Methods and systems for drone network delivery system

• US 10,254,755 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chow, Stephen, Miller, Grant D., Nassar, Nader M., Newhook, Richard J., Walls, Erich D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US15/401,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0834 Choice of carriers

Abstract

Embodiments for managing drones by one or more processors are described. Information about each of a plurality of drones is received. Each of the plurality of drones is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users. A request to transport an item from an origination point to a destination is received. Based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, a first of the plurality of drones is selected to transport the item from the origination point to an intermediate region. Based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, a second of the plurality of drones is selected to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

Claims

1. A method, by one or more processors, for managing drones, comprising:

receiving information about each of a plurality of drones, wherein each of the plurality of drones is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and wherein receiving the information comprises receiving, by a drone delivery network from each of the plurality of users, registration information associated with respective ones of the plurality of drones, the registration information including at least a storage location address, a range, and a payload capacity of the respective ones of the plurality of drones;

receiving a request to transport an item from an origination point to a destination;

based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selecting a first of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the origination point into an intermediate region; and

based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selecting a second of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

controlling the first of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the origination point into the intermediate region; and

controlling the second of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to transport the item from the origination point to the destination is received from one of the plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about each of the plurality of drones includes at least one of performance characteristics of the respective drone or a location where the respective drone is stored.

5. The method of claim 1, further including, based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selecting at least a third of the plurality of drones to transport the item within the intermediate region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first of the plurality of drones, the second of the plurality of drones, and the at least the third of the plurality of drones are stored at locations remote from one another.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of drones is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

8. A system for managing drones, comprising:

at least one processor that

receives information about each of a plurality of drones, wherein each of the plurality of drones is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and wherein receiving the information comprises receiving, by a drone delivery network from each of the plurality of users, registration information associated with respective ones of the plurality of drones, the registration information including at least a storage location address, a range, and a payload capacity of the respective ones of the plurality of drones;

receives a request to transport an item from an origination point to a destination;

based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selects a first of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the origination point into an intermediate region; and

based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selects a second of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor further:

controls the first of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the origination point into the intermediate region; and

controls the second of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the request to transport the item from the origination point to the destination is received from one of the plurality of users.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the information about each of the plurality of drones includes at least one of performance characteristics of the respective drone or a location where the respective drone is stored.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor further, based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selects at least a third of the plurality of drones to transport the item within the intermediate region.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first of the plurality of drones, the second of the plurality of drones, and the at least the third of the plurality of drones are stored at locations remote from one another.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of drones is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

15. A computer program product for managing drones by one or more processors, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion that receives information about each of a plurality of drones, wherein each of the plurality of drones is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and wherein receiving the information comprises receiving, by a drone delivery network from each of the plurality of users, registration information associated with respective ones of the plurality of drones, the registration information including at least a storage location address, a range, and a payload capacity of the respective ones of the plurality of drones;

a second executable portion that receives a request to transport an item from an origination point to a destination;

a third executable portion that, based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selects a first of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the origination point into an intermediate region; and

a fourth executable portion that, based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selects a second of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further include:

a fifth executable portion that controls the first of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the origination point into the intermediate region; and

a sixth executable portion that controls the second of the plurality of drones to transport the item from the intermediate region to the destination.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the request to transport the item from the origination point to the destination is received from one of the plurality of users.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information about each of the plurality of drones includes at least one of performance characteristics of the respective drone or a location where the respective drone is stored.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further include a fifth executable portion that, based on the information about the plurality of drones, the origination point, and the destination, selects at least a third of the plurality of drones to transport the item within the intermediate region.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first of the plurality of drones, the second of the plurality of drones, and the at least the third of the plurality of drones are stored at locations remote from one another.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of drones is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).