AUTONOMOUSLY DELIVERING ITEMS TO CORRESPONDING DELIVERY LOCATIONS PROXIMATE A DELIVERY ROUTE

• US 20180356823A1
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Published: 12/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cooper, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 10,775,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/00 Dropping, ejecting, releasing, or receiving articles, liquids, or the like, in flight with respect to weapon sights devices F41G takes precedence, parachutes per se B64D17/00; ejectable seats B64D25/10; ejectable capsules B64D25/12; refuelling during flight B64D39/00; launching apparatus for projecting projectiles or missiles F41F1/00, F41F7/00; rocket or torpedo launchers F41F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• 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: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 : Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

Various systems and methodologies may be utilized to determine whether a particular shipment/item is eligible for delivery between a manual delivery vehicle and a final destination location via an autonomous delivery vehicle. To ensure autonomous deliveries are performed in a resource effective manner, shipments/items deemed eligible for autonomous delivery may be vetted by comparing the destination for the autonomous delivery shipment/item against one or more manual delivery destinations (serviced by the manual delivery vehicle operator), and ultimately identifying an optimal launch location for the autonomous delivery vehicle to leave the manual delivery vehicle to complete the autonomous delivery. If the autonomous delivery location does not satisfy applicable autonomous delivery criteria, the autonomous delivery shipment/item may be reclassified for manual delivery by the manual delivery vehicle operator.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle item delivery system for autonomously delivering at least one item to a destination location, the system comprising:

a manual delivery vehicle operable by a vehicle operator, wherein the manual delivery vehicle is configured to traverse an assigned manual delivery vehicle route between a plurality of manual delivery locations;

an autonomous delivery vehicle configured for autonomously transporting at least one item between the manual delivery vehicle and an autonomous delivery location; and

a computing entity comprising one or more memory storage areas and one or more hardware processors, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to;

receive item data for the at least one item identified for autonomous delivery, wherein the item data identifies an autonomous delivery location for the at least one item;

determining, based at least in part on the item data, a launch location along the manual delivery vehicle route for the at least one item; and

wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to depart the manual delivery vehicle at the launch location to deliver the at least one item to the autonomous delivery location.

2. The autonomous vehicle item delivery system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The autonomous vehicle item delivery system of claim 1, wherein the manual delivery vehicle comprises an onboard computing entity configured to monitor the location of the manual delivery vehicle relative to the launch location, and wherein the onboard computing entity of the manual delivery vehicle is configured to transmit a signal to the autonomous delivery vehicle when the manual delivery vehicle is at least substantially located at the launch location.

4. The autonomous vehicle item delivery system of claim 1, wherein the launch location is a manual delivery location for a second item.

5. The autonomous vehicle item delivery system of claim 1, wherein the launch location is located within a predefined distance of the autonomous delivery location for the at least one item.

6. The autonomous vehicle item delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the autonomous delivery vehicle is configured to receive manual delivery vehicle location data indicative of a current location of the manual delivery vehicle; and

the autonomous delivery vehicle is configured to, based at least in part on the manual delivery vehicle location data, return to the manual delivery vehicle after completing delivery of the at least one item to the autonomous delivery location.

7. The autonomous vehicle item delivery system of claim 6, wherein the location where the autonomous vehicle returns to the manual delivery vehicle is different from the launch location.

8. A method for delivering at least one item from a manual delivery vehicle to a destination location via an autonomous delivery vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, via a computing entity, item data for a plurality of items to be delivered to corresponding delivery locations at least in part via a delivery vehicle;

electronically classifying, based at least in part on the item data, each of the plurality of items as one of manual-delivery eligible or autonomous-delivery eligible, wherein manual delivery-eligible items are eligible for final delivery between the delivery vehicle and corresponding manual delivery locations by a delivery vehicle operator and autonomous-delivery eligible items are eligible for final delivery between the delivery vehicle and corresponding autonomous delivery locations by an autonomous vehicle;

determining whether at least one autonomous delivery-eligible item satisfies autonomous delivery criteria by;

comparing a destination location for the at least one autonomous delivery-eligible item against the delivery locations corresponding to the manual delivery eligible items; and

responsive to determining that the autonomous delivery criteria is satisfied;

identifying at least one manual delivery location as a launch location for the autonomous vehicle to depart the delivery vehicle for final delivery to the destination location;

monitoring the location of the delivery vehicle relative to the launch location; and

upon detecting that the delivery vehicle is at the launch location, causing the autonomous vehicle to depart from the delivery vehicle to deliver the at least one autonomous-delivery eligible item to the destination location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising steps for, responsive to determining that the autonomous delivery criteria is not satisfied, reclassifying the at least one autonomous-delivery eligible item to be a manual-delivery eligible item.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the autonomous delivery criteria defines a geographical area surrounding the destination location and a minimum presence time that the delivery vehicle must be present within the geographical area;

and

determining whether the at least one autonomous delivery-eligible item satisfies autonomous delivery criteria comprises;

comparing the manual delivery locations against the geographical area to determine whether one or more of the manual delivery locations are within the geographical area;

determining an estimated delivery time for each manual-delivery eligible shipment destined to be delivered to a manual delivery location located within the geographical area;

comparing the cumulative estimated delivery time for all manual-delivery eligible shipments destined to be delivered to corresponding manual delivery locations located within the geographical area against the minimum presence time; and

responsive to determining that the cumulative estimated delivery time for all manual-delivery eligible shipments destined to be delivered to corresponding manual delivery locations located within the geographical area satisfies the minimum presence time, identifying at least one of the manual delivery locations located within the geographical area to be the launch location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining an estimated delivery time for each manual-delivery eligible shipment comprises:

retrieving, from a location database, a location profile for each manual delivery location located within the geographical area; and

retrieving, from the location profile corresponding to each manual delivery location located within the geographical area, an estimated delivery time for deliveries to the manual delivery location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cumulative estimated delivery time for all manual-delivery eligible shipments comprises the estimated delivery time for deliveries to each manual delivery location within the geographical area and the estimated travel time for the delivery vehicle to travel between each of the manual delivery locations within the geographical area.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the delivery criteria defines a first geographical area surrounding the destination location and an associated first minimum presence time, and a second geographical area surrounding the destination location and an associated second minimum presence time, wherein the second geographical area is larger than the first geographical area and the second minimum presence time is longer than the first minimum presence time.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the autonomous delivery criteria defines a geographical area surrounding a manual delivery location;

and

determining whether the at least one autonomous delivery-eligible item satisfies autonomous delivery criteria comprises;

comparing the at least one autonomous delivery location against the geographical area to determine whether the at least one autonomous delivery location is within the geographical area; and

responsive to determining that the autonomous delivery location is within the geographical area, identifying the manual delivery location to be the launch location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the geographical area is defined based at least in part on a maximum estimated round trip time for an autonomous vehicle to deliver an item to the autonomous delivery location from the manual delivery location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the geographical area is defined around a plurality of delivery locations having a common location attribute.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the common location attribute is a common neighborhood.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the autonomous delivery criteria indicates that autonomous delivery is available to a predefined listing of delivery locations;

and

determining whether the at least one autonomous delivery-eligible item satisfies autonomous delivery criteria comprises;

comparing the at least one autonomous delivery location against the predefined listing of delivery locations; and

responsive to determining that the autonomous delivery location matches one of the predefined listings of delivery locations, identifying a manual delivery location to be the launch location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predefined listing of delivery locations is identified based at least in part on one or more manual delivery locations for one or more of the manual-delivery eligible items.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the item data identifies one or more item attributes for the corresponding item, and identifying one or more items as autonomous-delivery eligible comprises:

comparing the one or more item attributes against autonomous-delivery eligibility criteria;

wherein the autonomous-delivery eligibility criteria defines at least one of;

a maximum item size, a maximum item weight, a maximum item value, one or more excluded item contents, a consignee approval requirement, or a delivery location requirement.

21. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring the location of the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle delivers the at least one autonomous-delivery eligible item from the delivery vehicle to the destination location; and

upon detecting that the delivery vehicle begins moving before the autonomous vehicle completes the delivery of the at least one autonomous-delivery eligible item, generating an alert to the delivery vehicle operator.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying at least one manual delivery location as a launch location for the autonomous vehicle to depart the delivery vehicle comprises:

identifying a manual delivery location within a defined distance of the destination location;

wherein the defined distance is less than a travel range of the autonomous vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the travel range defines a distance the autonomous vehicle can travel is less than a defined amount of time.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the defined amount of time is defined at least in part on an estimated delivery time of the manual delivery location.