Grocery delivery system having robot vehicles with temperature and humidity control compartments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486640-B2
Application number	US-201816159016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more grocery storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more grocery items stored at the one more grocery storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more grocery items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more grocery storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous robotic vehicle, comprising:
a conveyance system configured to autonomously drive the autonomous robotic vehicle between at least one grocery storage location and at least one delivery location; and
a storage module including a storage compartment, the storage module positionable within the conveyance system and removable from the conveyance system for selective replacement of the storage module or portions thereof, the storage compartment configured to receive at least one grocery item stored at the at least one grocery storage location, the storage module including a temperature control module configured to maintain the storage compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the least one grocery item as the conveyance system drives between the at least one grocery storage location and the at least one delivery location.

2. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control module includes a heater that is configured to raise a temperature within the storage compartment to maintain the temperature within the predetermined temperature range.

3. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined temperature range is between about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and about 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control module includes a cooler that is configured to lower a temperature within the storage compartment to maintain the temperature within the predetermined temperature range.

5. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined temperature range is between about 32 degrees Fahrenheit and about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined temperature range is below about 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a humidity control module that controls humidity levels within the storage compartment.

8. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control module is configured to selectively raise or lower a temperature within the storage compartment to maintain the storage compartment within the predetermined temperature range.

9. The autonomous robotic vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the temperature control module is configured to adjust the temperature within the storage compartment based on an optimal temperature range for the at least one grocery item.

10. A grocery delivery system, the system comprising:
an autonomous robot vehicle including a conveyance system and a storage module, the storage module positionable within the conveyance system and removable from the conveyance system for selective replacement of the storage module or portions thereof;
a database configured to store a list of groceries for delivery by the autonomous robot vehicle, the database further configured to store information of a delivery location and of at least one grocery storage location;
a communication system configured to communicate with computing devices to enable at least one grocery item to be selected from the list of groceries stored on the database to create a grocery order;
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the grocery delivery system to:
access, in the database, the grocery order;
instruct the at least one storage location to load the grocery order on the autonomous robot vehicle; and
instruct the autonomous vehicle to travel to the delivery location when the grocery order is loaded in the autonomous vehicle.

11. The grocery delivery system of claim 10 , further comprising a fleet of autonomous robot vehicles, the fleet of autonomous robot vehicles including the autonomous robot vehicle including the conveyance system and the storage module.

12. The grocery delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the communication system is configured to communicate with each autonomous robot vehicle of the fleet of autonomous robot vehicles and to receive grocery orders from software applications on computing devices of customers.

13. The grocery delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the database is configured to store information for each autonomous robot vehicle of the fleet, the information including equipment inventory for each autonomous robot vehicle and grocery inventory of grocery orders for each autonomous robot vehicle.

14. The grocery delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to identify, based on equipment inventory and grocery inventory information in the database, particular autonomous vehicles in the fleet capable of fulfilling the grocery order.

15. The grocery delivery system of claim 14 , wherein the equipment inventory information indicates whether each autonomous robot vehicle includes a temperature controlled storage compartment.

16. The grocery delivery system of claim 15 , wherein the equipment inventory information indicates whether each autonomous robot vehicle includes at least one of: a heater, a cooler, or both a heater and a cooler.

17. The grocery delivery system of claim 14 , wherein the equipment inventory information indicates whether each autonomous robot vehicle includes a humidity controlled storage compartment.

18. The grocery delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to travel to a different delivery location or to travel to the at least one storage location.

19. The grocery delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the memory has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the grocery delivery system to broadcast at least one grocery order to the fleet, and wherein the memory has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause at least one autonomous robot vehicle of the fleet to respond with a bid for the at least one grocery order.

20. The grocery delivery system of claim 10 , wherein the memory has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the grocery delivery system to:
identify one or more grocery ordering patterns; and
preemptively instruct the autonomous robot vehicle based on the one or more grocery ordering patterns.

21. The grocery delivery system of claim 20 , wherein the memory has instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the grocery delivery system to associate at least one customer to at least one preemptive grocery order based on at least one grocery order of the at least one customer, wherein the at least one preemptive grocery order is arranged by the grocery delivery system before the at least one customer places at least one grocery order that corresponds to the at least one preemptive grocery order.

22. An autonomous robot vehicle system comprising:
a conveyance system;
a navigation system configured to navigate to destinations;
a communication system;
a storage module including at least one storage compartment, the storage module positionable within the conveyance system and removable from the conveyance system for selective replacement of the storage module or portions thereof, the at least one storage compartment configured to store grocery items of a grocery order for a destination, each grocery item having a predetermined temper

Assignees

• Nuro Inc

Inventors

• Ferguson David
• Zhu Jiajun
• Ransohoff Nan

Classifications

• G01C21/343

  Calculating itineraries (travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047) · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

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

• G07C2209/63

  Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle · CPC title

• G07C9/00896 Primary

  specially adapted for particular uses · CPC title