Systems and methods for a subscription service via autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11200613-B2
Application number	US-201816158889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for autonomous delivery management are disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous delivery management system to provide a user interface for a customer to enter subscription information, receive subscription information from the user interface where the subscription information includes an item and a time interval for regularly delivering the item to the customer, store the subscription information, determine a handling itinerary for the item that includes delivery of the item in compliance with the time interval, and communicate instructions to an autonomous vehicle based on the handling itinerary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous delivery management system comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
provide a user interface for a customer to enter subscription information for an item;
receive the subscription information from the user interface, wherein the subscription information includes the item and a time interval for regularly delivering the item to the customer;
store the subscription information;
determine a handling itinerary for the item that includes a delivery of the item in compliance with the time interval within a time of the time interval;
assign a compartment or sub-compartment of an autonomous vehicle to the customer based on a seller description of the item that includes dimension information of the item and weight information of the item;
transmit, through an interaction with the autonomous vehicle, a telecommunication message to the customer, wherein the telecommunication message includes a code that opens the compartment or sub-compartment of the autonomous vehicle;
transmit, to the customer, a notification of details of the delivery before the delivery;
receive, from the customer, a response that includes a change associated with the details of the delivery;
based on the response, implement a change to the handling itinerary;
confirm the change to the handling itinerary with the customer; and
transmit further instructions to the autonomous vehicle based on the change to the handling itinerary.

2. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the item includes at least one of a drug prescription, a grocery, or another consumable.

3. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the subscription information includes an automatic payment method.

4. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the handling itinerary includes at least one of a pickup location, a destination location, or a deadline for the delivery.

5. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the syctcm at least one processor to:
obtain an indication from the autonomous vehicle indicating whether the delivery was successful or unsuccessful; and
in a case where the indication from the autonomous vehicle indicates that the delivery was unsuccessful, communicating transmit further instructions to the autonomous vehicle for additional handling of the item.

6. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
obtain an indication from the user interface that location awareness is enabled;
obtain customer location information from the user interface;
modify the handling itinerary for the item based on the customer location information to generate a modified handling itinerary; and
transmit additional instructions to the autonomous vehicle based on the modified handling itinerary.

7. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the subscription information further includes a plurality of items including the item.

8. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the subscription information further includes a plurality of time intervals for regularly delivering the item to the customer including the time interval.

9. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein additional customer identification information is further configured to open the autonomous vehicle.

10. The autonomous delivery management system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
provide, to the customer at a predetermined time before the delivery, a notification about a quantity of the item; and
obtain, from the customer, an indication including a change to the quantity of the item.

11. A computer implemented method for providing autonomous delivery management, the computer implemented method comprising:
providing, by a processor of an autonomous delivery management system, a user interface for a customer to enter subscription information for an item;
receiving, by the processor, the subscription information from the user interface, wherein the subscription information includes the item and a time interval for regularly delivering the item to the customer;
storing, by the processor, the subscription information;
determining, by the processor, a handling itinerary for the item that includes a delivery of the item in compliance with the time interval within a time of the time interval;
assigning, by the processor, a compartment or sub-compartment of an autonomous vehicle to the customer based on a seller description of the item that includes dimension information of the item and weight information of the item;
transmitting, by the processor, through an interaction with the autonomous vehicle, a telecommunication message to the customer, wherein the telecommunication message includes a code that opens the compartment or sub-compartment of the autonomous vehicle;
transmitting, by the processor, to the customer, a notification of details of the delivery before the delivery;
receiving, by the processor, from the customer, a response that includes a change associated with the details of the delivery;
based on the response, implementing, by the processor, a change to the handling itinerary;
confirming, by the processor, the change to the handling itinerary with the customer; and
transmitting, by the processor, further instructions to the autonomous vehicle based on the change to the handling itinerary.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the item includes at least one of a drug prescription, a grocery, or another consumable.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the subscription information includes an automatic payment method.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the handling itinerary includes at least one of a pickup location, destination location, or a deadline for the delivery.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , the method further including:
obtaining, by the processor, an indication from the autonomous vehicle indicating whether the delivery was successful or unsuccessful; and
in a case where the indication from the autonomous vehicle indicates that the delivery was unsuccessful, communicating transmitting, by the processor, further instructions to the autonomous vehicle for additional handling of the item.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 10 , the method further including:
obtaining, by the processor, an indication from the user interface that location awareness is enabled;
obtaining, by the processor, customer location information from the user interface;
modifying, by the processor, the handling itinerary for the item based on the customer location information to generate a modified handling itinerary; and
transmitting, by the processor, additional instructions to the autonomous vehicle based on the modified handling itinerary.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , the method further including:
providing, by the processor, to the customer at a predetermined time before the delivery, a notification about a quantity of the item; and
obtaining, by the processor, from the customer, an indication including a change to the quantity of the item.

Assignees

• Nuro Inc

Inventors

• Ferguson David
• Zhu Jiajun
• Leipold Cosimo
• Jirapinyo Pichayut
• Ransohoff Nan

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• G05D1/651

  with controlled time of arrival at target points, e.g. 4D navigation · CPC title

• G05D1/2235

  involving the operator tracking the vehicle by direct line of sight · CPC title

• G05D1/6445

  for optimising payload operation, e.g. camera or spray coverage · CPC title

• G05D1/2247

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