Patents Assigned to Zipline International Inc.
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Patent number: 11958629Abstract: Described herein is an elevated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) station. The elevated UAV station includes an elevated platform and a conveyance device configured to raise a payload to the elevated platform. The elevated unmanned UAV station may further include a launch device configured to cause a takeoff of a UAV from the elevated platform. The elevated UAV station may further include a recovery device configured to cause a controlled landing of the UAV at the elevated platform. The elevated UAV station may be associated with a payload housing structure to establish a system for payload storage and launch.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Zipline International Inc.Inventors: Tyler P. McNish, Stefan C. Aprodu, Keenan A. Wyrobek, William Hetzler, Bijal Mehta, Ryan Alam
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Patent number: 11912409Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle may include a fuselage and an anchor structure coupled to the fuselage and including a wing retention structure and a power module retention structure. The unmanned aerial vehicle may also include a wing releasably coupled to the wing retention structure, thereby coupling the wing to the fuselage, and a power module releasably coupled to the power module retention structure, thereby coupling the power module to the fuselage.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Zipline International Inc.Inventors: Paul Perry, Zoltan Laszlo, Scott Parker, Nathan Goldsberry, Bryan Wade, Keenan Wyrobek, Brian Boomgaard, Zhefei Li, Sven Blaser
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Patent number: 11807361Abstract: A system includes a camera configured such that a field of view of the camera is positioned to capture a base portion and a movable portion of an aircraft. A computer communicatively connected to the camera is configured to determine a relative orientation between a base identification feature of the base portion and a movable identification feature of the movable portion of the aircraft based on image data received from the camera. The computer is also configured to determine a position of the movable portion of the aircraft based on the relative orientation between the base identification feature and the movable identification feature and a position of the base portion and to compare the position of the movable portion to a reported position for the movable portion to determine a variance. An aircraft control system is configured to monitor a state of the aircraft based on the variance.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2020Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Zipline International Inc.Inventors: Peter Abeles, Keenan Wyrobek
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Patent number: 11765494Abstract: Described herein is a sensor probe for association with a portion of an aircraft. The sensor probe includes a microphone assembly having a portion configured to receive audio signals. The sensor probe further includes a nosecone associated with the microphone assembly. The nosecone assembly is configured to shield the portion of the microphone assembly from noise generated by direct impact of an airflow for a plurality of local flow angles.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2020Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Keenan A. Wyrobek, Gavin K. Ananda Krishnan, Brendan J. D. Wade, Philip M. Green, Thomas O. Teisberg, Rohit H. Sant
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Patent number: 11654794Abstract: A battery preconditioning system may include a battery for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a thermal analysis system configured to predict, for a predetermined flight path of an upcoming flight, a temperature change of the battery as a result of the UAV traversing the predetermined flight path, and determine a target initial temperature for the battery. The target initial temperature is based at least in part on the predicted temperature change and is configured to limit a duration that the battery operates outside an operating temperature window during traversal of the predetermined flight path. The battery preconditioning system may also include a thermal management system configured to receive the target initial temperature from the thermal analysis system and thermally condition the battery by performing at least one of heating or cooling the battery to the determined target initial temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2019Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventor: Puneet Khattar
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Patent number: 11295624Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system includes an aircraft control system that enables the safe operation of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles in the same airspace, through the use of a decentralized air traffic management system. The decentralized air traffic management system is robust against loss of communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle and does not require a centralized ground control system to coordinate the vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2018Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Zipline International Inc.Inventors: Andrew Chambers, Ryan Oksenhorn, Jeremy Schwartz, Keenan Wyrobek
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Publication number: 20220053254Abstract: Described herein is a sensor probe for association with a portion of an aircraft. The sensor probe includes a microphone assembly having a portion configured to receive audio signals. The sensor probe further includes a nosecone associated with the microphone assembly. The nosecone assembly is configured to shield the portion of the microphone assembly from noise generated by direct impact of an airflow for a plurality of local flow angles.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2020Publication date: February 17, 2022Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Keenan A. Wyrobek, Gavin K. Ananda Krishnan, Brendan J.D. Wade, Philip M. Green, Thomas O. Teisberg, Rohit H. Sant
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Publication number: 20220011786Abstract: An acoustic detection system of an aircraft receives a first signal, where the first signal is a multichannel audio signal. The multichannel audio signal is determined to be associated with at least one intruding aircraft based on the multichannel audio signal. An avoidance maneuver is commanded for the aircraft based on a track of the intruding aircraft generated based on the multichannel audio signal and a second signal providing additional information about the intruding aircraft.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2020Publication date: January 13, 2022Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Thomas O. Teisberg, Rohit H. Sant, Matthew O. Derry, Michael J. Demertzi, Gavin K. Ananda Krishnan, Keenan A. Wyrobek, Vasumathi Raman, Brendan J.D. Wade, Blair R. Hagen, Randall R. Patterson, Philip M. Green
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Publication number: 20210350714Abstract: An Unmanned Aerial System configured to receive a request from a user and fulfill that request using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Unmanned Aerial System selects a distribution center that is within range of the user, and deploys a suitable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to fulfill the request from that distribution center. The Unmanned Aerial System is configured to provide real-time information about the flight route to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle during its flight, and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is configured to dynamically update its mission based on information received from the Unmanned Aerial System.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2021Publication date: November 11, 2021Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Andrew Chambers, Bryan Wade, Catalin Drula, David Halley, Igor Napolskikh, Keenan Wyrobek, Keller Rinaudo, Nicholas Brake, Ryan Oksenhorn, Ryan Patterson, William Hetzler
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Patent number: 11113976Abstract: An Unmanned Aerial System configured to receive a request from a user and fulfill that request using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Unmanned Aerial System selects a distribution center that is within range of the user, and deploys a suitable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to fulfill the request from that distribution center. The Unmanned Aerial System is configured to provide real-time information about the flight route to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle during its flight, and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is configured to dynamically update its mission based on information received from the Unmanned Aerial System.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Andrew Chambers, Bryan Wade, Catalin Drula, David Halley, Igor Napolskikh, Keenan Wyrobek, Keller Rinaudo, Nicholas Brake, Ryan Oksenhorn, Ryan Patterson, William Hetzler
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Publication number: 20210253244Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle may include a fuselage and an anchor structure coupled to the fuselage and including a wing retention structure and a power module retention structure. The unmanned aerial vehicle may also include a wing releasably coupled to the wing retention structure, thereby coupling the wing to the fuselage, and a power module releasably coupled to the power module retention structure, thereby coupling the power module to the fuselage.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: August 19, 2021Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Paul Perry, Zoltan Laszlo, Scott Parker, Nathan Goldsberry, Bryan Wade, Keenan Wyrobek, Brian Boomgaard, Zhefei Li, Sven Blaser
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Publication number: 20210225182Abstract: An audio signal received at audio sensors of an aircraft is analyzed to determine directional information for a source of the audio signal. A location of the source of the audio signal is determined based on the directional information for the source of the audio signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2020Publication date: July 22, 2021Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Keenan A. Wyrobek, Matthew O. Derry, Rohit H. Sant, Gavin K. Ananda Krishnan, Thomas O. Teisberg, Michael J. Demertzi
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Patent number: 11066184Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system includes an automated recovery system that can recover aircraft in a reliable, economical manner, using a dual-pole and line mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2017Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventor: Keenan Wyrobek
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Publication number: 20210171197Abstract: A circuit board assembly for association with an aircraft includes a circuit board and an electromagnetic interference component connected to the circuit board. The circuit board assembly may further include an enclosure having an electromagnetic signal permissive layer and an electromagnetic signal blocking layer. The electromagnetic signal permissive layer may include a housing that define a volume. The housing may enclose the electromagnetic interference component on the circuit board. The electromagnetic signal blocking layer defines a conductive barrier about the electromagnetic interference component.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2020Publication date: June 10, 2021Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventor: Ethan C. Anderson
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Patent number: 11016510Abstract: An autonomous vehicle system is configured to receive vehicle commands from one or more parties and to execute those vehicle commands in a way that prevents the execution of stale commands. The autonomous vehicle system includes a finite state machine and a command counter or stored vehicle timestamp, which are used to help reject invalid or stale vehicle commands.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2019Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Andrew Chambers, Keenan Wyrobek, Keller Rinaudo, Ryan Oksenhorn, William Hetzler
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Patent number: 10988253Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle may include a fuselage and an anchor structure coupled to the fuselage and including a wing retention structure and a power module retention structure. The unmanned aerial vehicle may also include a wing releasably coupled to the wing retention structure, thereby coupling the wing to the fuselage, and a power module releasably coupled to the power module retention structure, thereby coupling the power module to the fuselage.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2018Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Zipline International Inc.Inventors: Paul Perry, Zoltan Laszlo, Scott Parker, Nathan Goldsberry, Bryan Wade, Keenan Wyrobek, Brian Boomgaard, Zhefei Li, Sven Blaser
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Publication number: 20210070440Abstract: A system includes a camera configured such that a field of view of the camera is positioned to capture a base portion and a movable portion of an aircraft. A computer communicatively connected to the camera is configured to determine a relative orientation between a base identification feature of the base portion and a movable identification feature of the movable portion of the aircraft based on image data received from the camera. The computer is also configured to determine a position of the movable portion of the aircraft based on the relative orientation between the base identification feature and the movable identification feature and a position of the base portion and to compare the position of the movable portion to a reported position for the movable portion to determine a variance. An aircraft control system is configured to monitor a state of the aircraft based on the variance.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2020Publication date: March 11, 2021Applicant: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Peter Abeles, Keenan Wyrobek
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Patent number: 10793269Abstract: An unmanned aircraft system includes a testing and calibration system that enables automated testing of movable parts of an unmanned aircraft. The testing and calibration system uses a camera-based technique to determine the position and angle of movable parts, in order to establish whether or not those parts are moving in a manner consistent with correct function.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Zipline International Inc.Inventors: Peter Abeles, Keenan Wyrobek
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Patent number: 10395543Abstract: An Unmanned Aerial System configured to receive a request from a user and fulfill that request using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Unmanned Aerial System selects a distribution center that is within range of the user, and deploys a suitable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to fulfill the request from that distribution center. The Unmanned Aerial System is configured to provide real-time information about the flight route to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle during its flight, and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is configured to dynamically update its mission based on information received from the Unmanned Aerial System.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2017Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Andrew Chambers, Bryan Wade, Catalin Drula, David Halley, Igor Napolskikh, Keenan Wyrobek, Keller Rinaudo, Nicholas Brake, Ryan Oksenhorn, Ryan Patterson, William Hetzler
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Patent number: 10365645Abstract: An autonomous vehicle system is configured to receive vehicle commands from one or more parties and to execute those vehicle commands in a way that prevents the execution of stale commands. The autonomous vehicle system includes a finite state machine and a command counter or stored vehicle timestamp, which are used to help reject invalid or stale vehicle commands.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2018Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: ZIPLINE INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Andrew Chambers, Keenan Wyrobek, Keller Rinaudo, Ryan Oksenhorn, William Hetzler