Delivery System and Delivery Method

• US 20180059659A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: TAKEUCHI, Takashi, KAZAMA, Yoriko, FUJIWARA, Ryosuke, KURIYAMA, Akira
• Application Number:
  US15/614,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/00 Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for captive aircraft B64F3/00
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/92 Portable platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

To provide a delivery system by which an unmanned aerial vehicle can be safely landed at a landing site, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can be landed at the desired site with high accuracy, a delivery system, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle that delivers a package to a delivery destination; a control server that manages delivery of the package; and an access point set in a vicinity of a landing site of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to: communicate with the control server through the access point when inside a predetermined range; and communicate with the control server through a telecommunications carrier network outside of the predetermined range.

Claims

1. A delivery system, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle that delivers a package to a delivery destination;

a control server that manages delivery of the package; and

an access point set in a vicinity of a landing site of the unmanned aerial vehicle,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to;

communicate with the control server through the access point when inside a predetermined range; and

communicate with the control server through a telecommunications carrier network outside of the predetermined range.

2. The delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined range is a range in which the unmanned aerial vehicle can communicate with the access point.

3. The delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to:

verify whether identification information transmitted from the access point coincides with identification information included in a delivery command; and

notify the control server of expected arrival to the landing site, through the access point in which verification of the identification information was successful.

4. The delivery system according to claim 1, further comprising a pad set up at the delivery destination, the pad having the access point and indicating the landing site so as to be able to be confirmed visually from above.

5. The delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to search for the landing site by using a strength of a signal transmitted from the access point within the predetermined range.

6. The delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the control server is configured to:

verify whether a code inputted at the delivery destination coinsides with a predetermined code; and

determine that the package has arrived at the delivery destination in a case where verification of the code is successful.

7. The delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to notify the control server that the package has been retrieved in a case of detecting that the package has been retrieved, and

wherein the control server is configured to issue a command to the unmanned aerial vehicle to take off after confirming that the package has been retrieved.

8. The delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a camera that captures images of a periphery thereof,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to transmit the images captured by the camera to the control server through the access point when inside the predetermined range, and

wherein the control server is configured to:

generate data for displaying the images transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

transmit a flight command to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The delivery system according to claim 8,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a positioning unit that acquires location information,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to transmit the location information to the control server through the access point when inside the predetermined range, and

wherein the control server is configured to generate data for displaying a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle on a map by using the location information transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The delivery system according to claim 9,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a sensor that acquires attitude information,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to transmit the attitude information to the control server through the access point when inside the predetermined range, and

wherein the control server is configured to:

estimate a range captured by the images on the basis of the attitude information and the location information; and

generate data for displaying on a map the range captured by the images.

11. The delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to:

communicate with the control server while switching among a plurality of the access points, and

transmit flight information to the control server through at least one of the access points.

12. A delivery method by which a delivery system delivers a package,

wherein the delivery system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle that delivers a package to a delivery destination, a control server that manages delivery of the package, and an access point set in a vicinity of a landing site of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and

wherein the method includes steps of:

communicating, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, with the control server through the access point when inside a predetermined range; and

communicating, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, with the control server through a telecommunications carrier network outside of the predetermined range.

13. The delivery method according to claim 12,

wherein the delivery system further includes a pad set up at the delivery destination, the pad having the access point and indicating the landing site so as to be able to be confirmed visually from above, and

wherein the delivery method includes a step of communicating, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, with the control server through the access point included in the pad when inside the predetermined range.

14. The delivery method according to claim 12,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a camera that captures images of a periphery thereof,

wherein the delivery method further includes steps of:

transmitting, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, the images captured by the camera to the control server through the access point when inside the predetermined range,

generating, by the control server, data for displaying the images transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle, and

transmitting, by the control server, a flight command to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The delivery method according to claim 12, further including steps of:

communicating, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, with the control server while switching among a plurality of the access points, and

transmitting, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, flight information to the control server through at least one of the access points.