RECIPIENT CUSTOMIZED DELIVERY PATHS FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DELIVERIES

• US 20180121876A1
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DOHERTY, JESSICA P., LAGARES-GREENBLATT, HEIDI, MCCOY, JUSTIN A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,546,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• 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: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries are provided. Aspects include receiving, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package and receiving, from the delivery recipient, a flight plan associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein at least one of the flight plans include an authorized path across a private property. Aspects also include receiving, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations should be used to deliver the package and storing, by a processor in a computer readable medium, the set of delivery recipient preferences for use in determining a delivery location for a package to the delivery recipient.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries, the method comprising:

receiving, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a flight plan associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein at least one of the flight plans includes an authorized path across a private property;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations should be used to deliver the package; and

storing, by a processor in a computer readable medium, the set of delivery recipient preferences for use in determining a delivery location for a package to the delivery recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the flight plans includes a delivery path having a width along the delivery path, a speed along the delivery path and an altitude along the delivery path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the delivery path is a path along one or more waypoints, each having a specified latitude and longitude.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by capturing the specified latitude and longitude using a portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by marking a location on an electronic map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and one or more characteristics of the package.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a weather condition at a time of the delivery.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a location of the delivery recipient at a time of the delivery.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a time of the delivery.

10. A system for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions comprising;

receiving, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a flight plan associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein at least one of the flight plans includes an authorized path across a private property;

receiving, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations should be used to deliver the package; and

storing the set of delivery recipient preferences for use in determining a delivery location for a package to the delivery recipient.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the flight plans includes a delivery path having a width along the delivery path, a speed along the delivery path and an altitude along the delivery path.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the delivery path is a path along one or more waypoints, each having a specified latitude and longitude.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by capturing the specified latitude and longitude using a portable electronic device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by marking a location on an electronic map.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and one or more characteristics of the package.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of delivery recipient preferences includes a correlation between the one or more delivery locations and a weather condition at a time of the delivery.

17. A computer program product for creating customized delivery paths for unmanned aerial vehicle deliveries, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive, from a delivery recipient, one or more delivery locations for a delivery of a package;

receive, from the delivery recipient, a flight plan associated with each of the one or more delivery locations, wherein at least one of the flight plans includes an authorized path across a private property;

receive, from the delivery recipient, a set of delivery recipient preferences that are used to determine which of the one or more delivery locations should be used to deliver the package; and

store the set of delivery recipient preferences for use in determining a delivery location for a package to the delivery recipient.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein each of the flight plans includes a delivery path having a width along the delivery path, a speed along the delivery path and an altitude along the delivery path.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the delivery path is a path along one or more waypoints, each having a specified latitude and longitude.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein each of the one or more waypoints is specified by capturing the specified latitude and longitude using a portable electronic device.