IP Library Granted Patent US 9,652,731
Granted Patent B2
US 9,652,731 · App. 15/097,125 · Granted May 16, 2017

Machine-readable delivery platform for automated package delivery

Inventors: Brian Daniel Shucker (Superior, CO); Brandon Kyle Trew (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
G06Q10/083G05D1/02G05D1/0202G06Q10/0833
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,652,731
App. No.
15/097,125
Granted
May 16, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A user requests a package delivery from a package delivery system. The package delivery system provides the user with a machine-readable code for display at the delivery location. An aerial delivery device receives, from the package delivery system computing device, information associated with the delivery location of the package. The information comprises information matching the information in the machine-readable code associated with the delivery location and a delivery address. The delivery device secures the package for transporting to the delivery location and transports the package to the delivery address. The delivery device locates the machine-readable code on a display at the delivery address and verifies that the information from the machine-readable code is associated with the package. The delivery device deposits the package on the display.

Claims (61)

1. A computer-implemented method to automate package deliveries, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, a request for a package delivery, the request comprising an identification of a package and an identification of a delivery location;

associating, by the one or more computing devices, the package with a delivery device;

associating, by the one or more computing devices, delivery information with the delivery location, wherein the delivery information comprises an image to be printed for display in a particular location for the package to be deposited at the delivery location; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the delivery information associated with the delivery location to the delivery device for the delivery device to deliver the package to the particular location displaying the printed image at the delivery location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises a GPS location of the delivery location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address associated with the delivery location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises instructions for the delivery device to locate the printed image at the delivery location and to deposit the package at the particular location displaying the printed image.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the printed image to a user associated with the delivery location.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the printed image is transmitted to a user computing device associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printed image is a logo, a picture, or an icon.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a confirmation from the delivery device that the package has been deposited at the delivery location.

10. A system to deliver packages to specified user locations, comprising:

a storage device associated with a delivery device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the delivery device storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to:

receive, from a package delivery system processor, delivery information associated with a package and a particular delivery location at a delivery address;

secure the package for transporting to the delivery location;

transport the package to the delivery address;

locate a printed image at the particular delivery location at the delivery address, the printed image comprising an image associated with the particular delivery location at the delivery address and with the delivery information associated with the package;

verify that the located printed image is associated with the delivery information associated with the package; and

deposit the package at the particular delivery location in response to verifying that the located printed image is associated with the delivery information associated with the package.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises a GPS location of the delivery location.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address of the delivery location.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the printed image is a logo, a picture, or an icon.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein verifying that the printed image comprises at least a portion of the delivery information associated with the package comprises:

transmitting the printed image to the package delivery system; and

receiving a verification from the package delivery system that the printed image is associated with the package.

16. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to deliver packages to specified user locations, the computer-executable program instructions comprising:

computer-executable program instructions to receive a request for a package delivery, the request comprising an identification of a package and an identification of the delivery location;

computer-executable program instructions to associate the package with a delivery device;

computer-executable program instructions to associate delivery information with the delivery location, wherein the delivery information comprises a passive machine-readable code for display in a particular location for the package to be deposited at the delivery location; and

computer-executable program instructions to transmit the delivery information associated with the delivery location to the delivery device for the delivery device to deliver the package to the particular location displaying the passive machine-readable code at the delivery location.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising computer-executable program instructions to transmit the passive machine-readable code to a user associated with the delivery location.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the information associated with the delivery location further comprises a GPS location of the delivery location.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the information associated with the delivery location further comprises an address of the delivery location.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the passive machine-readable code is a QR code or a barcode.

21. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a package delivery system storage device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the package delivery system storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to:

receive a request for a package delivery, the request comprising an identification of the package and an identification of the delivery location;

associate the package with the delivery device;

associate the delivery information with the delivery location, wherein the delivery information comprises the printed image to be displayed in the particular location for the package to be deposited at the delivery location; and

transmit the delivery information associated with the delivery location to the delivery device for the delivery device to deliver the package to the particular location displaying the printed image at the delivery location.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein verifying that the printed image is associated with the package comprises:

transmitting the printed image to the package delivery system; and

receiving a verification from the package delivery system that the printed image is associated with the package.

23. The system of claim 10 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises instructions for the delivery device to locate the printed image at the delivery location and to deposit the package at the particular location displaying the printed image.

24. The system of claim 21 , further comprising application code instructions to transmit the printed image to a user associated with the delivery location.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the printed image is transmitted to a user computing device associated with the user.

26. The system of claim 21 , further comprising application code instructions to receive a confirmation from the delivery device that the package has been deposited at the delivery location.

27. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the delivery information associated with the delivery location further comprises instructions for the delivery device to locate the passive machine-readable code at the delivery location and to deposit the package at the particular location displaying the passive machine-readable code.

28. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the delivery device is an aerial drone.

29. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising computer-readable program instructions to transmit the passive machine-readable code to a user associated with the delivery location.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 , wherein the passive machine-readable code is transmitted to a user computing device associated with the user.

31. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising computer-readable program instructions to receive a confirmation from the delivery device that the package has been deposited at the delivery location.

32. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving from the delivery device, by the one or more computing devices, the printed image to the package delivery system obtained from the display at the delivery location; and

transmitting a verification that the printed image is associated with the package.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 5, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044129/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2016
From: SHUCKER, BRIAN DANIEL; TREW, BRANDON KYLE
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 038272/0015 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14268683 · May 2, 2014
Related Publication 20160224932A1 · Aug 4, 2016