SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING PRODUCTS VIA AUTONOMOUS GROUND VEHICLES TO RESTRICTED AREAS DESIGNATED BY CUSTOMERS

1 . A system for facilitating delivery of a product ordered by a customer to a customer-specified restricted area accessible by an entryway openable via an access code, the system comprising:

an autonomous ground vehicle configured to retain and transport the product ordered by the customer; and

a computing device including a processor-based control circuit and configured to send a first signal to the autonomous ground vehicle via a wireless network, the first signal including the access code for opening the entryway;

wherein, in response to receipt of the first signal from the computing device over the wireless network, the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to relay the access code to a control unit operatively coupled to the entryway to cause the control unit to open the entryway in response to receipt of the access code from the autonomous ground vehicle;

wherein the computing device is configured to transmit a second signal to the autonomous ground vehicle over the wireless network, the second signal including movement instructions for the autonomous ground vehicle; and

wherein the autonomous ground vehicle, after receipt of the second signal from the computing device over the wireless network, is configured to move into the restricted area, based on the movement instructions contained in the second signal, to deliver the product ordered by the customer.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer-specified restricted area is a garage at a residence of the customer, wherein the system further comprises an order processing server configured to process an order for the product placed by a customer, and wherein the order for the product placed by the customer specifies that the product be delivered via the autonomous ground vehicle to the garage at the residence of the customer.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the restricted area and to obtain GPS coordinates of a physical location of the autonomous ground vehicle, wherein the control circuit of the computing device is configured, based on an analysis of the obtained GPS coordinates of the restricted area and of the physical location of the autonomous ground vehicle, to determine a route for the autonomous ground vehicle toward the entryway and into the restricted area to deliver the product ordered by the customer, and wherein the movement instructions in the second signal include the route determined by the control circuit of the computing device.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the control unit operatively coupled to the entryway is coupled to a transceiver configured to transmit the GPS coordinates of the restricted area, and wherein the computing device is configured to obtain the GPS coordinates of the restricted area based on the GPS coordinates transmitted by the transceiver to the computing device.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle includes a transceiver configured to receive the movement instructions in the second signal transmitted to the autonomous ground vehicle from the computing device, the transceiver configured to send one or more signals to the computing device over the wireless network.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle includes a transceiver configured to receive the first signal including the access code from the computing device over the wireless network and to relay the access code to the control unit operatively coupled to the entryway when the autonomous ground vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the control unit.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to transmit to the computing device a first electronic notification including a confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered by the autonomous ground vehicle to the restricted area, and wherein, in response to receipt of the first electronic notification from the autonomous ground vehicle, the control circuit of the computing device is configured to transmit, to a mobile computing device of the customer, an electronic alert that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the restricted area by the autonomous ground vehicle.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle, after transmission of the first electronic notification to the computing device, is configured to remain in the restricted area and retain the product ordered by the customer until the product ordered by the customer is retrieved by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle, and wherein the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to transmit to the computing device a second electronic notification including a confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been retrieved by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle in the restricted area.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle, after transmission of the first electronic notification to the computing device, is configured to drop the product retained therein onto a product drop-off location in the restricted area and to exit the restricted area, and wherein the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to transmit to the computing device a second electronic notification including a confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been dropped off by the autonomous ground vehicle at the product drop-off location in the restricted area and that the autonomous ground vehicle exited the restricted area.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein after receipt of the second electronic notification from the autonomous ground vehicle, the computing device is configured to transmit a third signal to the autonomous ground vehicle via the wireless network, the third signal including a code for closing the entryway, and wherein, in response to receipt of the third signal, the autonomous ground vehicle is configured to relay the code to the control unit operatively coupled to the entryway to cause the control unit to close the entryway in response to receipt of the code relayed by the autonomous ground vehicle.

11 . A method for facilitating delivery of a product ordered by a customer to a customer-specified restricted area accessible by an entryway openable via an access code, the method comprising:

providing an autonomous ground vehicle configured to retain and transport the product ordered by the customer;

providing a computing device including a processor-based control circuit;

sending a first signal from the computing device to the autonomous ground vehicle via a wireless network, the first signal including the access code for opening the entryway;

relaying, via the autonomous ground vehicle and in response to receipt of the first signal from the computing device over the wireless network, the access code to a control unit operatively coupled to the entryway;

causing the control unit to open the entryway in response to receiving the access code relayed by the autonomous ground vehicle to the control unit;

transmitting, from the computing device, a second signal to the autonomous ground vehicle over the wireless network, the second signal including movement instructions for the autonomous ground vehicle; and

moving the autonomous ground vehicle into the restricted area to deliver the product ordered by the customer based on the movement instructions contained in the second signal received by the autonomous ground vehicle from the computing device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the customer-specified restricted area is a garage at a residence of the customer, and further comprising providing an order processing server configured to process an order for the product placed by a customer, wherein the order for the product placed by the customer specifies that the product be delivered via the autonomous ground vehicle to the garage at the residence of the customer.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

obtaining, via the computing device, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the restricted area and GPS coordinates of a physical location of the autonomous ground vehicle; and

determining, via the control circuit of the computing device and based on an analysis of the obtained GPS coordinates of the restricted area and of the physical location of the autonomous ground vehicle, a route for the autonomous ground vehicle toward the entryway and into the restricted area to deliver the product ordered by the customer, wherein the movement instructions in the second signal include the route determined by the control circuit of the computing device.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

coupling the control unit operatively coupled to the entryway to a transceiver configured to transmit the GPS coordinates of the restricted area; and

obtaining, via the computing device, the GPS coordinates of the restricted area based on the GPS coordinates transmitted by the transceiver to the computing device.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

providing the autonomous ground vehicle with a transceiver configured to receive the movement instructions in the second signal transmitted to the autonomous ground vehicle from the computing device; and

sending, via the transceiver, one or more signals to the computing device over the wireless network.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing the autonomous ground vehicle with a transceiver configured to receive the first signal including the access code from the computing device over the wireless network; and

relay, via the transceiver, the access code to the control unit operatively coupled to the entryway when the autonomous ground vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the control unit.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting, from the autonomous ground vehicle to the computing device a first electronic notification including a confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered by the autonomous ground vehicle to the restricted area;

transmitting, in response to receipt of the first electronic notification from the autonomous ground vehicle and via the control circuit of the computing device, an electronic alert to a mobile computing device of the customer indicating that the product ordered by the customer has been delivered to the restricted area by the autonomous ground vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the autonomous ground vehicle, after transmission of the first electronic notification to the computing device, is configured to remain in the restricted area and retain the product ordered by the customer until the product ordered by the customer is retrieved by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle, and further comprising transmitting, from the autonomous ground vehicle to the computing device, a second electronic notification including a confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been retrieved by the customer from the autonomous ground vehicle in the restricted area.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

dropping, after transmission of the first electronic notification to the computing device, the product from the autonomous ground vehicle onto a product drop-off location in the restricted area;

moving the autonomous ground vehicle out of the restricted area;

transmitting, from the autonomous ground vehicle to the computing device, a second electronic notification including a confirmation that the product ordered by the customer has been dropped off by the autonomous ground vehicle at the product drop-off location in the restricted area and that the autonomous ground vehicle exited the restricted area.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

transmitting, from the computing device and after receipt of the second electronic notification from the autonomous ground vehicle, a third signal to the autonomous ground vehicle via the wireless network, the third signal including a code for closing the entryway;

relaying, via the autonomous ground vehicle and in response to receipt of the third signal, the code to the control unit operatively coupled to the entryway; and

causing the control unit to close the entryway in response to receipt of the code relayed by the autonomous ground vehicle.