Recipient-assisted vehicle recharging
US11803804B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 2022 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2042 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T90/16
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Methods and systems for recipient-assisted recharging during delivery by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are disclosed herein. During a UAV transport task, a UAV determines that the UAV has arrived at a delivery location specified by a first flight leg of the transport task. The UAV responsively initiates a notification process indicating that a recipient-assisted recharging process should be initiated at or near the delivery location. When the UAV determines that the recipient-assisted recharging process has recharged a battery of the UAV to a target level, and also determines that a non-returnable portion of the payload has been removed from the UAV while a returnable portion of the payload is coupled to or held by the UAV, the UAV initiates a second flight segment of the transport task.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.