Task management of autonomous product delivery vehicles

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for autonomous vehicles task management and organization. A system for organizing autonomous product delivery vehicles comprises a locomotion system of a first autonomous vehicle, a communication device, a memory device, and a control circuit. The control circuit being configured to retrieve one or more vehicle tasks assigned to the first autonomous vehicle from a hash chain database, decrypt the task parameters with a private key of the first autonomous vehicle stored on the memory device, identify a second autonomous vehicle as a transferee of the one or more vehicle tasks based on transfer rules in the task parameters, and update the hash chain database with a new block comprising a hash of preceding data in the hash chain database and the task parameters of the one or more vehicle tasks encrypted with a public key of the second autonomous vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for organizing autonomous product delivery vehicles comprising:
 a locomotion system of a first autonomous vehicle;   a communication device configured to communicate with other autonomous vehicles in an autonomous vehicle fleet comprising at least the first autonomous vehicle;   a memory device; and   a control circuit of the first autonomous vehicle coupled to the communication device and the memory device, the control circuit being configured to:
 retrieve one or more vehicle tasks assigned to the first autonomous vehicle from a hash chain database associated with the autonomous vehicle fleet, wherein the one or more tasks comprises task parameters; 
 detect a task transfer condition for the one or more vehicle tasks; 
 identify, automatically by the first autonomous vehicle in response to the task transfer condition, a second autonomous vehicle as a transferee of the one or more vehicle tasks based on transfer rules in the task parameters; and 
 transfer, via the hash chain database, the one or more vehicle tasks and the task parameters to the second autonomous vehicle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to transfer vehicle state parameters of the first autonomous vehicle to the second autonomous vehicle via the hash chain database, and wherein the second autonomous vehicle is configured to apply the vehicle state parameters of the first autonomous vehicle to the second autonomous vehicle to perform the one or more vehicle tasks. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to transfer task status information for the one or more vehicle tasks to the second autonomous vehicle via the hash chain database, the task status information being configured to allow the second autonomous vehicle to resume a partially completed task. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hash chain database is stored on a remote server and the first autonomous vehicle is configured retrieve the hash chain database and/or the one or more vehicle tasks from the remote server via the communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hash chain database is stored on a distributed database comprising on-board memory devices of a plurality of autonomous vehicles in the autonomous vehicle fleet. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the transfer of the one or more vehicle tasks via the hash chain database comprises a database update broadcasted to one or more autonomous vehicles in the autonomous vehicle fleet via the communication device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hash chain database comprises a blockchain in which each block corresponds to a vehicle task. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more blocks in the hash chain database comprises autonomous vehicle capability and status information, and the second autonomous vehicle is identified as the transferee of the one or more vehicle tasks based on the autonomous vehicle capability and status information stored in the hash chain database. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to authenticate the second autonomous vehicle as a member of the autonomous vehicle fleet based on vehicle registry information stored in the hash chain database and prevent unauthorized access and/or modification of the hash chain database. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the task transfer condition is determined based on one or more of: other assigned tasks, fuel level, vehicle condition, vehicle location, vehicle capability, weather condition, and task requirements. 
     
     
         11 . A method for organizing autonomous product delivery vehicles comprising:
 retrieving, with a control circuit and a communication device of a first autonomous vehicle, one or more vehicle tasks assigned to the first autonomous vehicle from a hash chain database associated with an autonomous vehicle fleet, wherein the one or more tasks comprises task parameter;   detecting, with the control circuit, a task transfer condition for the one or more vehicle tasks;   identifying, automatically by the first autonomous vehicle in response to the task transfer condition, a second autonomous vehicle as a transferee of the one or more vehicle tasks based on transfer rules in the task parameters; and   transferring, via the hash chain database, the one or more vehicle tasks and the task parameters to the second autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: transferring vehicle state parameters of the first autonomous vehicle to the second autonomous vehicle via the hash chain database, and wherein the second autonomous vehicle is configured to apply the vehicle state parameters of the first autonomous vehicle to the second autonomous vehicle to perform the one or more vehicle tasks. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 transferring task status information for the one or more vehicle tasks to the second autonomous vehicle via the hash chain database, the task status information being configured to allow the second autonomous vehicle to resume a partially completed task.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hash chain database is stored on a remote server and the first autonomous vehicle is configured retrieve the hash chain database and/or the one or more vehicle tasks from the remote server via the communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hash chain database is stored on a distributed database comprising on-board memory devices of a plurality of autonomous vehicles in the autonomous vehicle fleet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the transfer of the one or more vehicle tasks to via the hash chain database comprises a database update broadcasted to one or more autonomous vehicles in the autonomous vehicle fleet via the communication device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hash chain database comprises a blockchain in which each block corresponds to a vehicle task. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein one or more blocks in the hash chain database comprises autonomous vehicle capability and status information, and the second autonomous vehicle is identified as the transferee of the one or more vehicle tasks based on the autonomous vehicle capability and status information stored in the hash chain database. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the task transfer condition is determined based on one or more of: other assigned tasks, fuel level, vehicle condition, vehicle location, vehicle capability, weather condition, and task requirements. 
     
     
         20 . A system for organizing autonomous product delivery vehicles comprising:
 an autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous vehicles, wherein each of the plurality of autonomous vehicles comprises:
 a locomotion system; 
 a communication device configured to communicate with other autonomous vehicles in the autonomous vehicle fleet; 
 a memory device; and 
 a control circuit coupled to the communication device and the memory device, the control circuit being configured to:
 retrieve one or more vehicle tasks assigned to a first autonomous vehicle from a hash chain database associated with the autonomous vehicle fleet, wherein the one or more tasks comprises task parameters; 
 detect a task transfer condition for the one or more vehicle tasks; 
 identify, automatically by the first autonomous vehicle in response to the task transfer condition, a second autonomous vehicle as a transferee of the one or more vehicle tasks based on transfer rules in the task parameters; and 
 transfer, via the hash chain database, the one or more vehicle tasks and the task parameters to the second autonomous vehicle. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . A system for organizing autonomous devices comprising:
 a first autonomous device;   a communication device configured to communicate with a plurality of autonomous devices including the first autonomous device;   a memory device; and   a control circuit of the first autonomous device coupled to the communication device and the memory device, the control circuit being configured to:
 retrieve one or more tasks assigned to the first autonomous device from a hash chain database associated with the autonomous devices, wherein task parameters of the one or more tasks are at least partially encrypted with a public key of the first autonomous device; 
 decrypt the task parameters with a private key of the first autonomous device stored on the memory device; 
 determine whether to perform the one or more tasks with the first autonomous device; 
 detect a task transfer condition for the one or more tasks; 
 identify, automatically by the first autonomous device in response to the task transfer condition, a second autonomous device as a transferee of the one or more tasks based on transfer rules in the task parameters; and 
 update, via the communication device, the hash chain database with a new block comprising a hash of preceding data in the hash chain database and the task parameters of the one or more tasks encrypted with a public key of the second autonomous device.