of clause 5, wherein the coupling member is gravity activated to hold or release the package from the suspension means, wherein the coupling member is configured to hold the package locked to the suspension means in an event the gravitational force exerted on the coupling member due to the weight of the package exceeds a first specified value.
- 11. The drone of clause 5, wherein the coupling member is configured to release the package from the suspension means in an event the gravitational force exerted on the coupling member due to the weight of the package drops below a second specified value.
- 12. The drone of clause 5, wherein the coupling member is configured to:
- couple with a coupling counterpart of the package to hold the package securely onto the suspension means, and
- decouple with the coupling counterpart to release the package from the suspension means.
- 13. The drone of clause 12, wherein the coupling member is configured to couple or decouple with the coupling counterpart in an automatic-coupling mode, the automatic-coupling mode including coupling or decoupling the coupling member with the coupling counterpart automatically by the drone.
- 14. The drone of clause 12, wherein the coupling member is configured to couple or decouple with the coupling counterpart in a passive-coupling mode, the passive-coupling mode including one or more manual operations to be performed by a human user to couple or decouple the coupling member with the coupling counterpart.
- 15. The drone of clause 5 further comprising:
- a severing module configured to sever the suspension means from the drone.
- 16. The drone of clause 15, wherein the severing module is configured to sever the suspension means (a) in an event a load on the suspension means exceeds a specified value, (b) automatically by the drone, or (c) by a human operator.
- 17. The drone of clause 15, wherein the severing module is configured to sever the suspension means by applying heat on the suspension means or by using a cutting instrument.
- 18. The drone of clause 15, wherein the severing module is configured to apply heat on the suspension means by using a nichrome cutting element.
- 19. The drone of clause 18, wherein the nichrome cutting element is configured to be wound around a portion of the suspension means.
- 20. The drone of clause 5, wherein the package delivery module is further configured to monitor a load on the suspension means.
- 21. The drone of clause 15, wherein the package delivery module is configured to instruct the severing module to sever the suspension means in an event a load on the suspension means exceeds a specified value.
- 22. The drone of clause 5 further comprising:
- an application module that is configured to execute a delivery application that facilitates the drone in delivering the package to the delivery destination or picking up the package from a pick up location.
- 23. The drone of clause 22, wherein the package delivery module is configured to:
- instruct the drone to hover at the delivery destination at a particular height from the ground, and
- lower the suspension means to deliver the package.
- 24. The drone of clause 22, wherein the application module is configured to receive location information of the pickup location, wherein the location information includes an address of the pickup location, GPS co-ordinates of the pickup location, or a smartphone location corresponding to the pickup location.
- 25. The drone of clause 22, wherein the application module is configured to instruct the package delivery module to lower the suspension means to pick up the package upon reaching the pickup location.
- 26. The drone of clause 15, wherein the drone comprises a plurality of power sources, processors and communications systems, and the severing module is configured to operate in accordance with one or more of:
- a power source of the plurality of power sources that is independent of another power source or other power sources of the plurality;
- a processor of the plurality of processors that is independent of another processor or other processors of the plurality; and
- a communications system of the plurality of communications systems that is independent of another communications system or other communications systems of the plurality.
- 27. The drone of clause 5 further comprising:
- a container in which the package is carried by the drone, and
- a container hood attached to the suspension means, wherein the container is connected to the suspension means within the container hood.
- 28. The drone ofclause 27, wherein the container includes multiple compartments for holding different types of payload that are temperature sensitive, wherein the multiple compartments include a first compartment for holding a first type of payload that is to be maintained in a first specified temperature range, and a second compartment for holding a second type of payload that is to be maintained in a second specified temperature range.
- 29. The drone ofclause 27, wherein the container comprises a number of container portions, wherein some of the container portions include fold lines and slots, wherein the container is assembled by folding the container portions along the fold lines and connecting the container portions to each other using the slots.
- 30. The drone ofclause 27, wherein the container includes modular container portions that are adjustable to carry payload of different sizes.
- 31. The drone ofclause 27, wherein the container includes impact mitigating material.
- 32. The drone ofclause 27, wherein the container includes temperature insulating material.
- 33. A method comprising:
- loading a package onto a drone, wherein the package is locked to suspension means of the drone using a gravity activated coupling member, wherein the gravitational force exerted on the coupling member due to the weight of the package holds the package locked to the suspension means;
- determining, by an application module of the drone, that the drone has reached a delivery destination of the package;
- lowering, by a package delivery module of the drone, the suspension means to deliver the package at a delivery area in the delivery destination; and
- releasing, by the coupling member, the package from the suspension means, wherein, when the package rests on the delivery area, the weight of package is off the suspension means, which enables the coupling member to be disengaged from the package causing the package to be released from the suspension means.
- 34. A method of transporting a package by a drone, comprising:
- receiving, by the drone, location information of (a) a pickup location from which the package is to be picked up by the drone and (b) a delivery destination at which the package is to be delivered by the drone;
- flying, by the drone, to the pickup location;
- confirming, by the drone, that the drone is at the pickup location;
- lowering, in response to the confirming, a suspension means of the drone to pick up the package from a pickup area at the pickup location, the lowering including holding the package onto the suspension means;
- flying, by the drone, to the delivery destination;
- confirming, by the drone, that the drone is at a delivery area in the destination location; and
- lowering, in response to the confirming, the suspension means to deliver the package at the delivery area, the lowering including releasing the package from the suspension means when the package is on the delivery area.
- 35. A method of severing suspension means of a drone, the method comprising:
- detecting a change in load on the suspension means of the drone, wherein the suspension means is configured to carry a package to be delivered;
- confirming that a weight on the suspension means due to the change in load exceeds a specified value; and
- severing the suspension means from the drone, wherein the suspension means is severed by the application of heat on the suspension means.

The above description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in some instances, well-known details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. Further, various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments are not limited except as by the appended claims.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described, which may be requirements for some embodiments but not for other embodiments.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. Terms that are used to describe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in the specification, to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, some terms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotation marks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaning of a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the same context, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated that the same thing can be said in more than one way. One will recognize that “memory” is one form of a “storage” and that the terms may on occasion be used interchangeably.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significance to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. Synonyms for some terms are provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples in this specification including examples of any term discussed herein is illustrative only, and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the logic illustrated in each of the flow diagrams discussed above, may be altered in various ways. For example, the order of the logic may be rearranged, substeps may be performed in parallel, illustrated logic may be omitted; other logic may be included, etc.