Chicago-based drone infrastructure startup Valqari has just crossed a major milestone, and this one goes beyond simply receiving drone deliveries. The company announced it has been granted its 17th US patent, and it tackles a long-standing gap in autonomous drone logistics: how drones send packages without human involvement.
Until now, much of the industry conversation around drone infrastructure has focused on safe landings and automated package drop-offs. Valqari’s newly granted US Patent No. US12528599B2 flips that script. It protects technology that allows drones to be automatically loaded and dispatched from a secured landing pad — no hands required.
This patent is actually a continuation of Valqari’s original filing from January 2, 2014, but it represents a major evolution of the company’s intellectual property. Earlier patents focused on autonomous receiving — think drones landing, unloading, and safely storing payloads. The new protection expands that vision to full “send-to-end” operations, covering everything from package storage to outbound drone deployment.
According to Ryan Walsh, this step was inevitable. “The original application envisioned drones not only receiving payloads, but also sending them,” Walsh says. “This is a key area where our systems have already been operating, and it was critical to expand our IP protection accordingly.”
At a technical level, the patent covers a broad method for autonomously loading a drone from a landing pad. That includes GPS-based navigation, identifying the correct pad through unique ID signals, automated access to secure storage compartments, and mechanical transfer of packages directly onto the drone. In short: a drone can land, get loaded, and take off again, without a human ever opening a box.
Why does this matter now? Because drone operations are finally scaling beyond demos and pilots. Programs like Drone-as-a-First-Responder (DFR) are expanding across the US, and anticipated regulatory changes — such as updates related to Part 108 — could accelerate autonomous operations even further. Walsh believes the breadth of the claims makes this a foundational patent as those programs grow.
The timing also lines up with Valqari’s broader expansion. Following its acquisition of Skydrop (formerly Flirtey), the company now holds 73 granted patents worldwide. That includes recent European patents that passed their opposition periods unchallenged — no small feat in the drone space.
Valqari executive director Matt Hook says the growing portfolio puts the company in a strong strategic position. With many patents covering essential parts of the drone ecosystem, avoiding Valqari’s IP entirely is becoming increasingly difficult for competitors.
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