Delivery Vehicle and Drone Handover for Higher Package Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery systems face constraints in package storage capacity due to the need for space to accommodate both packages and drones on vehicles, leading to inefficiencies in package delivery operations.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system where a vehicle and a moving body, such as a drone or traveling robot, communicate and coordinate to retrieve packages from the vehicle at the delivery site, allowing for increased package storage capacity and efficient delivery without the need for the drone to be loaded on the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drone is loaded onto the delivery vehicle, then the handover of packages is straightforward, but the package storage capacity of the vehicle is constrained due to the need for space to stow packages, stow the drone, and provide take-off and landing space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drone from the vehicle interior and positions it at the delivery site separately. The drone retrieves packages from the vehicle externally rather than being stored inside, eliminating the need for dedicated drone stowage space within the vehicle body.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication section as an intermediary between the vehicle and the drone. This enables automated coordination and package retrieval without direct physical handling, simplifying the handover process while maintaining operational ease.
2Productivity
If the moving body moves to retrieve the package, then the package can be delivered, but unnecessary movement and power consumption occur if the movement is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary actions by having the communication section coordinate the vehicle's arrival and the drone's movement in advance. The drone waits at the delivery site and only moves to retrieve the package when the vehicle is proximate, avoiding unnecessary movement and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback through the communication section to monitor the vehicle's proximity to the delivery site. This feedback mechanism triggers the drone's retrieval action only when appropriate, optimizing movement timing and reducing energy waste.
3Extent of automation
If the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, then the number of workers required is reduced, but coordination with the moving body for package retrieval becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal communication section that handles multiple functions: coordinating vehicle arrival, triggering drone retrieval, and managing package handover. This multi-functional communication system simplifies the overall coordination complexity despite autonomous operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A delivery system including a vehicle in which a package addressed to a specific user is stored, and a moving body deployed at a delivery site of the package: the moving body including: a first memory, and a first processor that is connected to the first memory; and the first processor being configured to: transmit and receive predetermined information, and perform control, in a case in which the vehicle is proximate to the delivery site, to move the moving body from the delivery site toward the vehicle, to retrieve the package, and then to move the moving body back to the delivery site.