Apparatus and systems of a modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly for transporting an item being shipped

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117255-B2
Application number	US-201916351604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A modular autonomous cart assembly for transporting an item being shipped is described with a sensor-equipped mobility base that carries the item(s), a modular cart handle, a sensor-equipped modular mobile cart autonomy control module detachably attached to the modular handle, all sharing a modular common power and data transport bus. The autonomous controller of the modular control module is programmatically adapted operative to establish a secure connection to a wireless mobile courier node, locate the courier node and the cart assembly, receive sensor data from the base and control module sensors, generate steering and propulsion control commands using the locations and sensor data and send them to a controller on the mobility base so that the assembly can autonomously track and follow the current location of the courier node as the courier node moves and while maintaining a predetermined follow distance from the current location of the courier node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly for transporting an item being shipped, comprising:
a modular mobility base comprising
a mobile base platform,
a mobility controller disposed as part of the mobile base platform,
a propulsion system connected to the mobile base platform, the propulsion system being responsive to a propulsion control input from the mobility controller to cause changes in speed of the modular mobility base,
a steering system connected to the mobile base platform and coupled to the propulsion system, the steering system responsive to a steering control input from the mobility controller and operative to cause changes to directional movement of the modular mobility base,
a plurality of mobility base sensors coupled to the mobility controller and disposed on the mobile base platform, the mobility base sensors being operative to autonomously detect an object in the path of the modular mobility base and provide base feedback sensor data to the mobility controller on the detected object, and
a first interface to a common modular component power and data transport bus, the first interface providing a power conduit for the modular mobility base and a command and data interface conduit for at least the mobility controller;

a modular cart handle detachably mounted to the modular mobility base, the modular cart handle comprising
a handle base having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is detachably connected to the modular mobility base,
a handle grip disposed on the handle base,
a handle seat disposed on the second end of the handle base,
an actuated set of latches disposed on the handle seat, and
a second interface to the common modular component power and data transport bus, the second interface providing a power conduit through the modular cart handle and a command and data interface conduit through the modular cart handle; and

a modular mobile cart autonomy control module detachably attached to the modular handle, the modular mobile cart autonomy control module comprising
a detachable modular housing detachably connected to the handle seat,
a plurality of latching points disposed on the detachable modular housing, the latching points configured to interlock with the actuated set of latches disposed on the handle seat,
a processor-based autonomous controller disposed within the detachable modular housing,
at least one display disposed on the detachable modular housing, wherein the display being operatively coupled to the autonomous controller,
a user input panel disposed on the detachable modular housing, the user input panel being operatively coupled to the autonomous controller, the user input panel receiving localized input to supplement autonomous operation of the modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly,
a wireless radio transceiver operatively coupled to the autonomous controller,
a plurality of autonomy module sensors disposed on the detachable modular housing and operatively coupled to the autonomous controller, wherein the autonomy module sensors being operative to generate onboard sensor data on an environment external to the modular mobile cart autonomy control module as detected by the autonomy module sensors and providing the onboard sensor data to the autonomous controller, and
a third interface to the common modular component power and data transport bus, the third interface providing a power conduit for the modular mobile cart autonomy control module and a command and data interface conduit for the modular mobile cart autonomy control module, wherein the command and data interface conduit is operatively coupled to at least the autonomous controller; and
wherein the autonomous controller of the modular mobile cart autonomy control module is programmatically adapted and configured to be operative to at least
(a) detect, using the wireless radio transceiver, an advertising signal from a wireless mobile courier node;
(b) generate association data that establishes and reflects a secure association between the wireless mobile courier node and the modular mobile cart autonomy control module after detecting the advertising signal from the wireless mobile courier node, the secure association between the wireless mobile courier node and the modular mobile cart autonomy control module allowing secure sharing of information between the wireless mobile courier node and the modular mobile cart autonomy control module;
(c) determine a current location of the wireless mobile courier node;
(d) determine a current location of the modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly;
(e) receive information from the mobility controller through the common modular component power and data transport bus, the received information being about the base feedback sensor data;
(f) receive the onboard sensor data from the autonomy module sensors;
(g) generate a steering control command and a propulsion control command based at least upon the current location of the modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly, the current location of the wireless mobile courier node, the received information on the base feedback sensor data from the mobility controller, and the onboard sensor data as received by the autonomous controller from the autonomy module sensors;
(h) transmit the steering control command and the propulsion control command through the common modular component power and data transport bus for receipt by the mobility controller; and
(i) repeat functions (c)-(h) to autonomously track and follow the current location of the wireless mobile courier node as the wireless mobile courier node moves and while maintaining a predetermined follow distance from the current location of the wireless mobile courier node.

2. The modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous controller of the modular mobile cart autonomy control module is further programmatically adapted and configured to be operative to:
generate a predicted path of movement for the wireless mobile courier node based upon a destination location maintained by the modular mobile cart autonomy control module; and
generate the steering control command and the propulsion control command based at least upon the location data from the location circuitry, the received information on the base feedback sensor data from the mobility controller, the onboard sensor data as received by the autonomous controller from the autonomy module sensors, and the determined location of the wireless mobile courier node.

3. The modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous controller of the modular mobile cart autonomy control module is further programmatically adapted and configured to be operative to determine the current location of the wireless mobile courier node by receiving a location message from the wireless mobile courier node, the location message providing the current location of the wireless mobile courier node.

4. The modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly of claim 1 , wherein the modular mobile cart autonomy control module further comprises location circuitry disposed within the detachable modular housing, the location circuitry being operatively coupled to the autonomous controller, the location circuitry generating location data on the current location of the modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly and providing the location data to the autonomous controller.

5. The modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wireless mobile courier node comprises a master node with onboard location circuitry that identifies the current location of the wireless mobile courier node.

6. The modular autonomous cart apparatus assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wireless mobile courier node comprises a maste

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter
• Mayfield Frank
• Gates Daniel

Classifications

• G07C9/37

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition · CPC title

• G07C9/00571

  operated by interacting with a central unit · CPC title

• G07C9/00563

  using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns · CPC title

• B60G2400/252

  vertical · CPC title

• G06Q30/0633

  Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087) · CPC title