SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING UNMANNED TRANSPORT VEHICLES VIA INTERMEDIATE CONTROL VEHICLES

1 . A system for controlling a plurality of unmanned transport vehicles, the system comprising:

a plurality of unmanned transport vehicles configured to transport commercial retail products and goods not for sale from a deployment station to a delivery destination along a delivery route, each of the unmanned transport vehicles including at least one sensor configured to detect and transmit over a network status data associated with the unmanned transport vehicles during movement of the unmanned transport vehicles along the delivery route;

a central computing device including a processor-based control unit and configured to communicate with at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located within a communication range of the central computing device; and

an intermediate unmanned control vehicle located remote to the central computing device and configured to communicate with the central computing device and with at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device;

wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to receive the status data that is transmitted by the unmanned transport vehicles and delivery route data associated with the unmanned transport vehicles that is transmitted by the central computing device;

wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle includes a processor-based control circuit configured to analyze the status data received from the unmanned transport vehicles and the delivery route data received from the central computing device and to alter the delivery route of one or more of the unmanned transport vehicles based on at least one of the status data and the delivery route data; and

wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle facilitates communication between the central computing device and the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle comprises at least one of an intermediate unmanned control aerial vehicle, an intermediate unmanned control ground vehicle, and wherein the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles comprises at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to receive at least one of a digital photograph and a digital video over the network from the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device, and to transmit the received digital photograph or digital video to the central computing device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to monitor battery power level of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device, and to deploy inductive power in order to recharge a battery of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device and being in need of a battery recharge.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to:

receive delivery route data including a control signal from the central computing device, the control signal including instructions to guide the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device along the delivery route to the delivery destination; and

transmit the control signal to the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device in order to guide the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device along the delivery route to the delivery destination.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to:

track global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device;

determine that the tracked GPS coordinates indicate that the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device is off the delivery route transmitted to the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device; and

transmit a rerouting signal to the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device in order to reroute the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device onto the delivery route to the delivery destination.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle includes at least one sensor configured to detect disruptive electronic devices configured to disrupt operation of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device, the disruptive electronic devices comprising: rogue unmanned aerial vehicles, rogue unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicle shields, unmanned ground vehicle shields, and jamming devices.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to authenticate electronic devices attempting to communicate with the intermediate unmanned control vehicle or with the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle is configured to:

permit an electronic device to communicate with the intermediate unmanned control vehicle only after the electronic device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the intermediate unmanned control vehicle; and

permit an electronic device to communicate with the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device only after the electronic device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the intermediate unmanned control vehicle.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle includes a solar power generator device configured to receive power from solar energy.

11 . A method for controlling a plurality of unmanned transport vehicles, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of unmanned transport vehicles configured to transport commercial retail products and goods not for sale from a deployment station to a delivery destination along a delivery route, each of the unmanned transport vehicles including at least one sensor configured to detect and transmit over a network status data associated with the unmanned transport vehicles during movement of the unmanned transport vehicles along the delivery route;

providing a central computing device including a processor-based control unit and configured to communicate with at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located within a communication range of the central computing device;

providing an intermediate unmanned control vehicle located remote to the central computing device and configured to communicate with the central computing device and with at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device;

receiving, by the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, the status data that is transmitted by the unmanned transport vehicles and delivery route data associated with the unmanned transport vehicles that is transmitted by the central computing device;

analyzing by a processor-based control circuit of the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, the status data received from the unmanned transport vehicles and the delivery route data received from the central computing device;

altering, via the control circuit of the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, the delivery route of one or more of the unmanned transport vehicles based on at least one of the status data and the delivery route data; and

facilitating, via the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, communication between the central computing device and the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate unmanned control vehicle comprises at least one of an intermediate unmanned control aerial vehicle, an intermediate unmanned control ground vehicle, and wherein the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles comprises at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving, by the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, at least one of a digital photograph and a digital video over the network from the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device, and transmitting, from the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, the received digital photograph or digital video to the central computing device.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising monitoring, via the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, battery power level of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device, and deploying inductive power via the intermediate unmanned control vehicle in order to recharge a battery of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device and being in need of a battery recharge.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, delivery route data including a control signal from the central computing device, the control signal including instructions to guide the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device along the delivery route to the delivery destination; and

transmitting, from the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, the control signal to the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device in order to guide the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device along the delivery route to the delivery destination.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

tracking, via the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device;

determining, via the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, that the tracked GPS coordinates indicate that the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device is off the delivery route transmitted to the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device; and

transmitting, from the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, a rerouting signal to the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device in order to reroute the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device onto the delivery route to the delivery destination.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising detecting, via at least one sensor of the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, disruptive electronic devices configured to disrupt operation of the at least one of the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device, the disruptive electronic devices comprising: rogue unmanned aerial vehicles, rogue unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicle shields, unmanned ground vehicle shields, and jamming devices.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising authenticating, via the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, electronic devices attempting to communicate with the intermediate unmanned control vehicle or with the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

permitting, by the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, an electronic device to communicate with the intermediate unmanned control vehicle only after the electronic device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the intermediate unmanned control vehicle; and

permitting, by the intermediate unmanned control vehicle, an electronic device to communicate with the unmanned transport vehicles located outside of the communication range of the central computing device only after the electronic device transmits an authenticated electronic access key to the intermediate unmanned control vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the providing the intermediate unmanned control vehicle step further comprises providing the intermediate unmanned control vehicle with a solar power generator device configured to receive power from solar energy.