Mobile inventory transport unit and autonomous operation of mobile inventory transportation unit networks

Abstract

Systems, methods, computing platforms, and storage media for transporting a mobile inventory transportation unit (MITU) in a communication network are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may include the mobile inventory transportation communication network comprising the MITU, a transportation system, a first and a second central system, in communication with each other, the MITU comprising a housing, an inventory storage device, a power device, a drive device, a navigation device, a sensing device, and a control device. The transportation system may be configured to physically receive and transport the MITU from a first point to a second point, the second central system may be configured to determine an inventory demand at a second or more location and transmit inventory request data to the first central system, and the first central system may be configured to schedule the movement of the MITU and control the delivery of the MITU to a final destination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile inventory transportation communication network, the mobile inventory transportation communication network comprising:
 a mobile inventory transport unit comprising:
 a housing, 
 an inventory storage device, wherein the inventory storage device is physically coupled to the housing, 
 a power device, wherein the power device is operationally configured to supply power to the electrical components of the mobile inventory transport unit, and is selected from a group consisting of a battery cell, fuel cell, and solar cell, 
 a drive device, wherein the drive device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to physically move the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point, 
 a navigation device, wherein the navigation device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the mobile inventory transport unit, 
 a sensing device, wherein the sensing device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to detect physical objects and transmit and receive physical object data, and 
 a control device, wherein the control device is in electrical communication with the power device, the drive device, the navigation device, and the sensing device, and is operationally configured to control the mobile inventory transport unit and transmit and received data from physically separate systems; 
   a transportation system, wherein the transport system is operationally configured to transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit and other secondary systems, physically receive the mobile inventory transport unit, and physically transport the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point;   a second central system, wherein the second central system is in communication with a first central system, the mobile inventory transport unit, and the transportation system, and is operationally configured to determine an inventory demand at a second or more location, transmit inventory request data to the first central system, receive data from the first central system, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit; and   a first central system, wherein the first central system is in communication with the control device of the mobile inventory transport unit, transportation system, and the second central system, and is operationally configured to receive inventory request data from the second central system, transmit to and receive data from the second central system, transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit, schedule the movement of the mobile inventory transport unit, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and control the delivery of the mobile inventory transport unit to a final destination.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the first central system is at an origin location and the second central system is at a destination location. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving data of the navigation device is selected from a group consisting of GPS, Wi-Fi, and Cellular. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the method of detection of physical objects of the sensing device is selected from a group consisting of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Radar, Laser, ultrasonic, and Infrared sensing. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving data of the control device is selected from a list consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the transportation system comprises a vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving mobile inventory transport unit data, first central system data, and transportation system data of the second central system is selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile inventory transportation communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving mobile inventory transport unit data, second central system data, and transportation system data of the first central system is selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         9 . A system for transporting a mobile inventory transportation unit in a mobile inventory transportation communication network, the system comprising:
 one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions,   the mobile inventory transport unit comprising:
 a housing, 
 an inventory storage device, wherein the inventory storage device is physically coupled to the housing, 
 a power device, wherein the power device is operationally configured to supply power to the electrical components of the mobile inventory transport unit, and is selected from a group consisting of a battery cell, fuel cell, and solar cell, 
 a drive device, wherein the drive device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to physically move the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point, 
 a navigation device, wherein the navigation device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the mobile inventory transport unit, 
 a sensing device, wherein the sensing device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to detect physical objects and transmit and receive physical object data, and 
 a control device, wherein the control device is in electrical communication with the power device, the drive device, the navigation device, and the sensing device, and is operationally configured to control the mobile inventory transport unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems; 
   a transportation system, wherein the transport system is operationally configured to transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit and other secondary systems, physically receive the mobile inventory transport unit, and physically transport the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point;   a second central system, wherein the second central system is in communication with a first central system, the mobile inventory transport unit, and the transportation system, and is operationally configured to determine an inventory demand at a second or more location, transmit inventory request data to the first central system, receive data from the first central system, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit; and   a first central system, wherein the first central system is in communication with the control device of the mobile inventory transport unit, transportation system, and the second central system, and is operationally configured to receive inventory request data from the second central system, transmit to and receive data from the second central system, transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit, schedule the movement of the mobile inventory transport unit, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and control the delivery of the mobile inventory transport unit to a final destination.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first central system is at an origin location and the second central system is at a destination location. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving data of the navigation device is selected from a group consisting of GPS, Wi-Fi, and Cellular. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the method of detection of physical objects of the sensing device is selected from a group consisting of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Radar, Laser, ultrasonic, and Infrared sensing. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving data of the control device is selected from a list consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the transportation system comprises a vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving mobile inventory transport unit data, first central system data, and transportation system data of the second central system is selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving mobile inventory transport unit data, second central system data, and transportation system data of the first central system is selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium, encoded with processor readable instructions to perform a method for transporting a mobile inventory transportation unit in a mobile inventory transportation communication network, the mobile inventory transportation communication network comprising a mobile inventory transport unit, a transportation system, a first and a second central system, the mobile inventory transport unit comprising:
 a housing,   an inventory storage device, wherein the inventory storage device is physically coupled to the housing,   a power device, wherein the power device is operationally configured to supply power to the electrical components of the mobile inventory transport unit, and is selected from a group consisting of a battery cell, fuel cell, and solar cell,   a drive device, wherein the drive device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to physically move the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point,   a navigation device, wherein the navigation device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the mobile inventory transport unit,   a sensing device, wherein the sensing device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to detect physical objects and transmit and receive physical object data, and   a control device, wherein the control device is in electrical communication with the power device, the drive device, the navigation device, and the sensing device, and is operationally configured to control the mobile inventory transport unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems;   the method comprising:   configuring a transportation system to transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit and other secondary systems, physically receive the mobile inventory transport unit, and physically transport the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point;   configuring the second central system to determine an inventory demand at a second or more location, transmit inventory request data to the first central system, receive data from the first central system, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit, wherein the second central system is in communication with the first central system, the mobile inventory transport unit, and the transportation system; and   configuring the first central system to receive data from the second central system, transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit, schedule the movement of the mobile inventory transport unit, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and control the delivery of the mobile inventory transport unit to a final destination, wherein the first central system is in communication with the control device of the mobile inventory transport unit, transportation system, and the second central system, and is operationally configured to receive inventory request data from the second central system.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first central system is at an origin location and the second central system is at a destination location. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving data of the navigation device is selected from a group consisting of GPS, Wi-Fi, and Cellular. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method of detection of physical objects of the sensing device is selected from a group consisting of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Radar, Laser, ultrasonic, and Infrared sensing. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving data of the control device is selected from a list consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the transportation system comprises a vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving mobile inventory transport unit data, first central system data, and transportation system data of the second central system is selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method of transmitting and receiving mobile inventory transport unit data, second central system data, and transportation system data of the first central system is selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         25 . A method for transporting a mobile inventory transportation unit in a mobile inventory transportation communication network, the mobile inventory transportation communication network comprising a mobile inventory transport unit, a transportation system, a first and a second central system, the mobile inventory transport unit comprising:
 a housing,   an inventory storage device, wherein the inventory storage device is physically coupled to the housing,   a power device, wherein the power device is operationally configured to supply power to the electrical components of the mobile inventory transport unit, and is selected from a group consisting of a battery cell, fuel cell, and solar cell,   a drive device, wherein the drive device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to physically move the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point,   a navigation device, wherein the navigation device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the mobile inventory transport unit,   a sensing device, wherein the sensing device is in electrical communication with the power device, and is operationally configured to detect physical objects and transmit and receive physical object data, and   a control device, wherein the control device is in electrical communication with the power device, the drive device, the navigation device, and the sensing device, and is operationally configured to control the mobile inventory transport unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems;   the method comprising:   configuring a transportation system to transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit and other secondary systems, physically receive the mobile inventory transport unit, and physically transport the mobile inventory transport unit from a first point to a second point;   configuring the second central system to determine an inventory demand at a second or more location, transmit inventory request data to the first central system, receive data from the first central system, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit, wherein the second central system is in communication with the first central system, the mobile inventory transport unit, and the transportation system; and   configuring the first central system to receive data from the second central system, transmit to and receive data from the mobile inventory transport unit, schedule the movement of the mobile inventory transport unit, transmit to and receive data from the transportation system, and control the delivery of the mobile inventory transport unit to a final destination, wherein the first central system is in communication with the control device of the mobile inventory transport unit, transportation system, and the second central system, and is operationally configured to receive inventory request data from the second central system.