Drone Drop System Supporting Delivery Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drone-based delivery systems face challenges such as determining delivery locations, ensuring accurate delivery to the right person, confirming delivery success, and maintaining security, reliability, and safety.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a drone drop infrastructure that includes registered drones, drop boxes, and a central drone control system. This system uses various drop systems like drop flags, drop bells, and integrated drop slots for coordination, and employs phone computing devices and user computer systems for communication to manage deliveries and ensure security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drone-based delivery systems are implemented, then delivery speed and efficiency are improved, but security and reliability concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces drop boxes as intermediary devices between drones and recipients. These drop boxes serve as secure intermediate storage points where drones can deposit packages without direct human interaction, thereby maintaining delivery speed while enhancing security and reliability through controlled access mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms including notifications to recipients about package arrival, tracking systems to monitor delivery status, and confirmation protocols to verify successful delivery. This feedback loop ensures reliability by providing real-time information about delivery state while maintaining efficient automated operations
2Productivity
If automated drone delivery systems are used, then operational efficiency is improved, but system complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the delivery system into distinct modular components: drones for transportation, drop boxes for secure storage, notification systems for communication, and tracking systems for monitoring. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently with standardized interfaces, improving operational efficiency while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The drop boxes are designed as multi-functional devices that combine secure storage, automated locking mechanisms, notification capabilities, and tracking functions. This universality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple functions into single devices rather than requiring separate systems for each function
3Measurement precision
If drone deliveries are made directly to locations, then delivery accuracy is improved, but safety concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions drop boxes as intermediary devices that receive packages from drones at a distance and then make them available to recipients. This intermediary approach maintains precise delivery positioning while eliminating direct drone-recipient interaction, thereby improving safety by removing potential harm sources from proximity to people
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts the potentially harmful drone from the final delivery interaction by having it deposit packages into secure drop boxes rather than delivering directly to recipients. This extraction separates the high-speed automated delivery function from the safety-critical handoff function, maintaining accuracy while reducing safety risks
Data Source
AI summary
A secure drop box comprises a processing circuitry that directs the container portion of the secure drop box containing the delivery item to open up for easy withdrawal of the item. The secure drop box directs the drone to approach it along a predetermined path. The secure drop box communicates a notification indicating receipt of the delivery item when the drone has delivered the item into the secure drop box. The notification comprises a digital image taken by a camera disposed inside or on top of the container portion of the secure drop box. The processing circuitry directs the drone to deliver the delivery item at an alternate drop box when the secure drop box is determined to already contain a previously delivered item.