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US 2019/0056752 A1Published application
Systems and methods for controlling unmanned transport vehicles via intermediate control vehicles
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsDavid C. Winkle, Donald R. High, John J. O'Brien, Todd D. Mattingly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for controlling aerial and/or ground transport vehicles that are located beyond a communication range of a central control station via one or more aerial and/or ground intermediate control vehicles.
Claims20
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.
5 more elements
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.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.