System and method for robotic delivery between moving targets

• US 10,252,419 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Savioke, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Savioke, Inc.
• Inventors: Fritz, Christian, Canoso, Adrian, Bauer, Robert S., Yaskawa, Izumi, Cousins, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Rink, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/584,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20180311820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39473 Autonomous grasping, find, approach, grasp object, sensory motor coordination
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control

Abstract

A robot for delivering items within a building or within a prescribed radius of a building are provided. A method comprises receiving a task indicating a non-stationary origin and a destination; identifying a current location of the non-stationary origin by interrogating a remote computer associated with the non-stationary origin for the current location of the non-stationary origin; moving towards the current location of the non-stationary origin; determining that the non-stationary origin has changed location by interrogating the remote computer associated with the non-stationary origin for an updated current location of the non-stationary origin; predicting a next location of the non-stationary origin using an artificial intelligence prediction algorithm; determining that the robot has arrived at the origin; detecting an interaction with the robot that is associated with introducing an item to or removing an item from a storage compartment in the robot; moving towards the destination inside of the building.

Claims

1. A robot to navigate from a non-stationary origin to a destination within a building, the robot comprising:

one or more sensors that collect sensor data;

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising;

receiving a task comprising navigating from a non-stationary origin to a destination;

identifying a current location of the non-stationary origin by interrogating a remote computer having information about the non-stationary origin for the current location of the non-stationary origin;

moving towards the current location of the non-stationary origin;

while moving towards the current location of the non-stationary origin;

determining that the non-stationary origin has changed location by interrogating the remote computer associated with the non-stationary origin for an updated current location of the non-stationary origin;

predicting a next location of the non-stationary origin using an artificial intelligence prediction algorithm;

calculating an updated route to the updated current location of the non-stationary origin;

moving towards the predicted next location of the non-stationary origin via the updated route;

determining whether the robot has arrived at the non-stationary origin;

in response to determining that the robot has not arrived at the non-stationary origin, repeating the determining, predicting, calculating, and moving until the robot has arrived at the non-stationary origin;

detecting an interaction with the robot that is associated with introducing an item to or removing an item from a storage compartment in the robot;

moving towards the destination within the building.

2. The robot of claim 1, further comprising determining that the robot is within a radius of the non-stationary origin and, sending to the remote computer, an electronic message indicating that the robot is within the radius.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the destination is stationary.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the destination is non-stationary.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the remote computer is a non-stationary remote computer.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein the remote computer is a smartphone or vehicle navigation system.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein the current location of the non-stationary origin is identified using a global positioning system (GPS) or WIFI receiver of the remote computer.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the non-stationary origin is a vehicle outside of the building.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein the non-stationary origin is a person inside or within a distance from the building.

10. The robot of claim 1, further comprising:

using the current location of the non-stationary origin, determining a time of arrival of the non-stationary origin at an anticipated location, and delaying moving towards the non-stationary origin based on the time of arrival.

11. A robot to navigate from an origin within a building to a non-stationary destination, the robot comprising:

one or more sensors that collect sensor data;

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising;

receiving a task comprising navigation from an origin to a non-stationary destination;

navigating to the origin;

at the origin, detecting an interaction with the robot that is associated with introducing an item to a storage compartment of the robot;

locking the storage compartment;

identifying a current location of the non-stationary destination by interrogating a remote computer having information about the non-stationary destination for the current location of the non-stationary destination;

moving towards the current location of the non-stationary destination;

while moving towards the current location of the non-stationary destination;

determining that the non-stationary destination has changed location by interrogating the remote computer for an updated current location of the non-stationary destination;

predicting a next location of the non-stationary destination using an artificial intelligence prediction algorithm;

calculating an updated route to the updated current location of the non-stationary destination;

moving towards the predicted next location of the non-stationary destination via the updated route;

determining whether the robot has arrived at the non-stationary destination;

in response to determining that the robot has not arrived at the non-stationary destination, repeating the determining, predicting, calculating, and moving until the robot has arrived at the non-stationary destination;

unlocking the storage compartment.

12. The robot of claim 11, further comprising determining that the robot is within a radius of the non-stationary destination and, sending to the remote computer, an electronic message indicating that the robot is within the radius.

13. The robot of claim 11, wherein the origin is stationary.

14. The robot of claim 11, wherein the origin is non-stationary.

15. The robot of claim 11, wherein the remote computer is a non-stationary remote computer.

16. The robot of claim 11, wherein the remote computer is a smartphone or vehicle navigation system.

17. The robot of claim 11, wherein the current location of the non-stationary destination is identified using a global positioning system (GPS) or WIFI receiver of the remote computer.

18. The robot of claim 11, wherein the non-stationary destination is a vehicle outside of the building.

19. The robot of claim 11, wherein the non-stationary destination is a person inside or within a distance from the building.

20. The robot of claim 11, further comprising authenticating the destination.

21. The robot of claim 20, wherein authenticating the destination comprises at least one of:

requesting and receiving a PIN from a person, matching a voice print of the person, performing a retinal scan of the person, using facial recognition of the person, authenticating a fingerprint of the person, confirming the presence of a smartphone using RFID, requesting that the person swipe a credit card associated with the task, by receiving a signature from the person via a touchscreen, by scanning a QR code displayed by the smartphone, or by scanning an identification card associated with the person.

22. A method for navigating a robot from a non-stationary origin to a destination within a building, the method comprising:

receiving a task comprising navigating from a non-stationary origin to a destination;

identifying a current location of the non-stationary origin by interrogating a remote computer having information about the non-stationary origin for the current location of the non-stationary origin;

moving towards the current location of the non-stationary origin;

while moving towards the current location of the non-stationary origin;

determining that the non-stationary origin has changed location by interrogating the remote computer for an updated current location of the non-stationary origin;

predicting a next location of the non-stationary origin using an artificial intelligence prediction algorithm;

calculating an updated route to the updated current location of the non-stationary origin;

moving towards the predicted next location of the non-stationary origin via the updated route;

determining whether the robot has arrived at the non-stationary origin;

in response to determining that the robot has not arrived at the non-stationary origin, repeating the determining, predicting, calculating, and moving until the robot has arrived at the non-stationary origin;

detecting an interaction with the robot that is associated with introducing an item to or removing an item from a storage compartment in the robot;

moving towards the destination within the building.