Utilizing automated aerial vehicles for transporting priority pick items

• US 9,953,287 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: McDonald, Jr., Robert Dreaper, Agriel, Facundo Leonardo, Levi, Eitan S., Patel, Vishal Nandkishor, Nanjanath, Maitreyi, Madan, Udit, Glick, David Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeroual, Omar
• Application Number:
  US14/321,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 235385, 235353, 705 9, 705 7, 705 8, 705 28, 705 22
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• 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: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system and method for utilizing an automated aerial vehicle for rapidly transporting a priority pick item when an exception occurs (e.g., an item that was to be picked from another location or otherwise processed is found to be missing or damaged). In some implementations, a priority pick instruction may be generated that directs picking of the item from an alternative location after which the item may be transported by the automated aerial vehicle to a processing location (e.g., a problem solve station). A flight path may be determined which may have starting and ending points at designated locations where the automated aerial vehicle can safely land and take off for acquiring and/or delivering the priority pick item.

Claims

1. A system for delivering a priority pick item to a processing delivery location in a facility, the system comprising:

an automated aerial vehicle, comprising;

a propulsion system to fly the automated aerial vehicle;

an engagement mechanism to engage an item;

a computing system, including;

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least;

receive an order for an item;

access a database indicating that the item is available at a first location and at a second location within a facility;

generate a first pick instruction for picking the item from the first location;

receive an indication of an exception occurring that signifies that the item that was indicated in the database as available at the first location will not be able to be utilized for fulfilling the order for the item;

in response to the receipt of the indication of the exception, generate a second pick instruction that is a priority pick instruction that is more urgent than the first pick instruction and which instructs a picking of the item from the second location and a transport of the item to a processing delivery location within the facility;

determine a travel path and a corresponding estimated travel time for a human agent to travel through the facility between the second location and the processing delivery location;

determine based at least in part on the estimated travel time that the human agent would not be able to meet a time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location;

determine a flight path and a corresponding estimated travel time for an automated aerial vehicle to fly through the facility between the second location and the processing delivery location;

determine based at least in part on the estimated travel time that the automated aerial vehicle will be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location;

determine that the automated aerial vehicle will be utilized to transport the priority pick item rather than the human agent based at least in part on the determination that the human agent would not be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location; and

based at least in part on the determination that the automated aerial vehicle will be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location, send instructions to the automated aerial vehicle to follow the flight path to transport the item from the second location to the processing delivery location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine a flight path over which the automated aerial vehicle travels for flying to an engaging location that is at or near the second location for engaging the item.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight path is altered due to at least one of encountering an obstacle or receiving an indication that the processing delivery location has been changed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the exception that is indicated as occurring corresponds to at least one of a determination that the item is missing from the first location or that the item from the first location is damaged.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the order for the item also includes one or more additional items that are stored at a processing location that is associated with the processing delivery location.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein after the exception is indicated as having occurred, the one or more additional items are further processed by at least one of a sorting or packing operation before arriving at the processing location.

7. A system for delivering a priority pick item to a processing delivery location, the system comprising:

an automated aerial vehicle, including;

at least one motor coupled to a propeller and configured to rotate the propeller;

an engagement mechanism for engagement and transport of one or more items;

a computing system, including;

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least;

determine an item acquisition location for retrieving a priority pick item that is to be transported to a processing delivery location associated with a priority pick instruction, wherein the item acquisition location and the processing delivery location are located within a facility and the priority pick instruction is related to a priority pick that is generated for a priority pick item in response to an exception occurring during processing of a user order within a facility;

determine a travel path and a corresponding estimated travel time for a human agent to travel through the facility between the item acquisition location and the processing delivery location;

determine based at least in part on the estimated travel time that the human agent would not be able to meet a time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location;

determine a flight path and a corresponding estimated travel time for an automated aerial vehicle to fly through the facility between the item acquisition location and the processing delivery location;

determine based at least in part on the estimated travel time that the automated aerial vehicle will be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location;

determine that the automated aerial vehicle will be utilized to transport the priority pick item rather than the human agent based at least in part on the determination that the human agent would not be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location; and

based at least in part on the determination that the automated aerial vehicle will be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location, send instructions to the automated aerial vehicle to fly along the flight path to deliver the priority pick item to the processing delivery location; and

an identifier that is utilized to associate the priority pick item with the priority pick instruction once the priority pick item is delivered to the processing delivery location.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of:

the identifier is included with the automated aerial vehicle such that it is scanned by an agent when the automated aerial vehicle lands at the processing delivery location with the priority pick item, or

the identifier is included with a container that holds the priority pick item and which can be scanned after the automated aerial vehicle has disengaged the container at the processing delivery location.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the identifier includes at least one of a barcode, a QR code, a bokode, a color, a shape, a character, a size, an RFID identifier or another type of active identifier.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the processing delivery location includes a landing area for the automated aerial vehicle that is at or near a processing location that includes a problem solve station.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the priority pick item is engaged by landing the automated aerial vehicle so as to allow an agent to place the priority pick item in the engagement mechanism of the automated aerial vehicle.

12. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the automated aerial vehicle further includes a robotic engagement mechanism that enables the automated aerial vehicle to engage the priority pick item without agent assistance.

13. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the automated aerial vehicle further includes a sensor which is utilized to assist the automated aerial vehicle in flying along the flight path.

14. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein a location of the automated aerial vehicle is tracked as the automated aerial vehicle travels along the flight path.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

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

determining an item acquisition location for retrieving a priority pick item that is to be transported to a processing delivery location associated with a priority pick instruction, wherein the item acquisition location and the processing delivery location are located within a facility;

determining a travel path and a corresponding estimated travel time for a human agent to travel through the facility between the item acquisition location and the processing delivery location;

determining based at least in part on the estimated travel time that the human agent would not be able to meet a time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location;

determining a flight path and a corresponding estimated travel time for an automated aerial vehicle to fly through the facility between the item acquisition location and the processing delivery location, wherein the automated aerial vehicle comprises a propulsion system to fly the automated aerial vehicle and an engagement mechanism to engage the priority pick item;

determining based at least in part on the estimated travel time that the automated aerial vehicle will be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location;

determining that the automated aerial vehicle will be utilized to transport the priority pick item rather than the human agent based at least in part on the determination that the human agent would not be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location; and

based at least in part on the determination that the automated aerial vehicle will be able to meet the time requirement for transporting the priority pick item to the processing delivery location, sending instructions to the automated aerial vehicle to follow the flight path to fly the priority pick item from the item acquisition location to the processing delivery location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising determining that one or more additional automated aerial vehicles will be approaching the processing delivery location at similar times as the automated aerial vehicle, and coordinating the landings of the automated aerial vehicle and the one or more additional automated aerial vehicles to avoid collisions between the automated aerial vehicles.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the instructions to follow the flight path further instruct the automated aerial vehicle to fly from the processing delivery location to a designated landing area with charging capabilities for the automated aerial vehicle after the automated aerial vehicle has delivered the priority pick item to the processing delivery location.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising selecting the automated aerial vehicle from a plurality of available automated aerial vehicles for delivering the priority pick item to the processing delivery location based on an evaluation of one or more delivery parameters.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the evaluation of the one or more delivery parameters includes at least one of determining a distance from a current automated aerial vehicle location to the item acquisition location, determining a weight of the priority pick item, or determining a charge level of one or more of the automated aerial vehicles.