Automated drone delivery system

Abstract

An autonomous delivery device delivery system includes an I/O module, comparison module, determination module, and a response module. The I/O module configured to receive delivery requests from shippers and send delivery request determinations to shippers, the delivery request identifying an autonomous delivery device scheduled to complete a delivery defined by the delivery request. The comparison module configured to compare delivery request attributes against delivery criteria to determine whether to approve the delivery requests. The determination module configured to prepare a delivery request determination based on results from the comparison module. The response module configured to send the delivery request determination to a shipper that initiated the delivery request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 an I/O module configured to receive delivery requests from shippers and send delivery request determinations to shippers, the delivery request identifying an autonomous delivery device that is scheduled to complete a delivery defined by the delivery request;   a comparison module configured to compare delivery request attributes against delivery criteria to determine whether to approve the delivery request;   a determination module configured to prepare a delivery request determination based on results from the comparison module; and   a response module configured to send the delivery request determination to a shipper that initiated the delivery request.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the comparison module is configured to deny the delivery request in response to a prior delivery request determination comprising a reservation for a time window and a delivery destination each defined by the delivery request. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the comparison module is configured to deny the delivery request in response to delivery request attributes failing to satisfy take-off criteria. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery request determination authorizing the delivery request comprises a reservation that grants the autonomous delivery device exclusive access to a delivery portal of the delivery destination. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery request defines a delivery portal at a delivery destination, the comparison module configured to change the delivery portal of the delivery request to an alternate delivery portal such that the changed delivery request satisfies the delivery criteria. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an update module configured to receive updates for at least one of take-off criteria, delivery criteria, regulatory criteria, and landing criteria. 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 receiving a delivery request as a user places an online order for a product, wherein the delivery request designates that an autonomous delivery device will deliver the product;   vetting the delivery request before the user completes the online order;   generating a delivery request determination authorizing the delivery request in response to the delivery request satisfying each delivery criteria associated with a delivery destination identified by the delivery request;   generating a delivery request determination rejecting the delivery request in response to the delivery request violating at least one delivery criteria associated with the delivery destination; and   sending the delivery request determination to a shipper assigned to fulfill the online order.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising generating a delivery request determination authorizing a modified delivery request in response to the delivery request violating at least one delivery criteria associated with the delivery destination. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising reserving a landing zone in response to the delivery request satisfying each delivery criteria associated with the delivery destination. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the delivery request determination authorizing the delivery request comprises a reservation that grants the autonomous delivery device exclusive access to a delivery portal of the delivery destination and one or more constraints for the delivery. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the reservation comprises a time window for the autonomous delivery device to complete the delivery. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one delivery criteria comprises one of a ranked set of criteria, such that when a delivery request violates a higher ranked criteria of a set of delivery criteria associated with the delivery request, lower ranked delivery criteria are not evaluated with respect to the delivery request. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein delivery criteria comprise one or more of shipper criteria, autonomous delivery device criteria, timing criteria, weather criteria, delivery request criteria, regulatory criteria, and delivery destination criteria. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the delivery request comprises one or more attributes that comprise at least one of:
 shipper attributes, autonomous delivery device attributes, delivery request attributes, and delivery destination attributes.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a receiving module configured to receive delivery requests from a plurality of shippers, each shipper submitting a delivery request based on a service level agreement that requires a delivery request determination within a time threshold;   an authorization module configured to determine, within the time threshold, whether the delivery request is approved;   a response module configured to send a response to each delivery request, the response comprising one of approving the delivery request and denying the delivery request.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the response module is configured to send the response within the time threshold. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the authorization module is further configured to create a reservation that grants the autonomous delivery device exclusive access to a landing zone. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a shipper interface configured to generate a delivery request in response to input from one of a plurality of shippers and to send the delivery request to the receiving module and to forward responses from the response module over a communication network. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the input from one of the plurality of shippers comprises autonomous delivery device attributes for the autonomous delivery device assigned to make the delivery. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a destination interface configured to communicate delivery criteria to the authorization module from one or more delivery destinations. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the delivery destinations are configured to send changes to delivery criteria to the authorization module by way of the destination interface. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a regulator interface configured to communicate regulatory criteria to the authorization module from one or more destination regulators.