Recipient customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries

• US 10,546,268 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Doherty, Jessica P., Lagares-Greenblatt, Heidi, McCoy, Justin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, Emmett K.
• Application Number:
  US15/335,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20180121876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 705338
• 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 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries are provided. Aspects include receiving, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package and receiving, from the delivery recipient, a flight plan associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein at least one of the flight plans include an authorized path across a private property. Aspects also include receiving, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations should be used to deliver the package and storing, by a processor in a computer readable medium, the set of delivery recipient preferences for use in determining a delivery location for a package to the delivery recipient.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries, the method comprising:

receiving, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a plurality of flight plans associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein each of the plurality of flight plans includes an authorized path across a private property;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations and which of the plurality of flight plans should be used to deliver the package;

obtaining, by a processor, a current location of the delivery recipient;

determining, by the processor, a delivery location from the one or more delivery locations for the package and a flight plan from the plurality of flight plans based on the delivery preferences and the current location of the delivery recipient; and

delivering the package to the delivery location by instructing the drone to fly along the flight plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the flight plans includes a delivery path having a width along the delivery path, a speed along the delivery path and an altitude along the delivery path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the delivery path is a path along one or more waypoints, each having a specified latitude and longitude.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by capturing the specified latitude and longitude using a portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by marking a location on an electronic map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and one or more characteristics of the package.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a weather condition at a time of the delivery.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a time of the delivery.

9. A system for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions comprising;

receiving, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a plurality of flight plans associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein each of the plurality of flight plans includes an authorized path across a private property;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations and which of the plurality of flight plans should be used to deliver the package; and

obtaining, by a processor, a current location of the delivery recipient;

determining, by the processor, a delivery location from the one or more delivery locations for the package and a flight plan from the plurality of flight plans based on the delivery preferences and the current location of the delivery recipient; and

delivering the package to the delivery location by instructing the drone to fly along the flight plan.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the flight plans includes a delivery path having a width along the delivery path, a speed along the delivery path and an altitude along the delivery path.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery path is a path along one or more waypoints, each having a specified latitude and longitude.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by capturing the specified latitude and longitude using a portable electronic device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by marking a location on an electronic map.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and one or more characteristics of the package.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a weather condition at a time of the delivery.

16. A computer program product for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package;

receive, from the delivery recipient, a plurality of flight plans associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein each of the plurality of flight plans includes an authorized path across a private property;

receive, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations and which of the plurality of flight plans should be used to deliver the package; and

obtain a current location of the delivery recipient;

determine, by the processor, a delivery location from the one or more delivery locations for the package and a flight plan from the plurality of flight plans based on the delivery preferences and the current location of the delivery recipient; and

deliver the package to the delivery location by instructing the drone to fly along the flight plan.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein each of the flight plans includes a delivery path having a width along the delivery path, a speed along the delivery path and an altitude along the delivery path.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the delivery path is a path along one or more waypoints, each having a specified latitude and longitude.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by capturing the specified latitude and longitude using a portable electronic device.