Machine-readable delivery platform for automated package delivery

• US 9,864,967 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shucker, Brian Daniel, Trew, Brandon Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US15/486,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A user requests a package delivery from a package delivery system. The package delivery system provides the user with a machine-readable code for display at the delivery location. An aerial delivery device receives, from the package delivery system computing device, information associated with the delivery location of the package. The information comprises information matching the information in the machine-readable code associated with the delivery location and a delivery address. The delivery device secures the package for transporting to the delivery location and transports the package to the delivery address. The delivery device locates the machine-readable code on a display at the delivery address and verifies that the information from the machine-readable code is associated with the package. The delivery device deposits the package on the display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to automate package deliveries, comprising:

associating, by one or more computing devices, delivery information with a delivery location for a package, wherein the delivery information comprises an image to be printed for display in a particular location for the package to be deposited at the delivery location; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the delivery information associated with the delivery location to a delivery device for the delivery device to deliver the package to the particular location displaying the printed image at the delivery location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises a global positioning system location of the delivery location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address associated with the delivery location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises instructions for the delivery device to locate the printed image at the delivery location and to deposit the package at the particular location displaying the printed image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the printed image to a user associated with the delivery location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the printed image is transmitted to a user computing device associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the printed image is a QR code, a barcode, a logo, a picture, or an icon.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a confirmation from the delivery device that the package has been deposited at the delivery location.

10. A system to deliver packages to specified user locations, comprising:

a storage device associated with a delivery device; and

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

receive delivery information associated with a package and a particular delivery location;

locate a printed image at the particular delivery location, the printed image comprising an image associated with the particular delivery location and with the delivery information associated with the package; and

deposit the package at the particular delivery location in response to the locating.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises a global positioning system location of the delivery location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address of the delivery location.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the printed image is a QR code, a barcode, a logo, a picture, or an icon.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising application code instructions to verify that the located printed image is associated with the delivery information associated with the package, wherein verifying that the printed image comprises at least a portion of the delivery information associated with the package comprises:

transmitting the printed image to a package delivery system; and

receiving a verification from the package delivery system that the printed image is associated with the package.

16. 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 transmit delivery instructions to delivery devices, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to associate delivery information with a delivery location for a package, wherein the delivery information comprises an image to be printed for display in a particular location for the package to be deposited at the delivery location; and

computer-executable program instructions to transmit the delivery information associated with a delivery location to the delivery device for the delivery device to deliver the package to the particular location displaying the printed image at the delivery location.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable program instructions to transmit the printed image to a user associated with the delivery location.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the information associated with the delivery location further comprises a global positioning system location of the delivery location.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address of the delivery location.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the printed image code is a QR code or a barcode.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises instructions for the delivery device to locate the printed image at the delivery location and to deposit the package at the particular location displaying the printed image.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the printed image is transmitted to a user computing device associated with the user.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable program instructions to receive a confirmation from the delivery device that the package has been deposited at the delivery location.

25. A system to automate package deliveries, comprising:

a storage device; and

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

associate information with a delivery location for a package, wherein the delivery information comprises an image to be printed for display in a particular location for the package to be deposited at the delivery location; and

transmit the delivery information associated with the delivery location to a delivery device for the delivery device to deliver the package to the particular location displaying the printed image at the delivery location.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises a global positioning system location of the delivery location.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address associated with the delivery location.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises instructions for the delivery device to locate the printed image at the delivery location and to deposit the package at the particular location displaying the printed image.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

30. The system of claim 25, further comprising application code instructions to transmit the printed image to a user associated with the delivery location.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the printed image is transmitted to a user computing device associated with the user.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the printed image is a QR code, a barcode, a logo, a picture, or an icon.

33. The system of claim 25, further comprising application code instructions to receive a confirmation from the delivery device that the package has been deposited at the delivery location.

34. A computer-implemented method to automate package deliveries, comprising:

receive, by a delivery device, delivery information associated with a package and a particular delivery location;

locate, by the delivery device, a printed image at the particular delivery location, the printed image comprising an image associated with the particular delivery location and with the delivery information associated with the package; and

deposit, by the delivery device, the package at the particular delivery location in response to the locating.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises a global positioning system location of the delivery location.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address of the delivery location.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the printed image is a QR code, a barcode, a logo, a picture, or an icon.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

39. The method of claim 34, further comprising verifying, by the delivery device, that the located printed image is associated with the delivery information associated with the package, wherein verifying that the printed image comprises at least a portion of the delivery information associated with the package comprises:

transmitting, by the delivery device, the printed image to a package delivery system; and

receiving, by the delivery device, a verification from the package delivery system that the printed image is associated with the package.