SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING PRODUCTS VIA UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES TO DELIVERY LOCATIONS DESIGNATED BY CUSTOMERS

• US 20180174102A1
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Winkle, David C., High, Donald R., Mattingly, Todd D.
• Granted Patent: US 11,074,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for facilitating delivery, via unmanned aerial vehicles, of products ordered by a customer of a retailer to a customer-selected physical location of a person other than the customer.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating delivery of products ordered by a customer of a retailer to a physical location of a person other than the customer of the retailer via an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

an order processing server of the retailer configured to process an order for a product placed by a customer, wherein the order for the product placed by the customer specifies that the product be delivered to a physical location of the person other than the customer;

a computing device of the retailer including a processor-based control circuit, the computing device of the retailer configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the physical location of the person other than the customer;

wherein the control circuit is configured to analyze the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the person other than the customer and to obtain a product drop off zone for an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying the product ordered by the customer at the physical location of the person other than the customer, and to transmit a first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the first electronic notification including landing instructions to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the product drop off zone; and

wherein the unmanned delivery vehicle, upon receipt of the first electronic notification from the computing device of the retailer, is configured to land at the product drop off zone based on the landing instructions, and to permit the person other than the customer to retrieve the product ordered by the customer from the unmanned delivery vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the order for the product placed by the customer specifies that the product be delivered to a physical location of a mobile computing device of the person other than the customer, and wherein the computing device of the retailer is configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the physical location of the mobile computing device of the person other than the customer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to analyze the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the person other than the customer and transmit a satellite image of the physical location of the person other than the customer to a graphical interface on an electronic computing device of the customer, and wherein the customer is permitted to at least one of zoom in on, shift, rotate, and center the satellite image in the graphical interface, and to place a cursor on the satellite image in the graphical interface to indicate the product drop off zone for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a transmission from the electronic computing device of the customer, the transmission indicating the placement of the cursor on the satellite image in the graphical interface by the customer to indicate the product drop off zone for the unmanned aerial vehicle, and to transmit the first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle including the landing instructions based on the received transmission from the electronic computing device of the customer.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the graphic interface on the electronic computing device of the customer includes a clickable product drop off zone location button, and the customer is permitted to click the product drop off zone location button after placement of the cursor on the satellite image in the graphical interface to indicate the product drop off zone for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein a graphic interface on a mobile computing device of the person other than the customer includes a camera button configured to permit the person other than the customer to snap, via the mobile computing device of the person of than the customer, a first digital photograph of the product drop off zone.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the first digital photograph of the product drop off zone from the mobile computing device of the person other than the customer, and to transmit the first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle including the landing instructions based on the received first digital photograph to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the product drop off zone.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a second digital photograph of the product drop off zone from the unmanned aerial vehicle, to compare the first and second digital photographs to verify the product drop off zone, and to transmit the first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle including the landing instructions based on the comparison of the first and second digital photographs to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the product drop off zone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, an electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the person other than the customer at the physical location of the person other than the customer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein in response to receipt, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, of the electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the person other than the customer, the control circuit is further configured to transmit, to an electronic computing device of a customer, an electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the person other than the customer at the physical location of the person other than the customer.

11. A method for facilitating delivery of products ordered by a customer of a retailer to a physical location of a person other than the customer of the retailer via an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an order processing server of the retailer configured to process an order for a product placed by a customer, the order for the product placed by the customer specifying that the product be delivered to a physical location of the person other than the customer;

providing a computing device of the retailer including a processor-based control circuit, the computing device of the retailer configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the physical location of the person other than the customer;

analyzing, via the control circuit of the computing device of the retailer, the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the person other than the customer;

obtaining, via the control circuit of the computing device of the retailer, a product drop off zone for an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying the product ordered by the customer at the physical location of the person other than the customer; and

transmitting a first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the first electronic notification including landing instructions to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the product drop off zone, the unmanned delivery vehicle, upon receipt of the first electronic notification from the computing device of the retailer, landing at the product drop off zone based on the landing instructions and permitting the person other than the customer to retrieve the product ordered by the customer from the unmanned delivery vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the order for the product placed by the customer specifies that the product be delivered to a physical location of a mobile computing device of the person other than the customer, and wherein the computing device of the retailer is configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the physical location of the mobile computing device of the person other than the customer.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising analyzing, via the control circuit of the computing device of the retailer, the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the person other than the customer and transmit a satellite image of the physical location of the person other than the customer and transmitting, from the computing device of the retailer, a satellite image of the physical location of the person other than the customer to a graphical interface on an electronic computing device of the customer, and further comprising permitting the customer to at least one of zoom in on, shift, rotate, and center the satellite image in the graphical interface, and to place a cursor on the satellite image in the graphical interface to indicate the product drop off zone for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, via the control circuit of the computing device of the retailer, a transmission from the electronic computing device of the customer, the transmission indicating the placement of the cursor on the satellite image in the graphical interface by the customer to indicate the product drop off zone for the unmanned aerial vehicle, and transmitting, from the computing device of the retailer, the first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle including the landing instructions based on the received transmission from the electronic computing device of the customer.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a clickable drop off zone location button in the graphic interface on the electronic computing device of the customer, and permitting the customer to click the product drop off zone location button after placement of the cursor on the satellite image in the graphical interface to indicate the drop off zone for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a camera button in the graphic interface on a mobile computing device of the person other than the customer, and permitting the person other than the customer to snap, via the mobile computing device of the person of than the customer, a first digital photograph of the product drop off zone.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving, via the control circuit, the first digital photograph of the product drop off zone from the mobile computing device of the person other than the customer, and transmitting, via the control circuit, the first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle including the landing instructions based on the received first digital photograph to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the product drop off zone.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving, via the control circuit of the computing device of the retailer, a second digital photograph of the product drop off zone from the unmanned aerial vehicle, comparing the first and second digital photographs to verify the product drop off zone, and transmitting the first electronic notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle including the landing instructions based on the comparison of the first and second digital photographs to guide the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the product drop off zone.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, via the control circuit of the computing device of the retailer, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, an electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the person other than the customer at the physical location of the person other than the customer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting, via the control circuit and in response to receipt, from the unmanned aerial vehicle, of the electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the person other than the customer, an electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the person other than the customer at the physical location of the person other than the customer.