Patents help drones bridge the 'last mile' of logistics
Logistics drones have unique efficiency and cost advantages in meeting the market demand of remote areas with low transportation demand by fully utilizing their advantages of small batch and high-frequency logistics. They are an effective solution for the logistics industry to solve the "last mile" problem at the end.
Since Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos proposed the "Prime Air" drone project in 2013, it has sparked a global research and development boom in logistics drone technology. The author found through patent literature search that before 2013, the number of patent applications related to logistics drones in China was less than 30; From 2014 to 2016, the number of patent applications in this field in China has risen to over 200; In 2018, the number of patent applications in this field in China reached 500, indicating that the field has entered a period of comprehensive technological development.
After further searching, the author found that as of December 31, 2018, there were over 1000 patent applications related to logistics drones in China, including more than 700 patent applications related to drone body structure and components. The main domestic patent applicants in this field include Beijing JD Shangke Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as JD), SF Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as SF), Shenzhen DJI Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as DJI Innovation), etc. Among them, JD has more patent layouts in this field, mainly involving the strengthening of aircraft structure strength, automatic loading and unloading, corresponding flight control systems, as well as automated transportation and management verification systems for goods; SF Express has the second highest number of patent applications in this field, mainly related to improvements in fixed wings, wings, tail fins, aircraft structures, and cargo handling systems; DJI Innovation has mainly laid out patents in areas such as flight control systems for logistics drones and delivery system methods for managing drones.
Multi point layout, key sprint
With the gradual development of logistics drones towards the main, branch, and terminal levels, consumers' demand for logistics drones tends to be more remote, intelligent, and safe. To meet the above requirements, technological breakthroughs need to be made in various aspects such as the aircraft and its components, payload loading and unloading, flight control system and communication module, intelligent analysis system, etc. of logistics drones.
The aircraft structure is an important part of logistics drone technology, and related patent applications have improved the overall structure, propellers, power units, and other main components of the aircraft, as well as the coordination between the aircraft and the container. In order to improve the performance of logistics drones, a patent application titled "Aircraft Body Frame and Aircraft" (Announcement No. CN208393615U) has disclosed an improvement to the drone body. Through the setting of components such as cross arms, connecting arms, and intermediate frames, as well as the installation of mounting seats for power components, the overall force of the aircraft will be concentrated on the intermediate frame, which helps to improve the overall structural robustness, facilitate operation and control, and thereby improve delivery efficiency.
Automatic loading and unloading of loads is one of the key requirements for logistics unmanned aerial vehicle technology to improve distribution efficiency. Only when unmanned aerial vehicles have automatic loading and unloading functions can they be put into large-scale automation implementation and utilization. A patent application titled "An Automatic Cargo Throwing Device" (Announcement No. CN207466975U) discloses a device that can automatically throw cargo through a drone. When the drone is in a transport state, the hanging mechanism is connected and coordinated with the transmission mechanism to prevent the cargo from shaking. When the cargo needs to be thrown, the transmission mechanism is driven to disconnect from the hanging mechanism, thereby completing the function of throwing cargo.
With the development of technology, the core basic functions of logistics drones have gradually spawned some composite technologies, such as fleet endurance utilization, online information exchange, ground to air flight control identification, etc. The patent application for "A drone group connection device and drone group cargo system" (Announcement No. CN207860461U) discloses a technology that can connect multiple drones that are jointly carried together, making their carrying capacity stronger and their endurance longer.
Strengthen protection to avoid disputes
Currently, in terms of patent applications related to logistics drones, domestic patent applicants are mainly focused on the aircraft structure, components, and load handling in the middle of the industry chain, while patent applications involving real-time intelligent monitoring, safety cross validation, and human-machine information interaction algorithms in other links of the industry chain are rare. The core technology of logistics drones not only tests their body strength and delivery capabilities, but also relies on algorithms in intelligent systems, and the quality of algorithms directly affects the real-time, flexibility, and reliability of logistics drones.
In the market game, intellectual property is undoubtedly an indispensable "weapon" and "shield" for enterprises in fierce competition. In August 2018, DJI Innovation and Daotong Intelligence were involved in a patent infringement lawsuit involving drones, which temporarily plunged them into a vortex of public opinion. In addition, traditional aviation giants such as Boeing and Airbus have completed the layout of drone related patents, while Amazon DHL、 Google and other companies have also entered the market, focusing on protecting logistics drone related technologies.
In my opinion, relevant enterprises in China should fully utilize the advantages of the booming development of artificial intelligence technology, strengthen communication and cooperation among enterprises, jointly promote the progress of logistics drone technology, enhance business operations, and formulate patent protection strategies. Regarding the future layout of the enterprise, the author suggests that relevant companies improve the quality of patents based on the accumulation of patent quantity; While protecting domestic intellectual property rights, it is also necessary to strengthen the global strategic layout of intellectual property rights, build strong patent protection barriers, and gain an advantage in the future global logistics market competition.
