# US 11,908,334 B2 · Information processing apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for UAV package delivery to a parking space > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,334 B2 - Document ID: US11908334B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/487,536 - Filed: 2021-09-28 - Published: 2022-03-31 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-30 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Ai Miyata; Yurika Tanaka; Hideo Hasegawa; Hiroyuki Suzuki; Katsuhiro Ohara; Tomoya Makino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908334B2 ## CPC - G08G 5/54: for approach or landing - G05D 1/101: {specially adapted for aircraft} - G05D 1/654: Landing (docking at a base station G05D1/661) - G06Q 20/085: {involving remote charge determination or related payment systems} - G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/32: for flight plan preparation - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - B64U 10/14: with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters - B64U 2101/64: for parcel delivery or retrieval - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract An information processing apparatus includes a controller configured to notify a package sender or a package recipient of information on one or more parking spaces at which an unmanned aircraft can land and from which the unmanned aircraft can take off, among a plurality of parking spaces for automobiles, reserve one parking space of the one or more parking spaces designated by the package sender or the package recipient as a take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft, and determine an operation plan for the unmanned aircraft so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers a package at the take-off and landing location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising a memory configured to store a parking space database and controller including at least one processor, programmable circuit, dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof, the controller being configured to: registering a first flag indicating that an unmanned aircraft can take off and land for each parking space located outdoors and a second flag indicating that an unmanned aircraft cannot take off or land for each parking space located indoors in the parking space database, among a plurality of parking spaces for automobiles; notify a package sender or a package recipient of information on one or more parking spaces for which the first flag is registered in the parking space database; reserve one parking space of the one or more parking spaces designated by the package sender or the package recipient as a take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft; and determine an operation plan for the unmanned aircraft so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers a package at the take-off and landing location, wherein the controller is configured to make electronic payment of a usage fee for the one parking space using payment information for the package sender or the package recipient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to notify the package sender or the package recipient of information on one or more parking spaces at which the unmanned aircraft lands and from which the unmanned aircraft takes off, the one or more parking spaces being located within a predetermined distance from a point designated by the package sender or the package recipient, among the plurality of parking spaces for automobiles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to acquire the information on the one or more parking spaces at which the unmanned aircraft lands and from which the unmanned aircraft takes off, from an external apparatus configured to manage information on the plurality of parking spaces for automobiles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to notify the package sender or the package recipient of information indicating that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers the package at the take-off and landing location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location; and determine the operation plan for the unmanned aircraft so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers the package at the take-off and landing location in the time period. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine the time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location, based on a time designated by the package sender or the package recipient. ### Claim 7 A method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising: registering a first flag indicating that an unmanned aircraft can take off and land for each parking space located outdoors and a second flag indicating that an unmanned aircraft cannot take off or land for each parking space located indoors in a parking space database, among a plurality of parking spaces for automobiles; notifying a package sender or a package recipient of information on one or more parking spaces for which the first flag is registered in the parking space database; reserving one parking space of the one or more parking spaces designated by the package sender or the package recipient as a take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft; determining an operation plan for the unmanned aircraft so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers a package at the take-off and landing location; and making electronic payment of a usage fee for the one parking space using payment information for the package sender or the package recipient. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the package sender or the package recipient is notified of information on one or more parking spaces at which the unmanned aircraft lands and from which the unmanned aircraft takes off, the one or more parking spaces being located within a predetermined distance from a point designated by the package sender or the package recipient, among the plurality of parking spaces for automobiles. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising acquiring the information on the one or more parking spaces at which the unmanned aircraft lands and from which the unmanned aircraft takes off, from an external apparatus configured to manage information on the plurality of parking spaces for automobiles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising notifying the package sender or the package recipient of information indicating that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers the package at the take-off and landing location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining a time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location, wherein the operation plan for the unmanned aircraft is determined so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers the package at the take-off and landing location in the time period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location is determined based on a time designated by the package sender or the package recipient. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause an information processing apparatus to execute operations, the operations comprising: registering a first flag indicating that an unmanned aircraft can take off and land for each parking space located outdoors and a second flag indicating that an unmanned aircraft cannot take off or land for each parking space located indoors in a parking space database, among a plurality of parking spaces for automobiles; notifying a package sender or a package recipient of information on one or more parking spaces for which the first flag is registered in the parking database; reserving one parking space of the one or more parking spaces designated by the package sender or the package recipient as a take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft; determining an operation plan for the unmanned aircraft so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers a package at the take-off and landing location; and making electronic payment of a usage fee for the one parking space using payment information for the package sender or the package recipient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The medium according to claim 13, wherein the package sender or the package recipient is notified of infolination on one or more parking spaces at which the unmanned aircraft lands and from which the unmanned aircraft takes off, the one or more parking spaces being located within a predetermined distance from a point designated by the package sender or the package recipient, among the plurality of parking spaces for automobiles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise acquiring the information on the one or more parking spaces at which the unmanned aircraft lands and from which the unmanned aircraft takes off, from an external apparatus configured to manage information on the plurality of parking spaces for automobiles. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise notifying the package sender or the package recipient of information indicating that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers the package at the take-off and landing location. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining a time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location, and the operation plan for the unmanned aircraft is determined so that the unmanned aircraft picks up or delivers the package at the take-off and landing location in the time period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location; and update a schedule of the one parking space to accept a reservation for use of the one parking space as the take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft during the time period. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising: determining a time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location; and updating a schedule of the one parking space to accept a reservation for use of the one parking space as the take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft during the time period. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: determining a time period during which the one parking space is to be used as the take-off and landing location; and updating a schedule of the one parking space to accept a reservation for use of the one parking space as the take-off and landing location for the unmanned aircraft during the time period.