Targeted location product delivery systems and methods

• US 10,535,037 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Jones, Nathan G., Natarajan, Chandrashekar, Thompson, John P., Hicks, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alsamiri, Manal A.
• Application Number:
  US15/343,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20170132566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• 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: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to delivery packages using unmanned delivery aircrafts. Some embodiments include product delivery systems, comprising: a transceiver; a control circuit; a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of: receive, from a customer, an authorization to deliver a product by an unmanned delivery aircraft; receive, from a portable user interface unit associated with the customer, global location information of a current location of the user interface unit and that designates a delivery location where the customer would like the product delivered; and initiate a delivery, by an unmanned delivery aircraft, of the product to the delivery location defined by the global location information received from the user interface unit.

Claims

1. A product delivery system, comprising:

a transceiver;

a control circuit;

a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of;

receive, from a customer, an authorization to deliver a product by an unmanned delivery aircraft;

receive, from a portable user interface unit associated with the customer, location information of a current location of the user interface unit and that designates a delivery location where the customer would like the product delivered;

receive an image captured by a camera of the user interface unit, wherein the image is captured at approximately the time the location information is identified by the user interface unit and prior to scheduling the delivery;

evaluate the image, confirm from the image there is a vertical clearance of at least a threshold diameter extending above the delivery location, and confirm a viability of the delivery location for a delivery by the delivery aircraft;

receive, from the user interface unit, wireless communication signal strength and identify the delivery location as invalid when there is not a sufficient communication bandwidth to effectively allow a remote pilot at a location remote from the delivery location to take over at least some of the control of the delivery aircraft;

identify, based in part on the image, when the delivery location is invalid, and communicate a notification to the user interface unit to be displayed by the user interface unit, wherein the notification comprises an explanation of why the delivery location is invalid;

communicate corrective instructions, in response to the identification that the delivery location is invalid based on the image, to the user interface unit comprising actions to be taken by the customer to address an issue inhibiting delivery to the delivery location, and confirm the action is taken within a threshold time;

initiate a delivery, by an unmanned delivery aircraft, of the product to the delivery location defined by the location information received from the user interface unit; and

wherein the initiating the delivery comprises initiating the delivery when the delivery location is confirmed as viable;

wherein the control circuit, in receiving the image captured by the camera of the user interface unit, is configured to receive two images directed away from each other such that a first image is captured of a surface where the product is to be deposited by the unmanned delivery aircraft at the delivery location and a second image is captured in a directed that is substantially 180 degrees from the direction captured by the first image and generally directed toward the sky;

wherein the control circuit in confirming the viability of the delivery location is further configured to confirm based on at least the first image that the surface where the product is to be deposited by the unmanned delivery aircraft as having a delivery area that has at least a delivery area threshold upon which the product can be deposited.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit in confirming the viability of the delivery location is further configured to:

confirm the delivery location is within a flight distance threshold of a launch location; and

confirm there are no flight restrictions corresponding to the received location information and one or more flight paths between the launch location and the delivery location that inhibit directing the delivery aircraft to the delivery location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit in receiving the location information and the image comprises receiving both the location information and the image in response to a selection by the customer of a single option presented to a customer through a software application implemented on the user interface unit that causes the user interface unit to identify the location information and activate the camera to capture the image.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive a delivery aircraft image captured by an aircraft camera on the delivery aircraft while the delivery aircraft is positioned within a delivery distance threshold from the location information; and

obtain a confirmation, based on the delivery aircraft image, that one or more delivery rules are satisfied prior to initiating a delivery of the product.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pilot control system comprising;

a pilot control circuit, a user interface coupled with the pilot control circuit, and a transceiver, wherein the pilot control circuit is configured to;

receive a notification that pilot assistance is requested while the delivery aircraft is within a threshold pilot control distance of the delivery location; and

establish, through the transceiver and in response to the notification, remote control over the delivery aircraft such that commands received through the user interface from a pilot are communicated to the delivery aircraft to implement the commands such that the pilot controls the delivery aircraft during a depositing of the product at the delivery location.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive sensor data from the user interface unit;

determine a relative orientation of the user interface unit relative to an intended surface upon which the product is to be deposited; and

communicate instructions to the user interface unit to be presented by the user interface unit to the customer directing the customer to move the user interface unit relative to the intended delivery location while continuing to capture sensor data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuit in communicating the instructions to the user interface unit is further configured to communicate the instructions comprising instructions to the user to move the user interface unit in a specified pattern relative to the intended delivery location while at least the camera is active capturing a series of images;

wherein the control circuit in evaluating the image is configured to evaluate the series of images and identify, prior to scheduling the delivery and based on the series of images captured by the user interface while moved in accordance with the pattern, that one or more delivery rules are satisfied prior to initiating the delivery of the product in confirming the viability of the delivery location for a delivery by the delivery aircraft.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuit in communicating the instructions to the user interface unit is configured to track movement of the user interface unit based on sensor data and communicate instructions in response to the sensor data regarding a pace of movement and an angle of movement of the user interface unit.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive additional images of the delivery location captured while the unmanned delivery aircraft is within a delivery threshold distance of the delivery location, and confirm based on the additional images that the delivery location continues to satisfy one or more delivery rules prior to depositing the product at the delivery location.

6. A method of delivery products using unmanned delivery aircrafts, comprising:

by a control circuit;

receiving, from a customer, an authorization to deliver a product by an unmanned delivery aircraft;

receiving, from a portable user interface unit associated with the customer, location information of a current location of the user interface unit and that designates a delivery location where the customer would like the product delivered;

initiating a delivery, by an unmanned delivery aircraft, of the product to the delivery location defined by the location information received from the user interface unit;

receiving an image captured by a camera of the user interface unit, wherein the image is captured at approximately the time the location information is identified by the user interface unit; and

evaluating the image, confirming from the image there is a vertical clearance of at least a threshold diameter extending above the delivery location and confirming a viability of the delivery location for a delivery by the delivery aircraft;

receiving, from the user interface unit, wireless communication signal strength and identifying the delivery location as invalid when there is not a sufficient communication bandwidth to effectively allow a remote pilot at a location remote from the delivery location to take over at least some of the control of the delivery aircraft;

identifying, based in part on the image, when the delivery location is invalid, and communicating a notification to the user interface unit to be displayed by the user interface unit, wherein the notification comprises an explanation of why the delivery location is invalid; and

communicating corrective instructions, in response to the identification that the delivery location is invalid based on the image, to the user interface unit comprising actions to be taken by the customer to address an issue inhibiting delivery to the delivery location, and confirm the action is taken within a threshold time;

wherein the initiating the delivery comprises initiating the delivery when the delivery location is confirmed as viable;

wherein the receiving the image captured by the camera of the user interface unit further comprises receiving two images directed away from each other such that a first image is captured of a ground at the delivery location and a second image is captured in a directed that is substantially 180 degrees from the direction captured by the first image and generally directed toward the sky;

wherein the confirming the viability of the delivery location further comprises confirming the ground as having a delivery area that has at least a delivery area threshold upon which the product can be deposited.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the confirming the viability of the delivery location further comprises:

confirming the delivery location is within a flight distance threshold of a launch location; and

confirming there are no flight restrictions corresponding to the received location information and one or more flight paths between the launch location and the delivery location that inhibit directing the delivery aircraft to the delivery location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving the location information and the image comprises receiving both the location information and the image in response to a selection by the customer of a single option presented to a customer through a software application implemented on the user interface unit that causes the user interface unit to identify the location information and activate the camera to capture the image.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a delivery aircraft image captured by an aircraft camera on the delivery aircraft while the delivery aircraft is positioned within a delivery distance threshold from the location information; and

obtaining a confirmation, based on the delivery aircraft image, that one or more delivery rules are satisfied prior to initiating a delivery of the product.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at a control circuit of a pilot control system, a notification that pilot assistance is requested while the delivery aircraft is within a threshold pilot control distance of the delivery location; and

establishing, through a transceiver of the pilot control system and in response to the notification, remote control over the delivery aircraft such that commands received, from a pilot through a user interface of the pilot control system, are communicated to the delivery aircraft to implement the commands such that the pilot controls the delivery aircraft during a depositing of the product at the delivery location.