Autonomous multimodal logistics

• US 10,373,097 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staples, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Staples, Inc.
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Girish, Bhaskaran, Michael, Gopalakrishnan, Vikranth
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US15/814,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20180137454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• 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 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• 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 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

An example system may comprise a docking station remotely located from a fulfillment center, a fulfillment system, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV). The fulfillment system manages the fulfillment center and the docking station, receives a request to ship an item, determines an item transfer point based on a delivery point, and calculates a flight path to the item transfer point. The fulfillment system loads the item at the fulfillment center via a handling mechanism of the UAV and deploys the UAV to the item transfer point using the flight path. The AGV is coupled for wireless communication with the fulfillment system, the docking station, and the AGV. The item transfer point indicates a geographical location where the item is to be transferred from the UAV to one of the docking station and the AGV based on the delivery point.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to ship an item;

loading the item via a handling mechanism of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

determining an item transfer point based on a delivery point, the item transfer point indicating a geographical location where the item is to be transferred from the UAV to one of a docking station and an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) based on the delivery point;

calculating a flight path to the item transfer point;

deploying the UAV to the item transfer point using the flight path; and

transferring the item from the UAV to one of the docking station and the AGV including determining to transfer the item from the UAV to a handling system of the docking station based on the delivery point, coordinating a handoff of the item between a port of the handling system of the docking station and the UAV, and transferring the item through the port of the docking station using the handling mechanism of the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initially determining to transfer the item from the UAV to the AGV based on the delivery point;

receiving, during transit of the item by the UAV to the delivery point, a signal requesting a change to the delivery point; and

determining to transfer the item from the UAV to the docking station instead of the AGV based on the change to the delivery point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is transferred to the docking station, and the method further comprises:

holding the item in a locker associated with the docking station for pickup by a retriever.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on a display of a display device coupled via a computer network to a fulfillment system, a graphical user interface comprising management dashboard, the graphical user interface including a map region for viewing the UAV, the docking station, and the AGV.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface further includes graphical elements embodying controls for one or more of:

switching display of the map region between a two-dimensional map and three dimensional map;

viewing all or select UAVs, docking stations, and AGVs associated with the fulfillment system;

viewing all or select item transfer points between deployed UAVs, available docking stations, and available AGVs;

viewing all or select delivery statuses of items being managed by the fulfillment system;

modifying the flight path of the UAV;

changing the delivery point to an alternative delivery point;

changing the docking station to an alternative docking station;

specifying a particular AGV to use for a particular item delivery; and

managing a group of AGVs associated with a particular docking station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on a display of a display device, a graphical user interface requesting input providing a delivery point confirmation;

receiving the input at a guidance engine; and

determining, by the guidance engine, to change the delivery point based on the delivery point confirmation.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a request to ship an item;

loading the item via a handling mechanism of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

determining an item transfer point based on a delivery point, the item transfer point indicating a geographical location where the item is to be transferred from the UAV to one of a docking station and an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) based on the delivery point;

calculating a flight path to the item transfer point;

deploying the UAV to the item transfer point using the flight path; and

transferring the item from the UAV to one of the docking station and the AGV, wherein transferring the item to one of the docking station and the AGV based on the delivery point includes;

selecting the AGV from a group of AGVs associated with the item transfer point based on one or more of;

one or more item properties, one or more UAV attributes, one or more AGV attributes, and one or more delivery point characteristics;

coordinating a handoff of the item between the selected AGV and the UAV; and

transferring the item to a handling mechanism of the AGV using the handling mechanism of the UAV.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

calculating a route for the AGV from the item transfer point to the delivery point;

navigating the AGV from the item transfer point to the delivery point; and

unloading the item from the AGV at the delivery point.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the AGV from the group of AGVs includes:

selecting the AGV based on an available payload capacity corresponding to one or more of a dimension and weight of the item, and an available deployment time corresponding to a targeted delivery time for delivering the item to the delivery point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting the AGV from the group of AGVs further includes matching a characteristic of the delivery point to a mechanical delivery capability of the AGV.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

initially determining to transfer the item from the UAV to the AGV based on the delivery point;

receiving, during transit of the item by the UAV to the delivery point, a signal requesting a change to the delivery point; and

determining to transit the item to an alternative delivery point corresponding to the change using the AGV.

12. A system comprising:

a docking station remotely located from a fulfillment center;

a fulfillment system that manages the fulfillment center and the docking station, receives a request to ship an item, determines an item transfer point based on a delivery point, calculates a flight path to the item transfer point, initially determines to transfer the item from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) based on the delivery point, receives a signal requesting a change to the delivery point during transit of the item by the UAV to the delivery point, and determines to transfer the item from the UAV to the docking station instead of the AGV based on the change to the delivery point;

the UAV coupled for wireless communication with the fulfillment system and the docking station, the fulfillment system loading the item at the fulfillment center via a handling mechanism of the UAV and deploying the UAV to the item transfer point using the flight path; and

the AGV coupled for wireless communication with the fulfillment system, the docking station, and the AGV, the item transfer point indicating a geographical location where the item is to be transferred from the UAV to one of the docking station and the AGV based on the delivery point.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the fulfillment system further:

selects the AGV from a group of AGVs associated with the item transfer point based on one or more of;

one or more item properties, one or more UAV attributes, one or more AGV attributes, and one or more delivery point characteristics;

coordinates a handoff of the item between the selected AGV and the UAV; and

transfers the item to a handling mechanism of the AGV using the handling mechanism of the UAV.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the fulfillment system further calculates a route for the AGV from the item transfer point to the delivery point; and

the AGV navigates from the item transfer point to the delivery point and unloads the item at the delivery point.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the fulfillment system selects the AGV from a group of AGVs based on an available payload capacity corresponding to one or more of a dimension and weight of the item, and an available deployment time corresponding to a targeted delivery time for delivering the item to the delivery point.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the fulfillment system:

initially determines to transfer the item from the UAV to the AGV based on the delivery point;

receives, during transit of the item by the UAV to the delivery point, a signal requesting a change to the delivery point; and

determines to transit the item to an alternative delivery point corresponding to the change.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the docking station includes a handling system having a port;

the fulfillment system;

determines to transfer the item from the UAV to a handling system of the docking station based on the delivery point; and

coordinates a handoff of the item between the port of the handling system of the docking station and the UAV; and

the handling mechanism transfers the item via the port of the handling system of the docking station.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to ship an item;

loading the item via a handling mechanism of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

determining an item transfer point based on a delivery point, the item transfer point indicating a geographical location where the item is to be transferred from the UAV to one of a docking station and an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) based on the delivery point;

initially determining to transfer the item from the UAV to the AGV based on the delivery point;

calculating a flight path to the item transfer point;

deploying the UAV to the item transfer point using the flight path;

receiving, during transit of the item by the UAV to the delivery point, a signal requesting a change to the delivery point;

determining to transit the item to an alternative delivery point corresponding to the change using the AGV; and

transferring the item from the UAV to one of the docking station and the AGV.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting the AGV from a group of AGVs associated with the item transfer point based on one or more of;

one or more item properties, one or more UAV attributes, one or more AGV attributes, and one or more delivery point characteristics;

coordinating a handoff of the item between the selected AGV and the UAV; and

transferring the item to a handling mechanism of the AGV using the handling mechanism of the UAV.