Autonomous vehicle and vending system

A package transfer system configured to facilitate transfer of an autonomous vehicle into and/or out of a room in a vehicle station and associated with transfer of a package relative to the vehicle station and another room in a customer building, said package transfer system being operable to selectively provide a path into and/or out of the vehicle station room for vehicle transfer and said autonomous vehicle configured to be advanced into and/or out of the customer building room along another path to facilitate package transfer, said package transfer system comprising:

• a vehicle station enclosure defining the vehicle station room, the vehicle station enclosure including:
• a vehicle opening;
• a station transfer opening;
• and
• a station transfer panel assembly, the station transfer panel assembly having a shiftable transfer panel configured to open and close the station transfer opening;
• a station panel assembly operable to be constructed as part of the vehicle station and including a station panel that is shiftable between open and closed positions to selectively provide vehicle access to the vehicle station room by opening and closing the vehicle opening to permit ingress and egress of the autonomous vehicle relative to the vehicle station enclosure;
• a building panel assembly operable to be constructed as part of the customer building and including a building panel that is shiftable between open and closed positions to selectively provide access to the customer building room;
• a fulfillment enclosure associated with the vehicle station and configured to receive and dispense the package, the fulfillment enclosure including:
• a rack configured to store the package;
• a fulfillment panel opening;
• a fulfillment panel assembly having a shiftable fulfillment panel configured to open and close the fulfillment panel opening,
• the fulfillment panel opening being aligned with the station transfer opening to facilitate package transfer between the fulfillment enclosure and the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is located in the vehicle station room;
• and
• a dispensing mechanism configured to:
• transfer the package between the fulfillment enclosure and the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is located in the vehicle station room, the dispensing mechanism including one or more of a shiftable platform or grabbing device supported for vertical movement by an elongated track that extends vertically between the fulfillment panel assembly and the station transfer panel assembly;
• and
• shift the package vertically relative to the fulfillment enclosure;
• and
• a control system configured to permit movement of the vehicle into and/or out of the vehicle station room and the customer building room,
• said control system configured to control the station panel and the building panel to selectively provide the paths into and out of the respective vehicle station room and the customer building room, and the fulfillment panel and the transfer panel to selectively provide a package transfer path between the fulfillment enclosure and the vehicle station room,
• said control system including—
• a location sensor configured to sense vehicle location data associated with the location of the vehicle relative to the panels;
• and
• a system processor configured to—
• receive vehicle location data associated with the vehicle,
• have the station panel opened to allow vehicle station room ingress and egress along the path based on the vehicle location data,
• move the autonomous vehicle to a location adjacent the station panel to facilitate vehicle transfer along the path, based on the vehicle location data,
• have the building panel opened to allow customer building room ingress and egress along the another path based on the vehicle location data,
• move the autonomous vehicle to a location adjacent the building panel to facilitate vehicle transfer along the another path, based on the vehicle location data, and
• operate the dispensing mechanism to transfer the package between the fulfillment enclosure and the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is located in the vehicle station room.