PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITATED DRONE DELIVERY

• US 20170011340A1
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Gabbai, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,867,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for public transport infrastructure facilitated drone delivery are provided. In example embodiments, a request to deliver a package to a drop-off destination using a drone is received. Public infrastructure information is accessed. A public infrastructure terminal from which the drone delivers the package is identified based on the public infrastructure information. An instruction is communicated to transport the package to the identified public. A drone delivery route from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination is determined based on the public infrastructure information. An instruction to deliver the package using the drone delivery route is communicated to the drone.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a communication module to receive a request to deliver a package to a designated location using an unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), the request including geolocation information of the designated location;

a data module to access public infrastructure information that includes public infrastructure terminal location information;

a geolocation module to identify a public infrastructure terminal from which the UAV delivers the package to the designated location based on the public infrastructure terminal location information and the geolocation information of the designated location;

a delivery route module, implemented by at least one hardware processor of a machine, to determine a UAV delivery route from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the designated location based on the public infrastructure information; and

the communication module further to communicate, to the UAV, an instruction for the UAV to deliver the package from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the designated location using the UAV delivery route.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an eligibility module to determine whether the package is eligible for UAV-assisted delivery, based on one or more of package size, package weight, geolocation information of the designated location, cost of packaged item, or perishability of packaged item; and

the communication module further to;

refuse the request for delivery using a UAV based on the eligibility module determining that the package is ineligible for UAV-assisted delivery, and

accept the request for delivery using a UAV based on the eligibility module determining that the package is eligible for UAV-assisted delivery.

3. A method comprising:

receiving a request to deliver a package to a drop-off destination using a drone, the request including location information of the drop-off destination;

accessing public infrastructure information that includes public infrastructure terminal location information;

identifying a public infrastructure terminal from which the drone delivers the package to the drop-off destination based on the public infrastructure terminal location information and the location information of the drop-off destination;

determining, using at least one hardware processor of a machine, a drone delivery route from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination based on the public infrastructure information; and

communicating, to the drone, an instruction for the drone to deliver the package from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination using the drone delivery route.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identified public infrastructure terminal comprises at least one of a bus stop, a train station, a harbor, or an airport.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating an instruction to transport the package to the identified public infrastructure terminal; and

receiving an indication that the package has arrived at the identified public infrastructure terminal;

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

reversing the drone delivery route from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination; and

communicating, to the drone, an instruction to return to the identified public infrastructure terminal using the reversed drone delivery route.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, prior to delivering the package to the drop-off destination, a public infrastructure vehicle to pick up the drone from the identified public infrastructure terminal after delivery of the package; and

communicating, to the drone, an instruction for the drone to return to the public infrastructure vehicle based on the public infrastructure vehicle arriving at the identified public infrastructure terminal.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, after the drone returns to the identified public infrastructure terminal using the reversed drone delivery route, a public infrastructure vehicle to pick up the drone from the identified public infrastructure terminal;

wherein the public infrastructure vehicle is determined based on at least one of a minimum time for a particular public infrastructure vehicle to arrive at the identified public infrastructure terminal, a number of packages on board the particular public infrastructure vehicle, or a number of drones on the particular public infrastructure vehicle that arrives at the identified public infrastructure terminal; and

communicating, to the drone, an instruction to return to the particular public infrastructure vehicle based on the particular public infrastructure vehicle arriving at the identified public infrastructure terminal.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the public infrastructure vehicle comprises at least one of a bus, a train, a boat, a taxi, a truck, a car, a driverless vehicle, or a plane.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the drone delivery route comprises identifying the drone delivery route according to delivery parameters, the delivery parameters including at least one of a shortest or near-shortest distance from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination, a shortest or near-shortest transit time from the package origin to the drop-off destination, a desired drop-off time, or a number of packages being marked for delivery to the identified public infrastructure terminal.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing, within a route database, possible drop-off destination coordinates and acceptable delivery routes within a predetermined radius of each public infrastructure terminal;

wherein the determining the drone delivery route comprises determining the drone delivery route according to the route database, the drone delivery route being an acceptable delivery route with a shortest path from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the drone delivery route is confined to airspace above public areas including streets and sidewalks.

13. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

updating, at a pre-determined time interval, a database including a current location of the drone.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication that the package has arrived at the identified public infrastructure terminal is in response to detecting a physical identifier coupled to the package.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the physical identifier comprises at least one of an RFID tag, a smart tag, a barcode, or a QR code.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accessing delivery status information that includes at least one of;

number of packages not yet delivered, package delivery deadlines, number of drones on any specific bus, or number of drones near any specific public infrastructure terminal; and

determining, dynamically at a predetermined time interval or in response to changed conditions, the public infrastructure terminal a drone is transported to using the delivery status information.

17. A machine-readable medium having no transitory signals and storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to deliver a package to a drop-off destination using a drone, the request including location information of the drop-off destination;

accessing public infrastructure information that includes public infrastructure terminal location information;

identifying a public infrastructure terminal from which the drone delivers the package to the drop-off destination based on the public infrastructure terminal location information and the location information of the drop-off destination;

determining a drone delivery route from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination based on the public infrastructure information; and

communicating, to the drone, an instruction for the drone to deliver the package from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination using the drone delivery route.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving sensor data from the drone when the drone travels along the drone delivery route, wherein the sensor data comprises geolocations where drone flight was unsuccessful;

accessing a database containing acceptable routes within a predetermined radius of each public infrastructure terminal;

comparing the sensor data of geolocations where drone flight was unsuccessful with the acceptable routes data; and

modifying the acceptable routes data to exclude the geolocations where drone flight was unsuccessful.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the determining the drone delivery route comprises:

identifying the drone delivery route according to delivery parameters, the delivery parameters including at least one of a shortest or near-shortest distance from the identified public infrastructure terminal to the drop-off destination, a shortest or near-shortest transit time from the package origin to the drop-off destination, or a number of packages being marked for delivery to the identified public infrastructure terminal.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a drone return route from the drop-off destination to the identified public infrastructure terminal; and

communicating, to the drone, an instruction to return to the identified public infrastructure terminal using the drone return route.