ROBOT PICKUP METHOD

• US 20180327236A1
• Filed: 09/18/2017
• Published: 11/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonomy Squared LLC
• Original Assignee: Zippy, Inc. (Cruise LLC)
• Inventors: Sibley, Gabriel T
• Granted Patent: US 11,009,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/149 with central server link
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/04 with a tipping movement of load-transporting element dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/007 for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/667 Delivering or retrieving payloads
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00 Franking apparatus printing aspects B41
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A computer-implemented robot pickup method including receiving a request from a user to pick up an article at a first location. A robot having a closeable transport container is navigated to the first location. The robot opens the closeable transport container and moves the article inside the closeable transport container at the first location, and navigates over an outdoor transportation network from the first location to the second location to deliver the article to the second location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising receiving a request from a user to pick up an article at a first location, navigating a robot configured to travel on roads, bike paths and sidewalks and having a closeable transport container to the first location, causing the robot to open the closeable transport container and move the article inside the transport container at the first location and navigating the robot over an outdoor transportation network that includes roads, bike paths and sidewalks from the first location to the second location for delivering the article to the second location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a pickup container at the first location to deliver the article from the pickup container to the transport container at the first location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pickup container has a transport mechanism for removing the article from the pickup container for delivery to the transport container at the first location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transport mechanism is inside the pickup container.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the pickup container is a closeable pickup container and the causing the pickup container step includes opening the pickup container.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the transport container has an interior and an opening communicating with the interior of the transport container and the pickup container has an interior and an opening communicating with the interior of the pickup container, further comprising causing the robot to align the opening of the transport container with the opening of the pickup container.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the robot has a first assembly for causing the transport container to translate in three orthogonal directions relative to the pickup container and a second assembly for causing the transport container to rotate about three orthogonal axes relative to the pickup container for permitting alignment of the opening of the transport container with the opening of the pickup container.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the robot step includes causing the robot to pick up the article from the ground at the first location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport container has a transport mechanism for moving the article inside the transport container.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot is wheeled vehicle free of a human driver compartment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes purchasing the article by the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigating the robot over an outdoor transportation network step include accessing a virtual map to chart a course over the outdoor transportation network from the first location to the second location.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising receiving a request from a user to deliver an article from a first location to the second location, placing the article in a pickup container at the first location, navigating a robot configured to travel along roads, bike paths and sidewalks and having a transport container to the first location, autonomously moving the article from the pickup container to the transport container at the first location and additionally navigating the robot over an outdoor transportation network from the first location to the second location for delivering the article to the second location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pickup container is a closeable pickup container and the transport container is a closeable transport container and wherein the autonomous moving step includes autonomously opening the closeable pickup container and autonomously opening the closeable transport container.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the additionally navigating step includes autonomously navigating the robot over an outdoor transportation network from the first location to the second location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the navigating the robot to the first location step includes autonomously navigating the robot to the first location.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the robot is a wheeled vehicle.