Mobile base utilizing transportation units for delivering items

• US 9,928,474 B1
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evans, Ethan Zane, Kalyan, Atishkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda
• Application Number:
  US14/569,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

A mobile base is provided that travels through delivery areas and utilizes associated transportation units (e.g., automated aerial vehicles) for delivering items from the mobile base to user specified delivery locations. The transportation units may be carried on the mobile base, or may be stationed in specific geographic areas, and may travel back and forth to the mobile base when making deliveries. The mobile base may include an automatic storage and retrieval system for automatically presenting items at an extraction point (e.g., on the roof of the mobile base), where items may be engaged by transportation units for delivery.

Claims

1. A system to deliver items from a materials handling facility, the system comprising:

a mobile base configured to transport the items from the materials handling facility to a delivery area, the delivery area comprising a specified delivery location;

an automated aerial vehicle (AAV) carried by the mobile base and configured to deliver a specified item from the mobile base to the specified delivery location;

a management system configured to direct the AAV to deliver the specified item from the mobile base to the specified delivery location when the mobile base is within the delivery area; and

wherein at least one of the items in the mobile base is at least one of a high-volume item or a release day item that has not been ordered by a user before the at least one item is placed in the mobile base.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of AAVs carried by the mobile base and configured to transport a plurality of specified items from the mobile base to a plurality of specified delivery locations in the delivery area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile base includes an automatic storage and retrieval system to retrieve the specified item from a storage area within the mobile base.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the automatic storage and retrieval system automatically presents the specified item to be delivered by the AAV through an opening in a roof or a side of the mobile base.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile base is also configured to at least one of place the specified item in a shipping container, accept a returned item from a specified pickup location or send the specified item to a second mobile base.

6. A computer implemented method to deliver items to users, the method comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions, instructing a mobile base including items to travel along a route;

identifying an item to be delivered from the mobile base;

identifying a transportation unit to deliver the identified item from the mobile base to a delivery location;

providing delivery instructions to the transportation unit, the delivery instructions indicating the delivery location where the identified item is to be delivered by the transportation unit; and

wherein at least one of the items in the mobile base is at least one of a high-volume item or a release day item that has not been ordered by a user before the at least one item is placed in the mobile base.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation indicating that the transportation unit has delivered the identified item to the delivery location.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the transportation unit is stationed remotely from the mobile base;

and

the method further comprising;

transmitting a pickup location to the transportation unit that indicates where the transportation unit is to acquire the identified item from the mobile base.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending a notification to the transportation unit when the mobile base is approaching the pickup location.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending a notification to a user regarding a current location of at least one of the mobile base or the transportation unit that is transporting a requested item to a user-specified delivery location.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the items in the mobile base is an item ordered by a user before the at least one item is placed in the mobile base.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

directing the transportation unit to land on the mobile base while the mobile base is in motion.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

directing an automatic storage and retrieval system of the mobile base to present the identified item at an extraction point where the identified item may be engaged by the transportation unit when the transportation unit lands on the mobile base.

14. A computer implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

defining a delivery area including a plurality of delivery locations where items are to be delivered;

directing a mobile base containing the items to the delivery area;

directing a distribution of the items from the mobile base, wherein the distribution is performed by one or more transportation units configured to transport the items from the mobile base to the plurality of delivery locations; and

sending to prospective purchasers located in the delivery area, a notification regarding one or more items remaining in the mobile base that are available to be delivered immediately via the transportation units.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

directing a provision of resources from the mobile base to at least one of the transportation units.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the resources that are provided to at least one of the transportation units include at least one of electricity, fuel, water, or parts for the transportation unit.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending a notification to a remote computing resource that indicates at least one of when a transportation unit has left the mobile base, when the transportation unit has delivered an item, or when the transportation unit has returned to the mobile base.

17. A computer implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

defining a delivery area including a plurality of delivery locations where items are to be delivered;

directing a mobile base containing the items to the delivery area;

directing a distribution of the items from the mobile base, wherein the distribution is performed by one or more transportation units configured to transport the items from the mobile base to the plurality of delivery locations; and

sending to prospective purchasers located in the delivery area, a notification regarding one or more items remaining in the mobile base that are available at a discount.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

directing a provision of resources from the mobile base to at least one of the transportation units.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending a notification to a remote computing resource that indicates at least one of when a transportation unit has left the mobile base, when the transportation unit has delivered an item, or when the transportation unit has returned to the mobile base.