System and methods for simulations of vehicle-based item delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248912-B2
Application number	US-201916533961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2019
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for simulations of vehicle-based item delivery. In some examples, a method can include generating a simulation of at least a portion of an environment in which items are to be delivered by a delivery vehicle; determining delivery locations associated with at least one delivery route for the delivery vehicle in the environment within the simulation; determining delivery location groups for the delivery location based on a delivery range of drones associated with the delivery vehicles; and determining waypoints for the delivery vehicle on the delivery route based on a minimum travel time associated with at least one drone of the drones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
at least one memory device that stores computer-executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory device, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
generate a simulation of at least a portion of an environment in which items are to be delivered by a delivery vehicle;
determine delivery locations associated with at least one delivery route for the delivery vehicle in the environment within the simulation;
determine delivery location groups for the delivery location based on a delivery range of drones associated with the delivery vehicles;
determine waypoints for the delivery vehicle on the delivery route based on a minimum travel time associated with at least one drone of the drones; and
generate a physics-based model that is based on at least one of an environmental parameter or a power capacity associated with the drone; and
generate second waypoints based on the physics-based model.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the physics-based model comprises at least one of a number of recharge cycles on a drone battery, a capacity of the drone battery, or an internal resistance of the drone battery.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein determining the delivery location groups further comprises:
determining circles on a map, the circles having radii based on a delivery range of the drones available on the delivery vehicle;
determining overlap areas where two or more circles of the circles overlap; and
determining the delivery location groups that maximize a number of circles that overlap.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein determining the waypoints comprises:
determining a circle of a smallest radius on a map that encompasses the delivery locations; and
determining a waypoint of the waypoints at a center of the circle.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
determine that a distance between the delivery location groups is below a predetermined threshold; and
determine a waypoint of the waypoints at an approximate location of a centroid of a polygon comprising vertices formed by the delivery locations in the delivery location group.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
present a graphical user interface for the simulation that comprises a status of a delivery of an item to a delivery location of the delivery locations, a package state, and a drone operational state.

7. A method, comprising:
generating a simulation of at least a portion of an environment in which items are to be delivered by a delivery vehicle;
determining delivery locations associated with at least one delivery route for the delivery vehicle in the environment within the simulation;
determining delivery location groups for the delivery location based on a delivery range of drones associated with the delivery vehicles, wherein determining the delivery location groups further comprises:
determining circles on a map, the circles having radii based on a delivery range of the drones available on the delivery vehicle;
determining overlap areas where two or more circles of the circles overlap; and
determining the delivery location groups that maximize a number of circles that overlap; and

determining waypoints for the delivery vehicle on the delivery route based on a minimum travel time associated with at least one drone of the drones.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
generating a physics-based model that is based on at least one of an environmental parameter or a power capacity associated with the drone; and
generating second waypoints based on the physics-based model.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the physics-based model comprises at least one of a number of recharge cycles on a drone battery, a capacity of the drone battery, or an internal resistance of the drone battery.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the waypoints comprises:
determining a circle of a smallest radius on a map that encompasses the delivery locations; and
determining a waypoint of the waypoints at a center of the circle.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
determine that a distance between the delivery location groups is below a predetermined threshold; and
determine a waypoint of the waypoints at an approximate location of a centroid of a polygon comprising vertices formed by the delivery locations in the delivery location group.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
present a graphical user interface for the simulation that comprises a status of a delivery of an item to a delivery location of the delivery locations, a package state, and a drone operational state.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
generating a simulation of at least a portion of an environment in which items are to be delivered by a delivery vehicle;
determining delivery locations associated with at least one delivery route for the delivery vehicle in the environment within the simulation;
determining delivery location groups for the delivery location based on a delivery range of drones associated with the delivery vehicles; and
determining waypoints for the delivery vehicle on the delivery route based on a minimum travel time associated with at least one drone of the drones, wherein determining the waypoints comprises:
determining a circle of a smallest radius on a map that encompasses the delivery locations; and
determining a waypoint of the waypoints at a center of the circle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable instructions to:
generate a physics-based model that is based on at least one of an environmental parameter or a power capacity associated with the drone; and
generate second waypoints based on the physics-based model.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the physics-based model comprises at least one of a number of recharge cycles on a drone battery, a capacity of the drone battery, or an internal resistance of the drone battery.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the delivery location groups further comprises:
determining circles on a map, the circles having radii based on a delivery range of the drones available on the delivery vehicle;
determining overlap areas where two or more circles of the circles overlap; and
determining the delivery location groups that maximize a number of circles that overlap.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
determine that a distance between the delivery location groups is below a predetermined threshold; and
determine a waypoint of the waypoints at an approximate location of a centroid of a polygon comprising vertices formed by the delivery locations in the delivery location group.

18. A device, comprising:
at least one memory device that stores computer-executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory de

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mitra Pramita
• Melcher David
• Sharma Abhishek
• Rao Prashant
• Zeryihun Amanuel

Classifications

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64U50/34

  In-flight charging (photovoltaics B64U50/31) · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• G01C21/3423

  Multimodal routing · CPC title