Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Courier Service with Mobile Device Traffic Management Application and Identified User Landing Pads

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle courier service with mobile device traffic management application and identified user landing pads is disclosed. The invention comprised of a landing pad and software application for mobile devices having dashboards for a variety of stakeholders such end user subscribers, courier services and operations team. The aforementioned landing pads and software services allow users to schedule a pickup and delivery, reserve a flight path, track a package and detect UAV arrivals and departures. An object of the invention is to allow greater, open access to UAV delivery methods for common citizens and residents of a community.

Claims

1. An UAV courier service with mobile device traffic management application and identified user landing pads.

2. The UAV courier service with mobile device traffic management application and identified user landing pads of claim 1 providing a community with individual landing pads connected to a cloud-based network that allows homeowners and apartment dwellers alike greater access to personal UAV courier services

3. The UAV courier service with mobile device traffic management application and identified user landing pads of claim 1 providing UAV landing pads with a unique IP address tied into mapping applications and GPS coordinates.

4. The UAV courier service with mobile device traffic management application and identified user landing pads of claim 1 providing a software application for mobile devices allowing users to connect their landing pad to a cloud network and request courier services.

5. The UAV courier service with mobile device traffic management application and identified user landing pads of claim 1 providing an UAV management service for the software application that includes a multitude of services to subscribers such as: allowing users to reserve flight paths for deliveries, providing UAV and rerouting procedures in emergencies, overseeing security for UAVs and their cargo etc.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. In the drawings:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the landing pad of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention's software application.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the traffic management service.

[0015] Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0016] In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

[0017] FIG. 1 showing a perspective view of the invention 1 having a rectangular-shaped landing pad 3 comprised of a square-shaped, planar pad made of a rigid material such as plastic and the like having a power source, an internal microprocessor (such as a programmable logic controller, Arduino? and the like), internal buffer memory and wireless transmitter such as, but not limited to WiFI and BlueTooth?. Said invention also having a dedicated internet protocol identification and being capable of interacting with mobile devices, computers and cloud networks and having a bracing system on a lower side allowing for a plurality of different UAVs types with heavy payloads. FIG. 1 also showing a typical UAV (or quadcopter etc.) perched on said landing pad 3 installed on a typical window sill. Said landing pad also sending out signals of its IP address and having a multitude of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 7 on an upper portion that detect the presence of a UAV that has landed or taken off and notifying a user via mobile device 5 thereof.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a front view of invention 1 having a software application 4 residing on a mobile device 5. Said software 4 comprised of, but not limited to, Java?, C+ and the like and compatible with a plurality of mobile device and computer operating systems, such as Windows?, Apple?, Google?, Android? etc. Said software application 4 having a multitude of secure logins and dashboards for several stakeholders, including residential end users 7, courier services, and management support team. Functions of software application 4 embodiment for end users 7 including, but not limited to: registering subscribers 7 and landing pads 3, connecting said landing pads 3 to a cloud network platform and existing global positioning systems (such as Google Earth?, ESRI?, Trimble? etc.), allowing courier requests from participating vendors, tracking deliveries in real time, delivery confirmations and landing pad-to landing pad requests, online courier payments, package arrival and departure notifications etc. Functions of software application 4 embodiment for courier services including, but not limited to: scheduling deliveries, tracking re-usable supplying UAVs with transport bins having individualized tracking codes, receiving electronic payments and customer support interactions.

[0019] FIG. 3. showing a front view of one of the software application 4 embodiments for management support team and illustrates flight paths 6 reserved for UAV delivery requests. Said management support team coordinating and confirming airspace for delivery services between a user 7 and a courier service. Other management support team functions include, but are not limited to, providing field maintenance to UAVs in the field and overseeing security of packages and UAVs themselves.

[0020] It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device is shown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.