Methods, systems and devices for delivery drone security

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359074-B2
Application number	US-201414480062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices are provided for securing a drone delivering a package of goods to a delivery destination. A notification may be provided to a device of the purchaser that the drone has arrived near the delivery destination. The drone may hover at a secure altitude from a landing zone at the delivery destination. The drone may receive a purchase code associated with a purchase of the package of goods. The drone may authenticate the purchase code as a condition for landing. The drone may land in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is authenticated. The drone may abort the landing when the purchase code is not authenticated. The drone may receive a delivery code associated with completing delivery the package of goods. The drone may require the delivery code as a condition for releasing the package of goods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing security for a drone delivering a package of goods to a delivery destination, comprising:
providing, by the drone, a notification to a device of a purchaser, that the drone has arrived near the delivery destination;
hovering, by the drone, at a secure altitude from a landing zone at the delivery destination;
receiving, by the drone, a purchase code associated with a purchase of the package of goods;
authenticating, by the drone, the purchase code as a condition for landing the drone;
landing, by the drone, in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is authenticated;
aborting the landing, by the drone, in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is not authenticated;
monitoring, by one or more of the drone and a server, one or more web-based applications for an indication that drone information has been posted; and
executing, by the one or more of the drone and the server, a secure navigation mode for the drone in response to the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
releasing, by the drone, the package of goods when the purchase code is authenticated and the landing by the drone in the landing zone is complete; and
confirming, by the drone, a delivery of the package of goods when the package of goods is released.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein confirming, by the drone, the delivery of the package of goods comprises at least one of:
scanning a delivery code associated with the package of goods by the device of the purchaser, and providing the delivery code to the server by the device of the purchaser; and
capturing images of one or more of: the released package of goods, the purchaser, and the landing zone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purchase code is a one-time code, the method further comprising:
conducting, by the server, a purchase transaction for the purchase of the package of goods with the device of the purchaser of the package of goods; and
providing the one-time purchase code, by the server, to the device of the purchaser of the package of goods.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising guiding the landing by the drone in the landing zone by a landing pad in the landing zone, the landing pad including one or more of: a visual landing aid, an optical landing aid, and a radio landing aid.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a location of the landing zone based on a current location of the device of the purchaser.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising navigating, by the drone, to the delivery destination using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising navigating, by the drone, to the delivery destination using an alternative navigation method comprising:
receiving a radio signal from one or more communication nodes along a travel route to the delivery destination, the radio signal including information about the one or more communication nodes;
determining a location of the one or more communication nodes based on the information about the communication node in the received radio signal; and
determining a position of the drone based at least in part on the location of the one or more communication nodes.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the delivery destination, by the device of the purchaser, to the server, wherein the delivery destination is at least one of a street address, GNSS coordinates, and a map section, wherein an input of the map section is received as a user input on an interactive map displayed on a user interface of the device of the purchaser.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the web-based applications include social media websites.

11. A drone device for delivering a package of goods to a delivery destination, comprising:
a memory;
a radio module; and
a processor coupled to the memory and radio module, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
providing a notification to a device of a purchaser that the drone device has arrived near the delivery destination;
hovering at a secure altitude from a landing zone at the delivery destination;
receiving a purchase code associated with a purchase of the package of goods;
authenticating the purchase code as a condition for landing the drone device;
landing in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is authenticated;
aborting the landing in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is not authenticate;
monitoring one or more web-based applications for an indication that drone information has been posted; and
executing a secure navigation mode for the drone device in response to the monitoring.

12. The drone device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
releasing the package of goods when the purchase code is authenticated and the landing by the drone device in the landing zone is complete; and
confirming a delivery of the package of goods when the package of goods is released.

13. The drone device of claim 11 , further comprising one or more of: a camera and a landing device coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising guiding landing in the landing zone at the delivery destination by interacting with a landing pad in the landing zone, wherein interacting with the landing pad includes interacting with one or more of: a visual landing aid, an optical landing aid, and a radio landing aid of the landing pad.

14. The drone device of claim 11 , further comprising a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising navigating to the delivery destination using GNSS navigation.

15. The drone device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising navigating to the delivery destination using an alternative navigation method comprising:
receiving a radio signal from one or more communication nodes along a travel route to the delivery destination, the radio signal including information about the one or more communication nodes;
determining a location of the one or more communication nodes based on the information about the communication node in the received radio signal; and
determining a position of the drone device based on the location of the one or more communication nodes.

16. The drone device of claim 11 , wherein the web-based applications include social media websites.

17. A drone for securely delivering a package of goods to a delivery destination, comprising:
means for providing a notification to a device of a purchaser, that the drone has arrived near the delivery destination;
means for hovering at a secure altitude from a landing zone at the delivery destination;
means for receiving a purchase code associated with a purchase of the package of goods;
means for authenticating the purchase code as a condition for landing the drone;
means for landing in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is authenticated;
means for aborting the landing in the landing zone at the delivery destination when the purchase code is not authenticate;
means for monitoring one or mo

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ganesh Shriram
• Menendez Jose Roberto

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833

  Tracking · CPC title