Delivery beacon device and methods for use therewith

• US 10,557,912 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruce E. Stuckman
• Original Assignee: Bruce E. Stuckman
• Inventors: Stuckman, Bruce E., Stuckman, Judith Lynn, Stuckman, Katherine C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Galt, Cassi J
• Application Number:
  US16/053,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20180341909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0428 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7038 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/01 adapted for specific applications or environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• 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: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1102 Codes on graphs and decoding on graphs, e.g. low-density parity check [LDPC] codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

A beacon device includes a beacon code generator that generates beacon data that uniquely indicates a subscriber. A beacon generator generates a wireless homing beacon that indicates the beacon data. The wireless homing beacon is detectable by the at least one drone delivery device to facilitate a service delivery by the drone delivery device at the location of the beacon device.

Claims

1. A beacon device for use with a drone delivery service that includes at least one drone delivery device, the beacon device comprising:

a code generator configured to generate beacon data that identifies a subscriber;

a beacon generator configured to generate a wireless homing beacon that indicates the beacon data, wherein the wireless homing beacon is detectable by the at least one drone delivery device to facilitate a service delivery to the subscriber by the drone delivery device at a location corresponding to the beacon device; and

a receiver configured to receive, from the drone delivery device, delivery image data captured after the service delivery by the drone delivery device.

2. The beacon device of claim 1 wherein the code generator includes a linear feedback shift register that generates a pseudo random code sequence and wherein the beacon data includes the pseudo random code sequence.

3. The beacon device of claim 1 wherein the code generator includes a security token module that generates a rolling sequence of encryption codes and wherein the beacon data includes at least one of the rolling sequence of encryption codes.

4. The beacon device of claim 1 wherein the beacon data includes a low density parity check code.

5. The beacon device of claim 1 wherein the wireless homing beacon includes an infrared signal modulated via the beacon data.

6. The beacon device of claim 1 wherein the wireless homing beacon includes a visible signal modulated via the beacon data.

7. The beacon device of claim 1 wherein the wireless homing beacon includes a radio frequency signal modulated via the beacon data.

8. The beacon device of claim 1 further comprising a delivery mat.

9. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the beacon device further includes a network interface that sends the delivery image data received from the drone delivery device to a client device associated with the subscriber.

10. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the delivery image data is captured by the drone delivery device and includes an image of a package at the location corresponding to the beacon device.

11. A beacon device for use with a drone delivery service that includes at least one drone delivery device, the beacon device comprising:

a code generator configured to generate beacon data that identifies a subscriber;

a beacon generator configured to generate a wireless homing beacon that indicates the beacon data, wherein the wireless homing beacon is detectable by the at least one drone delivery device to facilitate a service delivery to the subscriber by the drone delivery device at a location corresponding to the subscriber; and

a receiver configured to receive, from the drone delivery device, delivery image data captured after the service delivery by the drone delivery device.

12. The beacon device of claim 11 wherein the code generator includes a linear feedback shift register that generates a pseudo random code sequence and wherein the beacon data includes the pseudo random code sequence.

13. The beacon device of claim 11 wherein the code generator includes a security token module that generates a rolling sequence of encryption codes and wherein the beacon data includes at least one of the rolling sequence of encryption codes.

14. The beacon device of claim 11 wherein the beacon data includes a low density parity check code.

15. The beacon device of claim 11 wherein the wireless homing beacon includes an infrared signal modulated via the beacon data.

16. The beacon device of claim 11 wherein the wireless homing beacon includes a visible signal modulated via the beacon data.

17. The beacon device of claim 11 wherein the wireless homing beacon includes a radio frequency signal modulated via the beacon data.

18. The beacon device of claim 11 further comprising a delivery mat.

19. The beacon device of claim 11, wherein the beacon device further includes a network interface that sends the delivery image data received from the drone delivery device to a client device associated with the subscriber.

20. The beacon device of claim 11, wherein the delivery image data is captured by the drone delivery device and includes an image of a package at the location corresponding to the sub scriber.