AGENT INTERACTION DURING OPERATION OF AN UNMANNED DELIVERY SERVICE

• US 20170011339A1
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Buford, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 11,100,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for providing agent interaction during item delivery in an unmanned delivery service. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining that a first agent of a contact center should communicate through an unmanned delivery device at a first delivery location, wherein the unmanned delivery device transports a first item for delivery to the first delivery location. The method further provides connecting a first client system operated by the first agent to the unmanned delivery device when the unmanned delivery device is at the first delivery location and exchanging communications for the agent between the first client system and the unmanned delivery device.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating an unmanned delivery service, the method comprising:

determining that a first agent of a contact center should communicate through an unmanned delivery device at a first delivery location, wherein the unmanned delivery device transports a first item for delivery to the first delivery location;

connecting a first client system operated by the first agent to the unmanned delivery device when the unmanned delivery device is at the first delivery location;

exchanging communications for the agent between the first client system and the unmanned delivery device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging the communications comprises:

in the first client system, receiving video captured of the first delivery location by the unmanned delivery device and displaying the video to the first agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging the communications comprises:

from the first client system, transferring audio captured of the first agent to the unmanned delivery device for presentation at the first delivery location by the unmanned delivery device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein exchanging the communications further comprises:

from the first client system, transferring video captured of the first agent in conjunction with the audio to the unmanned delivery device for display at the first delivery location by the unmanned delivery device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging the communications comprises:

in the first client system, receiving information from the unmanned delivery device and using the information to validate that a person at the first delivery location is authorized to receive the first item; and

upon validating the person, transferring a signal from the first client system to the unmanned delivery device instructing the unmanned delivery device to release the first item to the person.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from the first agent into the first client system instructing that communications be exchanged between the unmanned delivery device and a second client system operated by a second agent; and

connecting the second client system to the unmanned delivery device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first agent of the contact center should communicate through the unmanned delivery device at the first delivery location comprises:

identifying a plurality of items, including the first item, for delivery via a plurality of unmanned delivery devices, including the first unmanned delivery device, to a plurality of delivery locations, including the first delivery location;

scheduling a plurality of agents, including the first agent, such that an agent of the plurality of agents is able to communicate at each of the plurality of delivery locations.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein scheduling the plurality of agents comprises:

distributing delivery times for each of the plurality of items such that the number of items being delivered at any one time does not exceed the number of agents in the plurality of agents.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the unmanned delivery device is not steered to the first delivery location by the first agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the unmanned delivery device comprises an aerial drone.

11. A client system operated by a first agent of a contact center for an unmanned delivery service, the client system comprising:

a communication interface configured to connect to an unmanned delivery device when the unmanned delivery device is at a first delivery location in response to a delivery management system determining that the first agent should communicate through the unmanned delivery device at the first delivery location, wherein the unmanned delivery device transports a first item for delivery to the first delivery location;

the communication interface further configured to exchange communications for the agent with the unmanned delivery device.

12. The client system of claim 11, wherein the communication interface configured to exchange the communications comprises the communication interface configured to receive video captured of the first delivery location by the unmanned delivery device and the client system further comprising:

a user interface configured to display the video to the first agent.

13. The client system of claim 11, wherein the communication interface configured to exchange the communications comprises:

the communication interface configured to transfer audio captured of the first agent to the unmanned delivery device for presentation at the first delivery location by the unmanned delivery device.

14. The client system of claim 13, wherein the communication interface configured to exchange the communications further comprises:

the communication interface configured to transfer video captured of the first agent in conjunction with the audio to the unmanned delivery device for display at the first delivery location by the unmanned delivery device.

15. The client system of claim 11, wherein the communication interface configured to exchange the communications comprises:

the communication interface configured to receive information from the unmanned delivery device and using the information to validate that a person at the first delivery location is authorized to receive the first item and, upon the person being validated, transfer a signal from the first client to the unmanned delivery device instructing the unmanned delivery device to release the first item to the person.

16. The client system of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive input from the first agent instructing that communications be exchanged between the unmanned delivery device and a second client system operated by a second agent, wherein the second client is connected to the unmanned delivery device.

17. A delivery management system for facilitating an unmanned delivery service, the delivery management system comprising:

a processing system configured to determine that a first agent of a contact center should communicate through an unmanned delivery device at a first delivery location, wherein the unmanned delivery device transports a first item for delivery to the first delivery location;

a communication interface configured to connect a first client system operated by the first agent to the unmanned delivery device when the unmanned delivery device is at the first delivery location, wherein communications are exchanged for the agent between the first client system and the unmanned delivery device.

18. The delivery management system of claim 17, wherein input is received from the first agent into the first client system instructing that communications be exchanged between the unmanned delivery device and a second client system operated by a second agent, and the delivery management system further comprising:

the communication interface configured to connect the second client system to the unmanned delivery device.

19. The delivery management system of claim 17, wherein the processing system configured to determine that the first agent of the contact center should communicate through the unmanned delivery device at the first delivery location comprises:

the processing system configured to identify a plurality of items, including the first item, for delivery via a plurality of unmanned delivery devices, including the first unmanned delivery device, to a plurality of delivery locations, including the first delivery location, and schedule a plurality of agents, including the first agent, such that an agent of the plurality of agents is able to communicate at each of the plurality of delivery locations.

20. The delivery management system of claim 19, wherein the processing system configured to schedule the plurality of agents comprises:

the processing system configured to distribute delivery times for each of the plurality of items such that the number of items being delivered at any one time does not exceed the number of agents in the plurality of agents.