Robot-assisted package delivery with integrated curbside parking monitoring and curb operations optimization

US11915172B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Ford Global Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Richard Twumasi-Boakye · Taylor, US
• Mohammed Fayaj navaz · Dearborn, US
• Eric H. Wingfield · Ann Arbor, US
• Archak Mittal · Canton, US
• Xiaolin Cai · Ann Arbor, US
• James Fishelson · Ypsilanti, US
• Andrea Broaddus · Berkeley, US
• Jon Coleman · Saline, US
• Amit Bhagwan · Dearborn, US
• Dhanush Harihar · Novi, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 19, 2021
• Grant date: Feb 27, 2024
• Expiry date: Jun 20, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L67/12
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Robot-assisted package delivery with integrated curbside parking monitoring and curb operations optimization is disclosed herein. An example method includes dispatching a delivery vehicle and delivery robot to a delivery location, the delivery location including a parking location for the delivery vehicle that allows for deployment of the delivery robot on a delivery mission, determining occupancy of the parking location, the delivery vehicle parking at the parking location when the parking location is unoccupied, the delivery robot being deployed upon parking of the delivery vehicle, and instructing the delivery vehicle to remain parked during the delivery mission or to leave the parking location and return at later point in time based on an estimated time of arrival of the delivery robot after the delivery mission.