METHODS OF PHOTO MATCHING AND PHOTO CONFIRMATION FOR PARCEL PICKUP AND DELIVERY

• US 20190161190A1
• Filed: 12/27/2018
• Published: 05/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2016
• 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: Gil, Julio, Cooper, Jeffrey, Bruckner, Seth, Perez, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 10,730,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/11 for carrying aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• 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: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/0299 characterized by the use of multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/10 using self-propelled vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/22 for handling aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/32 for handling freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• 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 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/55 the legs being also used as ground propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/95 : Means for guiding the landing UAV towards the platform, e.g. lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/86 : Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0435 : with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 : with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 : using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/15 : Aircraft landing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 : Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 : Shipping
• 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: G08G 5/006 : in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Systems and methods include UAVs that serve to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands of the transportation and delivery process. A UAV generally includes a UAV chassis including an upper portion, a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis, and a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis. UAV support mechanisms are utilized to load and unload parcel carriers to the UAV chassis, and the UAV lands on and takes off from the UAV support mechanism to deliver parcels to a serviceable point. The UAV includes computing entities that interface with different systems and computing entities to send and receive various types of information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a UAV is navigating to a serviceable point, the UAV comprising a chassis, propulsion members, a camera, and a parcel carrier, the parcel carrier engaging a parcel;

receiving a notification that a parcel is dis-engaged with the parcel carrier in order to be released at the serviceable point;

receiving a recording of one or more of a photo or video captured by the camera of the UAV, the one or more of the photo or the video indicative of the release of the parcel at the serviceable point; and

communicating a confirmation of delivery of the parcel to a user computing entity based on the notification that the parcel is disengaged, wherein the confirmation includes the one or more of the photo or the video.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a notification from the user computing entity, the notification reporting an adverse delivery event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the adverse delivery event is one or more of an incorrect serviceable point, an incorrect micro-location of the serviceable point, an incorrect delivery date, an incorrect delivery time window, an incorrect parcel, or an incorrect consignee.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the confirmation of delivery of the parcel includes at least one optional user-selectable prompt to be displayed at the user computing entity, wherein the at least one optional user-selectable prompt requests a user confirmation of accuracy of the delivery of the parcel.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising recognizing a default mitigation action to be initiated for the adverse delivery event.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying a type of adverse event specified in the notification reporting the adverse delivery event;

recognizing a mitigation action that is specific to the type of adverse event identified for the reported adverse delivery event; and

initiating the recognized mitigation action for the reported adverse delivery event.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the recognized mitigation action includes scheduling delivery of the item to a micro-location at the serviceable point or scheduling delivery of the parcel to another serviceable point.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the recognized mitigation action includes retrieving the parcel from the serviceable point using the UAV, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a UAV is navigating to the serviceable point,

receiving a notification that the previously-released parcel is engaged with the parcel carrier; and

determining that a UAV is navigating from the serviceable point to a UAV support mechanism.

5. The method of 4, wherein selection of the at least one optional user-selectable prompt at the user computer entity initiates communication of the notification reporting the adverse delivery event.

10. A method comprising:

determining that a UAV is navigating to a serviceable point, the UAV comprising a chassis, propulsion members, a camera, and a parcel carrier, the parcel carrier comprising a parcel carrying mechanism engaging a parcel;

receiving a notification that a parcel is dis-engaged with the parcel carrying mechanism in order to release the parcel at the serviceable point;

receiving one or more of a photo or video captured by the camera of the UAV, the one or more of the photo or the video indicative of the release of the parcel at the serviceable point;

communicating a confirmation of delivery of the parcel to a user computing entity, wherein the confirmation includes the one or more of the photo or the video of the parcel as released at the serviceable point; and

receiving a notification from the user computing entity in response to the confirmation of delivery of the parcel, the notification reporting an adverse delivery event, wherein the adverse delivery event is one or more of an incorrect serviceable point, an incorrect micro-location of the serviceable point, an incorrect delivery date, an incorrect delivery time window, an incorrect parcel, or an incorrect consignee.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a time period that elapsed between receipt of the notification that the parcel was dis-engaged with the parcel carrying mechanism and receipt of the notification reporting the adverse delivery event; and

when the time period that elapsed is under a predefined threshold, initiating a mitigation action that includes retrieving the parcel from the serviceable point using the UAV.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising when the time period that elapsed meets or exceeds the predefined threshold, initiating a mitigation action that includes scheduling retrieval of the parcel from the serviceable point at a future date and time.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving user input from the user computing entity that specifies a new serviceable point for subsequent delivery of the parcel;

determining to retrieve the parcel from the serviceable point;

receiving a notification from the UAV that the parcel is engaged with the parcel carrier in order to be released at the serviceable point;

determining that the UAV is navigating to the new serviceable point; and

receiving a notification that the parcel is dis-engaged with the parcel carrying mechanism of the UAV in order to release the parcel at the new serviceable point.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a stored image of the serviceable point;

determining that a pickup or delivery is initiated;

capturing one or more of a photo or video of the serviceable point;

determining whether the one or more of the photo or the video of the serviceable point is a match to the stored image of the serviceable point; and

when the one or more of the photo or the video of the serviceable point matches the stored image of the serviceable point, communicating a confirmation of pickup or delivery of the parcel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the confirmation of pickup or delivery of the parcel includes the one or more of the photo or the video of the serviceable point.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the stored image of the serviceable point comprises a micro-location at the serviceable point, and wherein the micro-location of the serviceable point depicted in the stored image visually indicates the micro-location where the parcel is to be retrieved from at the serviceable point.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more of the photo or the video of the serviceable point is captured using a camera of a mobile device , and wherein the confirmation of pickup or delivery of the parcel includes the one or more of the photo or the video captured at the serviceable point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more of the photo or the video of the serviceable point is captured using a camera of a UAV, and wherein the confirmation of pickup or delivery of the parcel includes the one or more of the photo or the video captured at the serviceable point.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a notification from the user computing entity in response to the confirmation of pickup or delivery, the notification reporting an adverse delivery event.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the adverse delivery event is one or more of an incorrect serviceable point, an incorrect micro-location of the serviceable point, an incorrect delivery date, an incorrect delivery time window, an incorrect parcel, or an incorrect consignee.