FR3140694A1 - Autonomous home parcel delivery system - Google Patents

Abstract

System for home delivery of at least one package by a delivery vehicle comprising a system ensuring autonomous driving (30) of the vehicle (10) comprising perception sensors and further comprising remote control means by means of wave capable of guiding a container (20) containing the package from the delivery vehicle (10) to a deposit location (LDP) adjacent to the recipient's home (DOM) located in a private enclosed space (ECL) whose access is secured by automated opening and closing access means (60), capable of being controlled remotely by wave; the delivery vehicle (10) comprising remote control means capable of controlling the opening of said access means (60) before depositing the container (20) at the deposit location (LDP) then closing said means access (60) after depositing the container at the place of deposit (LDP). (Figure 1)

Description

Autonomous home parcel delivery system

The present invention generally relates to the field of parcel delivery and relates more particularly to an autonomous home parcel delivery system.

Home delivery is also referred to as “last mile” delivery to individuals who have placed an order on a merchant site, generally via the internet.

Today, last mile delivery is mainly done using LCVs, an acronym for Light Utility Vehicles, sometimes called “vans” or even “vans”. This type of vehicle is suitable for transporting small containers, or “containers” in English. These small containers are also referred to as “mini-containers”. They typically have a width of 600 mm and a length of 800 mm.

This type of containers can be used by logistics platforms, from a warehouse, in which the containers are previously stored, to the delivery of the containers containing the packages to or near the end customers, recipients of the packages.

Delivery vehicles carrying containers which are transported to a specific drop-off zone, or collection point, on which unloading stations or “docks” in Anglo-Saxon terminology have previously been placed are also known. This type of container is arranged in lockers, “lockers” in Anglo-Saxon terminology, containing small packages or parcels. The opening of these lockers is conditioned by a code known only to the customer who has previously placed an order and which he must enter in order to collect his order.

Securing the container, once it has been temporarily placed in the public space, can be done by a locked door but will not long resist a malicious act aimed at opening the container and/or moving it from its place of storage. origin, especially if the place of delivery is isolated and if, moreover, the provisional deposit period takes place at night.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks in particular by proposing a solution making it possible to automate the delivery of a small container from its storage space in an autonomously driven delivery vehicle, to a place where the container is deposited, secure, adjacent to the home of an individual, recipient of the package.

We will generally refer to an autonomous driving delivery vehicle as a vehicle which has ADAS functions (English acronym for “Advanced Driver-Assistance System”) managed by the vehicle’s driving assistance system, also referred to as an ADAS system. , making it possible to automate some or even all of the driving functions usually assigned to the driver.

In the remainder of the description, we will use the term "container" rather than "mini container" or "box" although the container considered in the description is more similar, in its shape and size, to a mailbox. and, knowing moreover that the term “container” is the Anglo-Saxon term corresponding to the French term “container”.

The first object of the present invention is a home delivery system for at least one package previously placed in a motorized container comprising means of wave communication allowing its remote control by a capable autonomous driving delivery vehicle. to transport the container from a container storage location to the home of the recipient of the package; said vehicle comprising a system ensuring autonomous driving of the vehicle comprising perception sensors and further comprising means of remote control by wave capable of guiding the container from the delivery vehicle to a storage location adjoining the the recipient's home located in a private enclosed space to which access is secured by means of access with automated opening and closing, capable of being controlled remotely by wave; the delivery vehicle comprising remote control means capable of controlling the opening of said means of access before depositing the container at the place of deposit and then closing of said means of access after depositing the container at the place of deposit.

According to one characteristic, the container is provided with motorized movement means, controlled by the control means; said movement means being configured so as to allow the movement of the container from the delivery vehicle to the place where the container is deposited while being guided along a trajectory determined by the control means.

According to another characteristic, the means of movement comprise at least one arrangement of motorized wheels arranged under the container.

The second object of the invention is a vehicle for a system as described above, comprising a system ensuring the autonomous driving of said vehicle comprising perception sensors ensuring the autonomous driving of the vehicle and control means capable of ensuring guidance. by wave from a mobile container communicating with the vehicle.

The third object of the invention is a communicating mobile container, for a system as described above, comprising wave communication means and movement means capable of being guided by remote control means via communication means.

According to one characteristic, the means of movement comprise at least one arrangement of remotely controllable motorized wheels.

The fourth object of the invention is a method implemented by the system as described above, consisting, once the vehicle is positioned in front of the enclosed space, in controlling accessibility to the private enclosed space in which is located the place of deposit of the container via the perception means of the vehicle, to remotely control the opening of the means of access to the enclosed space via the remote control means of the vehicle, to control the container via the means of piloting the vehicle to guide it from the vehicle to the place where the container is deposited while respecting a trajectory determined by the control means, and once the container has arrived at its place of deposit, to control the closure of the means of access to the enclosed space.

According to one characteristic, the method consists of controlling the lowering of a door of the vehicle closing the storage space of the vehicle so as to form a gateway between the floor of the vehicle and the surface of the ground for unloading the container, before the container management.

According to another characteristic, the method consists of notifying the recipient of the package of a date and time slot for depositing the container on the recipient's smartphone as well as a date and time slot for removing the container.

The fifth and final object of the invention is a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, lead it to implement the steps of the method as described above.

The present invention allows delivery to the home of an individual, without human intervention; delivery being managed completely autonomously from the departure of the delivery vehicle from the last storage location of the packages to the homes of individuals, recipients of the packages which have previously been placed in the containers. It provides a solution in particular to delivery problems in the absence of recipients to receive packages (packets) and package security.

Other advantages and characteristics of the present invention may emerge more clearly from the description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the drawings in which:

illustrates, through a schematic top view, a scenario of a delivery system according to the invention;

illustrates a container of the delivery system according to the invention;

illustrates a side view of a delivery vehicle of the delivery system according to the invention;

illustrates a top view of the delivery vehicle of the delivery system according to the invention;

illustrates the delivery vehicle of the delivery system according to the invention being unloaded from the containers; And

illustrates a flowchart of the main stages of a delivery process implemented by the system according to the invention.

The present invention provides a solution for home delivery of most small packages (or parcels), linked to online commerce (these generally fit in a standard mailbox of height = 260 mm x width = 260 mm x depth = 340 mm).

Before delivery, one or more packages (depending on their size) are previously placed in a motorized container 20 which, in the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, is cubic in shape, typically 300 mm on a side. Container 20 is closed by a door, not shown, the opening of which is secured by a code known only to the recipient of the package(s).

The motorized container 20 is illustrated in . It is equipped with movement means 21 using for example an arrangement of wheels, or casters. In the embodiment considered, four wheels 21 (only two of which are visible) are mounted to rotate under the container 20 respectively in the vicinity of the four corners of the square base BCA of the container 20. Two of the four wheels 21 are motorized (for example , the two wheels aligned on the same side of the container 20 as illustrated in ) and the other two are mounted free to rotate. The four wheels 21 are arranged so as to cooperate with each other to allow the container 20 to move in all directions.

The two motorized wheels 21 are for example equipped with a system designated by the Anglo-Saxon name "torque vectoring", meaning vector torque, which makes it possible to rotate one of the wheels 21 faster than the other, thus promoting the rotation of the container in one direction or the other and therefore without the need for steering wheels.

Rechargeable batteries, not shown, make it possible to power each motorized wheel 21 and can be loaded on the wheels 21. Other arrangements of means of movement 21 making it possible to adapt a container 20 to make it mobile and motorized are possible.

The motorized container 20 is further equipped with means of communication 23 using short distance radio communication protocols such as Wifi, Bluetooth, etc. allowing remote control of the motorized wheels 21 in particular the speed of each of the motorized wheels 21 to move forward the container 20 and orient it according to a trajectory defined by the delivery vehicle 10.

The containers 20 do not include means of perception. Their guidance is carried out by the delivery vehicle 10 which has means of perceiving its environment, capable of guiding each container 20 from the delivery vehicle 10 to the deposit destination of the container 20; means of perception which will be described below.

Containers 20 are thus “reduced” by means of perception such as cameras, scanners, etc. and their associated processing circuits.

As illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, the motorized container 20 is transported with other similar containers 20 in an autonomously driven delivery vehicle 10 from its last storage location to the home of the recipient of the COL package(s). A container 20 is dedicated to a single recipient who holds the opening code of the container 20 which was transmitted to the recipient for example at the time of notification of delivery.

In an example of a non-limiting embodiment, considered with reference to Figures 3 to 5 which respectively illustrate the delivery vehicle 10 in a side view (side view), a top view and a front (or rear) view, the delivery vehicle 10 is dimensioned to contain and transport forty-five containers 20 respectively potentially dedicated to forty-five different recipients, and which are arranged on three levels superimposed on each other: a lower level 11 corresponding to the floor 12 of the vehicle 10 and at the loading and unloading threshold of the containers 20, an upper level 13 and an intermediate level 14, arranged between the floor 12 and the upper level 13. The forty-five containers 20 are organized on each of the three levels 11, 13 and 14 at the rate of three rows of five containers 20 per level. The upper 13 and intermediate 14 levels are materialized by respectively upper 15 and intermediate 16 trays. The intermediate 16 and upper 15 trays are movable in vertical translation inside a storage space EST of the delivery vehicle 10 respectively between storage positions of containers 20 and loading and unloading positions of containers 20. The storage space EST is delimited in Figures 3 to 5 by a closed broken line. The upper 15 and intermediate 16 plates are each equipped, for example, with four motorized toothed wheels, not shown, arranged respectively at the four corners of the plates 15 and 16. The four toothed wheels cooperate respectively with four vertical rails, also not shown, defining racks.

The delivery vehicle 10 is in the general form of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped comprising a rectangular rolling base 40 provided with four driving wheels 41 arranged respectively at the four corners of the rolling base 40. BAT traction batteries are arranged respectively on the front and rear axles of the wheels 41. The wheels 41 are arranged so as to allow rotation of the wheel 41, or turning, on itself by an angle between 0° to 90 in one direction or the other. The angle of 0° corresponds to an absence of rotation of the wheel 41 on itself. In this first configuration, the plane of the wheel 41 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis XX' of the delivery vehicle 10 ( ). The angle of 90° corresponds to a rotation of the wheel 41 on itself by an angle of 90° relative to a lack of rotation (angle 0°) of the wheel 41. In this second configuration, the plane of the wheel 41 extends in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis XX'. Thus, the planes of the four wheels 41 all extend along the longitudinal axis XX' when the delivery vehicle 10 moves in a straight line. They all extend in the transverse direction for example to get closer to the edge of a ZDL delivery zone, here a TRT sidewalk, adjoining the ZDL delivery zone after being positioned at the height of the ZDL delivery zone ( ).

In the embodiment considered, the vehicle 10 does not have a cockpit. The EST storage space occupies most of the overall volume of the delivery vehicle 10 with the exception of the “front” and “rear” parts which respectively support the front and rear axles of the wheels 41. The terms “front” and “rear” rear” are interchangeable to the extent that the delivery vehicle 10 does not actually have a front part and a rear part. The storage space EST is between the two pairs of “front” and “rear” wheels 41 and occupies substantially the entire width and height of the delivery vehicle 10. In the example considered, the three rows of five containers 20 extend in the storage space EST, in the wheelbase of the delivery vehicle 10, that is to say between the “front” and “rear” wheel sets 41.

The storage space EST is accessible through two openings OUV of generally rectangular shape, made in the two large vertical side walls 17 and 18 of the delivery vehicle 10, from the floor 12 of the vehicle 10 and over the entire length of the EST storage space. These OUV openings are respectively closed by doors 51 and 52, also generally rectangular in shape, and which define part of the side walls 17 and 18 themselves when they are closed. When they are closed, the doors 51 and 52 are arranged so as to ensure the maintenance of the containers 20 which are opposite the doors 51 and 52 to prevent their movement during transport. Doors 51 and 52 also act as motorized unloading platforms after their deployment (opening), here door 52 ( ), and are also referred to as “tailgate”. They are articulated in the vicinity of the unloading threshold of the vehicle 10 which corresponds substantially to the floor 12 of the vehicle 10 and which is substantially at the same height as that of a TRT sidewalk (approximately 120 mm). The unloading and loading thresholds therefore extend between the “front” wheels 41 and the “rear” wheels 41. In the open position, the door 52 serves as an access ramp to allow the containers 20 to reach the TRT sidewalk with a reduced slope. The height of the doors 51 and 52, therefore of the lateral openings OUV, can correspond to the height of the intermediate plate 16 or to the height of the upper plate 15 in the storage position of the containers 20, as in the embodiment considered in section . The doors 51 and 52 are equipped with a motorized and controlled mechanism, not shown, so as to allow their automated deployment (opening/closing) and transform them into a container unloading platform 20 once the latter is fully deployed.

In the example of arrangement considered, and as illustrated in , when the door 52 is open, one of the five containers of the lower level 11, level corresponding to the level of the unloading threshold, opposite the opening OUV, is able to be guided towards its place of deposit LDP. When the lower level 11 is emptied of its fifteen containers 20, the intermediate plate 16 is lowered to the floor 12 so as to allow the unloading of the fifteen other containers 20 supported by the intermediate plate 16. At the same time, the upper plate 15 is lowered to take the position previously occupied by the intermediate plate 16. When the intermediate plate 16 is emptied of its containers 20, it is the turn of the upper plate 15 to lower to the floor 11 to be able to unload the fifteen other containers supported by the upper plate 15.

The delivery vehicle 10 is an autonomous driving vehicle of level L4 or L5 (levels L4 and L5 correspond to levels of autonomy defined by the J3016 standard of the “SAE International”).

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, it is equipped with perception sensors 24: camera, radar, etc. including a scanner 25 allowing it to scan its environment for the movement of the vehicle10 as well as the ZDL delivery zone. The sensors 24, 25 belong to the autonomous driving system 30 of the vehicle 10, system 30 which mainly consists of an ADAS system (Anglo-Saxon acronym for “Advanced Driver-Assistance System”). The autonomous driving system 30 comprises a plurality of computers, not shown, also called “ECU” (Electronic Control Unit). These computers receive and process data delivered by the on-board sensors 24, 25 in the vehicle 10 for the movement of the vehicle 10 and for the control of the containers 20 once the delivery vehicle 10 is parked near the ZDL delivery zone (against the TRT sidewalk).

The autonomous driving system 30 also includes a navigation system designated by the GPS system 31. The GPS system 31 includes a GPS receiver coupled to a map database, not shown. The autonomous driving system 30 still includes control means 33 containers 20. These means 33 can be dedicated to controlling the containers 20 or belong to the ADAS system of the vehicle 10 therefore to the autonomous driving system 30. The vehicle 10 also includes means of communication 32 allowing it to exchange with the means communication means 23 of the container 20. The control means 33 use the communication means 32 to radioguide the container 20 based on the information provided by the perception sensors 24, 25 of the autonomous driving system 30. The vehicle 10 is therefore able to control the container 20 to guide it from the vehicle 10 to a determined LDP drop-off location, inside an enclosed ECL space with secure access, and adjacent to the DOM home of the recipient of the COL package.

The delivery vehicle 10 further comprises a module 34 (Figures 3 and 4) for controlling the opening and closing of access means 60 securing access to the private and enclosed space ECL. The control module 34 is able to connect via a secure connection interface, not shown, to the automatic opening and closing means 60 giving access to the enclosed space ECL, for example, a gate or access gate to the driveway leading to the recipient's DOM home in the case of individual or collective residential accommodation in the case of a subdivision, or a door or gate closing a room or closed area of a residential building , dedicated to the parking of this type of container 20.

To optimize delivery by avoiding unavoidable obstacles and/or routing errors as much as possible, a prior reconnaissance of the delivery locations (address and accessibility of the locations) is carried out.

A delivery scenario for container 20 is described below.

An order for merchandise is first placed by a customer on a merchant site via the internet. This merchant site generally uses a first delivery agent (carrier). The delivery agent has a first storage location, or warehouse, (often far from the customer) in which the package, the subject of the order, is stored. The package is then picked up by a second carrier to transport the package to a second storage location before finally being picked up for the final so-called “last mile” delivery. It is in this last storage location that the packages are placed in containers and the containers are loaded into the delivery vehicle.

The scheduling of the containers 20 in the delivery vehicle 10, at the time of loading, responds to the planning of a specific delivery "tour" pre-programmed in a memory of the vehicle 10 in connection with its navigation system 31 and the system of autonomous driving 30 of the vehicle 10.

Once the containers 20 loaded into the vehicle 10 and the “route plan” of the delivery tour programmed in the memory of the vehicle 10, the delivery vehicle 10 then executes in a completely autonomous manner the delivery of the container 20 containing the container(s). COL parcel to the recipient's DOM home (the recipient, or customer, having placed the order).

Prior to delivery, the recipient is informed of the day and approximate time of delivery via an email notification or via the messaging of an application dedicated to the delivery service that he will have previously downloaded on his portable terminal, in particular a smartphone. The recipient will therefore be able to advantageously ensure that access to the LDP deposit location of container 20 is clear (free and accessible).

He does not need to be present at the time of delivery from the moment when the access means 60 to the LDP deposit location are able to communicate with the remote control means 34 of the delivery vehicle 10 to allow the opening of the access means 60 before the deposit of the container 10 then the closing of these same access means 60 once the deposit has been carried out. The remote control means 34 are hosted in the autonomous driving system 30 and share the same means of communication 32 or have their own means of communication (not shown). The compatibility of the access means 60 (gate, gate, etc.) with the remote control means 34 of the delivery vehicle 10 will have advantageously been verified beforehand. Any malfunction of the means of access 60 (breakdown or malfunction of the remote control) prohibits delivery.

Once container 20 has reached its destination (the LDP drop-off location), the manager or delivery agent of the “last mile” storage location is informed of the delivery as well as the recipient via a notification on their smartphone.

The delivery vehicle 10 continues its delivery tour after having ordered the closure of the means of access 60. The vehicle 10 will recover the container 20 emptied of its contents later during a tour which will be notified to the customer.

The main steps of a process for unloading and guiding the container 20 from the delivery vehicle 10 to the LDP drop-off location adjacent to the DOM home of the recipient of the package, such as a parking area, are described below. a garage, … In the example of the , the LDP drop-off location is a parking area symbolized on the by a gray rectangle.

We start from the hypothesis that in a step prior to delivery, an identification of the ZDL delivery zone where the recipient's DOM domicile is located, was carried out in particular to ensure that the ZDL delivery zone has a sufficiently flat and clear delivery space to accommodate the rolling container 20. It is also considered that a preliminary test of the trajectory T for guiding the container 20 from the vehicle 10 to the LDP deposit location, a few meters away at most of the delivery vehicle 10, could be carried out.

The delivery vehicle 10, after geolocating the delivery location via its navigation system 31, heads to this location (unloading location) following a route indicated by its navigation system 31. Arriving at the scene, after having recognized the location (pre-recorded for example in a database of delivery locations), and at the height of the delivery zone ZDL, the vehicle 10 prepares to approach the delivery zone ZDL for its parking.

After having previously measured the space available for its parking, for example between two vehicles parked along a TRT sidewalk, the vehicle 10 turns its wheels 41 by 90° and finishes the maneuver by a translation to position itself as close as possible to the TRT sidewalk when there is one or at a determined distance from the means of access 60 when the ground of the ZDL delivery zone is level.

The process of unloading and guiding the container 20 then takes place in a completely automated manner by the following steps illustrated by the flowchart of the .

In a first step 100, the delivery vehicle 10 being parked near the delivery zone ZDL, the method consists of controlling accessibility to the means 60 giving access to the enclosed space ECL in which the LDP deposit location is located of the container 20 (no unavoidable obstacle between the delivery vehicle 10 and the enclosed space ECL and in particular no pedestrian, for the deployment of the door 52) via the perception means 24, 25 of the vehicle 10 and in particular the scanner 25.

In a second step 200, the method controls the remote opening of the means 60 giving access to the enclosed space ECL via the remote control means 34.

Then in a third step 300, the vehicle 10 controls the lowering of the door 52 of the vehicle 10 so as to form a gateway between the floor 12 (or unloading threshold) of the vehicle 10 and the ground (sidewalk or level) .

Then the method consists, in a fourth step 400, of controlling the movement of the rolling container 20 via the control means 33 of the vehicle 10 and the communication means 23 of the container 20, from the delivery vehicle 10 to the place of deposit LDP (final delivery destination) of the container 20 while respecting a trajectory T determined by the control means 33.

Finally, in a fifth step 500, once the container 20 has reached its storage location LDP, the method consists of controlling the closure of the means of access 60 to the enclosed space ECL and the door 52 of the storage space. EST storage is then commanded to return to its initial closing position of the EST storage space.

The vehicle 10 can then continue its delivery tour as planned and repeat the process at another delivery location or return to its starting point at the end of the tour.

The procedure for recovering the container 20 is carried out in a similar manner apart from the step of piloting the container 20 which guides the container 20 from the LDP deposit location to the delivery vehicle 10 after having previously ordered the means of access 60 for opening the enclosed space ECL then closing it once the container 20 has left the enclosed space ECL. A date and time slot for collection of container 20 are notified to the recipient via their smartphone.

Claims (10)

Home delivery system for at least one package (COL) previously deposited in a motorized container (20) comprising means of wave communication (23) allowing its remote control by an autonomously driven delivery vehicle ( 10) capable of transporting the container (20) from a storage location for the container (20) to the home (DOM) of the recipient of the package (COL); said vehicle (10) comprising a system ensuring autonomous driving (30) of the vehicle (10) comprising perception sensors (24, 25) and further comprising remote control means (33) by wave channel capable of guide the container (20) from the delivery vehicle (10) to a deposit location (LDP) adjacent to the recipient's home (DOM) located in a private enclosed space (ECL) whose access is secured by means (60) access with automated opening and closing, capable of being controlled remotely by wave; the delivery vehicle (10) comprising remote control means (34) capable of controlling the opening of said access means (60) before depositing the container (20) at the deposit location (LDP) then closing said means of access (60) after depositing the container at the place of deposit (LDP). System according to the preceding claim, in which the container (20) is provided with motorized movement means (21), controlled by the control means (33); said movement means (21) being configured so as to allow the movement of the container (20) from the delivery vehicle (10) to the location of the container (LDP) while being guided along a determined trajectory (T) by the control means (33). System according to the preceding claim, in which the movement means (21) comprise at least one arrangement of motorized wheels arranged under the container (20). Vehicle (10) for a system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a system (30) ensuring autonomous driving of said vehicle (10) comprising perception sensors (24, 25) ensuring autonomous driving of the vehicle (10) and control means (33) capable of ensuring wave guidance of a mobile container (20) communicating with the vehicle (10). Communicating mobile container (20), for a system according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising wave communication means (23) and movement means (21) capable of being guided by control means (33) remotely via the means of communication (23). Container (20) according to the preceding claim, in which the movement means (21) comprise at least one arrangement of remotely controllable motorized wheels. Method implemented by the system according to one of claims 1 to 3, consisting, once the vehicle (10) positioned in front of the enclosed space (ECL), in checking (100) accessibility to the private enclosed space (ECL) in which the storage location (LDP) of the container (20) is located via the perception means (24, 25) of the vehicle (10), to remotely control (200) the opening of the access means (60) to the enclosed space (ECL) via the remote control means (34) of the vehicle (10), to control (400) the container (20) via the control means (33) of the vehicle (10) to guide it from the vehicle (10) to the place of deposit (LDP) of the container (20) while respecting a trajectory (T) determined by the control means (33), and once the container (20) has arrived on its place of deposit 40, to control (500) the closure of the means of access (60) to the enclosed space (ECL). Method according to the preceding claim, consisting of controlling (300) the lowering of a door (52) of the vehicle (10) closing the storage space (EST) of the vehicle (10) so as to form a gateway between the floor (12) of the vehicle (10) and the surface of the ground for unloading the container (20), before piloting (400) of the container (20). Method according to the preceding claim, consisting of notifying the recipient of the package (COL) of a date and time slot for depositing the container (20) on the recipient's smartphone as well as a date and time slot for removing the container (20). ). Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, lead it to implement the steps of the method according to one of claims 7 or 8.