Systems and methods for delivery vehicle monitoring

• US 10,591,306 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald, Wilkinson, Bruce W., Winkle, David, Jones, Matthew Allen, Vasgaard, Aaron, Jones, Nicholaus Adam, Taylor, Robert James, Mattingly, Todd Davenport
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/869,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20180195869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/35 for the management of goods or merchandise

Abstract

A monitoring system for items in a delivery vehicle is described. Sensors disposed in the delivery vehicle are configured to sense data indicative of a current quality of items stored in the delivery vehicle. A computing device calculates navigation routes for the items in the vehicle and selects among the delivery routes at least partly based on sensor data relating to the monitored quality of the items.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for items in a delivery vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensors disposed in a vehicle containing two or more perishable food items and configured to sense data indicative of at least one of a moisture property, off-gassing property, temperature, weight or color of the two or more perishable food items and a current location of the vehicle; and

a computing device equipped with a processor and communicatively coupled to the sensors, the computing device configured to execute an analysis module and a routing module,

wherein the routing module when executed;

determines a first navigation route to deliver a first item of the two or more perishable food items, the navigation route being a route between a delivery address for the first item and the current location of the vehicle, and

determines a second navigation route to deliver a second item of the two or more perishable food items, the second navigation route being a route between a delivery address for the second item and the current location of the vehicle,

and wherein the analysis module when executed;

receives the sensed data sensed by the sensors,

analyzes order data for each of the two or more perishable food items,

analyzes a quality of the first item and the quality of the second item based on the sensed data, and

selects between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the analysis of the quality of the first item and the second item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module when executed:

retrieves and analyzes external factors including at least one of weather conditions and traffic conditions,

selects between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the external factors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a weight sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a thermal imaging sensor, an off-gassing sensor, a color sensor, a moisture sensor, an acoustic sensor, and a location sensor disposed at predetermined locations in the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module is further configured to:

analyze the sensed data;

determine that one of the two or more perishable food items is damaged; and

transmit a message indicating cancellation of delivery for the damaged item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the order data includes a transaction amount, and the analysis module selects between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the transaction amount.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the order data includes a loyalty factor for a customer, and the analysis module selects between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the loyalty factor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery vehicle is a driverless automated vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module is further configured to:

retrieve and analyze an expiration date and time for each of the two or more perishable food items, and

select between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the expiration date and time.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a storage container in the vehicle, the storage container coupled to a cooling mechanism and containing at least one of the two or more perishable food items;

and

a temperature module executed by the computing device and configured to;

analyze the sensed data to determine an interior temperature of the storage container,

compare the interior temperature with a predefined temperature, and

automatically activate the cooling mechanism of the storage container when the interior temperature is higher than the predefined temperature.

10. A computing device-implemented method for monitoring perishable food items in a delivery vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving sensed data from a plurality of sensors disposed in a vehicle containing two or more perishable food items, the sensed data indicative of at least one of a moisture property, off-gassing property, temperature, weight or color of the two or more perishable food items and a current location of the vehicle;

determining, programmatically, a first navigation route to deliver a first item of the two or more perishable food items, the first navigation route being a route between a delivery address for the first item and the current location of the vehicle;

determining, programmatically, a second navigation route to deliver a second item of the two or more perishable food items, the second navigation route being a route between a delivery address for the second item and the current location of the vehicle;

analyzing order data for each of the two or more items;

analyzing a quality of the first item and the quality of the second item based on the sensed data; and

selecting, programmatically, between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the analysis of the quality of the first item and the second item.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving and analyzing external factors including at least one of weather conditions and traffic conditions, and

selecting programmatically between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the external factors.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a weight sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a thermal imaging sensor, an off-gassing sensor, a color sensor, a moisture sensor, an acoustic sensor, and a location sensor disposed at predetermined locations in the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzes the sensed data and determines that one of the two or more perishable food items is damaged; and

transmits a message indicating cancellation of delivery for the damaged item.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the order data includes a transaction amount, and the method further comprises:

selecting programmatically between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the transaction amount.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the order data includes a loyalty factor for a customer, and the method further comprises:

selecting programmatically between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the loyalty factor.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the delivery vehicle is a driverless automated vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving and analyzing an expiration date and time for each of the two or more perishable food items; and

selecting programmatically between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the expiration date and time.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzing the sensed data to determine an interior temperature of a storage container in the vehicle, the storage container coupled to a cooling mechanism and containing at least one of the two or more perishable food items;

comparing the interior temperature with a predefined temperature; and

automatically activating the cooling mechanism of the storage container when the interior temperature is higher than the predefined temperature.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a new delivery address for one of the two or more perishable food items;

updating the respective navigation route for the one of the two or more perishable food items based on the new delivery address.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an estimated arrival time for each of the first navigation route and the second navigation route; and

selecting programmatically between the first navigation route and the second navigation route based at least in part on the estimated arrival time.