Systems and methods for providing navigation assistance to a delivery robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020249698-A1
Application number	US-201916267239-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2019
Priority date	Feb 4, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for using an autonomous vehicle to provide navigation assistance to a delivery robot. In one exemplary implementation, the delivery robot is transported by the autonomous vehicle to a delivery destination such as a residence or a workplace. The delivery robot disembarks at the delivery destination for delivering a package to a recipient at the residence or workplace. A computer system in the autonomous vehicle communicates with a navigation assistance system of the autonomous vehicle to obtain information pertaining to a terrain between the autonomous vehicle and a package drop-off spot at the residence or workplace, and uses the information to generate a route map of the terrain. The autonomous vehicle may transmit the route map and/or navigation instructions derived from the route map, to the delivery robot to assist the delivery robot navigate around obstacles and reach the package drop-off spot.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
transporting a delivery robot in an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including a computer system and a navigation assistance system; disembarking the delivery robot from the autonomous vehicle; generating, by the computer system, for the delivery robot, in cooperation with the navigation assistance system of the autonomous vehicle, a route map of a terrain between the autonomous vehicle and a package drop-off spot; and transmitting from the autonomous vehicle to the delivery robot, at least one of the route map or a set of navigation instructions that are based on the route map, to assist the delivery robot travel to the package drop-off spot.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein disembarking the delivery robot from the autonomous vehicle comprises disembarking the delivery robot on to a road or a sidewalk, and wherein the package drop-off spot is one of an entryway to a building or a package placement location.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the building is one of a residence or a business facility.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the route map includes an identification of one or more obstacles to be circumvented by the delivery robot to reach the package drop-off spot.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigation assistance system of the autonomous vehicle is configured to generate the route map by using at least one of a sensor or an imaging device of the navigation assistance system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the route map comprises a digital representation of the terrain, the digital representation comprising one or more areas to be circumvented by the delivery robot to reach the package drop-off spot.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the route map comprises a digital representation of the terrain, the digital representation comprising a path to be traveled by the delivery robot from a current location of the delivery robot to the package drop-off spot.

8 . A method comprising:
determining, by a navigation assistance system of an autonomous vehicle, a current location of a delivery robot; generating, by a computer system of the autonomous vehicle, in cooperation with the navigation assistance system of the autonomous vehicle, a route map of a terrain between the current location of the delivery robot and a package drop-off spot for the delivery robot; and transmitting from the autonomous vehicle to the delivery robot, at least one of the route map or a set of navigation instructions that are based on the route map, to assist the delivery robot travel from the current location to the package drop-off spot.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transporting the delivery robot in the autonomous vehicle; and disembarking the delivery robot from the autonomous vehicle at the current location.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the computer system of the autonomous vehicle is configured to generate the route map by using at least one of a sensor or an imaging device of the navigation assistance system.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the route map comprises a digital representation of the terrain, the digital representation comprising one or more areas to be circumvented by the delivery robot when traveling from the current location to the package drop-off spot.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more areas to be circumvented by the delivery robot include obstacles.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the route map is one of a 2D rendering or a 3D rendering of the terrain between the current location of the delivery robot and the package drop-off spot for the delivery robot.

14 . A system comprising:
a delivery robot; and an autonomous vehicle comprising:
a navigation assistance system; and
a computer system comprising:
at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:
cooperate with the navigation assistance system to generate a route map of a terrain between the autonomous vehicle and a package drop-off spot at a delivery destination; and
transmit to the delivery robot, at least one of the route map or a set of navigation instructions that are based on the route map, to assist the delivery robot travel to the package drop-off spot.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to transport the delivery robot to the delivery destination, and wherein the package drop-off spot at the delivery destination is one of an entryway to a building or a package placement location.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the route map comprises a digital representation of the terrain, the digital representation comprising one or more areas to be circumvented by the delivery robot when traveling from a current location of the delivery robot at the delivery destination to the package drop-off spot.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more areas to be circumvented by the delivery robot include obstacles.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the route map is one of a 2D rendering or a 3D rendering of the terrain between a current location of the delivery robot at the delivery destination and the package drop-off spot.

19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the navigation assistance system comprises at least one of a sensor or an imaging device.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the sensor is a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) device.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lu Jianbo
• Miller Justin
• Hong Sanghyun

Classifications

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• G05D2201/0216

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0276

  using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle (involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058) · CPC title

• G05D1/0295 Primary

  by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title