IP Library › Granted Patent US 12682310

Granted Patent B2

US 12682310 · App. 18/483,963 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Fetching and guarding packages using drones

Inventors: Ethan Shayne (Clifton Park, NY); Donald Gerard Madden (Columbia, MD)

Assignee: ObjectVideo Labs, LLC

G06Q10/0833 G05D1/101 G06Q10/0838

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12682310
App. No.: 18/483,963
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for fetching and guarding delivered packages using robots. One of the methods includes: determining a characteristic of a package at a first location; determining a risk score for the package at the first location; determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, to perform an action for the package; in response to determining to perform the action for the package, assigning a robot to perform the action; and deploying the robot to perform the action.

Claims (54)

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

capturing, by a sensor at a property and that has a field of view of a first location at a property at which a package is physically located, sensor data;

determining, by the sensor and using the sensor data from the sensor, a characteristic of the package currently at the first location at the property and at which the package is physically located;

determining, by the sensor, a risk score for the package using first data for the package and second data for the first location at which the package is physically located at the property;

determining, by the sensor and using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, whether to perform an action for the package that is physically located at the first location at the property;

in response to determining to perform the action for the package, autonomously assigning, by the sensor, a robot for the property to perform the action for the package; and

autonomously transmitting, by the sensor and to the robot and using a network, one or more instructions that cause the robot to perform the action for the package at the property.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to perform the action for the package comprises determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, whether to perform the action for the package to reduce at least one of a theft risk or a damage risk of the package.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the risk score for the package at the first location comprises determining the risk score for the package using the first location and the characteristic of the package.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the risk score for the package comprises determining a damage risk score for the package using the first location, the characteristic of the package, and weather data for the first location.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the risk score for the package comprises determining a theft risk score for the package using the first location, the characteristic of the package, and property schedule data for the property that includes the first location.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the risk score for the package comprises determining the risk score using a machine learning model trained on historical package data comprising conditions of packages from historical package deliveries for packages that were successfully delivered or packages that were placed at a respective property for pick-up.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining to perform the action for the package comprises determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, to move the package to a second location;

assigning the robot to perform the action comprises, in response to determining to move the package to the second location, assigning the robot to move the package to the second location; and

transmitting the one or more instructions to the robot comprises transmitting the one or more instructions that cause the robot to move the package to the second location.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining to perform the action for the package comprises determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, to guard the package at the first location;

assigning the robot to perform the action comprises, in response to determining to guard the package at the first location, assigning the robot to guard the package at the first location; and

transmitting the one or more instructions to the robot comprises transmitting the one or more instructions that cause the robot to guard the package at the first location.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining to perform the action for the package comprises determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, to monitor the package at the first location;

assigning the robot to perform the action comprises, in response to determining to monitor the package at the first location, assigning the robot to monitor the package at the first location; and

transmitting the one or more instructions to the robot comprises transmitting the one or more instructions that cause the robot to monitor the package at the first location.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining to perform the action for the package comprises determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, to scout a route for moving the package from the first location to a second location and to move the package from the first location to the second location along the route;

assigning the robot to perform the action comprises, in response to determining to scout the route, assigning a first robot to scout the route for moving the package from the first location to the second location and assigning a second robot to move the package from the first location to the second location along the route; and

transmitting the one or more instructions to the robot comprises transmitting one or more first instructions that cause the first robot to scout the route for moving the package from the first location to the second location and transmitting one or more second instructions that cause the second robot to move the package from the first location to the second location along the route.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the robot to perform the action comprises:

selecting the robot from a set of candidate robots using the characteristic of the package and respective characteristics of the candidate robots.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the package was placed at the property for pick-up or was already delivered.

13 . A monitoring system comprising a sensor and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the sensor at a property and that has a field of view of a first location at a property at which a package is physically located, to cause the sensor to perform operations comprising:

capturing sensor data;

determining, using the sensor data, a characteristic of the package currently at the first location at the property and at which the package is physically located;

determining a risk score for the package using first data for the package and second data for the first location at which the package is physically located at the property;

determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, whether to perform an action for the package that is physically located at the first location at the property;

in response to determining to perform the action for the package, autonomously assigning a robot for the property to perform the action for the package; and

autonomously transmitting, to the robot and using a network, one or more instructions that cause the robot to perform the action for the package at the property.

14 . The monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein determining to perform the action for the package comprises determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, whether to perform the action for the package to reduce at least one of a theft risk or a damage risk of the package.

15 . The monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein determining the risk score for the package at the first location comprises determining the risk score for the package using the first location and the characteristic of the package.

16 . The monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein determining the risk score for the package comprises determining a damage risk score for the package using the first location, the characteristic of the package, and weather data for the first location.

17 . The monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein determining the risk score for the package comprises determining a theft risk score for the package using the first location, the characteristic of the package, and property schedule data for the property that includes the first location.

18 . The monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein determining the risk score for the package comprises determining the risk score using a machine learning model trained on historical package data comprising conditions of packages from historical package deliveries for packages that were successfully delivered or packages that were placed at a respective property for pick-up.

19 . The monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein: