Method and Apparatus for Dispatching an Airborne Drone to Carry an Item to a Customer

• US 20170132562A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Thompson, John P., Atchley, Michael D., Natarajan, Chandrashekar
• Granted Patent: US 10,474,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/92 Portable platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/20 with arrangements for servicing the UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A control circuit dispatches towards a delivery zone a terrestrial vehicle that carries at least one airborne drone and at least one item to be delivered to a customer. When the terrestrial vehicle is in the delivery zone, the drone is dispatched to carry the item to the customer. By one approach the drone exits the terrestrial vehicle without bearing the item. The item can be automatically moved from within the terrestrial vehicle to a position such that the item is at least partially exposed external to the terrestrial vehicle. The airborne drone, subsequent to exiting the terrestrial vehicle, can engage the item in order to then deliver that item to the customer. By one approach the terrestrial vehicle includes one or more platforms that support one or more airborne drones and that can be moved from within the terrestrial vehicle to a deployed position external to the terrestrial vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a control circuit;

dispatching a terrestrial vehicle that carries at least one airborne drone and at least one item to be delivered to a customer towards a delivery zone;

when the terrestrial vehicle is in the delivery zone, dispatching the airborne drone to carry the item to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the terrestrial vehicle is in the delivery zone, causing the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein causing the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item comprises causing the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle while the terrestrial vehicle is stationary.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

when the terrestrial vehicle is in the delivery zone, and after the airborne drone has exited the terrestrial vehicle without the item, causing the airborne drone to engage the item.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein causing the airborne drone to engage the item includes automatically moving the item from within the terrestrial vehicle to a position such that the item is at least partially exposed external to the terrestrial vehicle.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein causing the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item includes, at least in part, opening a portal through a backside of the terrestrial vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein causing the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item further includes moving a platform that supports the airborne drone through the portal such that the airborne drone is fully positioned external to the terrestrial vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is physically remote from the terrestrial vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the terrestrial vehicle carries a plurality of airborne drones and a plurality of items to be delivered to a plurality of different customers within the delivery zone.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein dispatching the airborne drone to carry the item to the customer comprises dispatching a first airborne drone to carry a first one of the items to a first customer and dispatching a second airborne drone to carry a second one of the items to a second customer that is different than the first customer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein dispatching the airborne drone to carry the item to the customer comprises dispatching a first airborne drone to carry a first one of the items to the customer and dispatching a second airborne drone to carry a second one of the items to the same customer.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a terrestrial vehicle that carries at least one airborne drone and at least one item to be delivered to a customer in a delivery zone;

a control circuit configured to dispatch the airborne drone to carry the item to the customer when the terrestrial vehicle is in the delivery zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

cause the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item when the terrestrial vehicle is in the delivery zone.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item by causing the airborne drone to exit the terrestrial vehicle while the terrestrial vehicle is stationary.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the airborne drone is configured to engage the item after the airborne drone has exited the terrestrial vehicle without the item.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the terrestrial vehicle is configured to automatically moving the item from within the terrestrial vehicle to a position such that the item is at least partially exposed external to the terrestrial vehicle such that the airborne drone can engage the item.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the terrestrial vehicle is configured to open a portal through a backside of the terrestrial vehicle through which the airborne drone can exit the terrestrial vehicle without the item.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the terrestrial vehicle is further configured to automatically move a platform that supports the airborne drone through the portal such that the airborne drone is fully positioned external to the terrestrial vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the terrestrial vehicle carries a plurality of airborne drones and a plurality of items to be delivered to a plurality of different customers within the delivery zone.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the control circuit is configured to dispatch the airborne drone to carry the item to the customer by dispatching a first airborne drone to carry a first one of the items to a first customer and dispatching a second airborne drone to carry a second one of the items to a second customer that is different than the first customer.