Demand-based distribution of items using intermodal carriers and unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,384,692 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian C., Bjone, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/461,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20180265296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/16 adapted for carrying special loads
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/18 for vehicles vehicles adapted to carry other vehicles, in general, B60P3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/184 the heavy vehicles being of the trailer or semi-trailer type
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 39/006 Opening and closing means
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/14 Following schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• 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 70/90 Launching from or landing on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/20 with arrangements for servicing the UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0464 with access from above
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 : Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 : Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

Intermodal vehicles may be loaded with items and an aerial vehicle, and directed to travel to areas where demand for the items is known or anticipated. The intermodal vehicles may be coupled to locomotives, container ships, road tractors or other vehicles, and equipped with systems for loading one or more items onto the aerial vehicle, and for launching or retrieving the aerial vehicle while the intermodal vehicles are in motion. The areas where the demand is known or anticipated may be identified on any basis, including but not limited to past histories of purchases or deliveries to such areas, or events that are scheduled to occur in such areas. Additionally, intermodal vehicles may be loaded with replacement parts and/or inspection equipment, and configured to conduct repairs, servicing operations or inspections on aerial vehicles within the intermodal vehicles, while the intermodal vehicles are in motion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a level of demand for a first item in a first geographic area at a first time by at least one computer server;

in response to determining the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time,

selecting a first number of the first item based at least in part on the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time by the at least one computer server;

loading at least the first number of the first item into at least a first compartment of a first intermodal carrier at a first location prior to the first time, wherein the first location is not in the first geographic area, and wherein the first intermodal carrier comprises an intermodal container frame having a substantially rectangular cross-section, a common height, and at least one automatic door at an upper surface of the intermodal container frame;

loading at least a first aerial vehicle into at least the first compartment of the first intermodal carrier at the first location prior to the first time;

coupling the first intermodal carrier to at least a first powered vehicle prior to the first time, wherein the first powered vehicle is a locomotive;

selecting a first route departing from the first location for the first intermodal carrier based at least in part on at least one attribute of the first powered vehicle and the first geographic area;

causing, by at least the first powered vehicle, the first intermodal carrier to depart from the first location along the first route prior to the first time;

upon arriving at a first departure point;

operating the at least one automatic door to open the first compartment of the first intermodal carrier; and

causing the first aerial vehicle to launch from the first intermodal carrier at the first departure point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one automatic door is a rollable door forming at least a portion of the upper surface of the intermodal container frame, and

wherein the at least one automatic door is configured to translate along the upper surface of the intermodal container frame between an open position and a closed position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time comprises:

determining, by the at least one computer server, at least one of;

purchases of the first item or a second item by customers in the first geographic area over a predetermined period of time, wherein the second item is one of a complement to the first item or a substitute for the first item, and wherein the first time follows the predetermined period of time;

or

deliveries of the first item or the second item to locations in the first geographic area over the predetermined period of time,

wherein the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area is predicted based at least in part on at least one of the purchases or the deliveries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time comprises:

identifying an upcoming event occurring in at least the first geographic area at the first time by the at least one computer server, wherein the first item is related to the upcoming event, and

wherein the level of demand of the first item in the first geographic area is predicted based at least in part on the upcoming event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time comprises:

determining levels of demand for the first item in each of a plurality of geographic areas at the first time by the at least one computer server, wherein the first geographic area is one of the plurality of geographic areas; and

selecting one of the plurality of geographic areas having a highest one of the levels of demand for the first item at the first time by the at least one computer server, wherein the first geographic area is the one of the plurality of geographic areas having the highest one of the levels of demand for the first item at the first time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time comprises:

determining a level of demand for a second item in the first geographic area at one of the first time or a second time by the at least one computer server;

in response to determining the level of demand for the second item in the first geographic area at the one of the first time or the second time,

selecting a second number of the second item based at least in part on the level of demand for the second item in the first geographic area at the one of the first time or the second time by the at least one computer server;

selecting a first position for the first number of the first item within the first compartment based at least in part on the level of demand for the first item at the first time, wherein at least the first number of the first item is loaded into the first compartment at the first position;

selecting a second position for the second number of the second item within the first compartment based at least in part on the level of demand for the second item at the one of the first time or the second time; and

loading at least the second number of the second item into at least the second compartment at the first location prior to the one of the first time or the second time, wherein at least the second number of the second item is loaded into the first compartment at the second position.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoupling the first intermodal carrier from the first powered vehicle prior to the first time; and

coupling the first intermodal carrier from at least a second powered vehicle prior to the first time,

wherein the second powered vehicle is one of;

a container ship;

or

a road tractor.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein coupling the first intermodal carrier to at least the first powered vehicle prior to the first time comprises:

placing the first intermodal carrier onto a well car prior to the first time; and

coupling the well car to the first powered vehicle prior to the first time,

wherein each of the well car and the first powered vehicle is configured for travel on a common set of rails.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a plurality of sets of rails depart from the first location, and

wherein selecting the first route departing from the first location further comprises:

determining a minimum distance between at least some of the plurality of sets of rails and the first geographic area by the at least one computer server; and

selecting one of the plurality of sets of rails having a shortest minimum distance between the selected one of the plurality of sets of rails and the first geographic area by the at least one computer server,

wherein the first route is associated with the selected one of the plurality of sets of rails.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first intermodal carrier further comprises a launch system and an engagement system disposed within the first compartment,

wherein the launch system is configured to launch at least one or more aerial vehicles from the first intermodal carrier,

wherein the engagement system is configured to load items into or unload items from one or more aerial vehicles within the first compartment, and

wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an order for a delivery of one of the first item to a second location over a network after the first time; and

in response to receiving the order for the delivery of the one of the first item to the second location,

causing, by the engagement system, the one of the first item to be loaded onto the first aerial vehicle within the first intermodal carrier;

causing, by the launch system, the first aerial vehicle to launch from the first intermodal carrier at the first departure point;

causing the first aerial vehicle to travel from the first departure point to the second location; and

causing the first aerial vehicle to deposit the item at the location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the intermodal container frame is formed from steel at least in part,

wherein the intermodal container frame has a height of at least nine feet, a width of approximately eight-and-one-half feet and a length of approximately fifty-three feet.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to receiving the order for the delivery of the one of the first item to the second location,

determining the first departure point by the at least one computer server, wherein the first departure point is determined based at least in part on at least one of a speed of the first intermodal carrier, the second location, a second time at which the order was received or a third time at which the delivery of the one of the first item is requested; and

determining a first distance between the first departure point and the second location by the at least one computer server,

wherein the one of the first item is caused to be loaded onto the first aerial vehicle within the first intermodal carrier in response to determining the first distance.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining the level of demand for the first item in the first geographic area at the first time,

loading at least a second number of the first item into at least a second compartment of a second intermodal carrier at one of the first location or a third location prior to the first time, wherein the third location is not in the first geographic area, and wherein the second intermodal carrier comprises an intermodal container frame having a substantially rectangular cross-section, a common height, and at least one automatic door at an upper surface of the intermodal container frame;

loading at least a second aerial vehicle into at least the second compartment of the second intermodal carrier at the one of the first location or the third location prior to the first time;

coupling the second intermodal carrier to at least a second powered vehicle prior to the first time;

selecting a second route departing the one of the first location or the third location for the second intermodal carrier based at least in part on at least one attribute of the second powered vehicle and the first geographic area;

causing, by at least the second powered vehicle, the second intermodal carrier to depart from the one of the first location or the third location along the second route prior to the first time;

determining a second departure point by the at least one computer server, wherein the second departure point is determined based at least in part on at least one of a speed of the second intermodal carrier, the second location, the second time or the third time;

determining a second distance between the second departure point and the second location by the at least one computer server; and

selecting the first aerial vehicle for the one of the first item based at least in part on the first distance and the second distance.