Method and system for delivering items

Abstract

A method for delivering a plurality of items to a plurality of delivery locations uses a mobile transport vehicle to transport a plurality of delivery robots to a first robot drop location. The robots are released at the first robot drop location and travel to assigned, respective delivery locations, which are in the vicinity of the first robot drop location. After completing delivery, each of the robots may proceed to a first robot pick-up location which may be different from the first drop off location. The robots are collected by a mobile transport vehicle and are transported to a second robot drop off location. While being transported, the robots can be reloaded with items for delivery in the vicinity of the second drop off location. A system may include one or more such mobile transport vehicles and a plurality of such robots, under the control of a server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for delivering a plurality of items to a plurality of delivery locations ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ), the method comprising
 providing a first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) configured to transport a plurality of robots ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ), each robot configured to deliver at least one first item to a respective first delivery location,   the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) travelling to a first robot drop location ( 4 ),   at the first robot drop location ( 4 ), the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) releasing a first robot set comprising at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ),   after being released, each robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling from the first robot drop location ( 4 ) to its respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ) and delivering a respective first item at said respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ),   after delivering its respective first item, at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling to a first robot pick-up location,   collecting said at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set at the first robot pick-up location;   wherein the first robot drop location ( 4 ) and the first robot pick-up location, are different locations.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 prior to the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) transporting the first robot set to the first robot drop location ( 4 ), autonomously loading said respective first item for delivery into a compartment of said each robot of the first robot set.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 while the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) is transporting the first robot set to the first robot drop location ( 4 ), autonomously loading said respective first item for delivery into a compartment of said each robot of the first robot set.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after collecting said at least one robot of the first robot set, autonomously loading at least one item into said at least one robot of the first robot set, while said at least one robot of the first robot set is being transported from the first robot pick-up location to a second robot drop location ( 4 ′) which is different from the first robot drop location ( 4 ).   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 collecting said at least one robot of the first robot set at the first robot pick-up location with the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ), and   loading one or more second items for delivery into a compartment of said at least one robot of the first robot set, while the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) is travelling to a second robot drop location ( 4 ′).   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 collecting said at least one robot of the first robot set at the first robot pick-up location, with a second mobile transport apparatus which is different from the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ); and   loading one or more second items for delivery into a compartment of said at least one robot of the first robot set, while the second mobile transport apparatus is travelling to a second robot drop location ( 4 ′).   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 after delivering its respective first item, at least one other robot of the first robot set travels from its respective first delivery location to a second robot pick-up location which is different from the first robot pick-up location; and   the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) collects said at least one other robot of the first robot set, at said second robot pick-up location.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 after delivering its respective first item, at least one other robot of the first robot set travels from its respective first delivery location to a second robot pick-up location which is different from the first robot pick-up location; and   a second mobile transport apparatus collects said at least one other robot of the first robot set at said second robot pick-up location, the second mobile transport apparatus being different from the first mobile transport apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 after releasing the first robot set at the first robot drop location ( 4 ), the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) travels from the first robot drop location ( 4 ) to a second robot drop location ( 4 ′) which is different from the first robot drop location ( 4 ); and   the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) releases a second robot set comprising at least one robot ( 36 ,  38 ), at the second robot drop location ( 4 ′).   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the second robot drop location ( 4 ′) is identical to the first robot pick-up location ( 4 ). 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 each robot ( 36 ,  38 ) of the second robot set travelling from the second robot drop location ( 4 ′) to a respective second delivery location and delivering a respective second item at said respective second delivery location,   after delivering its respective second item, at least one robot ( 36 ,  38 ) of the second robot set travelling to a second robot pick-up location,   collecting said at least one robot ( 36 ,  38 ) of the second robot set at the second robot pick-up location, with a mobile transport apparatus.   
     
     
         12 . A method for delivering a plurality of items to a plurality of delivery locations ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ), the method comprising
 providing a first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) configured to transport a plurality of robots ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ), each robot configured to deliver at least one first item to a respective first delivery location,   the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) travelling to a first robot drop location ( 4 ),   at the first robot drop location ( 4 ), the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) releasing a first robot set comprising at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ),   after being released, each robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling from the first robot drop location ( 4 ) to its respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ) and delivering a respective first item at said respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ),   after delivering its respective first item, at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling to a first robot pick-up location,   collecting said at least one robot of the first robot set at the first robot pick-up location, with a second mobile transport apparatus which is different from the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ).   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising:
 loading one or more second items for delivery into a compartment of said at least one robot of the first robot set, while the second mobile transport apparatus is travelling to a second robot drop location ( 4 ′).   
     
     
         14 . A method for delivering a plurality of items to a plurality of delivery locations ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ), the method comprising
 providing a first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) configured to transport a plurality of robots ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ), each robot configured to deliver at least one first item to a respective first delivery location,   the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) travelling to a first robot drop location ( 4 ),   at the first robot drop location ( 4 ), the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) releasing a first robot set comprising at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ),   after being released, each robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling from the first robot drop location ( 4 ) to its respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ) and delivering a respective first item at said respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ),   after delivering its respective first item, at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling by itself to a first home base ( 50 ), without being collected and transported by a mobile transport apparatus.   
     
     
         15 . A method for delivering a plurality of items loaded onto a first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) to a plurality of delivery locations ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ), the method comprising
 the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) travelling to a first robot loading location ( 14 ),   a first robot set comprising at least one robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ), travelling to the first robot loading location ( 14 ) to meet the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ),   at the first robot loading location ( 14 ), loading each robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set with a respective first item for delivery,   after being loaded with its respective first item, each robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling from the first robot loading location ( 14 ) to a respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ) and delivering its respective first item at its respective first delivery location ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ), and   after delivering its respective first item, each robot ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ) of the first robot set travelling by itself to a second robot loading location ( 14 ′) for reloading with one or more additional items for delivery.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at the second robot loading location ( 14 ′), loading each robot of the first robot set with a respective second item for delivery to a respective second delivery location; and   after being loaded with its respective second item, each robot of the first robot set traveling from the second robot loading location ( 14 ′) to its respective second delivery location and delivering its respective second item at its respective second delivery location; and   after delivering its respective second item, each robot of the first robot set leaving its respective second delivery location.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , comprising the first robot set traveling from a first home base ( 50 ) to the first robot loading location ( 14 ), to meet the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ). 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , comprising calculating and constantly updating travel routes for the first mobile transport apparatus ( 10 ) and for the robots ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ). 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 each robot of the first robot set has a compartment for accommodating an item to be delivered, the compartment having an open configuration in which access to the item is allowed, and a closed configuration in which access to the item is not allowed, and   the method further comprises each robot travelling to its respective first delivery location with its compartment in the closed configuration, and opening the compartment to permit access to its respective item only upon a delivery recipient taking a predetermined action.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein: each robot of the first robot set travels to its respective first delivery location at a speed not exceeding 6 km/h.