Method for delivering a shipment by an unmanned transport device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811796-B2
Application number	US-201515303352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for delivering a shipment by an unmanned transport device to a receiving container for said shipment, the method comprising the following and additional steps: moving the unmanned transport device into a destination area associated with the receiving container, on the basis of geographical co-ordinates; once the unmanned transport device has reached the destination area, pairing of the transport device with the receiving container and exchanging electronic authorization information between the receiving container and the unmanned transport device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for delivering a shipment by an unmanned transport device to a receiving container for said shipment, the method comprising the following steps:
moving the unmanned transport device into a destination area associated with the receiving container, on the basis of geographical co-ordinates;
once the unmanned transport device has reached the destination area, pairing of the transport device with the receiving container,
exchanging an electronic authorisation information between the receiving container and the unmanned transport device,
checking of the authorisation information by the receiving container in respect of an authorisation,
if the authorisation exists, activating a transfer device for the shipment by the receiving container, and
transferring the shipment from the unmanned transport device to the transfer device and/or from the transfer device to the unmanned transport device by the unmanned transport device, by the transfer device and/or by the receiving container.

2. The method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following step
moving the unmanned transport device away from the receiving container, and/or
deactivating the transfer device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of pairing of the transport device with the receiving container comprises a detection of a locating signal emitted by the receiving container by the unmanned transport device, the method also comprising the step of the unmanned transport device approaching the receiving container on the basis of the locating signal.

4. The method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following step
informing the receiving container that the unmanned transport device has moved into the destination area, and
in response to the information, pairing the transport device with the receiving container.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer device is self-mobile.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the step of the unmanned transport device approaching the receiving container comprises a position-specific docking of the unmanned transport device on the receiving container.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic authorisation information is selected from the group consisting of WLAN, GSM, NFC, RFID and an electronic radio signal.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the exchange of the electronic authorisation information comprises an emission of the electronic authorisation information by the unmanned transport device to the receiving container.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the authorisation information is stored on a portable electronic device on the unmanned transport device, in particular on an RFID or NFC tag.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the authorisation information has a limited period of validity and/or becomes invalid after a predefined number of uses for proof of authorisation.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the provision of the transfer device comprises an opening of an opening in a roof or a side wall of the receiving container in order to place and/or collect a shipment in/from the receiving container and/or comprises an extension and/or deployment of a docking device for the unmanned transport device.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer of the shipment comprises a lowering of the shipment from the unmanned transport device and/or a lifting of the transfer device and/or of the shipment by the receiving container and/or by the transfer device.

13. The method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following step
gripping, hooking and/or suctioning of the shipment by the unmanned transport device and/or the receiving container in order to transfer the shipment.

14. The method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following step
detecting, documenting, photographing, filming and/or scanning the transfer of the shipment between the unmanned transport device and the receiving container and/or detecting, documenting, photographing, filming and/or scanning the shipment as the shipment is transferred.

15. The method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following step
electronically transmitting a message to the receiving container informing that the unmanned transport device is moving towards the receiving container, and/or electronically transmitting a transfer message once the shipment has been transferred by the receiving container.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the locating signal is embodied as a beam, by an instrument landing system and/or as a horizontal and vertical guide signal.

17. The method according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following step
charging of a rechargeable battery of the unmanned transport device by the receiving container and/or the transfer device.

18. An unmanned transport device, designed to carry out a method according to claim 1 and embodied as a flying machine selected from the group consisting of an aircraft, a UAV, a drone, a parcelcopter, a helicopter, a multicopter, a quadcopter, a aircraft, a vehicle, and a floating object.

19. A receiving container, designed for carrying out a method according to claim 1 and embodied as a letterbox, parcel box, letter and parcel box and/or as a parcel drop-off and pickup station for receiving the shipment.

Assignees

• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Ogilvie Thomas
• Pruski Matthäus
• Benz Ramin

Classifications

• A47G2029/149

  with central server link · CPC title

• A47G29/14

  Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk {, or large parcels}; Similar receptacles for {food or} large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles {, i.e. food or large parcels} · CPC title

• B64D45/08

  optical · CPC title

• B60L53/51

  Photovoltaic means · CPC title

• G06Q10/0832

  Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods · CPC title