Multi-modal distribution systems and methods using vending kiosks and autonomous delivery vehicles

• US 10,654,394 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Congruens Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Zume Inc.
• Inventors: Goldberg, Joshua Gouled, Garden, Alexander John, Goel, Vaibhav
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/163,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20190047460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0045 Manipulators used in the food industry
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/007 for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/0257 the object being a vending stall, restaurant or food kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/20 Refrigerated goods vehicles air treatment of goods space B60H; air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/205 with means for dividing the interior volume, e.g. movable walls or intermediate floors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/042 divided into compartments movable bulk heads B60P7/14; cattle transport B60P3/04; bottled liquids B60P3/22
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/04 Component parts or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 : operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 : using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 : specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/007 : wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 : in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/38 : in which the magazines are horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/46 : from movable storage containers or supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 : in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0064 : for processing of food articles cooking vessels A47J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 : comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/26 : Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 : Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 : Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 : Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/00 : Ohmic-resistance heating

Abstract

Vehicles, components, and methods are disclosed for distributing hot or cold food items from a vending kiosk, a locker system, or a self-propelled delivery vehicle. The vending kiosk may have multiple doors, at least one of which is unlocked responsive to confirming a purchase transaction or authenticating the presence of a person or device associated with the purchase transaction. The multiple doors provide access to respective compartments that may be selectively heated and refrigerated. Such temperature changes may be based upon a temperature control schedule. The locker system may include one or more configurable compartments that may be accessible via a set of set of doors that can be selectively coupled into larger doors. The self-propelled delivery vehicle may have a plurality of thermally insulated compartments that may be used to carry multiple items at different temperatures.

Claims

1. A self-propelled delivery robot, comprising:

a propulsion subsystem including at least one motor configured to move the self-propelled delivery robot through an environment;

a first thermally insulated compartment having a first interior, the first interior sized and dimensioned to contain a first food item;

a second thermally insulated compartment having a second interior, the second interior sized and dimensioned to contain a second food item;

at least one sliding door to provide access to the first thermally insulated compartment or the second thermally insulated compartment;

a transfer assembly configured to selectively, operably transfer selected food items between the first thermally insulated compartment and the second thermally insulated compartment; and

a control subsystem comprising;

a processor; and

a computer readable memory, the computer readable memory including processor-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive location information related to a destination; and

transmit at least one instruction to the at least one motor, wherein the at least one instruction causes the at least one motor to move the self-propelled delivery robot along a route associated with the destination.

2. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a container configured to surround the first thermally insulated compartment and the second thermally insulated compartment.

3. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, wherein the transfer assembly comprises a robotic arm, which is positionable relative to the first thermally insulated compartment and the second thermally insulated compartment to transfer food items there between.

4. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, wherein the first thermally insulated compartment includes a heater positioned to heat the first interior of the first thermally insulated compartment.

5. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 4, wherein the heater includes at least one electrically resistive heating element.

6. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 4, wherein the heater is operable to raise a temperature in the first interior to between 140°

F. and 250°

F. to warm an already cooked item of food stored in the first thermally insulated compartment.

7. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, wherein the second thermally insulated compartment includes a cooler positioned to cool the second interior of the second thermally insulated compartment.

8. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 7, wherein the cooler includes a refrigerant carrying coil.

9. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sliding door to provide access to the first thermally insulated compartment or the second thermally insulated compartment, wherein the at least one rotating or sliding door comprises;

a first door associated with the first thermally insulated compartment and a second door associated with the second thermally insulated compartment, wherein each door is respectively moveable between a closed configuration in which the respective door prevents access to the interior of the associated thermally insulated compartment and an open configuration in which the respective door provides access to the interior of the associated thermally insulated compartment.

10. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 9, wherein the first door includes a first selectively lockable door that provides access to at least the first thermally insulated compartment, and the second door includes a second selectively lockable door that provides access to at least the second thermally insulated compartment.

11. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 10, wherein one or both of the first selectively lockable door and the second selectively lockable door selectively unlocks responsive to a signal received from a controller network located remotely from the self-propelled delivery robot.

12. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one antenna, and

at least one radio communicatively coupled to the antenna, wherein the at least one processor includes a near field communications processor communicatively coupled to the at least one radio to receive near field communications signals via the antenna and to control at least one of the first selectively lockable door and the second selectively lockable door upon confirming that a device or a person logically associated with the food item in the respective first thermally insulated compartment or the second thermally insulated compartment is proximate the self-propelled delivery robot.

13. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 10, further comprising:

a biometric input subsystem that generates a signal based upon one or more biometric features of a person, wherein one of the first selectively lockable door and the second selectively lockable door selectively unlocks responsive to signal generated from the biometric input subsystem.

14. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, wherein the propulsion subsystem includes at least one of a set of wheels or a set of treads.

15. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 1, wherein the propulsion subsystem includes one or more rotors.

16. A self-propelled delivery robot, comprising:

a propulsion subsystem including at least one motor configured to move the self-propelled delivery robot through an environment;

a first thermally insulated compartment having a first interior, the first interior sized and dimensioned to contain a first food item;

a second thermally insulated compartment having a second interior, the second interior sized and dimensioned to contain a second food item;

a transfer assembly configured to selectively, operably transfer selected food items between the first thermally insulated compartment and the second thermally insulated compartment; and

a control subsystem comprising;

a processor; and

a computer readable memory, the computer readable memory including processor-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive location information related to a destination; and

transmit at least one instruction to the at least one motor, wherein the at least one instruction causes the at least one motor to move the self-propelled delivery robot along a route associated with the destination.

17. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 16, wherein the transfer assembly comprises a robotic arm, which is positionable relative to the first thermally insulated compartment and the second thermally insulated compartment to transfer food items there between.

18. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 16, wherein the first thermally insulated compartment includes a heater positioned to heat the first interior of the first thermally insulated compartment or a cooler positioned to cool the first interior of the first thermally insulated compartment.

19. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 16, further comprising:

a set of doors including a first door associated with the first thermally insulated compartment and a second door associated with the second thermally insulated compartment, wherein each door is respectively moveable between a closed configuration in which the respective door prevents access to the interior of the associated thermally insulated compartment and an open configuration in which the respective door provides access to the interior of the associated thermally insulated compartment.

20. A self-propelled delivery robot, comprising:

a propulsion subsystem configured to move the self-propelled delivery robot to a delivery destination;

at least two thermally insulated compartments sized and dimensioned to contain food items to be delivered to the delivery destination;

a transfer assembly configured to selectively retrieve selected food items from the at least two thermally insulated compartments; and

a control subsystem comprising;

a processor; and

a computer readable memory, the computer readable memory including processor-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive location information related to the delivery destination;

control an operation of the propulsion subsystem to move the self-propelled delivery robot along a selected route to the delivery destination; and

control an operation of the transfer assembly to retrieve the selected food items from the at least two thermally insulated compartments at the delivery destination and provide to an end user.

21. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 20, wherein the at least two thermally insulated compartments comprise a first thermally insulated compartment to store cold food items and a second thermally insulated compartment to store hot or warm food items.

22. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 21, wherein the second thermally insulated compartment includes a heater configured to transition between a cooking state and a warming state based on one or more signals from the processor.

23. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 20, wherein the at least two thermally insulated compartments are re-configurable through removable walls and/or shelves.

24. The self-propelled delivery robot of claim 20, wherein the at least two thermally insulated compartments comprise selectively lockable doors controlled by the processor.