Automated package delivery to a delivery receptacle

• US 9,911,341 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Soundararajan, Varun, Agrawal, Anurag
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/383,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/14 Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk , or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles , i.e. food or large parcels
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/38 Electronic maps specially adapted for navigation; Updating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/44 Rotating or oscillating beam beacons defining directions in the plane of rotation or oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/01 adapted for specific applications or environments
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0684 on a moving platform, e.g. aircraft carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Improving automated package delivery to mobile delivery receptacles to allow accurate and reliable package deliveries comprises a delivery receptacle for an automated package delivery via an unmanned aerial delivery device. The delivery receptacle is notified of a pending delivery and travels to a receiving location. The delivery receptacle emits infrared (“IR”) beacons from one or more IR beacon transmitters. An aerial delivery device detects the IR beacon and uses the beacons to navigate to the delivery receptacle. The delivery receptacle receives IR beacon responses from the aerial delivery device and continually or periodically directs the IR beacons in the direction of the aerial delivery device. The aerial delivery device deposits the package in the delivery receptacle. After receiving the package, the delivery receptacle transports the package to a secure location, such as into a garage.

Claims

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

receiving from a package delivery system processor, by one or more computing devices associated with a delivery device, delivery information associated with a package, the delivery information comprising a delivery location and instructions for the delivery device to approach the delivery location from a particular direction, the instructions further being provided to a delivery receptacle to provide a basis for directing one or more first beacons at the delivery location prior to arrival of the delivery device;

transporting, by the delivery device, the package to the delivery location;

locating, by the delivery device, the one or more first beacons being transmitted by the delivery receptacle at the delivery location; and

depositing, by the delivery device, the package into the delivery receptacle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

triangulating, by the one or more computing devices associated with the delivery device, a position of the delivery vehicle relative to the one or more first beacons;

navigating, by the one or more computing devices associated with the delivery device, the delivery device toward the delivery receptacle based on the triangulated position;

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices associated with the delivery device, a second beacon to the delivery receptacle, the second beacon providing a basis for the delivery receptacle to adjust a direction of the one or more first beacons during navigation of the delivery device toward the delivery receptacle; and

adjusting, by the one or more computing devices associated with the delivery receptacle, the direction of the one or more first beacons based on a determined position of the delivery device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the direction of the one or more first beacons is adjusted by a mechanical device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first beacons are infrared beacons.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first beacons are located on a top surface of the delivery receptacle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the one or more computing devices associated with the delivery device, a notice that the package has been delivered to the delivery receptacle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery address further comprises a GPS location of the delivery location.

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is an unmanned aerial delivery device.

10. A system to deliver packages in specified 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, from a package delivery computing system, delivery information associated with a package, the delivery information comprising a delivery location and instructions for the delivery device to approach the delivery location from a particular direction;

transport the package to the delivery address;

detect one or more first beacons being transmitted by a delivery receptacle at the delivery address; and

deposit the package into the delivery receptacle, and

a delivery receptacle storage device; and

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

receive a communication that the delivery device is transporting the package to the delivery receptacle, provide a basis for directing one or more first beacons at a direction of approach of the delivery location prior to arrival of the delivery device;

transmit the one or more first beacons in an expected direction of arrival of the delivery device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more first beacons are infrared beacons.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more first beacons are located on a top surface of the delivery receptacle.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery device is an unmanned aerial delivery device.

19. The computer program product of claim 10, the application code instructions executed on the processor communicatively coupled to the delivery device storage device being further executed to cause the system to:

navigate toward the delivery receptacle based on the detected one or more first beacons; and

transmit a second beacon to the delivery receptacle, the second beacon providing a basis for the delivery receptacle to adjust a direction of the one or more first beacons during navigation of the delivery device toward the delivery receptacle.

20. The computer program product of claim 10, the application code instructions executed on the processor communicatively coupled to the delivery receptacle storage device being further executed to cause the system to:

receive the second beacon from the delivery device;

determine a relative position of the delivery device with respect to the delivery receptacle based on the second beacon;

adjust the transmission direction of the one or more first beacons based on the relative position of the delivery device with respect to the delivery receptacle, wherein the direction of the one or more first beacons is adjusted by a mechanical device; and

receive the package from the delivery device.

14. 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 receive packages, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to receive a communication that a delivery device is transporting a package to a delivery receptacle and instructions to provide a basis for directing one or more first beacons at a direction of approach of the delivery location prior to arrival of the delivery device; and

computer-executable program instructions to transmit one or more first beacons in an expected direction of arrival of the delivery device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the one or more first beacons are infrared beacons.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the one or more first beacons are located on a top surface of the delivery receptacle.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the delivery device is an unmanned aerial delivery device.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer-executable program instructions to receive a second beacon from the delivery device;

computer-executable program instructions to determine a relative position of the delivery device with respect to the delivery receptacle based on the received second beacon; and

computer-executable program instructions to adjust the transmission direction of the one or more first beacons based on the relative position of the delivery device with respect to the delivery receptacle, wherein the direction of the one or more first beacons is adjusted by a mechanical device.