Methods, media, and node-enabled autonomous transport vehicles are described for navigating to a shipping location using a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network. A node associated with the autonomous transport vehicle, such as a mobile master node, detects a signal broadcast from an ID node associated with the shipping location, and instructs the ID node to lower a power level of the broadcast signal. The mobile master node identifies the signal broadcast from the ID node with the lowered power level, and determines a direction of the ID node relative to the mobile master node based upon the detected signal with the lowered power level. The mobile master node then navigates to the ID node associated with the shipping location based upon the determined direction, which may involve providing the determined direction to an input for the vehicle\'s control system.

Claims

16 · 1 independent · depth 4

16 granted claims

›1.independentA node-enabled transport system, comprising:nan autonomous vehicle configured to move from an initial location to a shipping location in response to c…+15

A node-enabled transport system, comprising:nan autonomous vehicle configured to move from an initial location to a shipping location in response to control input;a control system disposed on the autonomous vehicle, the control system having an output coupled to the control input of the autonomous vehicle, the control system further having at least one input for receiving an instruction on a desired movement for the autonomous vehicle and producing a control signal on the output responsive to the instruction received;a mobile master node associated with the autonomous vehicle, the mobile master node providing a directional output signal as the instruction to the input of the control system, wherein the mobile master node is one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network; andwherein the mobile master node further comprisesna node processing unit,a node memory coupled to the node processing unit, the node memory maintaining code for execution by the node processing unit,a short-range communication interface coupled to the processing unit and configured to communicate with an ID node associated with the shipping location, wherein the ID node is another of the plurality of nodes and is configured to communicate directly with the mobile master node over the short-range communication interface but not configured to communicate directly with a server in the network,a longer range communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and configured to communicate directly with the server;wherein the node processing unit of the mobile master node, when executing the code maintained on the node memory, is configured tondetect, over the short-range communication interface, a signal broadcast from the ID node associated with the shipping location,transmit an instruction over the short-range communication interface to the ID node, the instruction causing the ID node to lower a power level of the signal broadcast from the ID node,identify the signal broadcast from the ID node with the lowered power level,determine a direction from the mobile master node to the ID node based upon the detected signal with the lowered power level, andprovide the determined direction as the instruction to the input of the control system.

›2.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is further configured to determine the direction to the ID node and pr…d2

›3.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is further configured to receive an ID node identification from the se…d2+1

›5.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shipping location comprises one from a group consisting of a delivery point, a drop-off poi…d2

›6.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is further configured to instruct the control system based upon the di…d2+4

›7.↳ 6The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 6, wherein the node processing unit is further configured to transmit an update to the server reflecting t…d3

›8.↳ 6The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 6, wherein the node memory further maintains context data; andnwherein the node processing unit is further…d3

›9.↳ 6The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 6 further comprising at least one sensor disposed on the autonomous vehicle and coupled at least to the no…d3+1

›11.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mobile master node further comprises onboard location circuitry coupled to the node process…d2

›12.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an inertial navigation unit deployed on the autonomous vehicle and generating a deter…d2

›13.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an inertial navigation unit deployed on the autonomous vehicle and generating a deter…d2

›14.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shipping location comprises a waypoint in an anticipated route for the autonomous vehicle.d2

›15.↳ 1The node-enabled transport vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shipping location comprises a first waypoint of a plurality of waypoints on an anticipated …d2+1

Classifications

31 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section B — Performing operations; transporting

B65D25/02

Section G — Physics

G06Q20/22
G06Q10/08
G08B21/02
G06Q30/02
G06Q20/32
G06K19/07
G06F19/00
G06K7/10
G01C21/00
G06Q20/14
G06Q20/40

Section H — Electricity

H04W4/02
H04W12/08
H04L29/06
H04W76/02
H04W8/18
H04W4/00
H04W24/10
H04W64/00
H04W8/24
H04L29/08
H04B1/3822
H04L12/24
H04W52/04
H04W52/02
H04H20/61
H04H20/71
H04L12/707
H04W12/06
H04L12/26

Claim changes

Soon

Coming soonHow the claims changed between publication and grant

See which claims were amended, added or cancelled during examination, with every added and removed word marked.

AmendedAddedCancelledUnchanged

The published claims of this patent are not paired with the granted ones in what we hold.

File wrapper

Pendency

1.8 y

650 days filing → grant

Office actions

after a restriction

Examiner

David Merlino

art unit —

Law firm

Law firm · Log in to unlock

Citations: 97 back · 7 forward

See the full prosecution history — every USPTO and applicant action on this file, in order.

Chain of title

⤢ drag to zoom

Titlehover for detail · click to open

See the full assignment history — every owner this patent has passed through, with recordation dates and reel/frame numbers.

Term & fees

See the term timeline — pendency span, in-force span, the maintenance fees paid and both computed expiry dates.

Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

28 May 2014

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 62003566	28 May 2014
related publication	US 20150153175 A1	4 Jun 2015

Validity challenges

See the validity challenges on record — reexaminations, IPRs and PGRs, with their institution decisions and outcomes.

Citations

See every patent this one cites and every patent that cites it back — publication, assignee, and how each one was found.