Package transport by unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 9,731,821 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Musial, John G., Hoareau, Guillaume, Liebenberg, Johannes J., Whitman, Todd R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/482,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

According to an aspect, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided that is capable of flying between a pick up point and a delivery point with respect to a package transfer operation. The delivery point is identifiable by the UAV through global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the delivery point and verification of a device identifier of a package docking device (PDD) associated with a package transfer request. A control processor coupled to the UAV receives a transaction packet for the operation that includes the GPS coordinates and the device identifier of the PDD associated with the request. Upon arrival of the UAV at the delivery point, the control processor verifies that a device identifier of a PDD located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet, implements the package transfer operation, and transmits confirmation of completion of the operation to an originator of the request.

Claims

1. A package transport system, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of flying between a pick up point and a delivery point with respect to a package transfer operation, the delivery point identifiable by the UAV through corresponding global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the delivery point and through verification of a device identifier of a package docking device associated with a package transfer request; and

a control processor communicatively coupled to the UAV, the control processor configured to;

receive a transaction packet for the package transfer operation, the transaction packet including the GPS coordinates and the device identifier of the package docking device associated with the package transfer request;

upon arrival of the UAV at the delivery point;

verify whether a device identifier of a package docking device located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet; and

upon determining the device identifier of the package docking device located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet, implement the package transfer operation and transmit confirmation of completion of the package transfer operation to an originator of the package transfer request, wherein the transaction packet further includes an order identification that distinguishes a package subject to the transfer package request from a package that is subject to a different transfer package request from the same originator.

2. The package transport system of claim 1, wherein the transaction packet further includes a security key for unlocking the package docking device associated with the package transfer request, and the control processor is further configured to transmit the security key to the package docking device located at the delivery point prior to implementing the package transfer operation.

3. The package transport system of claim 2, wherein the control processor is further configured to:

record aspects of the package transfer operation;

receive an acknowledgement from the package docking device at the delivery point indicating receipt of the package; and

transmit, upon reaching a pre-defined clearance from the package, a request to the device at the delivery point to secure the package;

wherein transmitting the confirmation is implemented upon receipt by the UAV an acknowledgment that the package is secured.

4. The package transport system of claim 3, wherein recording the aspects of the transfer package operation includes at least one of:

video recording delivery of the package; and

recording a time stamp of delivery.

5. The package transport system of claim 1, wherein the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request is a portable device, and the control processor is further configured to:

upon determining at least one of;

the device identifier of package docking device located at the delivery point does not match the device identifier in the transaction packet; and

no device identifier is detected by the UAV at the delivery point;

transmit a request over a network to a network address of the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request;

receive, from the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request, GPS coordinates corresponding to a new location of the package docking device;

update the transaction packet to include the GPS coordinates of the new location; and

re-route the UAV to the GPS coordinates of the new location;

wherein implementing the package transfer operation includes implementing the package transfer operation at the new location.

6. The package transport system of claim 5, wherein transmitting the confirmation of completion of the package transfer operation to an originator of the package transfer request includes transmitting the confirmation to the originator via the package docking device associated with the package transfer request.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a control processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a transaction packet for a package transfer operation, the transaction packet including global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of a delivery point and a device identifier of a package docking device associated with a package transfer request;

upon arrival of the UAV at the delivery point;

verifying whether a device identifier of a package docking device located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet; and

upon determining the device identifier of the package docking device located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet, implementing the package transfer operation and transmitting confirmation of completion of the package transfer operation to an originator of the package transfer request, wherein the transaction packet further includes an order identification that distinguishes a package subject to the transfer package request from a package that is subject to a different transfer package request from the same originator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transaction packet further includes a security key for unlocking the package docking device associated with the package transfer request, the method further comprising transmitting the security key to the package docking device located at the delivery point prior to implementing the package transfer operation.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

recording aspects of the package transfer operation;

receiving an acknowledgement from the package docking device at the delivery point indicating receipt of the package; and

transmitting, upon reaching a pre-defined clearance from the package, a request to the device at the delivery point to secure the package;

wherein transmitting the confirmation is implemented upon receipt by the UAV an acknowledgment that the package is secured.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein recording the aspects of the transfer package operation includes at least one of:

video recording delivery of the package; and

recording a time stamp of delivery.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request is a portable device, the method further comprising:

upon determining at least one of;

the device identifier of package docking device located at the delivery point does not match the device identifier in the transaction packet; and

no device identifier is detected by the UAV at the delivery point;

transmitting a request over a network to a network address of the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request;

receiving, from the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request, GPS coordinates corresponding to a new location of the package docking device;

updating the transaction packet to include the GPS coordinates of the new location; and

re-routing the UAV to the GPS coordinates of the new location;

wherein implementing the package transfer operation includes implementing the package transfer operation at the new location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the confirmation of completion of the package transfer operation to an originator of the package transfer request includes transmitting the confirmation to the originator via the package docking device associated with the package transfer request.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit to perform a method, comprising;

receiving a transaction packet for a package transfer operation, the transaction packet including global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of a delivery point and a device identifier of a package docking device associated with a package transfer request;

upon arrival of the UAV at the delivery point;

verifying whether a device identifier of a package docking device located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet; and

upon determining the device identifier of the package docking device located at the delivery point matches the device identifier in the transaction packet, implementing the package transfer operation and transmitting confirmation of completion of the package transfer operation to an originator of the package transfer request, wherein the transaction packet further includes an order identification that distinguishes a package subject to the transfer package request from a package that is subject to a different transfer package request from the same originator.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the transaction packet further includes a security key for unlocking the package docking device associated with the package transfer request, the method further comprising transmitting the security key to the package docking device located at the delivery point prior to implementing the package transfer operation.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the method further comprising:

recording aspects of the package transfer operation;

receiving an acknowledgement from the package docking device at the delivery point indicating receipt of the package; and

transmitting, upon reaching a pre-defined clearance from the package, a request to the device at the delivery point to secure the package;

wherein transmitting the confirmation is implemented upon receipt by the UAV an acknowledgment that the package is secured.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein recording the aspects of the transfer package operation includes at least one of:

video recording delivery of the package; and

recording a time stamp of delivery.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request is a portable device, the method further comprising:

upon determining at least one of;

the device identifier of package docking device located at the delivery point does not match the device identifier in the transaction packet; and

no device identifier is detected by the UAV at the delivery point;

transmitting a request over a network to a network address of the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request;

receiving, from the package docking device corresponding to the package transfer request, GPS coordinates corresponding to a new location of the package docking device;

updating the transaction packet to include the GPS coordinates of the new location; and

re-routing the UAV to the GPS coordinates of the new location;

wherein implementing the package transfer operation includes implementing the package transfer operation at the new location.