Delivery robot and method of operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11200532-B2
Application number	US-201815951791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A method of delivery robot operation, preferably including: navigating the robot to a location of a user; authenticating the user; initiating a transaction with the user; determining a user interaction with a compartment of the robot; and determining a termination event. A delivery robot, preferably including: a compartment, preferably including a door and defining a lumen; a cargo sensor; a communications module; one or more outputs: one or more inputs; a control module; and a drive module.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for delivery robot operation comprising, at a delivery robot comprising a compartment defining a lumen, the lumen defining a first subcompartment and a second subcompartment:
receiving an instruction to deliver a first set of goods to a user;
in response to receiving the instruction, navigating the delivery robot to a location associated with the user, the location comprising a walkway, the walkway defining a centerline arranged equidistant between an inner edge and an outer edge of the walkway, wherein, while navigating the delivery robot to the location:
the first subcompartment contains the first set of goods; and
the second subcompartment contains a second set of goods;

in response to receiving the instruction, authenticating the user;
determining a parking position on the walkway and an orientation of the compartment when the delivery robot is parked based on presence and/or nature of one or more obstacles adjacent to one of the inner edge or the outer edge of the walkway;
at the location, with the delivery robot parked at the determined parking position and the compartment at said orientation, in response to authenticating the user, unlocking a door of the compartment, thereby enabling user access to the lumen and inside each of the first subcompartment and the second subcompartment at a same time;
after unlocking the door, using a first time of flight (ToF) sensor of the compartment, sampling a measurement indicative of removal of the first set of goods from the first subcompartment;
after unlocking the door and before locking the door, using a second ToF sensor of the compartment, sampling a second measurement indicative of removal of the second set of goods from the second subcompartment;
after sampling the measurement, determining that the door is closed and thus blocking the user access to the lumen and inside each of the first subcompartment and the second subcompartment; and
in response to sampling the measurement and determining that the door is closed, locking the door, thereby disabling the user access to the lumen and inside each of the first subcompartment and the second subcompartment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
at the delivery robot, in response to sampling the second measurement, providing an alarm output to the user, the alarm output indicative of incorrect goods removal.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, after providing the alarm output:
using the second ToF sensor, sampling a third measurement indicative of replacement of the second set of goods into the second subcompartment; and
at the delivery robot, in response to sampling the third measurement, providing an acknowledgment output to the user;
wherein locking the door is performed in further response to sampling the third measurement.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the delivery robot:
receiving a second instruction to deliver the second set of goods to a second user;
in response to receiving the second instruction, after locking the door, while the second subcompartment contains the second set of goods, authenticating the second user;
in response to authenticating the second user, unlocking the door, thereby enabling the user access to the lumen and inside each of the first subcompartment and the second subcompartment at the same time; and
at the delivery robot, in response to receiving the second instruction, after determining that the door is closed, navigating the delivery robot to a second location associated with the second user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
authenticating the user comprises:
at an input of the delivery robot, receiving a first code from the user; and
determining that the first code is equivalent to a first stored code associated with the user; and
authenticating the second user comprises:
at the input, receiving a second code from the second user; and
determining that the second code is equivalent to a second stored code associated with the second user, wherein the second stored code is not equivalent to the first stored code.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
before authenticating the user, providing the first code to the user via a first client of a first electronic user device; and
before authenticating the second user, providing the second code to the second user via a second client of a second electronic user device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a robot identifier to the user via a client of an electronic user device; and
at the delivery robot, after navigating the delivery robot to the location and before sampling the measurement, providing an identifier output to the user, wherein the identifier output is indicative of the robot identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 , the further comprising, after unlocking the door and before sampling the measurement:
controlling a first light source of the delivery robot to illuminate the first set of goods, wherein the first light source is oriented substantially toward the first set of goods; and
controlling a second light source of the delivery robot to not illuminate the second set of goods, wherein the second light source is oriented substantially toward the second set of goods.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lumen further defines a third subcompartment and, while navigating the delivery robot to the location, the third subcompartment contains a third set of goods; the method further comprising, at the delivery robot:
before navigating the delivery robot to the location, receiving a second instruction to deliver the third set of goods to the user;
in response to sampling the measurement, determining a wait event;
in response to determining the wait event, operating the delivery robot in a waiting mode, comprising providing a waiting indication to the user; and
before determining that the door is closed, while operating the delivery robot in the waiting mode, using a second ToF sensor of the compartment, sampling a second measurement indicative of removal of the third set of goods from the third subcompartment;
wherein locking the door is performed in further response to sampling the second measurement.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the delivery robot:
in response to unlocking the door and before sampling the measurement, controlling the door to open and thus providing the user access to the lumen and inside each of the first subcompartment and the second subcompartment at the same time; and
in response to sampling the measurement and before determining that the door is closed, controlling the door to close, thereby blocking the user access to the lumen and inside each of the first subcompartment and the second subcompartment.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the walkway comprises a sidewalk, the sidewalk comprising the inner edge arranged proximal a roadway and the outer edge arranged distal the roadway, the sidewalk defining the centerline arranged equidistant between the inner edge and the outer edge, the parking position being arranged between the centerline and the outer edge; and
said navigating the delivery robot to the location comprises stopping the robot at the parking position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein, while stopped at the parking position, the door is arranged proximal the outer edge.

13. A method for delivery robot operation comprising, at a delivery robot comprising a compartment defining a lumen, the lumen defining a first subcompartment and a second subcompartment:
receiving an instruction to deliver a first set of goods and a second set of goods to a first user;
in resp

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Peterson Kevin
• Delaney Matthew
• Witte Zac
• Calaiaro Jason
• Anderson Jon
• Shivers Zachery

Classifications

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• G05D1/0246

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title

• G05D1/0278

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G05D1/2247

  providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras · CPC title

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title