Secure delivery via unmanned vehicles

• US 10,217,302 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2018
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Inventors: Rephlo, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US16/148,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20190035182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 148 Days
• Field of Search: 340 52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for on-demand delivery of a payload by an unmanned vehicle. An unmanned vehicle may comprise a chamber configured to house a payload and adjust a payload state. The payload state may be adjusted based on detection of a tampering event. An unmanned vehicle may also comprise an authentication system configured to allow access to the payload.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle for secure delivery configured to perform operations that comprise:

receiving delivery instructions from a remote control center, the delivery instructions based on a request for on-demand delivery and comprising user profile information associated with the request;

retrieving, based on the delivery instructions, a payload from a loading location;

traveling, based on the delivery instructions, with the payload to the location of a consumer vehicle;

initiating an interaction with a component of the consumer vehicle;

docking on the consumer vehicle;

conducting an authentication process comprising;

receiving input data; and

verifying the input data based on the user profile information; and

delivering the payload to the consumer vehicle based on the verification.

2. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein:

docking on the consumer vehicle comprises docking on the consumer vehicle while the consumer vehicle is moving.

3. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein delivering the payload comprise depositing the payload into a chamber of the consumer vehicle.

4. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein:

delivering the payload comprises depositing a chamber of the unmanned vehicle containing the payload into or onto the consumer vehicle.

5. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving travel data associated with the consumer vehicle,

wherein traveling to the location of the unmanned vehicle comprises;

altering, based on the travel data, at least one of a speed of the unmanned vehicle or a travel path of the unmanned vehicle.

6. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 5, wherein the travel data comprises at least one of a speed of the consumer vehicle or a distance of the consumer vehicle from a delivery location.

7. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving travel data associated with the consumer vehicle; and

estimating, based on the travel data, a consumer travel path of the consumer vehicle,

wherein traveling to the location of the unmanned vehicle comprises;

altering, based on the travel data, at least one of a speed of the unmanned vehicle or a travel path of the unmanned vehicle to meet the consumer vehicle at a location along the estimated consumer travel path.

8. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving an estimated arrival time of the consumer vehicle at a delivery location; and

wherein traveling to the consumer vehicle location comprises traveling to the delivery location before the estimated arrival time.

9. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein:

the request comprises a request for location-tracking delivery, and

wherein the operations further comprise;

receiving location-tracking data;

identifying the location of the consumer vehicle based on the location-tracking data.

10. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein verifying the input data comprises:

receiving input data from the component of the consumer vehicle;

transmitting, to the remote control center, a verification request comprising the input data; and

receiving, from the remote control center, a notification verifying the input data.

11. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein the input data comprises at least one of user input data from a user interface, a transaction card swipe, a photograph, an audio signal, or a fingerprint scan.

12. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein verifying the input data comprises:

determining a match percentage between the input data and the user profile; and

verifying a user identity based on the match percentage and a predetermined match threshold.

13. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, wherein verifying the input data comprises:

transmitting the input to a control center; and

receiving, from the control center, a verification of a user identity based on a match percentage and a predetermined match threshold.

14. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

transmitting, to a control center, a status while traveling to the delivery destination.

15. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 14, wherein the status comprises at least one of a location, a speed, a temperature, an indicator of a tampering event, an altitude, a payload state, or an indicator of a malfunction.

16. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, the operations further comprising adjusting the payload state.

17. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 16, wherein adjusting the payload state comprises marking the payload.

18. The unmanned vehicle for secure delivery of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

detecting a tampering event based on at least one of detecting an attempt to pry open a chamber, detecting an attempt to damage the unmanned vehicle, or failing authentication a predetermined number of times; and

performing at least one of adjusting a payload state, sending an alert to a control center, or traveling to a new destination.

19. A method for secure delivery by an unmanned vehicle comprising:

receiving delivery instructions from a remote control center, the delivery instructions based on a request for on-demand delivery and comprising user profile information associated with the request;

retrieving, based on the delivery instructions, a payload from a loading location;

traveling, based on the delivery instructions, with the payload to the location of a consumer vehicle;

initiating an interaction with a component of the consumer vehicle;

docking on the consumer vehicle;

conducting an authentication process comprising;

receiving input data; and

verifying the input data based on the user profile information; and

delivering the payload to the consumer vehicle based on the verification.

20. An unmanned vehicle for secure delivery configured to perform operations that comprise:

receiving delivery instructions from a remote control center, the delivery instructions based on a request for on-demand delivery and comprising user profile information associated with the request;

receiving travel data associated with a consumer vehicle;

estimating a travel path of the consumer vehicle based on the travel data;

traveling, based on the delivery instructions, with a pre-loaded payload to a point along the estimated travel path of the consumer vehicle;

initiating an interaction with a component of the consumer vehicle;

docking on the consumer vehicle;

conducting an authentication process comprising;

receiving input data; and

verifying the input data based on the user profile information; and

delivering the pre-loaded payload to the consumer vehicle based on the verification.