Controlling access to compartments of a cargo transportation unit

• US 10,338,588 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Seaman, Conrad Delbert, West, Stephen, Dev, Prabhul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lang, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US15/388,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20180181126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• 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 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit

Abstract

In some examples, a controller directs transport of a cargo transportation unit (CTU) to a plurality of pickup locations or a plurality of destination locations in response to requests of a plurality of requesters. The controller controls access to a plurality of compartments in the CTU, wherein controlling the access comprises selecting respective compartments of the plurality of compartments in which to place cargo items for the requests, the selecting based on characteristics of the cargo items and characteristics of the respective compartments.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

direct transport of a cargo transportation unit (CTU) to a plurality of pickup locations or a plurality of destination locations in response to requests of a plurality of requesters; and

control access to a plurality of compartments in the CTU, wherein controlling the access comprises selecting respective compartments of the plurality of compartments in which to place cargo items for the requests, and the at least one processor is configured to select a first compartment of the plurality of compartments for a first cargo item of the cargo items based on a first characteristic of the first compartment and a first characteristic of the first cargo item, and select a second compartment of the plurality of compartments for a second cargo item of the cargo items based on a second characteristic of the second compartment and a second characteristic of the second cargo item, the second characteristic of the second compartment different from the first characteristic of the first compartment, and the second characteristic of the second cargo item different from the first characteristic of the first cargo item, wherein the first and second characteristics of the first and second cargo items are selected from among one or more of a type of a cargo item, a weight of a cargo item, a fragility of a cargo item, and a perishable status of a cargo item, and wherein the first and second characteristics of the first and second compartments are selected from among one or more of a type of cargo items that a compartment can accommodate, an air conditioning capability of a compartment, and a shock absorption capability of a compartment.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing transport of the CTU to a first pickup location to pick up the first cargo item, the at least one processor configured to further:

provide, at the first pickup location, access to the first compartment of the plurality of compartments based on the first characteristic of the first cargo item and the first characteristic of the first compartment.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein providing the access to the first compartment comprises controlling unlocking, by the controller, of the first compartment independently of another compartment of the plurality of compartments to place the first cargo item in the unlocked first compartment, the at least one processor configured to further:

lock the first compartment independently of the another compartment after the first cargo item has been placed in the first compartment.

4. The controller of claim 2, wherein the directing comprises directing transport of the CTU to a first destination location for the first cargo item, the at least one processor configured to further:

provide, at the first destination location, access to the first compartment to allow removal of the first cargo item from the first compartment.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

determine a route of the CTU based on the cargo items placed in the respective compartments.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein the determining of the route of the CTU comprises deviating the CTU from a planned route responsive to adding a cargo item to a compartment of the plurality of compartments.

7. The controller of claim 5, wherein the determining of the route of the CTU is based on increasing an amount of loading of cargo items in the CTU.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

track available compartments of the CTU, the available compartments not loaded with cargo items; and

communicate, over a network, information identifying the available compartments of the plurality of compartment.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the information identifying the available compartments communicated by the at least one processor over the network comprises a list of the available compartments.

10. The controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

provide access to a selected compartment of the plurality of compartments based on an authentication input that is selected from among a current location of the CTU or authentication information of a user.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

direct the transport of the CTU using a driverless vehicle.

12. The controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

use a secure token and a captured image of a cargo code of a given cargo item to confirm one or more of dropping off the given cargo item in a given compartment of the CTU, or picking up the given cargo item from the given compartment of the CTU.

13. A controller comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

direct transport of a cargo transportation unit (CTU) to a plurality of pickup locations or a plurality of destination locations in response to requests of a plurality of requesters;

control access to a plurality of compartments in the CTU, wherein controlling the access comprises selecting respective compartments of the plurality of compartments in which to place cargo items for the requests, the selecting based on characteristics of the cargo items and characteristics of the respective compartments, wherein the characteristics of the cargo items are selected from among one or more of a type of a cargo item, a weight of a cargo item, a fragility of a cargo item, and a perishable status of a cargo item, and wherein the characteristics of the compartments are selected from among one or more of a type of cargo items that a compartment can accommodate, an air conditioning capability of a compartment, and a shock absorption capability of a compartment;

track available compartments of the CTU; and

communicate, over a network, information identifying the available compartments of the plurality of compartments.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

receive a request to deliver a first cargo item; and

determine whether or not to accept the request based on the available compartments of the CTU, the available compartments of the CTU comprising compartments not loaded with cargo items.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the controller is part of the CTU or is remote from the CTU.

16. The controller of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine a first pickup location in response to a request from a requester; and

direct transport of the CTU to the first pickup location to receive a cargo item for the request.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

unlock, without input from a driver, a compartment of the plurality of compartments of the CTU to receive the cargo item, while maintaining another compartment of the plurality of compartments locked.

18. The controller of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine a current route of the CTU based on destinations of the cargo items carried by the CTU; and

in response to detecting a new cargo item added to the CTU, modify a route of the CTU from the current route to deliver the new cargo item to a destination of the new cargo item.

19. The controller of claim 13, wherein the information identifying the available compartments communicated by the at least one processor over the network comprises a list of the available compartments.

20. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a system to:

direct transport of a cargo transportation unit (CTU) to a plurality of pickup locations or a plurality of destination locations in response to requests of a plurality of requesters; and

control access to a plurality of compartments in the CTU, wherein controlling the access comprises selecting respective compartments of the plurality of compartments in which to place cargo items for the requests, the selecting based on characteristics of the cargo items and characteristics of the respective compartments and the selecting comprising selecting a first compartment of the plurality of compartments for a first cargo item of the cargo items based on a first characteristic of the first compartment and a first characteristic of the first cargo item, and selecting a second compartment of the plurality of compartments for a second cargo item of the cargo items based on a second characteristic of the second compartment and a second characteristic of the second cargo item, the second characteristic of the second compartment different from the first characteristic of the first compartment, and the second characteristic of the second cargo item different from the first characteristic of the first cargo item, wherein the first and second characteristics of the first and second cargo items are selected from among one or more of a type of a cargo item, a weight of a cargo item, a fragility of a cargo item, and a perishable status of a cargo item, and wherein the first and second characteristics of the first and second compartments are selected from among one or more of a type of cargo items that a compartment can accommodate, an air conditioning capability of a compartment, and a shock absorption capability of a compartment.

21. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the CTU is part of a fleet of CTUs, and wherein the instructions upon execution cause the system to select, by a service, the CTU from the fleet of CTUs to process a request to deliver a cargo item.

22. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein controlling the access comprises independently unlocking and locking individual compartments of the plurality of compartments.

23. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions upon execution cause the system to:

track available compartments of the CTU, the available compartments not loaded with cargo items; and

communicate, over a network, information identifying the available compartments of the plurality of compartments.

24. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 23, wherein the information identifying the available compartments communicated by the controller over the network comprises a list of the available compartments.