Navigable path networks for autonomous vehicles
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, over a communications network, an order for a purchase of an item from a customers,identifying, by at least one server, a facility where the item is located;
determining, by the at least one server, a plurality of attributes of the item, wherein the plurality of attributes comprises a volume of the item and a mass of the item;
identifying, by the least one server, first information regarding a navigable path network within an environment, wherein the navigable path network comprises a plurality of points and a plurality of paths between the plurality of points, and wherein the facility corresponds to a first one of the plurality of points, and wherein the destination corresponds to a second one of the plurality of points;
identifying, by the at least one server, second information regarding a plurality of autonomous vehicles configurable for travel on at least a portion of the navigable path network;
selecting, by the at least one server, one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles for the delivery of the item from the facility to the destination, wherein the one of the autonomous vehicles is selected based at least in part on the volume of the item or the mass of the item;
determining, by the at least one server, a first route on the navigable path network for the selected autonomous vehicle, wherein the first route comprises a first path originating at the facility and a second path terminating at the destination; and
sending, over the communications network, a first plurality of computer instructions for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to travel from the facility to the destination, wherein the first plurality of computer instructions comprises at least a first computer instruction for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to travel along the first path at a first speed and at least a second computer instruction for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to travel along the second path at a second speed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Navigable path networks are generated or modified based on attributes of tasks to be performed by autonomous vehicles traveling thereon, attributes of such vehicles, or attributes of the environments in which such networks are provided. The networks include traditional and non-traditional transportation features, and are defined based on prior travel within the environments, including information gathered by such vehicles during such prior travel. The autonomous vehicles are robotic, self-powered units having storage compartments for carrying objects between points of the networks. An optimal route within a navigable path network is selected based on attributes of an autonomous vehicle, a task to be performed by the autonomous vehicle, or the various paths within the network. A navigable path network is updated based on information subsequently learned regarding the environment, including information captured by autonomous vehicles traveling on paths of the network.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
receiving, over a communications network, an order for a purchase of an item from a customers, identifying, by at least one server, a facility where the item is located; determining, by the at least one server, a plurality of attributes of the item, wherein the plurality of attributes comprises a volume of the item and a mass of the item; identifying, by the least one server, first information regarding a navigable path network within an environment, wherein the navigable path network comprises a plurality of points and a plurality of paths between the plurality of points, and wherein the facility corresponds to a first one of the plurality of points, and wherein the destination corresponds to a second one of the plurality of points; identifying, by the at least one server, second information regarding a plurality of autonomous vehicles configurable for travel on at least a portion of the navigable path network; selecting, by the at least one server, one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles for the delivery of the item from the facility to the destination, wherein the one of the autonomous vehicles is selected based at least in part on the volume of the item or the mass of the item; determining, by the at least one server, a first route on the navigable path network for the selected autonomous vehicle, wherein the first route comprises a first path originating at the facility and a second path terminating at the destination; and sending, over the communications network, a first plurality of computer instructions for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to travel from the facility to the destination, wherein the first plurality of computer instructions comprises at least a first computer instruction for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to travel along the first path at a first speed and at least a second computer instruction for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to travel along the second path at a second speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method comprising:
-
receiving, over a communications network, first information regarding a mission requiring travel from an origin to a destination; identifying second information regarding a plurality of paths of a navigable path network having a plurality of points and a plurality of paths by at least one computer server, wherein each of the paths extends between two of the points, wherein one of the points corresponds to the origin and wherein one of the points corresponds to the destination; selecting one of the autonomous vehicles for performing the mission based at least in part on the first information and the second information by the at least one computer server; selecting a route for the selected autonomous vehicle from the origin to the destination by the at least one computer server based at least in part on the first information and the second information by the at least one computer server, wherein the selected route is defined by at least some of the plurality of paths of the navigable path network extending between the origin and the destination; and sending, over the communications network, third information regarding the selected route to the selected autonomous vehicle, wherein the third information comprises at least one instruction for causing the selected autonomous vehicle to perform the mission while traveling along the selected route from the origin to the destination. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method comprising:
-
identifying information regarding a plurality of deliveries of items within an area, wherein each of the deliveries of items is from a first location to a second location by way of at least a third location using one of a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and wherein the information regarding the plurality of deliveries comprises, for each of the deliveries of items, at least one of; a time of a departure of one of the autonomous vehicles from the first location; a time of an arrival of the one of the autonomous vehicles at the second location; a time of an arrival of the one of the autonomous vehicles at the at least one third location; at least one dimension of the one of the autonomous vehicles;
orat least one attribute of at least one item delivered from the first location to the second location by way of the at least one third location; defining a navigable path network associated with the area based at least in part on the information regarding the plurality of deliveries, wherein the navigable path network comprises a plurality of paths and a plurality of points, wherein each of the plurality of points corresponds to a location within the area, and wherein each of the paths extends between two of the plurality of points; receiving, over a communications network, a request for a delivery of a first item at a first time, wherein the request identifies an origin for the delivery of the first item and a destination for the delivery of the first item, and wherein each of the origin and the destination is within the area; determining at least one attribute of the first item; selecting a first autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles for delivery of the first item along the selected route based at least in part on the at least one attribute of the first item; determining at least one attribute of the area at the first time, wherein the at least one attribute of the area is at least one of; a ground surface condition of at least a portion of the area at the first time; a traffic condition in at least the portion of the area at the first time;
oran environmental condition in at least the portion of the area at the first time; selecting a route from a point of the navigable path network corresponding to the origin to a point of the navigable path network corresponding to the destination based at least in part on the at least one attribute of the area at the first time, wherein the selected route comprises at least a first path of the navigable path network; and transmitting, over the communications network, a plurality of instructions for delivering at least the first item from the origin to the destination to the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the plurality of instructions comprises a first instruction to travel on at least a first course and at least a first speed on the at least one path of the navigable path network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification