AUTOMATED PACKAGE DELIVERY TO UNMANNED KIOSK

• US 20180330323A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 11/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Trew, Brandon Kyle, Epstein, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/275,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20180330323A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups

Abstract

Automated package deliveries comprises a delivery drone that executes a method to receive, from a package delivery system computing device, information associated with a kiosk location for delivery of a package, the information comprising an identification of the package. The delivery device secures the package for transporting to the delivery location and transports the package to the kiosk location. The delivery device establishes a communication with the kiosk and verifies that the kiosk is associated with the identification of the package. The delivery device receives instructions from the kiosk for depositing the package in a bay of the kiosk and deposits the package in the bay of the kiosk. The kiosk receives the package from the aerial delivery device and transports the package to a package bin. The kiosk receives an input of a user authentication from the user and provides access to the package bin to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to deliver packages by an unmanned delivery device to unmanned kiosks and store the packages in one or a plurality of compartments for retrieval by users, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, a request for a package delivery, the request comprising an identification of a package and an identification of an unmanned kiosk location for delivery;

associating, by the one or more computing devices, the package with an unmanned delivery device;

associating with the package, by the one or more computing devices, a user authentication to retrieve the package;

transmitting to the delivery device, by the one or more computing devices, information associated with the kiosk location comprising the kiosk location and information associated with the package;

transmitting to the kiosk, by the one or more computing devices, the identification of the package and the user authentication to retrieve the package;

receiving, by the kiosk, a communication from the delivery device, the communication comprising an identification of the delivery device and the identification of the package;

preparing, by the kiosk, a bay for receiving the package from the delivery device;

transmitting, by the kiosk to the delivery device, a approach route to the bay;

receiving, by the kiosk, the package at the prepared bay from the delivery device;

transporting, by an unmanned, mechanical mechanism of the kiosk, the package from the prepared bay to a particular one of a plurality of package bins, the particular one of the plurality of package bins being associated with the user authentication;

receiving, by the kiosk, an input of the user authentication from the user;

verifying, by the kiosk, the user authentication based on the identification of the package and the received user authentication; and

providing, by the kiosk, access to the particular package bin to the user based on the verified user authentication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the kiosk location comprises a GPS location of the kiosk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of a kiosk location for delivery comprises an address of the kiosk.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the kiosk, instructions to the delivery device to deposit the package in the bay.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transporting of the package to the particular package bin is performed by an automated mechanical system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a verification from the kiosk that the package has been retrieved by the user.

2. (canceled)

8. A system for automated package deliveries by unmanned delivery devices, comprising:

a storage device for a delivery device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to;

receive, from a package delivery system computing device, information associated with a kiosk location for delivery of a package, the information comprising an identification of the package;

secure the package for transporting to the delivery location;

transport the package to the kiosk location;

establish a communication with the kiosk;

verify that the kiosk is associated with the identification of the package;

receive instructions from the kiosk for depositing the package in a bay of the kiosk; and

deposit the package in the bay of the kiosk.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a storage device for a kiosk; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device for the kiosk, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to;

receive a communication from the delivery device, the communication comprising an identification of the delivery device and information associated with the package;

prepare a bay for receiving the package from the aerial delivery device;

receive the package from the aerial delivery device;

transport the package to a package bin;

receive an input of a user authentication from the user;

verify the user authentication based on the information associated with the package and the transmitted user authentication; and

provide access to the package bin to the user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the kiosk location comprises a GPS location of the kiosk.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the kiosk location comprises an address of the kiosk.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising transmitting instructions to the delivery device to deposit the package in the bay

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the transporting of the package to a package bin is performed by an automated mechanical system.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to deliver packages to unmanned kiosks and store the packages in one or a plurality of compartments for retrieval by users, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to receive a request for a package delivery, the request comprising an identification of a package and an identification of an unmanned kiosk location for delivery;

computer-executable program instructions to transmit, to an aerial delivery device, information associated with the kiosk location comprising the kiosk location and information associated with the package;

computer-executable program instructions to associate a user authentication with the package;

computer-executable program instructions to receive a communication from the aerial delivery device, the communication comprising an identification of the aerial delivery device and information associated with the package;

computer-executable program instructions to prepare a bay for receiving the package from the aerial delivery device;

computer-executable program instructions to transmit, to the delivery device, a approach route to the bay;

computer-executable program instructions to receive the package from the aerial delivery device;

computer-executable program instructions to engage an unmanned mechanical mechanism to transport the package to a particular one of a plurality of package bins;

computer-executable program instructions to receive an input of the user authentication from the user;

computer-executable program instructions to verify the user authentication based on the information associated with the package and the received user authentication; and

computer-executable program instructions to provide access to the particular package bin to the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-readable program instructions to transmit instructions to the aerial delivery device to deposit the package in the bay.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the transporting of the package to the particular one of the plurality of package bins is performed by an automated mechanical system.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-readable program instructions to a verification that the package has been retrieved by the user.