Smart mat for package deliveries

• US 9,469,476 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ashoori, Maryam, Basson, Sara H., Kim, Minkyong, Kozloski, James R., Pickover, Clifford A., Vukovic, Maja
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda
• Application Number:
  US14/949,931
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/149 with central server link
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/14 Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk , or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles , i.e. food or large parcels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product dynamically configures a delivery system for delivering products to smart mats. A delivery coordination server determines a location of multiple smart mats. Each of the smart mats includes a positioning system and a transmitter that transmits a message describing the real-time geophysical location of the smart mats. The delivery coordination server receives a message describing a location of a first delivery vehicle that is transporting a first package addressed for delivery to a first smart mat. The delivery coordination server determines that the first smart mat has moved to a location that is within a predetermined distance of a second smart mat, to which a second delivery vehicle is scheduled to deliver a second package. The delivery coordination server directs the first delivery vehicle to transfer the first package to the second delivery vehicle for delivery to the first smart mat.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically configuring a delivery system for delivering products to smart mats, the method comprising:

determining, by a delivery coordination server, a location of multiple smart mats, wherein each of the smart mats comprises;

a positioning system, wherein the positioning system determines a real-time geophysical location of said each of the smart mats; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter transmits a message describing the real-time geophysical location of said each of the smart mats;

receiving, by the delivery coordination server, a message describing a location of a first delivery vehicle that is currently transporting a first package addressed for delivery to a first smart mat from the multiple smart mats;

determining, by the delivery coordination server, that the first smart mat has moved to a location that is within a predetermined distance of a second smart mat, wherein a second delivery vehicle is scheduled to deliver a second package to the second smart mat; and

directing, by the delivery coordination server, the first delivery vehicle to transfer the first package to the second delivery vehicle for delivery to the first smart mat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first delivery vehicle and the second delivery vehicle are autonomously piloted vehicles.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a signal from a sensor array in the first smart mat, wherein the signal describes a weight and size of the first package; and

transmitting, by a transmitter, a message to a mobile device describing the first package that has been delivered to the first smart mat.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a photographic image of the first package positioned on the first smart mat, wherein the photographic image is captured by a camera that is positioned proximate to the first smart mat; and

transmitting, by a transmitter, the photographic image to a mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, an audio message captured by a microphone that is positioned proximate to the first smart mat, wherein the audio message describes a sender of the first package, a content of the first package, and an identity of a person who is delivering the first package to the first smart mat; and

transmitting, by a transmitter, the audio message to a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors and based on readings from a sensor array in the first smart mat, a weight and footprint of the first package;

identifying, by one or more processors, a content of the first package based on a product ordering history of a user of the first smart mat and the weight and footprint of the first package; and

transmitting, by a transmitter, a message to a mobile device describing the content of the first package.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors and based on readings from a sensor array in the first smart mat, that the first package has been removed from the first smart mat;

determining, by one or more processors, that a removal code has not been entered on a computer system, wherein the removal code authorizes the first package to be removed from the first smart mat; and

in response to determining that the removal code has not been entered on the computer system, transmitting, by a transmitter, an alert indicating that an unauthorized removal of the first package from the first smart mat has occurred.

8. A computer program product for dynamically configuring a delivery system for delivering products to smart mats, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

determining a location of multiple smart mats, wherein each of the smart mats comprises;

a positioning system, wherein the positioning system determines a real-time geophysical location of said each of the smart mats; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter transmits a message describing the real-time geophysical location of said each of the smart mats;

receiving a message describing a location of a first delivery vehicle that is currently transporting a first package addressed for delivery to a first smart mat from the multiple smart mats;

determining that the first smart mat has moved to a location that is within a predetermined distance of a second smart mat, wherein a second delivery vehicle is scheduled to deliver a second package to the second smart mat; and

directing the first delivery vehicle to transfer the first package to the second delivery vehicle for delivery to the first smart mat.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first delivery vehicle and the second delivery vehicle are autonomously piloted vehicles.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a signal from a sensor array in the first smart mat, wherein the signal describes a weight and size of the first package; and

transmitting, via a transmitter, a message to a mobile device describing the first package that has been delivered to the first smart mat.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a photographic image of the first package positioned on the first smart mat, wherein the photographic image is captured by a camera that is positioned proximate to the first smart mat; and

transmitting, via a transmitter, the photographic image to a mobile device.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an audio message captured by a microphone that is positioned proximate to the first smart mat, wherein the audio message describes a sender of the first package, a content of the first package, and an identity of a person who is delivering the first package to the first smart mat; and

transmitting, via a transmitter, the audio message to a mobile device.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on readings from a sensor array in the first smart mat, a weight and footprint of the first package;

identifying a content of the first package based on a product ordering history of a user of the first smart mat and the weight and footprint of the first package; and

transmitting, via a transmitter, a message to a mobile device describing the content of the first package.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on readings from a sensor array in the first smart mat, that the first package has been removed from the first smart mat;

determining that a removal code has not been entered on a computer system, wherein the removal code authorizes the first package to be removed from the first smart mat; and

in response to determining that the removal code has not been entered on the computer system, transmitting, via a transmitter, an alert indicating that an unauthorized removal of the first package from the first smart mat has occurred.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to determine a location of multiple smart mats, wherein each of the smart mats comprises;

a positioning system, wherein the positioning system determines a real-time geophysical location of said each of the smart mats; and

a transmitter, wherein the transmitter transmits a message describing the real-time geophysical location of said each of the smart mats;

second program instructions to receive a message describing a location of a first delivery vehicle that is currently transporting a first package addressed for delivery to a first smart mat from the multiple smart mats;

third program instructions to determine that the first smart mat has moved to a location that is within a predetermined distance of a second smart mat, wherein a second delivery vehicle is scheduled to deliver a second package to the second smart mat; and

fourth program instructions to direct the first delivery vehicle to transfer the first package to the second delivery vehicle for delivery to the first smart mat;

and wherein

the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first delivery vehicle and the second delivery vehicle are autonomously piloted vehicles.

17. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions receive a signal from a sensor array in the first smart mat, wherein the signal describes a weight and size of the first package; and

sixth program instructions to transmit, via a transmitter, a message to a mobile device describing the first package that has been delivered to the first smart mat; and

wherein

the fifth and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to receive an audio message captured by a microphone that is positioned proximate to the first smart mat, wherein the audio message describes a sender of the first package, a content of the first package, and an identity of a person who is delivering the first package to the first smart mat; and

sixth program instructions to transmit, via a transmitter, the audio message to a mobile device; and

wherein

the fifth and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

19. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to determine, based on readings from a sensor array in the first smart mat, a weight and footprint of the first package;

sixth program instructions to identify a content of the first package based on a product ordering history of a user of the first smart mat and the weight and footprint of the first package; and

seventh program instructions to transmit, via a transmitter, a message to a mobile device describing the content of the first package; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

20. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to determine, based on readings from a sensor array in the first smart mat, that the first package has been removed from the first smart mat;

sixth program instructions to determine that a removal code has not been entered on a computer system, wherein the removal code authorizes the first package to be removed from the first smart mat; and

seventh program instructions to, in response to determining that the removal code has not been entered on the computer system, transmit, via a transmitter, an alert indicating that an unauthorized removal of the first package from the first smart mat has occurred; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.