Smart Hub Light Beacons for Autonomous Delivery Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous delivery vehicles face challenges in determining the correct property for delivery, especially in densely packed urban environments, as they lack the natural intuition of human drivers to identify properties without clear numbering or in complex situations.
Innovation Solution
A location identifying system utilizing a network of user-registered smart hubs and IoT-connected devices, such as smart lightbulbs, to provide beaconing information through flickering patterns detectable by sensors on delivery vehicles, guiding them to the correct destination without requiring dedicated infrastructure or additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous delivery vehicles use traditional navigation methods, then they can operate without human intervention, but they fail to accurately identify properties without clear numbering or in complex urban environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces light beacons as an intermediary signaling mechanism between the delivery vehicle and the destination property. These beacons act as a mediator that translates property identification into visible light signals, enabling the autonomous vehicle to accurately locate and identify properties without traditional numbering or signage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes light beacons that emit specific colors or color patterns to convey property identification information. By changing light colors or patterns, the system provides visual cues that autonomous vehicles can detect and interpret, enabling accurate property identification in complex urban environments.
2Measurement precision
If the system uses dedicated infrastructure for property identification, then property location accuracy improves, but infrastructure cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables existing light sources (streetlights, building lights, decorative lights) to serve dual purposes: their original function and the additional function of property identification beacons. This self-service approach eliminates the need for dedicated infrastructure while maintaining property location accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes existing light sources universal by enabling them to perform multiple functions - providing illumination for their primary purpose and simultaneously serving as property identification beacons for autonomous delivery vehicles, thereby avoiding dedicated infrastructure requirements.
3Ease of operation
If human drivers use natural intuition and ask for help to identify properties, then they can handle complex situations, but this approach cannot be applied to autonomous vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/cognitive approach of human drivers (using intuition, asking for help, observing physical signs) with an automated optical system. Light beacons provide visual signals that autonomous vehicles can detect and interpret, substituting human problem-solving capabilities with automated sensor-based identification.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a faster and more accurate method for autonomous vehicles to identify delivery locations, including those without clear property identifiers, enhancing delivery precision and efficiency without additional infrastructure or hardware, and can be applied in various scenarios like emergency responses.
Implementation Method 1
The smart hub may cause the IoT device to broadcast the beaconing information such as by flickering the light at a frequency that is undetectable by human eyes but is detectable to cameras or sensors on delivery vehicles
Data Source
AI summary
A location identifying solution may use a pre-existing infrastructure of smart hubs and smart devices on user's properties to provide location beacons. An autonomous delivery vehicle may request a location signal from the server when nearing a destination for an order. The server may identify a smart hub with connected devices (e.g., light bulbs, speakers, etc.) associated with the user originating the order. The server may generate and transmit beaconing information to the hub. The hub may cause the devices to output a beacon (e.g., to flicker light at a frequency that is undetectable to human eye). Using a computer vision algorithm, the vehicles could detect the beacon and determine the correct property.