Autonomous delivery drop points for autonomous delivery vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11453497-B2
Application number	US-201815861191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Autonomous delivery drop points for delivery of an item are provided. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a proxy sensor to communicate information related to the autonomous delivery drop point to an autonomous delivery vehicle. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a delivery inlet configured to accept the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a storage receptacle configured to store the item until the item is retrieved by the owner of the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include an attachment member coupled to the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a hook configured to couple to the attachment member to accept the item, wherein the hook comprises the proxy sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous delivery receptacle comprising:
an autonomous delivery drop point; and
a proxy sensor located on the autonomous delivery drop point, the proxy sensor configured to communicate information related to the autonomous delivery drop point to an autonomous delivery vehicle;
wherein the autonomous delivery drop point comprises:
a plurality of storage receptacles, each of the plurality of storage receptacles comprising:
a tag identifying a resident with which each of the plurality of storage receptacles is associated, wherein the tag is configured to communicate an identifier for the resident with which the tag is associated to the autonomous delivery vehicle;
a delivery inlet configured to accept an item;
a storage volume configured to store the item;
an access port to allow access to the item within the storage volume; and
a sensor to detect the presence or absence of an item in the storage volume of the associated receptacle of the plurality of receptacles, and wherein the proxy sensor is configured to instruct the delivery vehicle to deliver to an empty receptacle of the plurality of receptacles associated with the resident to whom the item is to be delivered.

2. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage receptacles are configured to retrofit a mailbox.

3. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the delivery inlet is a door.

4. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the delivery inlet is an aerial port.

5. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the delivery inlet is configured to close based on the weight of the item.

6. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of storage receptacles further comprises a sensor configured to detect the presence of an item within the storage volume.

7. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising a charging station for the autonomous delivery vehicle.

8. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising an item lowering system configured to lower the item from a first height to a second height.

9. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the tag identifies a name of the recipient associated with the one of the plurality of storage receptacles on which the tag is located.

10. The autonomous delivery drop point of claim 1 , wherein the proxy sensor is configured to communicate the status of items in the storage volume of each of the plurality of receptacles to the autonomous delivery vehicle.

11. The autonomous delivery drop point of claim 10 , wherein the proxy sensor is further configured to communicate to the autonomous delivery vehicle the status of items in the plurality of receptacles.

12. The autonomous delivery drop point of claim 11 , wherein the status of items in the plurality of receptacles comprises an identifier indicating which of the plurality of receptacles does not contain an item.

13. A method of delivering an item, the method comprising:
providing, at an autonomous delivery drop point, a plurality of receptacles;
communicating, via a proxy sensor located on a plurality of receptacles, information related to the autonomous delivery drop point to an autonomous delivery vehicle;
communicating, to the autonomous delivery vehicle via a tag disposed on each of the plurality of receptacles, resident information identifying a resident with which each of the plurality of receptacles is associated;
detecting, via a sensor located on each of the plurality of receptacles, the presence or an absence of an item within a storage volume of each of the plurality of receptacles;
instructing the autonomous delivery vehicle to deliver an item to an empty one of the plurality of receptacles associated with the resident to whom the item is to be delivered;
operating a delivery inlet on the empty one of the plurality of receptacles to accept the item;
receiving, in the storage volume of the one of the plurality of receptacles, the item; and
allowing the resident associated with the one of the plurality of receptacles access to the storage volume via an access port.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, sensing, via sensors disposed in each of the plurality of receptacles, the presence of an item within the storage volume of the plurality of receptacles.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising communicating, via the proxy sensor to the autonomous delivery vehicle, the identifier of one of the plurality of receptacles in which the presence of an item is not detected.

16. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the address of the autonomous delivery drop point identifies a multiunit dwelling, and wherein the unique identifier further identifies a unit within the multiunit dwelling.

17. The autonomous delivery receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the address of the autonomous delivery drop point identifies a single family dwelling, and wherein the unique identifier identifies a particular resident of the single family dwelling.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein identifier of the address of the autonomous delivery drop point identifies a multiunit dwelling, and wherein the unique identifier further identifies a unit within the multiunit dwelling.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identifier of the address of the autonomous delivery drop point identifies a single family dwelling, and wherein the unique identifier identifies a particular resident of the single family dwelling.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Luckay Ryan M
• Dixon Jr Robert E
• Cooil Gregory

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• G05D1/667

  Delivering or retrieving payloads · CPC title

• G06Q10/0836 Primary

  Recipient pick-ups · CPC title

• B64D1/02

  Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles (jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12) · CPC title

• B64D1/12 Primary

  Releasing · CPC title