Systems and methods for delivering products via autonomous ground vehicles to vehicles designated by customers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10120384-B2
Application number	US-201715837342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 12, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for facilitating delivery, via autonomous ground vehicles, of products ordered by customers of a retailer to physical locations of vehicles designated by the customers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating delivery of products ordered by a customer of a retailer to a delivery destination including a physical location of a vehicle designated by the customer via an autonomous ground vehicle, the system comprising:
an order processing server of the retailer configured to process an order for a product placed by a customer, wherein the order for the product placed by the customer specifies that the product be delivered via the autonomous ground vehicle to the delivery destination including the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer;
a computing device of the retailer including a processor-based control circuit, the computing device configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer;
wherein the control circuit is configured to analyze the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer, determine a route for an autonomous ground vehicle to the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer, and transmit a first electronic notification to the autonomous ground vehicle including route instructions to guide the autonomous ground vehicle to the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer along the determined route; and
wherein the autonomous ground vehicle, after receipt of the first electronic notification from the computing device, is configured to navigate, based on the route instructions, to the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer while retaining the products ordered by the customer therein, to remain proximate the vehicle designated by the customer while retaining the products ordered by the customer therein, to transmit an electronic confirmation that the products ordered by the customer have been delivered by the autonomous ground vehicle to the delivery destination including the vehicle designated by the customer, to obtain identity detection data from a person attempting to retrieve the products from the autonomous ground vehicle at the delivery destination, and to permit the person attempting to retrieve the products from the autonomous ground vehicle at the delivery destination to retrieve the products ordered by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle when an identity of the person attempting to retrieve the products from the autonomous ground vehicle at the delivery destination matches one of an identity of the customer who placed the order and an identity of a person authorized by the customer to pick up the products at the delivery destination from the autonomous ground vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle designated by the customer includes one of an installed transmitter and a mobile communication device configured to transmit the GPS coordinates of the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer to the control circuit of the computing device, and wherein the computing device is configured to obtain GPS coordinates of the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer based on the GPS coordinates transmitted to the computing device from the one of the installed transmitter and the mobile communication device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle includes a transceiver configured to receive the route instructions transmitted in the first electronic notification from the computing device, the transceiver configured to send one or more signals to the computing device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle designated by the customer includes a transceiver, and wherein the transceiver of the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to communicate directly with the transceiver of the vehicle designated by the customer when the autonomous ground vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle designated by the customer.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle includes at least one sensor configured to detect at least one obstacle between the autonomous ground vehicle and the vehicle designated by the consumer along the route determined by the control circuit of the computing device for the autonomous ground vehicle, and wherein the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to avoid the at least one obstacle based on detection of the at least one obstacle by the at least one sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle includes a sensor configured to detect a combination of letters and numbers on a license plate of the vehicle designated by the customer.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to transmit sensor data including the combination of letters and numbers detected by the sensor on the license plate of the vehicle designated by the customer to the computing device, and wherein the control circuit of the computing device is configured to authenticate the vehicle designated by the customer based on the sensor data received from the autonomous ground vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit of the computing devices is further configured to receive, from the autonomous ground vehicle, the electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered by the autonomous ground vehicle to the delivery destination including the vehicle designated by the customer, and wherein, in response to receipt, from the autonomous ground vehicle, of the electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the vehicle designated by the customer, the control circuit of the computing device is further configured to transmit, to a mobile computing device of the customer, an electronic alert that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the vehicle designated by the customer.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit of the computing devices is further configured to receive, from the autonomous ground vehicle, an electronic confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been retrieved by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle at the vehicle designated by the customer.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein in response to receipt, from the autonomous ground vehicle, of the electronic confirmation that that the product ordered by the customer has been retrieved by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle at the vehicle designated by the customer, the control circuit of the computing device is further configured to transmit, to the autonomous ground vehicle, return route information to guide the autonomous ground vehicle to a deployment station of the autonomous ground vehicle.

11. A method for facilitating delivery of products ordered by a customer of a retailer to a delivery destination including a physical location of a vehicle designated by the customer via an autonomous ground vehicle, the method comprising:
providing an order processing server of the retailer configured to process an order for a product placed by a customer, the order for the product placed by the customer specifying that the product be delivered via the autonomous ground vehicle to the delivery destination including the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer;
providing a computing device of the retailer including a processor-based control circuit, the computing device configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer;
analyzing, via the control circuit of the computing device, the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the vehicle designated by the customer;
determining a route for an

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Wilkinson Bruce W
• Mchale Brian G
• High Donald R
• Mattingly Todd D

Classifications

• G06Q10/08355

  Routing methods · CPC title

• G06Q10/08 Primary

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G01S19/42

  Determining position · CPC title

• G01C21/34 Primary

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• G01S19/01

  Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO · CPC title