Autonomous Drone Delivery via Facility Agent Negotiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of drones for package delivery raises concerns about security and privacy, as they may violate individuals' privacy and the security of institutions, and there is a need for secure, privacy-aware, and contextualized navigation within secure facilities like government buildings, hospitals, and residential areas.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving an autonomous drone and a facility agent that negotiate a delivery strategy through a communication protocol, where the facility agent computes access options based on contextual information, security, and privacy exposure rules, ensuring secure and privacy-aware operation by authorizing drone entry and supervising navigation within the facility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drones are used for package delivery, then delivery efficiency and scalability are improved, but security and privacy concerns are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces facility agents as intermediary components that mediate between drones and facilities. These agents autonomously negotiate access strategies, evaluate security constraints, and coordinate delivery operations without requiring human intervention. The facility agent acts as a buffer that filters and manages security risks while enabling efficient delivery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-computing multiple access strategies and evaluating them against security constraints before actual delivery operations. The facility agent autonomously negotiates and selects appropriate delivery strategies in advance, ensuring security requirements are met before the drone enters the facility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If drones navigate within secure facilities, then delivery flexibility is improved, but privacy exposure risks are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic strategy selection where the facility agent evaluates multiple access strategies and selects the most appropriate one based on real-time conditions and security constraints. The system can dynamically adjust delivery approaches, navigation routes, and access methods to balance flexibility with privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by computing different access strategies with varying levels of privacy exposure and security risk. The facility agent selects strategies that optimize the balance between delivery flexibility and privacy protection by adjusting navigation parameters, access points, and operational modes.
3Productivity
If drones operate autonomously without human intervention, then operational efficiency is improved, but security control is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through autonomous facility agents that independently negotiate with drones, evaluate security constraints, and coordinate deliveries without human intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously managing security protocols, accessing facility information, and making delivery decisions, thereby maintaining both efficiency and security control.
4Measurement precision
If drones access local facility information, then delivery precision is improved, but security risks are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and uses only the specific facility information necessary for precise delivery while filtering out sensitive data. The facility agent selectively accesses local information such as building layouts and recipient locations needed for navigation, while maintaining security by not exposing unnecessary sensitive facility data.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a system for coordinating the delivery of a payload by a drone to a recipient, the system comprising a drone; where the drone is an autonomous vehicle that is operative to perform one or more functions without human intervention; and a facility agent acting on behalf of a facility in which the recipient is located; where the facility agent is autonomous and is operative to act on behalf of either the recipient or the facility in which the recipient is located; and where the facility agent comprises an access option enumerator for computing a set of delivery strategies in accordance with a constraint or a goal; and an access negotiator for reaching an agreement between the drone and the facility agent on the delivery strategy for the payload.