Systems and methods for individualized routing and transportation of parcels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619776-B1
Application number	US-201514615845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes determining real-time location information for a transportation item. The method further includes determining real-time route information for a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles comprising a vehicle-in-transit actively transporting the transportation item. In addition, the method includes analyzing, via the real-time location information and the real-time route information, a route efficiency of the plurality of vehicles relative to an intended destination of the transportation item. Further, the method includes selecting a replacement vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles based, at least in part, on a result of the analyzing. Additionally, the method includes initiating physical transfer of the transportation item from the vehicle-in-transit to the replacement vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, by a computer system, real-time location information for a transportation item, wherein the transportation item comprises an unmanned vehicle;
the computer system determining real-time route information for a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles comprising a vehicle-in-transit actively transporting the transportation item;
the computer system analyzing, via the real-time location information and the real-time route information, a route efficiency of the plurality of vehicles relative to an intended destination of the transportation item;
the computer system selecting a replacement vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles based, at least in part, on a result of the analyzing;
the unmanned vehicle undocking from an unmanned-vehicle dock disposed on a surface of the vehicle-in-transit;
the unmanned vehicle achieving a docking position relative to the replacement vehicle;
the unmanned-vehicle dock of the replacement vehicle authenticating the unmanned vehicle;
responsive to successful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, the unmanned vehicle docking to the unmanned-vehicle dock of the replacement vehicle; and
responsive to unsuccessful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, the unmanned-vehicle dock physically declining engagement with the unmanned vehicle, the physically declining comprising reversing electromagnet polarity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transportation item comprises a computerized parcel container operable to enclose a parcel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the computerized parcel container is carried by the unmanned vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising the unmanned-vehicle dock receiving a payment from the unmanned vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the computer system is an integral part of the unmanned vehicle.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the computer system is a central computer system that controls a plurality of unmanned vehicles.

7. The method of claim 3 , comprising the unmanned vehicle acquiring the computerized parcel container, the acquiring comprising:
the unmanned vehicle authenticating the computerized parcel container;
the computerized parcel container authenticating the unmanned vehicle; and
responsive to successful authentication of the computerized parcel container and the unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle and the computerized parcel container mutually accepting each other.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
the unmanned vehicle authenticating the unmanned-vehicle dock; and
responsive to unsuccessful authentication of the unmanned-vehicle dock by the unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle physically declining engagement with the unmanned-vehicle dock.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement vehicle is deemed to improve upon the vehicle-in-transit based, at least in part, on at least one of the following factors: transit cost, transit speed, directness of route relative to the intended destination, and projected time of arrival at the intended destination.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer system continuously analyzes the route efficiency of the plurality of vehicles relative to the intended destination.

11. An information handling system comprising:
at least one processor and memory, wherein the at least one processor and memory in combination are operable to implement a method comprising:
determining real-time location information for a transportation item, wherein the transportation item comprises an unmanned vehicle;
determining real-time route information for a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles comprising a vehicle-in-transit actively transporting the transportation item;
analyzing, via the real-time location information and the real-time route information, a route efficiency of the plurality of vehicles relative to an intended destination of the transportation item;
selecting a replacement vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles based, at least in part, on a result of the analyzing; causing the unmanned vehicle to undock from an unmanned-vehicle dock on a surface of the vehicle-in-transit;
causing the unmanned vehicle to achieve a docking position relative to the replacement vehicle;
causing the unmanned-vehicle dock to authenticate the unmanned vehicle;
responsive to successful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, causing the unmanned vehicle to dock to an unmanned-vehicle dock of the replacement vehicle; and
responsive to unsuccessful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, causing the unmanned-vehicle dock to physically decline engagement with the unmanned vehicle, the physically declining comprising reversing electromagnet polarity.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein
the transportation item comprises a computerized parcel container operable to enclose a parcel; and
the computerized parcel container is carried by the unmanned vehicle.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 , wherein the information handling system is a central computer system that controls a plurality of unmanned vehicles.

14. The information handling system of claim 11 , the method comprising:
causing the unmanned vehicle to authenticate the unmanned-vehicle dock; and
responsive to unsuccessful authentication of the unmanned-vehicle dock by the unmanned vehicle, causing the unmanned vehicle to physically decline engagement with the unmanned-vehicle dock.

15. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
determining real-time location information for a transportation item, wherein the transportation item comprises an unmanned vehicle;
determining real-time route information for a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles comprising a vehicle-in-transit actively transporting the transportation item;
analyzing, via the real-time location information and the real-time route information, a route efficiency of the plurality of vehicles relative to an intended destination of the transportation item;
selecting a replacement vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles based, at least in part, on a result of the analyzing;
causing the unmanned vehicle to undock from an unmanned-vehicle dock on a surface of the vehicle-in-transit;
causing the unmanned vehicle to achieve a docking position relative to the replacement vehicle;
causing the unmanned-vehicle dock to authenticate the unmanned vehicle;
responsive to successful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, causing the unmanned vehicle to dock to an unmanned-vehicle dock of the replacement vehicle; and
responsive to unsuccessful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, causing the unmanned-vehicle dock to physically decline engagement with the unmanned vehicle, the physically declining comprising reversing electromagnet polarity.

Assignees

• Dell Software Inc

Inventors

• Ford Daniel A
• Narayanan Rajesh
• Silberman Gabriel Mauricio

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

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

• B64U80/86

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G06Q10/08355 Primary

  Routing methods · 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

• G05D1/02

  Control of position or course in two dimensions · CPC title