Delivery of payloads using aircraft

• US 10,046,858 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kline, Eric V., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US15/165,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure include a method, system, and computer program for delivering a product. The method includes determining a delivery location and time for a payload using an aircraft. A recipient is notified of the delivery location and time. A first signal is received from the recipient. The time or location of the delivery location and time is changed, dynamically, based on the first signal. The payload is delivered to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a delivery location and time for a payload, the payload to be delivered using an aircraft;

notifying a recipient of the delivery location and time, wherein the notification is sent a predetermined amount of time before the delivery time and wherein the predetermined amount of time is based on a characteristic of the payload;

receiving a first signal from the recipient, wherein the first signal includes a request to change the delivery location to a proposed alternative location and the delivery time to a proposed alternative delivery time specified by the recipient;

dynamically changing the time and location of the delivery location and time based on the first signal; and

delivering the payload to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when a cost associated with the delivery of the payload changes based on the first signal;

transmitting a second signal to the recipient, the second signal including a cost change information; and

receiving a third signal from the recipient, the third signal including information on approving the cost change.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the payload to a second recipient based on the changing of the delivery time and location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the delivery location is within a building; and

determining the building permits access to an interior of the building by the aircraft for the delivery of the payload.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the delivery location is within a building;

determining the building does not permit access to the interior of the building by the aircraft; and

determining a second delivery location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery location is a geographic area and the time is a period of time in which the aircraft may deliver the payload.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notifying the recipient comprises receiving a purchase signal from the recipient.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating an inventory of the payload on the aircraft based on delivering the payload to the recipient;

determining the inventory is below a threshold; and

returning the aircraft to an origination location.

9. A system comprising:

a memory having first computer readable instructions; and

one or more first processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions comprising;

determining a delivery location and time for a payload, the payload to be delivered using an aircraft;

notifying a recipient of the delivery location and time, wherein the notification is sent a predetermined amount of time before the delivery time and wherein the predetermined amount of time is based on a characteristic of the payload;

receiving a first signal from the recipient;

wherein the first signal includes a request to change the delivery location to a proposed alternative location and the delivery time to a proposed alternative delivery time specified by the recipient;

dynamically changing the time and location of the delivery location and time based on the first signal; and

delivering the payload to the recipient.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise:

determining when a cost associated with the delivery of the payload changes based on the first signal;

transmitting a second signal to the recipient, the second signal including a cost change information; and

receiving a third signal from the recipient, the third signal including information on approving the cost change.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise delivering the payload to a second recipient based on the changing of the delivery time and location.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise:

determining the delivery location is within a building; and

determining the building permits access to an interior of the building by the aircraft for the delivery of the payload.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise:

determining the delivery location is within a building;

determining the building does not permit access to the interior of the building by the aircraft; and

determining a second delivery location.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the delivery location is a geographic area and the time is a period of time the aircraft may deliver the payload.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the notifying the recipient comprises receiving a purchase signal from the recipient.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise:

updating an inventory of the payload on the aircraft based on delivering the payload to the recipient;

determining the inventory is below a threshold; and

returning the aircraft to an origination location.

17. A computer program product for determining a route for delivering a payload from an origination location to a delivery location, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform:

determining the delivery location and time for the payload, the payload to be delivered using an aircraft;

notifying a recipient of the delivery location and time, wherein the notification is sent a predetermined amount of time before the delivery time and wherein the predetermined amount of time is based on a characteristic of the payload;

receiving a first signal from the recipient, wherein the first signal includes a request to change the delivery location to a proposed alternative location and the delivery time to a proposed alternative delivery time specified by the recipient;

dynamically changing the time and location of the delivery location and time based on the first signal; and

delivering the payload to the recipient.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

determining when a cost associated with the delivery of the payload changes based on the first signal;

transmitting a second signal to the recipient, the second signal including a cost change information; and

receiving a third signal from the recipient, the third signal including information on approving the cost change.

19. A computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further include delivering the payload to a second recipient based on the changing of the delivery time and location.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further include:

determining the delivery location is within a building;

determining the building permits access to an interior of the building by the aircraft for the delivery of the payload and delivering the payload within the building; and

determining the building does not permit access to the interior of the building by the aircraft and determining a second delivery location for the payload.