SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING PRODUCTS TO MULTIPLE DELIVERY DESTINATIONS VIA AUTONOMOUS TRANSPORT VEHICLES
First Claim
1. A system of facilitating delivery of packages containing products ordered by customers to delivery destinations via autonomous transport vehicles, the system comprising:
- at least one autonomous transport vehicle configured to transport at least one package to at least one delivery destination, the autonomous transport vehicle including;
a processor-based control unit;
at least one sensor;
a cargo receptacle configured to retain the at least one package;
a package deployment apparatus in communication with the control unit and configured to move the at least one package within the cargo receptacle and to eject the at least one package from the cargo receptacle;
wherein the control unit is configured to;
obtain a delivery destination of the at least one package in response to scan of the at least one package via the at least one sensor during a loading of the at least one package into the cargo receptacle;
determine a delivery route for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle from a deployment location of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle to the at least one delivery destination;
analyze the determined delivery route of the autonomous transport vehicle from the deployment location to the at least one delivery destination to determine a drop off sequence in which the at least package is to be dropped off at the at least one delivery destination along the determined delivery route;
obtain, via the at least one sensor and during movement by the at least one autonomous transport vehicle along the determined delivery route, a location of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle relative to a location of the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence;
activate the package deployment apparatus to move, within the cargo receptacle, the at least one package associated with the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence, based on a determination by the control circuit that the autonomous transport vehicle is located within a predefined threshold distance from the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence; and
cause the package deployment apparatus to eject, from the cargo receptacle, the at least one package moved within the cargo receptacle by the package deployment apparatus from the cargo receptacle, based on a determination by the control circuit that the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is at the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provided for delivering products ordered by a customer of a retailer to a delivery destination designated by the ordering customer by way of autonomous transport vehicles configured to identify products to be dropped off at their next delivery destinations and to prepare such products for deployment while the ATVs are still en-route to their next delivery destinations, and to automatically deploy such products upon arrival at such delivery destinations.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system of facilitating delivery of packages containing products ordered by customers to delivery destinations via autonomous transport vehicles, the system comprising:
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at least one autonomous transport vehicle configured to transport at least one package to at least one delivery destination, the autonomous transport vehicle including; a processor-based control unit; at least one sensor; a cargo receptacle configured to retain the at least one package; a package deployment apparatus in communication with the control unit and configured to move the at least one package within the cargo receptacle and to eject the at least one package from the cargo receptacle; wherein the control unit is configured to; obtain a delivery destination of the at least one package in response to scan of the at least one package via the at least one sensor during a loading of the at least one package into the cargo receptacle; determine a delivery route for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle from a deployment location of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle to the at least one delivery destination; analyze the determined delivery route of the autonomous transport vehicle from the deployment location to the at least one delivery destination to determine a drop off sequence in which the at least package is to be dropped off at the at least one delivery destination along the determined delivery route; obtain, via the at least one sensor and during movement by the at least one autonomous transport vehicle along the determined delivery route, a location of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle relative to a location of the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence; activate the package deployment apparatus to move, within the cargo receptacle, the at least one package associated with the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence, based on a determination by the control circuit that the autonomous transport vehicle is located within a predefined threshold distance from the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence; and cause the package deployment apparatus to eject, from the cargo receptacle, the at least one package moved within the cargo receptacle by the package deployment apparatus from the cargo receptacle, based on a determination by the control circuit that the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is at the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of facilitating delivery of packages containing products ordered by customers to delivery destinations via autonomous transport vehicles, the method comprising:
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providing at least one autonomous transport vehicle configured to transport at least one package to at least one delivery destination, the autonomous transport vehicle including; a processor-based control unit; at least one sensor; a cargo receptacle configured to retain the at least one package; a package deployment apparatus in communication with the control unit and configured to move the at least one package within the cargo receptacle and to eject the at least one package from the cargo receptacle; obtaining, via the control unit, a delivery destination of the at least one package by scanning the at least one package via the at least one sensor during a loading of the at least one package into the cargo receptacle; determining, via the control unit, a delivery route for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle from a deployment location of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle to the at least one delivery destination; analyzing, via the control unit, the determined delivery route of the autonomous transport vehicle from the deployment location to the at least one delivery destination to determine a drop off sequence in which the at least package is to be dropped off at the at least one delivery destination along the determined delivery route; obtaining, via the at least one sensor and during movement of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle along the determined delivery route, a location of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle relative to a location of the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence; activating, via the control unit, the package deployment apparatus to move, within the cargo receptacle, the at least one package associated with the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence, based on a determination by the control circuit that the autonomous transport vehicle is located within a predefined threshold distance from the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence; and causing, via the control unit, the package deployment apparatus to eject, from the cargo receptacle, the at least one package moved by the package deployment apparatus in the causing step from the cargo receptacle, based on a determination by the control circuit that the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is at the at least one delivery destination that is next in the drop off sequence. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification