SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING PRODUCTS VIA UNMANNED MOBILE LOCKERS

1 . A system for delivering products to delivery locations via unmanned mobile lockers, the system comprising:

a deployment station configured to operatively couple to the unmanned mobile lockers;

a plurality of unmanned mobile lockers configured to transport at least one product ordered to be delivered from the deployment location to a delivery location;

an electronic database including:

order data indicating the at least one product ordered to be delivered and the delivery location; and

unmanned mobile locker data indicating one or more of the unmanned mobile lockers available to deliver the at least one product to the delivery location;

a computing device including a processor-based control circuit configured to:

obtain the order data and the unmanned mobile locker data from the electronic database;

select, based on the obtained order data and the unmanned mobile locker data, an unmanned mobile locker from the plurality of unmanned mobile lockers at the deployment station to deliver the at least one product ordered to be delivered to the delivery location;

transmit a delivery control signal to the selected unmanned mobile locker, the delivery control signal including delivery route instructions to guide the selected unmanned mobile locker from the deployment station to the delivery location along a delivery route determined by control circuit of the computing device; and

transmit a return control signal to the selected unmanned mobile locker, the return control signal including return route instructions to guide the selected unmanned mobile locker from the delivery location to the deployment station along a return route determined by control circuit of the computing device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the deployment station includes a plurality of docking ports configured to permit respective ones of the unmanned mobile lockers to dock thereto and charge, and wherein each of the unmanned mobile lockers is configured to operatively couple to one or more mini unmanned mobile lockers configured to be retained in a cargo space of the unmanned mobile lockers and to be deployed from the cargo space of the unmanned mobile lockers in order to deliver the at least one product to the delivery location.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the unmanned mobile lockers includes a lockable cargo space configured to retain the at least one product, wherein the lockable cargo space is configured to be unlocked in response to a verification input by an authorized person at the delivery location, and wherein the verification input comprises a verification code, a biometric scan, and a verbal password.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the unmanned mobile lockers includes a transceiver, the transceiver configured to transmit the verification input entered by the authorized person at the delivery location to the computing device, and wherein the control circuit of the computing device is configured to authenticate the authorized person based on the verification input received by the computing device from the selected unmanned mobile locker.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit of the computing device is configured to transmit an access signal to the selected mobile locker indicating that the verification input entered by the authorized person was accepted, and wherein the selected unmanned mobile locker, in response to receipt of the access signal from the computing device, is configured to unlock the lockable cargo space and permit the authorized person to retrieve the at least one product therefrom.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the transceiver of the selected unmanned mobile locker is configured to transmit to the computing device a confirmation signal including an electronic notification that the at least one product has been retrieved from the lockable cargo space by the authorized person, and wherein, in response to receipt of the confirmation signal from the selected unmanned mobile locker, the control circuit of the computing device is configured to transmit the return control signal to the unmanned mobile locker.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected unmanned mobile locker includes a transceiver configured to transmit GPS coordinates of the physical location of the selected unmanned mobile locker to the computing device, and wherein the computing device is configured to obtain the GPS coordinates of the physical location of the selected unmanned mobile locker based on the GPS coordinates transmitted to the computing device from the transceiver of the selected unmanned mobile locker.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the deployment station includes a transceiver configured to transmit GPS coordinates of the physical location of the deployment station to the computing device, and wherein the computing device is configured to obtain the GPS coordinates of the physical location of the deployment station based on the GPS coordinates transmitted to the computing device from the transceiver of the deployment station.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit of the computing device is configured to generate the return routing instructions based on the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the selected unmanned mobile locker and based on the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the deployment station, and wherein the selected unmanned mobile locker, after receipt of the return control signal including the return route instructions from the computing device, is configured to navigate to the deployment station based on the return route instructions.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the unmanned mobile lockers includes at least one of a sensor configured to detect a gas associated with a perishable product and indicating that the perishable product retained in the selected unmanned mobile locker is spoiled, and a sensor configured to generate an alert indicating that a storage temperature of the perishable product in the in the selected unmanned mobile locker is outside of an acceptable storage temperature for the perishable product.

11 . A method of delivering products to delivery locations via unmanned mobile lockers, the method comprising:

providing a deployment station configured to operatively couple to the unmanned mobile lockers;

providing a plurality of unmanned mobile lockers configured to transport at least one product from the deployment location to a delivery location;

providing an electronic database including:

order data indicating the at least one product ordered to be delivered and the delivery location; and

unmanned mobile locker data indicating one or more of the unmanned mobile lockers available to deliver the at least one product to the delivery location;

providing a computing device including a processor-based control circuit configured to:

obtain the order data and the unmanned mobile locker data from the electronic database;

select, based on the obtained order data and the unmanned mobile locker data, an unmanned mobile locker from the plurality of unmanned mobile lockers at the deployment station to deliver the at least one product ordered to be delivered to the delivery location;

transmit a delivery control signal to the selected unmanned mobile locker, the delivery control signal including delivery route instructions to guide the selected unmanned mobile locker from the deployment station to the delivery location along a delivery route determined by control circuit of the computing device; and

transmit a return control signal to the selected unmanned mobile locker, the return control signal including return route instructions to guide the selected unmanned mobile locker from the delivery location to the deployment station along a return route determined by control circuit of the computing device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing the deployment station with a plurality of docking ports configured to permit respective ones of the unmanned mobile lockers to dock thereto and charge, and further comprising configuring each of the unmanned mobile lockers to operatively couple to one or more mini unmanned mobile lockers configured to be retained in a cargo space of the unmanned mobile lockers and to be deployed from the cargo space of the unmanned mobile lockers in order to deliver the at least one product to the delivery location.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing each of the unmanned mobile lockers with a lockable cargo space configured to retain the at least one product; and

unlocking the lockable cargo space in response to a verification input by an authorized person at the delivery location, wherein the verification input comprises a verification code, a biometric scan, and a verbal password.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

providing each of the unmanned mobile lockers with a transceiver configured to transmit the verification input entered by the authorized person at the delivery location to the computing device; and

authenticating, via the control circuit of the computing device, the authorized person based on the verification input received by the computing device from the selected unmanned mobile locker.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting, via the control circuit of the computing device, an access signal to the selected mobile locker indicating that the verification input entered by the authorized person was accepted; and

unlocking, in response to receipt of the access signal from the computing device, the lockable cargo space to permit the authorized person to retrieve the at least one product therefrom.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

Transmitting, via the transceiver of the selected unmanned mobile locker, to the computing device, a confirmation signal including an electronic notification that the at least one product has been retrieved from the lockable cargo space by the authorized person; and

transmitting, via the control unit of the computing device and in response to receipt of the confirmation signal from the selected unmanned mobile locker, the return control signal to the unmanned mobile locker.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing the selected unmanned mobile locker with a transceiver configured to transmit GPS coordinates of the physical location of the selected unmanned mobile locker to the computing device; and

obtaining, via the computing device, the GPS coordinates of the physical location of the selected unmanned mobile locker based on the GPS coordinates transmitted to the computing device from the transceiver of the selected unmanned mobile locker.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

providing the deployment station with a transceiver configured to transmit GPS coordinates of the physical location of the deployment station to the computing device; and

obtaining, via the computing device, the GPS coordinates of the physical location of the deployment station based on the GPS coordinates transmitted to the computing device from the transceiver of the deployment station.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

Generating, via the control circuit of the computing device, the return routing instructions based on the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the selected unmanned mobile locker and based on the obtained GPS coordinates of the physical location of the deployment station; and

navigating, via the selected unmanned mobile locker and after receipt of the return control signal including the return route instructions from the computing device, to the deployment station based on the return route instructions.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing each of the unmanned mobile lockers with at least one of a sensor configured to detect a gas associated with a perishable product and indicating that the perishable product retained in the selected unmanned mobile locker is spoiled, and a sensor configured to generate an alert indicating that a storage temperature of the perishable product in the in the selected unmanned mobile locker is outside of an acceptable storage temperature for the perishable product.