Delivery port management system, delivery port management method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022019971-A1
Application number	US-201916976760-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 18, 2019
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

To improve utilization efficiency of a delivery port and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a delivery port management system includes obtaining means for obtaining a delivery destination of a package that is transported by a UAV approaching a facility having a plurality of delivery ports and a plurality of delivery destinations, the delivery ports receiving packages, port selecting means for selecting a delivery port to which the UAV delivers the package among the plurality of delivery ports based on the delivery destination of the package after the UAV has departed for the facility, and guiding means for sending information for guiding the UAV to the selected delivery port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A delivery port management system, comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to: obtain a delivery destination of a package that is transported by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) approaching a facility having a plurality of delivery ports and a plurality of delivery destinations, the delivery ports receiving packages; select a delivery port to which the UAV delivers the package among the plurality of delivery ports based on the delivery destination of the package after the UAV has departed for the facility; and send information for guiding the UAV to the selected delivery port.

2 . The delivery port management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection is executed after the UAV has reached an area that is set according to the facility.

3 . The delivery port management system according to claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to generate a flight route for the UAV to reach the selected delivery port.

4 . The delivery port management system according to claim 3 , wherein
the flight route generation is based on a current position of the UAV and the selected delivery port.

5 . The delivery port management system according to claim 3 , wherein
the generated flight route avoids an obstacle in the facility and reaches the selected delivery port.

6 . The delivery port management system according to claim 1 , wherein
after the UAV has departed for the facility, the port selection is executed based on the delivery destination of the package and the current position of the UAV from the plurality of delivery ports.

7 . The delivery port management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate to: obtain a position of a delivery vehicle that delivers a package received at one of the plurality of delivery ports to a delivery destination,
wherein
the selection is based on the delivery destination of the package and the position of the delivery vehicle from the plurality of delivery ports.

8 . The delivery port management system according to claim 7 ,
wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to evaluate a route for the delivery vehicle to reach the delivery destination through each of the plurality of delivery ports, and wherein the selection is based on the evaluation.

9 . A delivery port management method, comprising:
obtaining, with at least one processor operating with a memory device, a delivery destination of a package that is transported by a UAV approaching a facility having a plurality of delivery ports and a plurality of delivery destinations, the delivery ports receiving packages; selecting, with at least one processor operating with a memory device, a delivery port to which the UAV delivers the package among the plurality of delivery ports based on the delivery destination of the package after the UAV has departed for the facility; and sending, with at least one processor operating with a memory device, information for guiding the UAV to the selected delivery port.

10 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions, and when executed by at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:
obtain a delivery destination of a package that is transported by a UAV approaching a facility having a plurality of delivery ports and a plurality of delivery destinations, the delivery ports receiving packages; select a delivery port to which the UAV delivers the package among the plurality of delivery ports based on the delivery destination of the package after the UAV has departed for the facility; and send information for guiding the UAV to the selected delivery port.

Assignees

• Rakuten Group Inc

Inventors

• TAZUME Toshiaki

Classifications

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/54

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title