WO2022081091A1 - System and method for automated delivery of goods - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a system (200) and method for automated delivery of goods. The delivery system (200) comprises: a network of tracks (210) connecting a number of origin locations (230) to a number of destination locations (240), the destination locations (240) comprising one or more units (120) of one or more buildings (110); the track network (210) comprising a set of building tracks (212) disposed along surfaces (113) of each building (110), the building tracks (212) leading to the units (120) of the respective building (110); a set of carriage vehicles (300) for carrying the goods for delivery, each carriage vehicle (300) configured to travel along the track network (210) to deliver the goods from the origin locations (230) to the units (120) via the building tracks (212), each carriage vehicle (300) comprising a computer processor configured for controlling the carriage vehicle (300) to autonomously travel along the track network (210); and a computer system (400) for communicating with the track network (210) and carriage vehicles (300) for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles (300) along the track network (210), thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units (120).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED DELIVERY OF GOODS

Cross Reference to Related Application(s)

The present disclosure claims the benefit of Singapore Patent Application No. 10202010276Q filed on 16 October 2020, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to automated delivery of goods. More particularly, the present disclosure describes various embodiments of a system and a method for automated delivery of goods.

Background

Information revolution and continued urbanization in the 21 st century have given rise to e-commerce and possible alternative sharing economy instead of traditional ownership economy. With this, people are increasingly purchasing (and sharing) goods (including especially fresh produce and takeaways) online and have these goods delivered to their doorsteps, at increasingly higher expectation of delivery speed. Urbanization, on the other hand, gave birth to mega cities of millions and urban land scarcity drove vertical construction with ever taller buildings where most inhabitants work and live. As a result, large majority of delivery of goods occur in such congested city environments.

Current delivery systems are inefficient and faces several limitations in making such a delivery, especially if ever higher speed is expected. They are built for horizontal road surface travel, such as scooters, trucks, or even driverless vehicles. The vertical dimension in buildings is handled manually or via delivery robots using elevators. In both dimensions, they overlap with human traffic and contribute to the congestions, on roads, walkways, elevators etc. The need to hand the goods over from one system to another also means transit time lost and requirement for close coordination and buffer area to facilitate. Errors can easily happen in such transition. In most current delivery services, the goods are delivered manually by delivery persons who may travel between locations using delivery vehicles like bikes, scooters, trucks, and vans. In addition to congestions, it is extremely labour intensive, weather dependent, and delivery time cannot be assured. It is also not sustainable in the long term as demand continues to rise.

Various solutions have been contemplated, such as using unmanned vehicles or drones. However, unmanned vehicles on roads would not be able to achieve point-to- point delivery, especially at vertical part of modern high rise or entry into gated condominiums and communities. Drones may be able to overcome this, but they are highly dependent on weather and may not be operational in inclement weather. They are not able to access inside building and presents significant safety hazards when flying over public areas.

Therefore, in order to address or alleviate at least one of the aforementioned problems and/or disadvantages, there is a need to provide improved automated delivery of goods.

Summary

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is a system for automated delivery of goods. The delivery system comprises: a network of tracks connecting a number of origin locations to a number of destination locations, the destination locations comprising one or more units of one or more buildings; the track network comprising a set of building tracks disposed along surfaces of each building, the building tracks leading to the units of the respective building; a set of carriage vehicles for carrying the goods for delivery, each carriage vehicle configured to travel along the track network to deliver the goods from the origin locations to the units via the building tracks, each carriage vehicle comprising a computer processor configured for controlling the carriage vehicle to autonomously travel along the track network; and a computer system for communicating with the track network and carriage vehicles for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles along the track network, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is a method for automated delivery of goods. The delivery method comprises: providing a network of tracks connecting a number of origin locations to a number of destination locations, the destination locations comprising one or more units of one or more buildings; selecting a set of carriage vehicles for carrying the goods and travelling along the track network, the track network comprising a set of building tracks disposed along surfaces of each building, the building tracks leading to the units of the respective building; travelling, by the carriage vehicles carrying the goods, along the track network to deliver the goods from the origin locations to the units via the building tracks; controlling, by computer processors of the carriage vehicles, the carriage vehicles to autonomously travel along the track network; and communicating, using a computer system, with the track network and carriage vehicles to coordinate said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles along the track network, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is a computerized method for automated delivery of goods. The computerized method comprises: receiving a delivery request to deliver goods from an origin location to a destination location, the destination location being a unit of a building; communicating with a network of tracks connecting the origin location to the building unit, the track network comprising a set of building tracks disposed along surfaces of the building, the building tracks leading to the building unit; selecting a carriage vehicle available for carrying the goods for delivery; sending delivery instructions to the selected carriage vehicle, the delivery instructions instructing the carriage vehicle to: travel along the track network to the origin location to collect the goods; travel along the track network from the origin location to the building unit via the building tracks to deliver the collected goods; and control, by a computer processor of the carriage vehicle, the carriage vehicle to autonomously travel along the track network; and maintaining communications with the track network and carriage vehicle for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicle along the track network, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the building unit.

A system and method for automated delivery of goods according to the present disclosure is thus disclosed herein. Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, by way of non-limiting examples only, along with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figures 1A and 1 B are illustrations a system for automated delivery of goods, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 2A and 2B are illustrations of a track network of the delivery system, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 3A and 3B are illustrations of a subterranean track of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 4A to 4H are illustrations of building tracks of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 5A to 5F are illustrations of various types of tracks of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 6A to 6D are illustrations of various configurations of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 7A to 7E are illustrations of active switches of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 8A to 8C are illustrations of passive switches of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 9A to 9C are illustrations of a carriage vehicle of the delivery system, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 10A to 10D are further illustrations of the carriage vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 11A to 11 C are illustrations of a goods compartment of the carriage vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 12 is an illustration of communications between a computer system and the carriage vehicles and track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 13A to 13C are illustrations of various installations of the track network, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Descriptions of embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a system and method for automated delivery of goods, in accordance with the drawings. While aspects of the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with the embodiments provided herein, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the present disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents to the embodiments described herein, which are included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be recognized by an individual having ordinary skill in the art, i.e. a skilled person, that the present disclosure may be practiced without specific details, and/or with multiple details arising from combinations of aspects of particular embodiments. In a number of instances, known systems, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as to not unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, depiction of a given element or consideration or use of a particular element number in a particular figure or a reference thereto in corresponding descriptive material can encompass the same, an equivalent, or an analogous element or element number identified in another figure or descriptive material associated therewith.

References to “an embodiment I example”, “another embodiment I example”, “some embodiments I examples”, “some other embodiments I examples”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) I example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment I example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in an embodiment I example” or “in another embodiment I example” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / example.

The terms “comprising”, “including”, “having”, and the like do not exclude the presence of other features I elements I steps than those listed in an embodiment. Recitation of certain features / elements / steps in mutually different embodiments does not indicate that a combination of these features I elements I steps cannot be used in an embodiment.

As used herein, the terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more than one. The use of in a figure or associated text is understood to mean “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. The recitation of a particular numerical value or value range herein is understood to include or be a recitation of an approximate numerical value or value range. The term “a number” and “a set” are defined as a non-empty finite organization of elements that mathematically exhibits a cardinality of at least one (e.g. “a number” and “a set” as defined herein can correspond to a unit, singlet, or single-element set, or a multiple-element set), in accordance with known mathematical definitions. The terms “first” and “second” are used merely as labels or identifiers and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their associated terms. The term “each other” represents a reciprocal relation between two or more elements.

With reference to Figure 1A, in an environment 100 such as a residential estate, there are several buildings 110 and each building has several units 120. These buildings 110 include high-rise buildings such as apartments, condominiums, and office buildings. It will be appreciated that the buildings can be any form of structure that is able to house one or more units 120 where people may reside, live, and/or work in. For example, a building 110 may be a shophouse having a few units 120 operated by retail merchants for their business. A building 110 may be a condominium having several residential units or homes 120. A building 110 may be an office or commercial building having several units 120 for tenants. People in these units 120 often purchase goods online and these goods are subsequently delivered to the units 120. These goods may include, but are not limited to, physical products, items, groceries, fresh produce, cooked food (takeaways), as well as perishable or long-life foods and beverages.

Further with reference to Figure 1 B, representative or exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure describe a system 200 for automated delivery of the goods to the units 120. The delivery system 200 includes a network of tracks 210 connecting a number of (i.e. at least one) origin locations 230 to a number of (i.e. at least one) destination locations 240. The origin locations 230 include, but are not limited to, dispatch locations such as distribution centres, warehouses, shop houses, supermarkets, malls, restaurants, wholesale merchants, forward warehouses, cloud or centralized kitchens, homes, residences, and offices. The origin locations 230 can also be at public areas such as community buildings, parks, post offices, or at the entrances to gated communities I condominiums with dispatch stations connected to the track network 210. It will be appreciated that the track network 210 can operate bidirectionally, i.e. origin locations 230 can become destination locations 240 and vice versa.

The destination locations 240 include one or more units 120 if one or more buildings 110, such as residential buildings and commercial buildings. The buildings 110 may be located within an estate which is an area of land with the buildings 110 developed for residential, industrial, and/or commercial purposes. As described above, the buildings 110 may include apartments, condominiums, and office buildings housing the units 120 where people may reside, live, and/or work in. A unit 120 of a building 110 may be located within a building 110. For example, the building 110 is a condominium and the unit 120 is one of the residential units. A unit 120 of a building 110 need not be one that is occupied or tenanted. For example, the building 110 is a condominium or a commercial building and the unit 120 can be the guardhouse, open collection point, or some common area of the building 110. This common area may be used as the unit 120 for consolidating deliveries from and to other parts of the building 110 or within the same estate. In some cases, the unit 120 is equivalent to the building 110 by itself, such as the guardhouse.

The track network 210 includes a set of (i.e. at least one) building tracks 212 disposed along surfaces 113 of the each building 110. The building tracks 212 run primarily along the exterior I outdoor walls of the respective building 110 and lead to the units 120 of the respective building 110. In some embodiments, the building tracks 212 may extend into the units 120, such as along the interior / indoor walls, risers, roofs, and/or ceilings. As used herein, the term “surfaces 113” can collectively refer to the exterior I outdoor walls, interior / indoor walls, risers, roofs, and ceilings of buildings 110. The track network 210 connects between various origin locations 230 and various destination locations 240 and enables point-to-point delivery of goods to the destination locations 240. For example, an origin location 230 is a merchant selling goods that the merchant wants to deliver to units 120 in a building 110. In some cases, a unit 120 in a building 110 may be an origin location 230 for delivering goods to a destination location 240 at another unit 120 in the same building 110 or another building 110. Thus, it is possible for residential units 120 to use the delivery system 200 and the track network 210 for delivery of goods, such as to friends, families, and relatives living in other buildings 110. It is also possible to enable returning of food containers for carrying takeaways after consumption to centralized cleaning and sanitization centres to be cleaned, returned to merchants, and reused.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the delivery system 200 includes a set of (i.e. at least one) carriage vehicles 300 for carrying the goods for delivery. Each carriage vehicle 300 is configured to travel along the track network 210, which includes switches 250 as described further below, to deliver the goods from the origin locations 230 to the destination locations 240. Each carriage vehicle 300 includes a computer processor configured for controlling the carriage vehicle 300 to autonomously travel along the track network 210. The computer processor can communicate with a computer system 400 to coordinate the carriage vehicle 300 and enable the carriage vehicle 300 to autonomously navigate the track network 210 including activating the switches 250 to select the direction of travel. The autonomous carriage vehicle 300 is able to sense its environment, including the tracks 210 it is travelling on and other carriage vehicles 300, and operate without human involvement.

As described further below, the computer system 400 is configured for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles along the track network 210, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units 120. For example, the computer system 400 communicates route instructions, route adjustments, travel conditions feedback, etc. to the carriage vehicles 300. The computer processor of carriage vehicle 300 receives and process this information to facilitate autonomous travel along the track network 210 and to ensure optimal travel along the assigned route and manageable traffic along the track network 210, thereby achieving the automated delivery to the destination locations 240.

As shown in Figure 1 B, some sections of the track network 210 may be supported on existing structures or purpose-built elevated support structures on the ground, especially in public areas to avoid obstructing human I vehicular traffic. For example, some tracks 214 may be elevated along shelters, overhead bridges, elevated structures along sidewalks and passageways, and greenbelts along walkways and city roads. Some sections of the track network 210 may include a set of subterranean tracks 216, such as through underground spaces and carparks. For example as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, these subterranean tracks 216 may be disposed within underground pipes 220 that run above or parallel to underground utility pipes, such as drainage, sewage, and gas pipes. As these pipes 220 are underground and for easy installation, the size of these pipes 220 may be constrained to, for example, a diameter of 600 mm to 1000 mm. The subterranean tracks 216 and carriage vehicles 300 are sized compactly to fit the overall cross-sectional area of the pipes 220 and at the same time maximize goods carrying space of the carriage vehicles 300. By installing the subterranean tracks 216, interference with existing city infrastructure such as roads and walkways which are already congested with human and vehicular traffic is minimized.

As used herein, the term “tracks 210” can collectively refer any type of tracks along the network of tracks (“track network 210”), including but not limited to, the building tracks 212, elevated tracks 214, subterranean tracks 216, as well as any branched or parallel tracks from the main tracks.

The building tracks 212 can be installed during construction of new buildings 110. For example, risers can be provided, or small sections of the external surface 113 can be provided so that these building tracks 212 can be installed at low cost. The building tracks 212 can also be retrofitted into existing buildings 110 by running them along the building surfaces 113, such as internal walls, external walls, floors, risers, roofs, and ceilings. This enables the building tracks 212 to extend to windows and balconies 122 of the building units 120 and allows the goods to be delivered directly to the building units 120 where the recipients live. Installation of the building tracks 212 on exterior surfaces 113 of existing high-rise buildings 110 avoids expensive retrofit of risers or chargeable floor area of risers in the buildings 110 and utilizes unused space away human traffic (stairs and elevators) to avoid congestion.

The network of tracks 210, particularly the building tracks 212, are arranged to allow efficient travel in various orientations and directions to effectively lead to the various units 120 of the buildings 110. For example, some building tracks 212 may run vertically upwards the exterior surfaces 113 of the building 110 where large torque is required, while others run horizontally where high speed is preferred.

Moreover, as the exterior surfaces 113 often have textured I fagade features, the building tracks 212 may need to be arranged accordingly, particularly with very tight turning radius, to go around these features, such as shown in Figure 4A. Some building tracks 212 may be disposed on interior walls, floors, and ceilings that run in multiple directions so that every unit 120 can be accessed by the building tracks 212 for delivering the goods. The network of tracks 210 thus enables effective point-to-point delivery of goods to the units 120. Figures 4A to 4H illustrate various arrangements of the building tracks 212 for delivery of goods to the units 120.

As shown in Figure 4B, the building tracks 212 may run along the exterior surface 113 of the building 110 and the carriage vehicle 300 can be accessed by the unit 120 via a window or balcony 122 to collect the goods. In some buildings 110, the building tracks 212 may run along a support frame 112 mounted to the exterior surface 113 of the building 110. In one embodiment, the building tracks 212 may branch out and lead to the units 120 and loop back to the building tracks 212. In another embodiment, the building tracks 212 may branch out and terminate at the respective units 120.

As shown in Figure 4C, the building tracks 212 may run along the interior surface or wall 113 of the building 110 and the carriage vehicle 300 can be accessed by the unit 120 via an opening 124 to collect the goods. The recipient in the unit 120 can reach for the carriage vehicle 300 via the opening 124 that may be constructed with the building 110 for purposes of the delivery system 200. For example, the opening 124 is formed on the surface 113 of the unit 120, such as of the kitchen, dining room, hallway, or living room, or alternatively in the riser, and the recipient can collect the goods from inside the unit 120. A door or window may be installed in the opening 124 to close the opening 124 after collecting the goods. This implementation is particularly useful in new buildings 110 where the delivery system 200 can be designed into the building schematics.

As shown in Figure 4D, the carriage vehicles 300 may be oriented vertically for collection of goods at the units 120 via the windows or balconies 122. As shown in Figures 4E and 4F, the carriage vehicles 300 may be oriented horizontally for collection of goods at the units 120 via the windows or balconies 122. Extending the building tracks 212 into balconies 122 offers additional safety for the recipient collecting the goods and prevents the goods from accidentally falling outside the building 110. As shown in Figure 4G, when the carriage vehicle 300 carrying goods arrive at the unit’s window 122, the recipient in the unit 120 can reach outside for the carriage vehicle 300 outside the window and collect the goods. The compartment holding the goods may be rotated or turned towards the recipient to allow easy access to goods, such as rotating upwards or sideways.

Protective devices may be added at the destination locations 240 to offer additional safety for the recipient collecting the goods and protects pedestrians below from the goods that may accidental fall outside the building 110, especially near the windows and balconies 122 of the building units 120. Such accidents may happen when the recipient is collecting the goods from the carriage vehicle 300, and when the recipient is loading goods into the carriage vehicle 300 for delivery to another destination location 240. These protective devices may be in the form of safety nets, cages, and the like. For example, the delivery system 200 includes an enclosure 205, such as a network of cages, covering along the track network 210 for enclosing objects falling from the tracks 210. The enclosure 205 extends until the ground level and prevents pedestrians from entering the enclosure 205. If objects such as the goods fall from the windows or balconies 122 above, the objects would be contained within the enclosure 205 and would not hit any pedestrians. The network of tracks 210 is arranged as a series of modular tracks 210 or track sections having small cross-sectional areas to minimize material use. These tracks 210 may have different cross-sectional configurations depending on where they are located. The cross-sectional configurations and dimensions of the tracks 210 are designed to be modular and are varied according to orientation of travel and appropriate support of the carriage vehicle 300 without relying on complex mechanisms on the carriage vehicle 300 to cope with various travel directions. The tracks 210 have features that complement the drive mechanisms 310 of the carriage vehicles 300 to provide efficient travel in the desired orientation and direction. Some examples of the various tracks 210, including upright and hanging horizontal tracks 210, straight vertical tracks 210, as well as turning tracks 210 in pitch and yaw directions in various orientations, are shown in Figures 5A to 5F.

For example in Figure 5A, the track 210 is designed for horizontal travel by the carriage vehicle 300 and the track 210 can be laid upright on the floor, upside down on the ceiling (hanging), or sideways on the walls. The dimensions of the tracks 210 are different between upright and hanging travel to due weight of the carriage vehicle 300 acting in different directions. The horizontal tracks 210 are preferably surfaced, such as by tarring, to enable high speed travel. The tracks 210 further include webs or rails 215 for engaging guiding wheels of the carriage vehicle 300, as described further below.

As shown in Figure 5B, the track 210 is designed for vertical or inclined travel by the carriage vehicle 300. The track 210 may have a linear gear 211 , e.g. a gear track to engage with corresponding gears on the carriage vehicle 300, and a frictional surface 213 to facilitate the vertical or inclined travel (e.g. more than 15°) where high torque is preferred. As surfaces 113 of buildings 110 provide the most underutilized areas for laying of the tracks 210, enabling the carriage vehicle 300 to travel and turn on the surfaces 113 in various directions allows the tracks 210 to be laid at many parts of the buildings 110 in a city with constrained spaces.

As shown in Figure 5C, the track 210 may be curved for a turn in the yaw direction across the horizontal plane. The horizontal turning track 210 may include a high frictional surface on the outside (for engaging outside wheels of the carriage vehicle 300) and a low frictional surface on the inside (for engaging inside wheels of the carriage vehicle 300) to overcome speed differential between the outside and inside wheels. This obviates the need for the carriage vehicle 300 to have a differential speed gear, thus simplifying the drive mechanisms 310 of the carriage vehicle 300.

As shown in Figure 5D, the track 210 may be curved for a turn in the yaw direction across the vertical plane. As shown in Figure 5E, the track 210 may be curved for an upward turn in the pitch direction. As shown in Figure 5F, the track 210 may be curved for a downward turn in the pitch direction. The track 210 may include the linear gear 211 and frictional surface 213 to facilitate the upward or downward turn.

In a track network 210 that serves many origin locations 230 and destination locations 240, the track network 210 includes a number of intersections or track junctions, each track junction dividing or forking the tracks into a number of branched tracks 210, such as shown in Figure 2A. Various other examples of track junctions are shown in Figure 6A.

The track network 210 is designed for the carriage vehicles 300 to be able to travel in either direction along the tracks 210. For example as shown in Figure 6A, there are parallel tracks 210 that are branched out from the main tracks 210. These parallel tracks 210 allow a trailing carriage vehicle 300 to bypass or overtake a leading carriage vehicle 300. These parallel tracks 210 may also lead to a number of designated stations along the track network 210. The designated stations may be configured for various purposes, such as pit stops for the carriage vehicles 300 for cleaning, servicing, and maintenance, such as or for swapping their batteries. The carriage vehicles 300 may include a towing mechanism such that if one carriage vehicle 300 is faulty or malfunctioning, another carriage vehicle 300 can tow the faulty carriage vehicle, either by pushing or pulling along the tracks 210, to the nearest designated station and avoid congesting the track network 210.

Some tracks 210 are bi-directional for the carriage vehicles 300 to travel in either direction, while some tracks 210 with high traffic can be uni-directional to increase throughput capacity. Multiple tracks 210 can be installed closely together in multiple orientations, utilizing the ability of the carriage vehicles 300 to travel in multiple directions and orientations. This can reduce the overall footprint of the track network 210. Figures 6B and 6C show various possible installations of the tracks 210, such as multiple tracks 210 in parallel on the same plane, directly on the ceilings and vertical walls, or with support frames 112. As shown in Figure 6D, the tracks 210 may also be elevated tracks 214 on elevated structures like support posts 114 and shelters 115.

In some embodiments as shown in Figure 1 B, the track network 210 serves many origin locations 230 and destination locations 240 and may include switches 250 at the track intersections or junctions, each track junction dividing or forking into branched tracks 210. For example, the switches 250 are configurable to direct the carriage vehicle 300 to the correct track 210 so that the carriage vehicle 300 can continue its travel to the correct destination location 240. The switches 250 may include active switches 252 and/or passive switches 254.

As shown in Figures 7A to 7E, active switches 252 are powered devices and are moveable to connect across different tracks 210 and select the direction of travel depending on the configuration of the active switches 252. The carriage vehicles 300 are communicative with the active switches 252 which are remotely activatable before the carriage vehicles 300 reach the active switches 252. For example, when a carriage vehicle 300 is about to arrive at an active switch 252, the carriage vehicle 300 communicates with the active switch 252 to change its configuration and connect the track 210, which the carriage vehicle 300 is currently on, to the correct track 210 leading to the intended destination location 240. Active switches 252 enable carriage vehicles 300 to select the desired configuration more quickly and travel through the active switches 252 with minimal slow down to their intended tracks 210.

Figure 7A shows an active switch 252 with rotational movement and having three configurations for connections between three tracks 210. For example, the rotation of the active switch 252 can be controlled by the carriage vehicle 300 to connect between A and B in one configuration, and between A and C in another configuration. Figure 7B shows an active switch 252 with rotational movement and having four configurations for connections between four tracks 210. For example, the rotation of the active switch 252 can be controlled by the carriage vehicle 300 to connect between B and D in one configuration, between A and B and between C and D in another configuration, and between A and C in yet another configuration. Figure 7C shows an active switch 252 with rotational movement and having five configurations for connections between five tracks 210. For example, the rotation of the active switch 252 can be controlled by the carriage vehicle 300 to connect between B and E and between C and D in one configuration, between A and C and between D and E in another configuration, and between A and E and between B and D in yet another configuration.

Figure 7D shows an active switch 252 with sliding movement and having three configurations for connections between three tracks 210. For example, the sliding or linear movement of the active switch 252 can be controlled by the carriage vehicle 300 to connect between B and C in one configuration, between A and B in another configuration, and between A and C in yet another configuration. Further, as shown in Figure 7E, a track 210 may be configured as a waiting loop 256 with an active switch 252 to temporarily hold a number of carriage vehicles 300 while waiting to travel through the active switch 252. For example, a carriage vehicle 300 is parked in the waiting loop 256 when waiting for the front carriage vehicle 300 to be loaded or unloaded, or during a lull period of low traffic.

As shown in Figures 8A to 8C, passive switches 254 are non-powered devices and are moveable by the carriage vehicle 300 to connect across different tracks 210 and select the direction of travel depending on the configuration of the passive switches 252. The passive switches 254 are activatable by the carriage vehicles 300 upon reaching the passive switches 254. Specifically, upon arrival at a passive switch 254, the carriage vehicle 300 engages with the passive switch 254 and physically moves the passive switch 254 to reconfigure it to the correct track 210 leading to the intended destination location 240. Passive switches 254 are cheaper than active switches 252 but as they are slower, passive switches 254 can be installed in locations with lower traffic and/or limited electrical power connectivity. Further, as shown in Figure 8A, a track 210 may be configured as a waiting loop 258 with passive switches 254 to temporarily hold a number of carriage vehicles 300 while waiting to travel through the passive switches 254. It will be appreciated that the waiting loop 258 with the passive switches 254 work similarly to the waiting loop 256 with the active switch 252.

Figure 8B shows a set of passive switches 254a-d with rotational movement for connection between two tracks 21 Oab. When the carriage vehicle 300 travelling arrives at the first and second passive switches 254ab on the first track 210a, the front and rear of the carriage vehicle 300 engage and rotate the first and second passive switches 254ab. For example, the front and rear of the carriage vehicle 300 has mechanisms, e.g. motors, that engage and rotate the first and second passive switches 254ab. The carriage vehicle 300 then travels across to the third and fourth passive switches 254cd on the second track 210b. At the second track 210b, the front and rear of the carriage vehicle 300 rotate the third and fourth passive switches 254cd and the carriage vehicle 300 is able to continue travel along the second track 210b. The passive switches 254a-d are biased such that they return to their default state ready for the next movement after the carriage vehicle 300 leaves.

Figure 8C shows a passive switch 254 with sliding movement for connection between two tracks 21 Oab. When the carriage vehicle 300 arrives at the passive switch 254 on the first track 210a, the front of the carriage vehicle 300 engages and slides the passive switch 254 to the second track 210b. The front of the carriage vehicle 300 travels across the passive switch 254 to the second track 210b. The passive switch 254 is biased and returns to the first track 210 ready for the next movement after the front of the carriage vehicle 300 leaves. The rear of the carriage vehicle 300 then engages and slides the passive switch 254 from the first track 210a to the second track 210b. The rear of the carriage vehicle 300 travels across the passive switch 254 to the second track 210b and the carriage vehicle 300 is able to continue travel along the second track 210b. The passive switch 254 returns to the first track 210 after the rear of the carriage vehicle 300 leaves.

As shown in Figure 9A, the carriage vehicle 300 includes a carriage chassis 305 and a set of drive mechanisms 310 configured to engage with the tracks 210 and drive the carriage vehicle 300 along the tracks 210. As the tracks 210 are arranged in various orientations and directions, the orientations of the carriage vehicle 300 travelling along the tracks 210 and the demands on the drive mechanisms 310 will vary accordingly. In some cases, the carriage vehicle 300 is upright while travelling along horizontal tracks 210 and the carriage vehicle may travel at higher speeds such as at least 20 or 30 km/h. In some cases, the carriage vehicle 300 is oriented sideways while travelling along vertical tracks 210, such as the building tracks 212 on exterior surfaces 113 of the buildings 110. The travelling speed along the vertical or inclined tracks 210 is reduced to below 20 km/h, such as 7.2 km/h which is the typical elevator speed, to compensate for higher torque requirements. In some cases, tracks 210 may be disposed on indoor ceilings of the units 120 and the carriage vehicles 300 may be oriented upside down. Accordingly, the drive mechanisms 310 are configured to cooperatively engage with the tracks 210 to stabilize the driving or travelling of the carriage vehicle 300 along the tracks 210 in any orientation and direction.

The drive mechanisms 310 includes a front drive mechanism 320 and a rear drive mechanism 340. The front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 are independently rotatable about the yaw direction such as for turning along a horizontal track 210 as shown in Figure 9B, and for manipulating the passive switches 254. As shown in Figure 9C, support wheel mechanisms 335 of the front drive 320 and rear drive 340 are independently pivotable about the pitch direction so that the support wheel mechanisms 335 remain perpendicular to a vertical or inclined track 210 while climbing it.

The front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 are separated from each other far enough such that the carriage vehicle 300 can navigate turns with very narrow turning radius whereby at least one of the front and rear drive mechanisms 320, 340 will always be engaged on the track 210 to stabilize the turning. For example, when one of the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 is transitioning from high torque track 210 to low torque track 210, or travelling through a vertical track 210 without the gears 334, the other of the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 maintains full driving power to ensure the carriage vehicle 300 does not get slip or stuck in transition. Accordingly, the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 are cooperative to enable continuous travel across different tracks 210, such as from a horizontal track 210 to a vertical track 210 or vice versa.

As shown in Figures 10A and 10B, each of the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 includes primary wheels 330, secondary wheels 332, and gears 334 cooperatively rotatable about a common drive axle 336. The primary wheels 330 have larger diameters (e.g. 5 times larger) than the secondary wheels 332 and are positioned outside the secondary wheels 332. As shown in Figure 10C, when the carriage vehicle 300 is travelling along a horizontal track 210, the primary wheels 330 are in contact with the surface of the track 210 and the carriage vehicle 300 can travel at higher speed with lower torque demand. The secondary wheels 332 and gears 334 are suspended and disengaged from the track 210. As shown in Figure 10D, when the carriage vehicle 300 is travelling along a vertical or inclined track 210, the gears 334 engage with the linear gear 211 of the track 210 to ensure secured engagement. This enables the carriage vehicle 300 to climb the vertical or inclined track 210 at high torque. The secondary wheels 332 are engaged with the frictional surface 213 of the track 210 to reduce the torque demand for the required load and speed while the primary wheels 330 are suspended and disengaged from the track 210.

As described above, each of the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 may include a support wheel mechanism 335 that is pivotable about the pitch direction to remain perpendicular with the track 210 as well as to guide the turning of the carriage vehicle 300. For example, when the carriage vehicle 300 is turning along a track 210, the support wheel mechanisms 335 engage the webs or rails 215 of the track 210 and guides the carriage vehicle 300 along the turn. The webs or rails 215 of the track 210 may have varying thickness along the turn to maintain consistent grip of the support wheel mechanisms 335 while the carriage vehicle 300 is turning.

The front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 operate on respective common drive axles 336 and this enables efficient travel between two extreme scenarios - high speed horizontal travel and high torque vertical travel - without using multiple transmission mechanism that adds to the weight and size of the drive mechanisms 310. The drive mechanisms 310 can thus be maintained compact to maximize volume available for the carriage vehicle 300 to carry goods. The drive mechanisms 310 enable the carriage vehicle 300 to navigate and manoeuvre across the track network 210 in various orientations and directions of travel, while maintaining the robustness and safety of the delivery system 200.

The primary power drive of the carriage vehicle 300 is electric. The electric power may be provided by a power source within the carriage vehicle 300. Preferably, the carriage vehicle 300 includes a set of batteries as the power source, as this reduces the costs and complexity of the tracks 210 and enables safe and reliable outdoor applications. Each of the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 may be powered by independent batteries as a redundancy measure to safely return the carriage vehicle 300 in case one of the front drive mechanism 320 and rear drive mechanism 340 fails. The battery may also be detachable and swappable at the designated stations to keep the carriage vehicle 300 adequately powered at all times for delivery assignments. The battery levels and conditions are monitored by a battery management system programmed in the computer system 400 and this information is relayed to the on-board computer processor of the carriage vehicle 300 when computing and assigning deliveries to the carriage vehicle 300. Particularly, the batteries must have enough charge to complete a delivery before commencing it.

The carriage vehicle 300 includes a brake mechanism 338 for slowing and stopping the carriage vehicle 300 moving along the track 210. The brake mechanisms 338 may include drum brakes and/or disc brakes. The brake mechanism 338 further include a brake interlock system such that the brakes will always be engaged as a default. When the carriage vehicle 300 begins to move, power is supplied from the battery to the brake interlock system to disengage the brakes and enable the carriage vehicle 300 to move. In the event of low battery or a power failure, the brake interlock system automatically reengages the brakes and stops the carriage vehicle 300. Hence, the brake interlock system provides an additional safety design to the carriage vehicle 300.

The carriage vehicle 300 includes a carriage body 350 and there may be different types of carriage bodies 350 designed for different purposes. For example, the carriage body 350 is designed for carrying goods and cargo and can have different dimension and features to cater for various requirements. Other types of carriage bodies 350 can be service modules such as survey and inspection modules that carry necessary inspection equipment. The inspection equipment may include cameras and other sensors to routinely inspect the track network 210 for damages and unexpected obstructions. The carriage vehicles 300 may thus be configured as maintenance vehicles and the carriage bodies 350 may include robotic arms to remotely fix lose parts or remove obstructions at hard-to-access areas of the track network 210.

As shown in Figure 11 A, the carriage body 350 is a container shell or compartment for storing the goods or cargo for delivery. The goods compartment 350 may have one or more access doors 352, such as two access doors 352 on both sides of the goods compartment 350 for loading I unloading goods at both sides of the carriage vehicle 300. For example, a single building track 212 can be laid between two columns of units 120 in a building 110 and the goods compartment 350 can be accessed by the units 120 on either side of the building track 212 via the respective access doors 352. This obviates having individual building tracks 212 leading to each and every unit 120 and reduces the total length of tracks 210. The access doors 352 may be opened and closed manually or automatically in response to instructions such as authentications by the merchant at the origin location 230 and by the recipient at the destination location 240. Having multiple access doors 352 allows the track network 210 to be installed in new and existing buildings 110 with many different constraints and many buildings 110 have units 120 that have access points to both left and right sides of the carriage vehicle 300. Having two or more access doors 352 for all-round access into the goods compartment 350 enables the delivery system 200 to be implemented in many existing city landscapes with existing buildings 110 where access to the goods compartment 350 can be oriented vertically or sideways while hanging on vertical walls or on the floor in some circumstances, and on either side of the goods compartment 350.

The goods compartment 350 may be fitted with suitable mechanisms for adjusting the position and/or orientation of the compartment, such as by shifting, tilting, and/or rotating it, allowing easy access to the goods. For example, the carriage vehicle 300 may be in a sideways orientation at the balcony 122 of a building unit 120, and in this orientation the recipient may not be able to easily access the goods. The goods compartment 350 can be adjusted to a suitable position I orientation for the recipient to access and collect the goods.

In some embodiments, the goods compartment 350 may be fitted with securing straps, nets, and/or other restraining devices to hold the goods in place while in transit. As the carriage vehicle 300 is expected to be travelling along the track network at various speeds and in various orientations, some goods that can spill should be stored in sealed containers. The goods compartment 350 may optionally include refrigeration and/or thermal insulation elements to maintain freshness of certain foods. In some embodiments as shown in Figure 11 B, the goods compartment 350 may include a gyroscopic component 354, such as a gyro bowl, for storing goods, wherein the gyroscopic component 354 remains upright regardless of orientation of the carriage vehicle 300. A gimbal assembly may be used to support a bowl or other container upright. The gyroscopic component 354 or gimbal assembly is useful for storing liquids that can be spilled during transit.

Additionally, to mitigate risk of damaging delicate or fragile goods, the carriage vehicle 300 can be configured to travel at different speeds as selected by the delivery instructions from the computer system 400 communicative with the carriage vehicle 300 and depending on the type of goods carried. For example, if the goods are fragile, the travelling speed of the carriage vehicle 300 may be restricted to reduce the risk of damage to the fragile goods. The goods compartment 350 can also be fitted with disinfection elements, such as ultraviolet light devices and antibacterial sprays, to disinfect the goods compartment 350 after each delivery.

The carriage vehicle 300 has a predefined maximum laden weight that limits the overall weight of the goods so that the carriage vehicle 300 can reliably travel along the track network 210 for delivery, especially for vertical and inclined tracks 210. The maximum laden weight may be around 40-60 kg. The carriage vehicle 300 may include a number of weight sensors to detect the overall weight of the goods. The weight sensors may send alerts to the computer system 400 if the goods are measured to weigh more than the allowable payload limit. The carriage vehicle 300 may be configured with motor feedback, such as via tachometers and current sensors, and based on orientation and reference information, the computer processor can determine the total weight and maintain safe travel during the delivery. The carriage vehicle may include cameras and smell sensors to monitor the condition of the carriage vehicle 300, particularly the condition, such as cleanliness, of the compartment 350 for storing the goods. This information is sent back to the computer system 400 which will schedule the carriage vehicle 300 for suitable maintenance and cleaning activities.

In some embodiments as shown in Figure 11 C, the goods compartment 350 is detachable from the chassis 305 of the carriage vehicle 300. The goods compartment 350 is configured with suitable fastening mechanisms to securely and detachably fasten to the carriage vehicle 300. The goods compartment 350 may be left at the destination location 240 or unit 120 for prolonged period upon request while the carriage vehicle 300 proceeds to another delivery assignment. For example, the unit 120 includes a coupling member 123 next to the window 122, wherein the coupling member 123 is couplable with the goods compartment 350 to detach the goods compartment 350 from the carriage vehicle 300. This reduces potential congestion along a single building track 212 with multiple units 120 to serve, improves utilization of the carriage vehicle 300, and improves cost efficiency of the delivery system 200. Additionally, by having the goods compartment 350 detachable from carriage vehicle 300, different types of goods compartments 350 can be designed to contain specialized goods such as chilled goods, intermodal transfers (e.g. to airplane, high speed train or ships), and/or where different dimensions are required to store the goods.

In some embodiments, the goods compartment 350 is configured with automatic devices which can unload the cargo out onto a receiving pad or platform at the destination location 240. This would obviate the need for the carriage vehicle 300 to wait for collection, especially if the recipient is not at home, and thus improve track 210 and carriage vehicle 300 utilization. In some embodiments, the carriage vehicle 300 includes suitable protective/shielding parts to protect I shield various parts of the carriage vehicle 300, particularly the electrical components, from external interference, as well as to protect the carriage vehicle 300 from external weather elements. The carriage vehicle 300 may be protected to the appropriate IP (Ingress Protection) rating, such as against intrusion of water and dust, allowing the carriage vehicle 300 to be used in outdoor and indoor conditions. This makes the automated delivery system 200 more reliable as its operation is less adversely affected by the weather conditions, unlike drones which may not be operational in inclement weather.

As shown in Figure 12, the delivery system 200 includes the computer system 400 configured for communicating with the track network 210 and carriage vehicles 300 for coordinating the carriage vehicles’ 300 autonomous travel along the track network 210, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods from the origin locations 230 to the destination location 240. The computer system 400 includes a traffic controller 410 that sends delivery instructions to the carriage vehicle 300 based on current location of carriage vehicle 300 and delivery assignment that is currently in progress. For example, the delivery instructions are sent to the nearest available carriage vehicle 300 that is not currently handling any delivery assignment. The delivery instructions include details of the goods, routes to origin locations 230 and destination locations 240, routes to waiting areas, and any other instructions for responding to emergencies during the delivery assignments. The carriage vehicle 300 receives the delivery instructions and travels autonomously along the track network 210 to complete the delivery assignments according to the delivery instructions.

To facilitate travel by the carriage vehicles 300, the delivery system 200 may further include readers, scanners, and/or cameras and location markers distributed along the track network 210. The location markers may be in the form of RFID tags, magnetic tags I devices, and/or visual markers (such as colour codes, bar codes, and/or QR codes). The location markers provide identification information about its current location to the carriage vehicles 300 so that they are able to retrieve corresponding information about the tracks 210 to the carriage vehicles 300, such as the track type, length, orientation, etc for proper navigation. For example, the location markers are used by the carriage vehicles 300 to identify determine whether they are approaching a switch 250 as the carriage vehicles would need to select which of the branched tracks 210 to continue travelling along, or whether it is approaching a turn and needs to slow down, or whether it reached the destination location 240. The carriage vehicles 300 may include corresponding readers, scanners, and/or cameras to read the location markers. To provide for efficient navigation, combination of higher read speed markers (such as magnetic readers) and higher precision markers (such as RFID tags, bar codes, and/or QR codes) may be implemented. For example, when the carriage vehicle 300 approaches a track junction, it can detect, using suitable sensors, the location marker(s) near the track junction and determine whether the carriage vehicle 300 should turn to a branched track or continue along the main track. This determination is based on the delivery instructions from the traffic controller 410 and the destination location 240.

The carriage vehicle 300 includes the computer processor and sensors that are cooperative for enabling autonomous travel of the carriage vehicle 300 along the track network 210 from the origin locations 230 for goods collection to the destination locations 240 for delivery. The computer processor and sensors enable the carriage vehicle to select the direction of travel at the switches 250 and to adjust the speed of travel based on the topography of the current track 210 and presence of nearby carriage vehicles 300 travelling on same track 210. Additionally, the computer processor is configured to respond to instructions from the computer system 400, detect and respond to unusual I unexpected conditions, as well as to request for assistance during emergencies. The sensors may include suitable readers for the location markers along the track network 210 to determine the position of the carriage vehicle 300 along the track network 210. The sensors may include tachometers in the drive mechanisms 310 to determine the distance travelled by the carriage vehicle 300. The sensors may include gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers, and/or tilt sensors to determine the orientation of the carriage vehicle 300. The sensors may include laser sensors, such as lidar sensors, to scan the direction of travel and detect any potential intrusion within the scanning area, thus preventing accidental collisions with unexpected objects. During travelling along the track network 210, the carriage vehicle 300 relies on sensors to sense and diagnose its position, detect any deviations from the intended route, as well as any unusual I unexpected conditions. For example, the sensors detect neighbouring location markers along the tracks 210 to determine the carriage vehicle’s 300 position. For example, vibration and noise sensors can detect unusual track conditions, and gyroscopic sensors can crosscheck whether the carriage vehicle 300 is in its supposed position. The carriage vehicle 300 is also configured to detect and communicate with other carriage vehicles 300 in the vicinity to coordinate and synchronize with each other their travelling along the track network 210. For example, the carriage vehicle 300 can regulate its travelling speed to maintain a safe distance and avoid collision with another carriage vehicle 300 nearby.

The carriage vehicle 300 may also be configured to selectively send, in real-time, at regular intervals or as required, data acquired by the sensors (including location data such as position, orientation, and travelling speed, and diagnostic data such as vibration levels, temperature, noise level, and video streams) back to the traffic controller 410. The traffic controller 410 collectively receives the data from all carriage vehicles 300 along the track network 210 and coordinates the positions and regulates the travelling speeds of the carriage vehicles 300. The traffic controller 410 can thus monitor the deliveries performed by the carriage vehicles 300 and plan for any unexpected deviations, such as malfunctioning of a carriage vehicle 300. It can also analyse diagnostic data to detect unusual conditions of the carriage vehicle 300 or on the tracks 210 and schedule the carriage vehicle 300 and/or affected tracks 210 for inspection, maintenance, and repair. For example, the traffic controller 410 may respond to unusual conditions by temporary slowing or halting traffic or sending out revised route to the affected carriage vehicle 300. The traffic controller 410 thus monitors and regulates traffic speed and coordinates troubleshooting and system recovery actions, thereby enabling the functioning of and smooth traffic flow along the track network 210.

A detailed navigational map of the entire track network 210, including the precise locations of the location markers, is stored in and monitored by the traffic controller 410. The traffic controller 410 can compute and construct detailed travel or delivery route instructions to the carriage vehicles 300, with considerations of other traffic along the track network 210 to optimize route and traffic management, minimize congestion and avoid unauthorized use of the tracks 210. To ensure safety of the delivery system 200, the traffic controller 410 may be configured with full overriding authority over the carriage vehicles 300. For example, in response to an emergency, the traffic controller 410 can instruct all the carriage vehicles 300 on the track network 210 to stop.

In addition to this, the traffic controller 410 may be configured with various alert at different levels. For example, the alerts may be configured at the individual carriage vehicle 300 level, individual track 210 level, overall track network 210 level, regional area level which may be defined by geofencing, or system-wide level for the entire delivery system 200. These alerts may determine the maximum speed at which the carriage vehicles 300 can travel. The traffic controller 410 is further configured to process information from the carriage vehicles 300 as well as traffic conditions along the track network 210 to set the respective alerts for safe operation of the carriage vehicles 300.

Accordingly, the traffic controller 410 is configured to maintain communications with the carriage vehicles 300 and monitor traffic along the track network 210. The traffic controller 410 processes the collected data which enables it to respond to unplanned scenarios, send adjustment instructions to affected carriage vehicles 300, such as to avoid potential collisions, identifying available carriage vehicles 300 for new deliveries, and optimizing traffic routes for the carriage vehicles 300. The traffic controller 410 may be configured for predictive analysis of possible congestions I conflicts along the track network 410 and assist in identify the nearest available carriage vehicles 300 and best routes at the projected delivery times. The data collected by the traffic controller 410 can be aggregated to generate a database to support effective carriage vehicle 300 and track 210 maintenance, improvement, and upgrade programs. The traffic controller 410 is further configured with appropriate redundancy, security, and cyber protection measures to manage computer vulnerabilities.

As shown in Figure 12, the traffic controller 410 is communicative with the track network 210 and carriage vehicles 300 based on suitable wireless communication protocols such as cellular networks including 5G networks. The carriage vehicles 300 are communicative with each other and with the track network 210 based on suitable wireless communication protocols such as ZigBee, LoRa, Bluetooth, or a combination of these.

The computer system 400 further includes a dispatch controller 420 that is communicative with an external e-commerce system 430. The e-commerce system 430 may be operated by a merchant selling various goods online or a merchant aggregator that allows consumers to purchase goods from various merchants. For example, the user or recipient uses an electronic device 440 to communicate with the e-commerce system 430, such as via cellular networks and wide area networks, to purchase goods from merchants. The electronic device 440 may be a mobile device such as a mobile phone, tablet device, or laptop.

The e-commerce system 430 provides various data to the dispatch controller 420 to request for delivery, such as origin location 230 for collection or dispatch, destination location 240 for delivery, required date and time, goods type, estimated weight and size, and any special instruction. The dispatch controller 420 communicates with the traffic controller 410 to identify the appropriate carriage vehicle 300 and upon confirmation from the e-commerce system 430, schedule the carriage vehicle 300 to execute the delivery. Trip or delivery related data such as booking data, trip record, travel accounting, user authentication, delivery evidence record retention, and user feedback etc. can be captured in the dispatch controller 420 for invoicing, troubleshooting, and further analysis. The dispatch controller 420 thus interfaces with the e-commerce system 430 and users, and further monitors and coordinates individual dispatch or delivery assignments, including authentication of goods loading and unloading.

On arrival at the destination location 240, the carriage vehicle 300 may communicate with an electronic device 440 of the recipient. For additional security, the goods compartment 350 may be locked and the carriage vehicle 300 may include an authentication device to authenticate the recipient at the destination location 240 before unlocking the goods compartment 350 to release the goods. In one example, the authentication device is a keypad I touchpad and the recipient is required to enter a predefined passcode, which would be sent to the recipient’s electronic device 440 beforehand, to unlock the goods compartment 350. In another example, the authentication device may be configured to authenticate the recipient’s biometrics, such as voice I fingerprint I facial features I retina features. In another example, the recipient displays a pre-generated QR code on the electronic device 440 for scanning by the authentication device (e.g. having a camera). In another example, the electronic device 440 sends a digital signal directly to the carriage vehicle 300, such as via NFC (near field communication) or Bluetooth communication protocols. The authentication device authenticates the respective authentication data and unlocks the goods compartment 350 to release the goods.

In another example, the recipient executes an app on the electronic device 440 and the app is communicative with the dispatch controller 420. The recipient acknowledges on the app and the dispatch controller 420 and the traffic controller 410 communicates with the carriage vehicle 300 to unlock the goods compartment 350. The recipient may be required to enter a predefined password or authentication code and the app sends the authentication input to the dispatch controller 420 for authentication. The dispatch controller 420 proceeds to authenticate the authentication input against predetermined authentication data. Upon successful authentication, the traffic controller 410 sends an authentication message to the carriage vehicle 300 to unlock the goods compartment 350 and release the goods.

Therefore, people can utilize the delivery system 200 to receive goods purchased from merchants. In addition, people can also utilize the delivery system 200 to dispatch, send or return goods to others or to postal, courier and distribution centres for onward forwarding to further destination via other transport mode such as rail, marine or air freight.

The loading of goods at the origin locations 230 can be accomplished in various configurations. In many places, the surfaces 113 of buildings 110 are the least utilized space and are suitable for installing tracks 210 without obstructing other activities. One exemplary installation is shown in Figure 13A, where the carriage vehicles 300 depart on a first in first out (FIFO) basis. Figure 13B shows an exemplary installation at an origin location 230 with high loading traffic, such as such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, distribution or re-distribution centres, forward warehouses, and cloud or centralized kitchens. The tracks 210 enter the origin location 230 along the surface 113 and passes a series of active switches 252. A vertical track 210 is installed as a branch to each of these active switches 252 and each carriage vehicle 300 is directed to the respective loading point via a respective local control system 260. The loading point can be a checkout counter in supermarkets or dispatch counters in distribution centres and forward warehouses. Upon completion of checkout, the customer or merchant loads the goods into the goods compartment 350 of the respective carriage vehicle 300 and once loading is completed, the goods compartment 350 will close and the carriage vehicle 300 will deliver the goods to the destination locations 240. Figure 13C shows another exemplary installation wherein the loading rate is lower and a single 5-way active switch 252 may be sufficient.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, there is a method for automated delivery of goods, wherein the delivery method may be performed using the delivery system 200 as described herein. The delivery method includes a step of providing the track network 210 connecting the origin locations 230 to the destination locations 240, the destination locations 240 including the units 120 of the buildings 110. The delivery method includes a step of selecting the carriage vehicles 300 for carrying the goods and travelling along the track network 210, the track network 210 including the building tracks 212 disposed along surfaces 113 of the buildings 110 and leading to the building units 120. The delivery method includes a step of travelling, by the carriage vehicles 300 carrying the goods, along the track network 210 to deliver the goods from the origin locations 230 to the units 120 via the building tracks 212. The delivery method includes a step controlling, by computer processors of the carriage vehicles 300, the carriage vehicles 300 to autonomously travel along the track network 210. The delivery method includes a step of communicating, using the computer system 400, with the track network 210 and carriage vehicles 300 to coordinate said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles 300 along the track network 210, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units 120. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, there is a computer-implemented or computerized method performed on the computer system 400 for automated delivery of goods. The computer system 400 may be at least one server that is based on a centralized model, decentralized model, or hybrid model. As used herein, a server is a physical or cloud data processing system on which a server program runs. The server may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination thereof. Some non-limiting examples of the server include computers, laptops, mini-computers, mainframe computers, any non-transient and tangible machines that can execute a machine-readable code, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, and a network of computers. The computer system 400 includes a set of computer processors and various steps of the computerized method are performed in response to non-transitory instructions operative or executed by the processors. The non- transitory instructions are stored on a memory of the computer and may be referred to as computer-readable storage media and/or non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include all computer-readable media, with the sole exception being a transitory propagating signal per se.

The computerized method includes a step of receiving a delivery request, such as from the external e-commerce system 430 or an electronic device 440 of a user (sender), to deliver goods from an origin location 230 to a destination location 240, the destination location 240 being a unit 120 of a building 110. The computerized method includes a step of communicating with the track network 210 connecting the origin location 230 to the building unit 110, the track network 210 including the building tracks 212 disposed along surfaces 113 of the building 110 and leading to the building unit 120. The computerized method includes a step of selecting a carriage vehicle 300 available for carrying the goods for delivery. The computerized method includes a step of sending delivery instructions to the selected carriage vehicle 300, the delivery instructions instructing the carriage vehicle to travel along the track network 210 to the origin location 230 to collect the goods, travel along the track network 210 from the origin location 230 to the building unit 120 via the building tracks 212 to deliver the collected goods, and control, by the computer processor of the carriage vehicle 300, the carriage vehicle 300 to autonomously travel along the track network 210. The computerized method includes a step of maintaining communications with the track network 210 and carriage vehicle 300 for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicle 300 along the track network 210, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the building unit 120.

Upon arrival of the carriage vehicle 300 at the building unit 120, the recipient performs the authentication process as described above and collects the goods. The computerized method may include steps of receiving an authentication input from an electronic device 440 of the recipient, authenticating the authentication input against predetermined authentication data, and sending an authentication message to the carriage vehicle 300 to release the goods, i.e. unlock the goods compartment 350, in response to successful authentication of the authentication data.

In an exemplary use case, an end user or consumer purchases some goods using the electronic device 440 and an online platform operated by a merchant or merchant aggregator. The e-commerce system 430 receives the purchase order and sends a corresponding delivery order to the dispatch controller 420. The dispatch controller 420 receives the delivery order which includes information such as the origin location 230 address, destination location 240 address, and details of the goods. Upon confirmation with the e-commerce system 430, the traffic controller 410 schedules an available carriage vehicle 300 to perform the delivery. The traffic controller 410 constructs and sends delivery instructions to the carriage vehicle 300. The carriage vehicle 300 travels along the track network 210 to the origin location 230, which may be a warehouse or shop of the merchant where the goods are stored or dispatched. The merchant then loads the goods into the goods compartment 350 and a notification may be sent to the traffic controller 410 after loading the goods. Track and trace information is sent from traffic controller 410 to the dispatch controller 420 and onwards to the e-commerce platform, which will then keep merchant informed of delivery status. The carriage vehicle 300 carries the goods and travels along the track network 210 to the destination location 240. The dispatch controller 420 may send a notification to inform the user that the goods are in transit. Upon arrival of the carriage vehicle 300 at the destination location 240, the carrier vehicle 300 sends a notification to the traffic controller 410 and through the dispatch controller 420 notifies the recipient for collection. The recipient performs the authentication process as described above and opens the goods compartment 350 to collect the purchased goods. After collection, the carriage vehicle 300 leaves and the traffic controller 410 is notified of the successful delivery.

In another exemplary use case, a user wants to deliver some goods to his/her friend at another destination location 240. The user may use an app to access the dispatch controller 420 and requests for a carriage vehicle 300. The request may include the origin location 230 address, destination location 240 address, requested date and time, and any special details of the goods. The dispatch controller 420 may inform the recipient of the expected delivery and request confirmation from the recipient. Upon confirmation with the recipient, the traffic controller 410 schedules an available carriage vehicle 300 to perform the delivery. The traffic controller 410 constructs and sends delivery instructions to the carriage vehicle 300. The carriage vehicle 300 travels along the track network 210 to the origin location 230, which would be the user’s or sender’s location. The sender then loads the goods into the goods compartment 350 and a notification may be sent to the traffic controller 410 after loading the goods. The carriage vehicle 300 carries the goods and travels along the track network 210 to the destination location 240 of the recipient. The dispatch controller 420 may send a notification to inform the recipient that the goods are in transit. Upon arrival of the carriage vehicle 300 at the destination location 240, the carrier vehicle 300 sends a notification to the traffic controller 410 and through the dispatch controller 420 notifies the recipient for collection. The recipient performs the authentication process as described above and opens the goods compartment 350 to collect the purchased goods. After collection, the carriage vehicle 300 leaves and the traffic controller 410 is notified of the successful delivery.

In another exemplary use case, the carriage vehicle 300 may include sealed bins that can be used for collection of household rubbish. Users may dispose their rubbish into these sealed bins in the goods compartment 350. The carriage vehicle 300 automatically transports the rubbish to designated facilities for rubbish collection, treatment, and disposal. As described herein, the automated delivery system 200 is able to compete commercially with current courier and delivery services in various delivery scenarios in towns, cities and metropolitans. By scaling the track network 210 accordingly, the delivery system can achieve point-to-point automated deliveries to between the origin locations 230 and destination locations 240, without any interim transfer of goods or other infrastructure, in a cost-effective manner. The track network 210 can be scaled to various destination locations 240 including homes, offices, supermarkets, restaurants, cloud kitchens, shops, forward warehouses, factories, distribution centres, parks, and public areas. More particularly, the destination locations 240 include units 120 in high-rise buildings 110 which are commonplace in densely populated cities and metropolitans. The delivery system 200 advantageously allows people living in these building units 120 to conveniently receive the goods without human-to-human transfer of goods. There is little to no dependency on manual labour, especially delivery persons, addressing the long-term sustainability problem of manual deliveries. The delivery system 200 also uses unused space such as external walls, roof structures of walkway shelters, elevated tracks 214, and/or underground tracks 216 for goods delivery, and thus alleviates increasing congestions with more goods movement with increasing e-commerce.

The track network 210 can be expanded to cover a larger city area to increase access of merchants and consumers to wider delivery radius and thus choice of goods and consumer base. By scaling up the track network 210, economies of scale can be achieved, making the delivery system 200 more affordable and suitable for mass adoption by merchants and consumers. The computer system 400 coordinating the carriage vehicles 300 can be programmed with machine learning capabilities to build a database based on various situations encountered by the carriage vehicles 300. For example, the database collects information from the carriage vehicles 300 when they detect errors as they travel along the track network 210, encounter unusual situations, and near collision events. The database would be useful in determining the most appropriate course of action, such as to reset or recall the carriage vehicle, in response to similar events in future. The goods purchased by the users or consumers can be quickly delivered to them using the carriage vehicles 300 without delivery persons which can sometimes be unreliable. Because of the reliability, speed and low trip cost of the delivery system 200, users can purchase only the goods that they need, and these goods would be delivered to them within a short time period. The users would not have to purchase large amounts of goods, especially perishable inventories like groceries, and store time at home which would usually lead to wastage as the groceries may have spoiled.

In the foregoing detailed description, embodiments of the present disclosure in relation to a system and method for automated delivery of goods are described with reference to the provided figures. The description of the various embodiments herein is not intended to call out or be limited only to specific or particular representations of the present disclosure, but merely to illustrate non-limiting examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure serves to address at least one of the mentioned problems and issues associated with the prior art. Although only some embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein, it will be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure that a variety of changes and/or modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure as well as the scope of the following claims is not limited to embodiments described herein.

Claims

Claims

1 . A system for automated delivery of goods, the system comprising: a network of tracks connecting a number of origin locations to a number of destination locations, the destination locations comprising one or more units of one or more buildings; the track network comprising a set of building tracks disposed along surfaces of each building, the building tracks leading to the units of the respective building; a set of carriage vehicles for carrying the goods for delivery, each carriage vehicle configured to travel along the track network to deliver the goods from the origin locations to the units via the building tracks, each carriage vehicle comprising a computer processor configured for controlling the carriage vehicle to autonomously travel along the track network; and a computer system for communicating with the track network and carriage vehicles for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles along the track network, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units.

2. The delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the track network comprises switches for directing the carriage vehicles along the track network.

3. The delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the switches comprise active switches that are remotely activatable by the carriage vehicles before reaching the active switches.

4. The delivery system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the switches comprise passive switches that are activatable by the carriage vehicles upon reaching the passive switches.

5. The delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an enclosure covering along the track network for enclosing objects falling from the tracks.

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6. The delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising location markers distributed along the track network for detection by the carriage vehicles.

7. The delivery system according to claim 6, wherein each carriage vehicle comprises sensors for detecting the location markers.

8. The delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the carriage vehicles are communicative with each other for coordinating their autonomous travelling along the track network.

9. The delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each carriage vehicle comprises an authentication device for authenticating a recipient at a destination location before releasing the goods to the recipient.

10. The delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the computer system comprises: a traffic controller for communicating with the carriage vehicles and track network; and a dispatch controller for communicating with an external e-commerce system.

11. The delivery system according to claim 10, wherein the dispatch controller is configured for: receiving an authentication input from an electronic device of a recipient; authenticating the authentication input against predetermined authentication data; and sending an authentication message to the carriage vehicle to release the goods in response to successful authentication of the authentication data.

12. A method for automated delivery of goods, the method comprising:

37 providing a network of tracks connecting a number of origin locations to a number of destination locations, the destination locations comprising one or more units of one or more buildings; selecting a set of carriage vehicles for carrying the goods and travelling along the track network, the track network comprising a set of building tracks disposed along surfaces of each building, the building tracks leading to the units of the respective building; travelling, by the carriage vehicles carrying the goods, along the track network to deliver the goods from the origin locations to the units via the building tracks; controlling, by computer processors of the carriage vehicles, the carriage vehicles to autonomously travel along the track network; and communicating, using a computer system, with the track network and carriage vehicles to coordinate said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicles along the track network, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the units.

13. The delivery method according to claim 12, comprising directing the carriage vehicles along the track network using switches distributed along the track network.

14. The delivery method according to claim 13, wherein the switches comprise active switches that are remotely activatable by the carriage vehicles before reaching the active switches.

15. The delivery method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the switches comprise passive switches that are activatable by the carriage vehicles upon reaching the passive switches.

16. The delivery method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, comprising detecting, using sensors of the carriage vehicles, location markers distributed along the track network.

17. The delivery method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, communicating between the carriage vehicles for coordinating their autonomous travelling along the track network.

18. The delivery method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, authenticating, by the carriage vehicle and/or computer system, a recipient at a destination location before releasing the goods to the recipient.

19. The delivery method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, communicating, using the computer system, with an external e-commerce system for receiving delivery requests from the external e-commerce system.

20. A computerized method for automated delivery of goods, the computerized method comprising: receiving a delivery request to deliver goods from an origin location to a destination location, the destination location being a unit of a building; communicating with a network of tracks connecting the origin location to the building unit, the track network comprising a set of building tracks disposed along surfaces of the building, the building tracks leading to the building unit; selecting a carriage vehicle available for carrying the goods for delivery; sending delivery instructions to the selected carriage vehicle, the delivery instructions instructing the carriage vehicle to: travel along the track network to the origin location to collect the goods; travel along the track network from the origin location to the building unit via the building tracks to deliver the collected goods; and control, by a computer processor of the carriage vehicle, the carriage vehicle to autonomously travel along the track network; and maintaining communications with the track network and carriage vehicle for coordinating said autonomous travelling of the carriage vehicle along the track network, thereby enabling automated delivery of the goods to the building unit.

21 . The computerized method according to claim 20, further comprising: receiving an authentication input from an electronic device of a recipient; authenticating the authentication input against predetermined authentication data; and sending an authentication message to the carriage vehicle to release the goods in response to successful authentication of the authentication data.

22. The computerized method according to claim 20 or 21 , wherein the delivery request is received from an external e-commerce system or an electronic device of a sender.