Window-based delivery apparatus for packages conveyed by drones
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Drone delivery systems face challenges in securely delivering packages to customers, especially in the absence of the recipient, and are vulnerable to theft, weather damage, and accessibility issues, particularly in multi-tenant buildings where customers may not be able to retrieve packages from rooftops or other inaccessible locations.
Innovation Solution
A delivery platform with an extendable cantilever installed inside a building's wall that can extend outside to receive packages from drones, providing a secure and controlled environment for package delivery, including automated mechanisms for window operation and package retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drone delivery is used to reduce logistical costs, then delivery efficiency is improved, but security and protection of packages from theft and weather damage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary receiving station with a secure enclosure that acts as a mediator between the drone and the customer. The drone delivers packages to this intermediate location, which then provides secure storage and controlled access, eliminating the security vulnerabilities of direct drone-to-customer delivery while maintaining delivery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service delivery where customers can retrieve packages from the secure enclosure at their convenience through automated access mechanisms. This eliminates the need for manual intervention during delivery while maintaining security, allowing the system to operate autonomously and efficiently.
2Reliability
If packages are delivered to rooftop locations for secure access, then package security is improved, but accessibility and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the delivery location from vertical (rooftop) to horizontal (window-level) by installing receiving stations at window openings. This dimensional change maintains security through enclosed structures while dramatically improving accessibility for customers who cannot climb to rooftops, including elderly persons and those in multi-tenant buildings.
3Reliability
If manual delivery processes are used to ensure customer receipt, then delivery reliability is improved, but logistical costs and time consumption deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual delivery processes with automated self-service mechanisms. Packages are delivered by drone to a secure enclosure, and customers retrieve them independently through automated access controls. This eliminates the need for manual verification of customer presence while maintaining delivery reliability, significantly reducing logistical overhead and costs.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, method, and system are provided to accept a delivery through an opening such as a window in a wall of a package that is transported by any aerial vehicle such as a drone or other similar device. The system is completely installed on the inside of the building and extends out through the portal to receive the package from the aerial vehicle. Once the package has been transferred to this system from the aerial vehicle, it moves the package into the building through the same opening and sufficiently distances itself and the package from the opening so that the window or portal can close. The package is then placed on the floor in front of the window or portal and the apparatus moves the package to a position that allows for a space to place another package following a future delivery.