Optical marker for delivery drone cargo delivery

• US 10,169,627 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DoorDash, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Gregory S., Pannell, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allison, Andrae S
• Application Number:
  US15/820,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20180096183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1448 based on markings or identifiers characterising the document or the area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors

Abstract

A first optical marker contained in a first image captured by an image capture device of a delivery drone can be identified, the first optical marker indicating a first cargo recipient. Responsive to identifying the first optical marker contained in the first image, first data corresponding to the first optical marker can be generated by performing image processing on the first image. Responsive to the generating the first data corresponding to the first optical marker, a first specific location at a general location can be determined by processing the first data. The first optical marker can indicate the first specific location and the first specific location can be different than a second specific location where the first optical marker is positioned at the general location. The delivery drone can be initiated to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a first optical marker contained in a first image captured by an image capture device of a delivery drone by processing at least the first image, the first optical marker indicating a first cargo recipient;

responsive to identifying the first optical marker contained in the first image, generating, using a processor, first data corresponding to the first optical marker by performing image processing on the first image; and

responsive to the generating the first data corresponding to the first optical marker, determining a first specific location at a general location by processing the first data, wherein the first optical marker indicates the first specific location and the first specific location is different than a second specific location where the first optical marker is positioned at the general location, and initiating the delivery drone to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the generated first data corresponding to the optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated first data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient; and

responsive to determining that the generated first data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, determining whether the generated first data includes data indicating a specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered;

wherein initiating the delivery drone to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker further is responsive to determining that the generated first data includes data indicating the specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the delivery drone capturing the first image, identifying a second optical marker contained in a second image captured by the image capture device of the delivery drone by processing at least the second image;

responsive to identifying the second optical marker contained in the second image, generating second data corresponding to the second optical marker by performing image processing on the second image;

comparing the generated second data corresponding to the second optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient; and

responsive to determining that the generated second data does not include the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, instructing the delivery drone to fly about the general location and continue capturing images;

wherein the first image is captured while the delivery drone flies about the general location and continues capturing images.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the delivery drone capturing the first image, identifying a second optical marker contained in a second image captured by the image capture device of the delivery drone by processing at least the second image;

responsive to identifying the second optical marker contained in the second image, generating second data corresponding to the second optical marker by performing image processing on the second image;

comparing the generated second data corresponding to the second optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient;

responsive to determining that the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, determining whether the generated second data includes data indicating a specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered; and

responsive to determining that the generated second data does not include data indicating the specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered, instructing the delivery drone to fly about the general location and continue capturing images;

wherein the first image is captured while the delivery drone flies about the general location and continues capturing images.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first optical marker contained in the first image includes data corresponding to the cargo presently being delivered.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one machine readable optical label is a quick response code or a bar code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing, using the processor, image processing on the image to generate data corresponding to the machine readable optical label or alphanumeric characters is autonomously performed by the delivery drone.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

identifying a first optical marker contained in a first image captured by an image capture device of a delivery drone by processing at least the first image, the first optical marker indicating a first cargo recipient;

responsive to identifying the first optical marker contained in the first image, generating first data corresponding to the first optical marker by performing image processing on the first image; and

responsive to the generating the first data corresponding to the first optical marker, determining a first specific location at a general location by processing the first data, wherein the first optical marker indicates the first specific location and the first specific location is different than a second specific location where the first optical marker is positioned at the general location, and initiating the delivery drone to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker.

9. The system of claim 8, the executable operations further comprising:

comparing the generated first data corresponding to the optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated first data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient; and

responsive to determining that the generated first data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, determining whether the generated first data includes data indicating a specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered;

wherein initiating the delivery drone to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker further is responsive to determining that the generated first data includes data indicating the specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered.

10. The system of claim 8, the executable operations further comprising:

prior to the delivery drone capturing the first image, identifying a second optical marker contained in a second image captured by the image capture device of the delivery drone by processing at least the second image;

responsive to identifying the second optical marker contained in the second image, generating second data corresponding to the second optical marker by performing image processing on the second image;

comparing the generated second data corresponding to the second optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient; and

responsive to determining that the generated second data does not include the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, instructing the delivery drone to fly about the general location and continue capturing images;

wherein the first image is captured while the delivery drone flies about the general location and continues capturing images.

11. The system of claim 8, the executable operations further comprising:

prior to the delivery drone capturing the first image, identifying a second optical marker contained in a second image captured by the image capture device of the delivery drone by processing at least the second image;

responsive to identifying the second optical marker contained in the second image, generating second data corresponding to the second optical marker by performing image processing on the second image;

comparing the generated second data corresponding to the second optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient;

responsive to determining that the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, determining whether the generated second data includes data indicating a specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered; and

responsive to determining that the generated second data does not include data indicating the specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered, instructing the delivery drone to fly about the general location and continue capturing images;

wherein the first image is captured while the delivery drone flies about the general location and continues capturing images.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first optical marker contained in the first image includes data corresponding to the cargo presently being delivered.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one machine readable optical label is a quick response code or a bar code.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein performing image processing on the image to generate data corresponding to the machine readable optical label or alphanumeric characters is autonomously performed by the delivery drone.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

identifying, by the processor, a first optical marker contained in a first image captured by an image capture device of a delivery drone by processing at least the first image, the first optical marker indicating a first cargo recipient;

responsive to identifying the first optical marker contained in the first image, generating, by the processor, first data corresponding to the first optical marker by performing image processing on the first image; and

responsive to the generating the first data corresponding to the first optical marker, determining, by the processor, a first specific location at a general location by processing the first data, wherein the first optical marker indicates the first specific location and the first specific location is different than a second specific location where the first optical marker is positioned at the general location, and initiating, by the processor, the delivery drone to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising:

comparing the generated first data corresponding to the optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated first data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient; and

responsive to determining that the generated first data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, determining whether the generated first data includes data indicating a specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered;

wherein initiating the delivery drone to deliver the cargo at the first specific location indicated by the first optical marker further is responsive to determining that the generated first data includes data indicating the specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising:

prior to the delivery drone capturing the first image, identifying a second optical marker contained in a second image captured by the image capture device of the delivery drone by processing at least the second image;

responsive to identifying the second optical marker contained in the second image, generating second data corresponding to the second optical marker by performing image processing on the second image;

comparing the generated second data corresponding to the second optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient; and

responsive to determining that the generated second data does not include the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, instructing the delivery drone to fly about the general location and continue capturing images;

wherein the first image is captured while the delivery drone flies about the general location and continues capturing images.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising:

prior to the delivery drone capturing the first image, identifying a second optical marker contained in a second image captured by the image capture device of the delivery drone by processing at least the second image;

responsive to identifying the second optical marker contained in the second image, generating second data corresponding to the second optical marker by performing image processing on the second image;

comparing the generated second data corresponding to the second optical marker to recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient and, based on the comparing, determining whether the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient;

responsive to determining that the generated second data includes the recipient optical marker data for the first cargo recipient, determining whether the generated second data includes data indicating a specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered; and

responsive to determining that the generated second data does not include data indicating the specific cargo delivery that corresponds to the cargo presently being delivered, instructing the delivery drone to fly about the general location and continue capturing images;

wherein the first image is captured while the delivery drone flies about the general location and continues capturing images.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first optical marker contained in the first image includes data corresponding to the cargo presently being delivered.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one machine readable optical label is a quick response code or a bar code.