WO2018012767A1

WO2018012767A1 - Unmanned delivery system using unmanned aerial vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2018012767A1
Application number: PCT/KR2017/006887
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seung Mo Kim; Jae Sook JUNG; Koo Po Kwon; Tae Young Chung
Original assignee: Cj Korea Express Corportaion
Priority date: 2016-07-15
Filing date: 2017-06-29
Publication date: 2018-01-18
Also published as: CN109478306A

Abstract

Disclosed is an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned delivery system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, an order management server configured to send a product release request signal to a logistics center system capable of releasing a corresponding product using an unmanned aerial vehicle when a product delivery request signal using an unmanned aerial vehicle is received from a customer terminal, the logistics center system disposed in a logistics center and configured to automatically release and transfer the product when the product release request signal is received and to start up the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle has the transferred product mounted thereon and automatically flies to a destination, and a produce receipt system disposed in a delivery place collective building or outside the logistics center and configured to receive the product mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

UNMANNED DELIVERY SYSTEM USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

The present invention relates to an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle.

In general, a parcel delivery service is a delivery service in which when a request to deliver the article or document of a customer is received through communication, such as a telephone, fax or the Internet, a sender is directly visited, an article or document to be delivered and information about a recipient are taken over, and the article or document is directly transferred to the recipient at the house of the recipient. An article delivery process performed in such a parcel delivery service includes collecting all of parcel delivery articles whose forwarding has been requested at a head office, sorting the parcel delivery articles at the head office for each receipt place, forwarding the parcel delivery articles to local offices, and delivering, by a parcel delivery employee at each local office, a parcel delivery article to the address of a recipient using a vehicle.

In such a delivery process, however, if a recipient is absent (i.e., if a recipient or deputy recipient is absent at a receipt place), the delivery of an article may be completed by leaving the article at a neighboring house or apartment security office through separate contact with the recipient. If the recipient is absent and contact with the recipient is impossible or it is difficult to leave the article at the neighboring house or apartment security office, a delivery person returns to a local office, visits the receipt place again after contact with the recipient, and delivers the article to the recipient.

If an article is directly delivered using manpower as described above, however, time and cost are greatly wasted, there is a danger of information leakage, and there is the possibility of erroneous delivery because a sorting work is performed by manpower. Furthermore, if an article is left at a neighboring house or an apartment security office because a recipient is absent, a danger of loss is great. Furthermore, if the delivery of an article is not properly performed due to some reasons, there is a possibility that a secondary crime attributable to a parcel service may be increased.

In particular, recently, an instance in which a person disguises himself or herself as a delivery person and breaks into a home or indulges in various criminal acts is increasing. Accordingly, there is a need for a method capable of fundamentally preventing such an instance.

[Prior Art Document]

[Patent Document]

(Patent Document 1) Prior Art1: Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2016-0020454 (February 23, 2016)

An object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle, which is capable of 24-hour unmanned delivery by carrying a product between logistics centers or delivering a product to a customer based on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle, which is capable of 24-hour unmanned delivery based on an unmanned aerial vehicle from the allocation of a release center according to an order history after a product is ordered to the release of the product within a logistics center and the receipt and delivery of the product at a destination.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle, including an unmanned aerial vehicle, an order management server configured to send a product release request signal to a logistics center system capable of releasing a delivery-requested product using an unmanned aerial vehicle when a product delivery request signal using an unmanned aerial vehicle is received from a customer terminal, and the logistics center system configured to automatically release the delivery-requested product when the product release request signal is received, automatically classify the requested product for each docking station based on its delivery schedule, send a requested product to a corresponding docking station, and start up a corresponding unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle has the requested product mounted thereon in the corresponding docking station and automatically flies to a destination.

The unmanned aerial vehicle may include a main body, a plurality of arms formed in the circumference of the main body, rotor rotation blades formed at the ends of the respective arms, a photographing unit mounted on one side of the main body, a product mounting unit disposed under the main body, a product being mounted on the product mounting unit, and a control unit configured to perform control so that the product is mounted on the product mounting unit when landing completion for the docking station of a logistics center system is sensed, control the driving of the rotor rotation blades so that the unmanned aerial vehicle automatically flies to a destination, analyze an image captured by the photographing unit, and perform control so that the product mounted on the product mounting unit descends and drops to a recognized feeding entrance if the feeding entrance of the product receipt system is recognized.

The unmanned aerial vehicle may further include wires configured to connect the product mounting unit and the main body and a motor configured to wind or unwind the wires so that the product mounting unit ascends or descends.

A coupling unit for mounting the product may be provided at the bottom of the product mounting unit.

The order management server analyzes information about a delivery place, information about a logistics center from which the requested product can be released using an unmanned aerial vehicle, and information about the operations of unmanned aerial vehicles in the logistics center, sends a location and time in which the requested product can be received to a corresponding customer terminal, and sends the product release request signal to a corresponding logistics center system.

The logistics center system may include a management server configured to send information about the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle included in a corresponding logistics center to the order management server and to send a product release command to a product release system when a product release request signal is received, the product release system configured to pick a corresponding product when the product release command is received, transport the product to a transfer conveyor, attach an invoice in which a delivery place and classification code have been written to the product, and transfer the product to a product classification system through the transfer conveyor, the product classification system configured to automatically classify the product transferred by the product release system for each docking station based on its delivery schedule and to transfer the product to a docking station, and the docking station disposed outside a logistics center and configured to start up the unmanned aerial vehicle on which the product has been mounted so that the unmanned aerial vehicle automatically flies to a destination by sending a start-up signal including the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle when the product transferred by the product classification system is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle and a takeoff preparation completion signal is received from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The product release system may include a picking apparatus configured to automatically pick the corresponding product from a storage location when the product release command is received and to transfer the picked product to the transfer conveyor and an automatic labeling apparatus configured to attach the invoice in which the delivery place and the classification code have been written to the released product and to transfer the released product to the product classification system through the transfer conveyor.

The product classification system may include a product recognition apparatus configured to recognize the product by recognizing the invoice attached to the product, a product classification apparatus configured to automatically classify the recognized product for each docking station based on its delivery schedule, and a transfer apparatus configured to move the product classified by the product classification apparatus to the docking station disposed outdoors.

The docking station may include a communication unit, a base configured to provide a physical space in which an unmanned aerial vehicle takes off or lands, a product transferred to the product classification system being loaded onto the base, and a start-up processing unit configured to send take-off preparation completion information to the management server when a takeoff preparation completion signal is received from the unmanned aerial vehicle through the communication unit, receive a flight plan and destination from the management server, and start up the unmanned aerial vehicle waiting in the base by sending the flight plan and the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The unmanned delivery system may further include a wireless charging unit configured to wirelessly charge the unmanned aerial vehicle waiting in the base.

The product receipt system may include a feeding entrance, an invoice recognition unit configured to recognize the invoice of a product fed to the feeding entrance and a product release unit configured to sequentially automatically keep products whose delivery information has been recognized by the invoice recognition unit and to send the recognized delivery information to the order management server. The product dropped through the feeding entrance may be transferred to the invoice recognition unit and the product release unit through a transfer apparatus.

The product receipt system may further include a shock reduction unit configured to reduce a shock to the product dropped through the feeding entrance.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server, including a product release instruction unit configured to send a product release request signal to a logistics center system capable of releasing a delivery-requested product using an unmanned aerial vehicle when a product delivery request signal using an unmanned aerial vehicle is received from a customer terminal and a logistics center control unit configured to control the logistics center system so that the logistics center system which has received the product release request signal automatically releases the product, automatically classifies the product for each docking station based on its delivery schedule, transfers the product to a corresponding docking station, and automatically mounts the product transferred to the docking station on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The server may further include a delivery control unit configured to send delivery completion information to the customer terminal when the delivery completion information is received from a product receipt system.

Furthermore, the server may further include a logistics center information database and a logistics center management unit configured to receive information about products included in a corresponding logistics center and information about the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle from at least one logistics center system and to register the information with the logistics center information database.

Furthermore, the server may further include an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit configured to manage information about the destination of a delivery product and the identification code of an unmanned aerial vehicle and to remotely control the loading and unloading of a delivery product for each of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and the flight operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

the logistics center control unit may include a product release system control module configured to control the product picking operation of a product release system by sending a product release command to the product release system, a product classification system control module configured to send a product classification request signal including the delivery schedule to a product classification system when picking completion information is received from the product release system and to control an automatic product classification operation according to the delivery schedule of the product classification system, and a docking station control module configured to control the docking station so that the docking station automatically mounts the product on the unmanned aerial vehicle when product classification completion information is received from the product classification system and to send a flight plan and destination to the docking station when take-off preparation completion information is received from the docking station.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, after a product is ordered, 24-hour unmanned delivery is possible from the allocation of a release center according to an order history to the release of the product within a logistics center and the receipt and delivery of the product at a destination.

Furthermore, the restriction of a product delivery place and the time taken for delivery can be reduced, a base for an optimized drone operation can be created when a distribution service using a drone is performed in the future parcel delivery industry, and the improvement of productivity can be expected by providing the 24-hour unmanned delivery system based on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Furthermore, the present invention can contribute to the leading of the unmanned automation operation of a distribution terminal through a drone application technology having a good possibility that it may be practically applied to a backward distribution environment because the present invention is applied to the intra-logistics operation field in convergence with a picking or classification unmanned technology within a logistics center.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the aforementioned effects and may include various other effects within a range evident to those skilled in the art from the following description.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for illustrating an unmanned delivery service using an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an order management server shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a product release system shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a product classification system shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a docking station shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an unmanned delivery apparatus shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for illustrating a method of mounting, by the unmanned delivery apparatus, a product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for illustrating a method of dropping, by the unmanned delivery apparatus, a product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a product receipt system shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a server configured to control unmanned delivery using an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a detailed diagram showing the configuration of a logistics center control unit shown in FIG. 11.

100: customer terminal

200: order management server

210, 1010: product order information database

220, 1020: logistics center information database

230, 720, 950, 1030: communication unit

240, 1040: product release instruction unit

250, 1070: logistics center management unit

260, 1060: delivery control unit

270, 1090: control unit

300: logistics center system

400: management server 500: product release system

510: picking apparatus

520: automatic labeling apparatus

600: product classification system

610: product recognition apparatus

620: product classification apparatus

630: transfer apparatus 700: docking station

710: base 730: start-up processing unit

740: wireless charging unit

800: unmanned aerial vehicle 810: main body

820: arm 830: rotor rotation blade

840: support 850: photographing unit

860: product mounting unit 870: wires

880: coupling unit 900: product receipt system

910: feeding entrance 920: shock reduction unit

930: invoice recognition unit

940: product release unit 1000: server

1050: logistics center control unit

1052: product release system control module

1054: product classification system control module

1056: docking station control module

1090: unmanned aerial vehicle control unit

Hereinafter, an "unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle" according to embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments to be described hereunder are provided in order for those skilled in the art to easily understand the technological spirit of the present invention, and the present invention is not restricted by the embodiments. Furthermore, contents represented in the accompanying drawings have been diagrammed to easily describe the embodiments of the present invention, and the contents may be different from actually implemented forms.

Elements to be described hereinafter are only examples for implementing the embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, in other implementations of the present invention, different elements may be used without departing from the spirit and range of protection of the present invention.

Furthermore, each of the elements described hereinafter may be purely implemented using a hardware or software element, but may be implemented using a combination of various hardware and software elements that perform the same function. Furthermore, two or more elements may be implemented using a piece of hardware or software.

Furthermore, an expression that some elements are "included" is an expression of an "open type", and the expression simply denotes that the corresponding elements are present, but should not be construed as excluding additional elements.

Referring to FIG. 1, when a customer orders a product through online or home shopping and inputs a delivery place and time, a customer terminal sends the product order information to an order management server. In this case, the product order information may include a product name, a product quantity, a delivery place, a delivery time, and whether drone delivery is to be performed.

After receiving the product order information, the order management server synthetically determines the location of a logistics center and time capable of releasing the corresponding product and information about the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of delivery, and notifies the customer of the location and time in which the product can be received. Furthermore, the order management server sets an optimal delivery path based on delivery place information, allocates an unmanned aerial vehicle and schedules the delivery time so that the product is delivered according to the set delivery path, and instructs each delivery lodgment to release the product.

The product release system of a logistics center, that is, each delivery lodgment, automatically releases and transfers a corresponding product in response to the release instruction of the product.

Accordingly, a product classification system automatically classifies the product that has been released and is being carried for each docking station according to its delivery schedule and transfers the classified product an outdoor docking station.

When the transferred product arrives at the docking station, the corresponding product is automatically mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the unmanned aerial vehicle prepares take-off. After preparing take-off, the unmanned aerial vehicle receives a take-off signal from the management server of the logistics center and transports the product to the destination through automatic flight.

The unmanned aerial vehicle that has arrived near the destination recognizes a product receipt system disposed on the rooftop of a collective building and outside a logistics center. Next, the unmanned aerial vehicle is in place over the feeding entrance of the product receipt system, and descends and drops the product toward the feeding entrance.

The product receipt system automatically recognizes and keeps the invoice of the dropped product, and sends delivery completion information including recognized product information to the order management server. The order management server sends the delivery completion information to a corresponding customer terminal so that it shares the delivery information. If the delivery information is shared with a customer as described above, the customer receives the product at the product receipt system using the shared delivery information.

If an unmanned aerial vehicle transports a product to a logistics center through logistics center relay delivery, a product receipt system disposed outside a logistics center and a transfer conveyor operate in association with each other, and the product dropped to the product receipt system is automatically transferred and classified again through the transfer conveyor and is then transferred to a docking station. The product that has been classified again and transferred to the docking station is automatically mounted on another unmanned aerial vehicle, and another unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a destination.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an order management server shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a product release system shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a product classification system shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a docking station shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an unmanned delivery apparatus shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a diagram for illustrating a method of mounting, by the unmanned delivery apparatus, a product according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram for illustrating a method of dropping, by the unmanned delivery apparatus, a product according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a product receipt system shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, the unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle includes a customer terminal 100, an order management server 200, a logistics center system 300, an unmanned aerial vehicle 800 and a product receipt system 900.

The customer terminal 100 receives product order information, sends a product delivery request signal including the product order information to the order management server 200, and receives an expected receipt time and location (or place) for the ordered product from the order management server 200. In this case, the product order information may include a product name, a product quantity, a delivery place, a delivery time, and whether drone delivery is to be performed.

Furthermore, the customer terminal 100 may be provided with information about the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 that delivers the ordered product in real time.

The order management server 200 receives a product delivery request signal from the customer terminal 100. If a customer wants unmanned aerial vehicle delivery, the order management server 200 synthetically analyzes delivery place information, information about a logistics center (e.g., the location and time of the logistics center) capable of releasing a corresponding product to an unmanned aerial vehicle, and information about the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, calculates the location and time in which the product can be received, sends the calculated location and time to the customer terminal 100, and sends a product release request signal to the system 300 of a corresponding logistics center. In this case, the product release request signal may include a product name, a product quantity, and delivery place information.

Furthermore, the order management server 200 sets an optimal delivery path based on information about the delivery place of a purchase product. In this case, the order management server 200 sets a delivery path along which the product can be delivered to a customer directly or relay delivery depending on the capability and flight environment of the unmanned aerial vehicle 800. The relay delivery may mean that a product is delivered to a customer via another logistics center.

The order management server 200 is described with reference to FIG. 3. The order management server 200 includes a product order information database (DB) 210, a logistics center information DB 220, a communication unit 230, a product release instruction unit 240, a logistics center management unit 250, a delivery control unit 260 and a control unit 270.

Product order information and delivery information are stored in the product order information DB 210.

The location of logistics centers, information about products included in the logistics centers, and information about the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in the logistics centers are stored in the logistics center information DB 220. The product information may include a list of products and a product quantity. The information about the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles may include the number of unmanned aerial vehicles and the state of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

When a product delivery request signal is received from the customer terminal 100 through the communication unit 230, the product release instruction unit 240 stores product order information in the product order information DB 210 and determines whether unmanned aerial vehicle delivery is to be performed.

If it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle delivery is to be performed, the product release instruction unit 240 searches the logistics center information DB 220 for a logistics center capable of releasing the corresponding product using an unmanned aerial vehicle, and obtains information about the location of the selected logistics center and the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Thereafter, the product release instruction unit 240 calculates a location and time in which the product can be received by synthetically analyzing the obtained information and delivery place information, sends the calculated location and time to the customer terminal 100, and sends a product release request signal to the system of the selected logistics center.

That is, the product release instruction unit 240 calculates the location and time in which the product can be received by synthetically analyzing delivery place information (i.e., the location and time in which the product is received), information about the logistics center (i.e., the location and time of the logistics center) from which the corresponding product can be released using an unmanned aerial vehicle, and information about the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, sends the calculated location and time to the customer terminal 100, and sends the product release request signal to the system of the corresponding logistics center. In this case, the product release request signal may include a product name, a product quantity and delivery place information.

For example, the product release instruction unit 240 selects a logistics center that belongs to logistics centers from which a corresponding product can be released using an unmanned aerial vehicle and that is the closest to a delivery place, and determines whether to perform delivery place direct delivery or relay delivery based on information about the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (e.g., an available delivery time and an available unmanned aerial vehicle) of the selected logistics center. That is, if the capability of an unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of flight up to a delivery place, the product release instruction unit 240 determines that direct delivery is possible, calculates an expected product receipt time by predicting the start time when the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly and a flight time up to the delivery place, and sends the expected product receipt time and place to the customer terminal 100. If the capability of the unmanned aerial vehicle is incapable of flight up to the delivery place, the product release instruction unit 240 selects a next logistics center including an unmanned aerial vehicle, sets an optimal delivery path, calculates an expected product receipt time according to the set delivery path, and sends the calculated expected product receipt time to the customer terminal 100 along with information about a product receipt place.

Furthermore, the product release instruction unit 240 sets an optimal delivery path based on information about the delivery place of a purchase product.

When delivery completion information is received from the product receipt system 900 through the communication unit 230, the delivery control unit 260 sends the delivery completion information to a corresponding customer terminal.

The logistics center management unit 250 receives information about products included in a logistics center from the logistics center system 300 and information about the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in the logistics centers, and updates the logistics center information DB 220 with the received information.

Each of the product release instruction unit 240, the logistics center management unit 250 and the delivery control unit 260 may be implemented using a processor necessary to execute a program on a computing device. The product release instruction unit 240, the logistics center management unit 250 and the delivery control unit 260 may be implemented using respective elements that are physically independent as described above, or may be implemented in a form in which they are functionally divided within a single processor.

The control unit 270 controls the operations of various elements of the order management server 200, including the product order information DB 210, the logistics center information DB 220, the communication unit 230, the product release instruction unit 240, the logistics center management unit 250 and the delivery control unit 260. The control unit 270 may include at least one operation device. In this case, the operation device may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a programmable device element (e.g., a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA)) implemented for a specific purpose, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a microcontroller chip.

When a product release request signal is received from the order management server 200, the logistics center system 300 automatically releases, transfers and classifies a corresponding product, transfers the classified product to a docking station 700 disposed outside a logistics center, and automatically mounts the transferred product on the unmanned aerial vehicle 800. The unmanned aerial vehicle 800 prepares take-off.

The logistics center system 300 includes a management server 400, a product release system 500, a product classification system 600 and the docking station 700.

When a product release request signal is received from the order management server 200, the management server 400 sends a product release command to the product release system 500. The product release command may include a product name, a product quantity and a delivery place.

Furthermore, the management server 400 manages information about the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles included in the logistics center and sends the information to the order management server 200. The information about the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles may include the number of unmanned aerial vehicles and the state (e.g., during delivery) of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

Furthermore, the management server 400 manages information about the delivery destination of an article to be delivered and the identification code of an unmanned aerial vehicle, and remotely controls the loading and unloading of a delivery article for each of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and the general flight operation of each unmanned aerial vehicle.

Furthermore, when product loading completion information is received from the docking station 700, the management server 400 starts up an unmanned aerial vehicle that waits in the docking station 700.

The management server 400 controls and monitors the operation of each of the product release system 500, the product classification system 600 and the docking station 700.

That is, the management server 400 controls operations, such as the product picking and invoice attachment of the product release system 500, by sending a product release command to the product release system 500. The management server 400 determines whether the product release system 500 normally operates by monitoring the operation of the product release system 500. If the product release system 500 does not normally operate, the management server 400 may notify an administrator of the abnormal operation through an alarm signal.

When picking completion information is received from the product release system 500, the management server 400 sends a product classification request signal including a delivery schedule to the product classification system 600 and controls the product classification system 600 so that it automatically classifies products according to their delivery schedules. The management server 400 determines whether the product classification system 600 normally operates by monitoring the operation of the product classification system 600. If the product classification system 600 does not normally operate, the management server 400 may notify an administrator of the abnormal operation through an alarm signal.

When product classification completion information is received from the product classification system 600, the management server 400 monitors the operation of the docking station. When take-off preparation completion information is received from the docking station 700, the management server 400 sends a flight plan and destination to the docking station. The management server 400 determines whether the docking station 700 normally operates by monitoring the operation of the docking station 700. If the docking station 700 does normally operate, the management server 400 may notify an administrator of the abnormal operation through an alarm signal.

When a product release command is received, the product release system 500 picks a corresponding product, transports the product to a transfer conveyor, and attaches an invoice in which a delivery place and classification code are written to the product. The product release system 500 performs a function similar to that of Mini-Load AS/RS.

The product release system 500 is described below with reference to FIG. 4. The product release system 500 includes a picking apparatus 510 and an automatic labeling apparatus 520.

When a product release command is received, the picking apparatus 510 automatically picks a corresponding product from a storage location depending on a quantity and releases the picked product to the transfer conveyor. That is, the picking apparatus 510 searches for and picks the corresponding product. If the product is kept in a rack in a pallet form, a forklift may be used and/or a hand pallet apparatus may be used. The picked/transferred product is transferred using an article transfer technology, such as a conveyor or a shuttle system.

When the product is picked and transferred to the transfer conveyor, the automatic labeling apparatus 520 attaches an invoice in which a delivery place and classification code have been written to the product, transfers the product to the product classification system 600 using the transfer conveyor, and sends picking completion information to the management server 400.

The product classification system 600 automatically classifies products that have been released by the product release system 500 and is being transferred for each docking station 700 according to their delivery schedules. When the classification of the products is completed, the product classification system 600 sends product classification completion information to the management server 400.

Referring to FIG. 5, the product classification system 600 includes a product recognition apparatus 610 configured to recognize a product, a product classification apparatus 620 configured to classify a product, and a transfer apparatus 630 configured to transfer a product to the docking station 700.

The product recognition apparatus 610 recognize a product by recognizing an invoice attached to the product. In this case, the product recognition apparatus 610 may recognize the product using a recognition technology, such as image-based invoice recognition or barcode scanner-based barcode recognition.

The product classification apparatus 620 automatically classifies products recognized by the product recognition apparatus 610 for each docking station according to their delivery schedules. An automatic classification apparatus 620 chiefly used in a conventional parcel delivery service terminal may be applied to the product classification apparatus 620. The product classification apparatus 620 may be an apparatus for changing the direction of a roller conveyor, for example, to the docking station 700 in which an unmanned aerial vehicle for delivering a corresponding product is located by driving the wheel of the roller conveyor.

A bottleneck phenomenon may not be generated while products are moved because the product classification system 600 includes the apparatus capable of recognizing products and the apparatus capable of classifying products as described above.

The transfer apparatus 630 functions to transfer products classified by the product classification apparatus 620 to the outdoor docking station 700, and may include a vertical carrier and a screw conveyor, for example.

The transfer apparatus 630 is designed to automatically transfer products in association with docking stations outside a logistics center. One product is sequentially transferred to one docking station 700.

The docking station 700 is disposed outside a logistics center, wirelessly charges the unmanned aerial vehicle 800, and automatically loads a product, transferred through the transfer apparatus 630, onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 800.

The docking station 700 automatically loads a product onto the product mounting unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 that is waiting. The docking station 700 performs wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 800. When the approach of the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 is detected, the docking station 700 sends a guide signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle so that a product is loaded onto the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 6, the docking station 700 includes a base 710, a communication unit 720, a start-up processing unit 730, and a wireless charging unit 740 configured to wirelessly charge an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The base 710 provides a physical space in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 takes off or lands and provides the space onto which a product is loaded when the product is transported thereto.

The communication unit 720 performs communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 or the management server.

When the approach of the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 is detected, the start-up processing unit 730 sends a guide signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 loads a product loaded onto the base 710. When the loading of the product is completed, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 sends a take-off preparation completion signal to the docking station 700.

When the takeoff preparation completion signal is received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 through the communication unit 720, the start-up processing unit 730 sends take-off preparation completion information to the management server and receives a flight plan and destination from the management server. The start-up processing unit 730 starts up the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 that waits in the base 710 by sending a start-up signal including the flight plan and the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 through the communication unit 720. In response to the start-up signal, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 freely flies according to the flight plan and delivers the loaded product to the destination. In this case, the destination may be a destination according to a method for directly delivering the product to the final delivery place based on the present operating condition and delivery plan of the unmanned aerial vehicle, but may be a destination according to a relay method for delivering the product to the final delivery place via a logistics center.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 800 automatically flies based on a delivery path and a destination and includes a product mounting unit 860 onto which a product can be loaded. In this case, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 may directly deliver a product to the final delivery place based on the present operating condition and delivery path of the unmanned aerial vehicle, but may deliver the product using a relay method for delivering the product to the final delivery place via a nearby logistics center. In principle, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 automatically flies up to a destination. When an emergency state occurs, a ground control room may manually control an unmanned aerial vehicle by controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 includes a main body 810, a plurality of arms 820 formed in the circumference of the main body 810, rotor rotation blades 830 provided at the ends of the respective arms 820, supports 840 formed under the main body 810, a photographing unit 850 mounted on one side of the main body 810, and a product mounting unit 860 formed under the main body 810.

Various parts, such as a battery (not shown) and a controller (not shown), are disposed within the main body 810. The battery is used as power for a driving motor (not shown) for driving the rotor rotation blades 830.

The main body 810 may be formed in a circle or quadrangle. A binding member (not shown) coupled to the product mounting unit 860 is formed at the bottom of the main body 810 in the height direction.

The supports 840 may function to absorb a shock generated when the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 lands and may support the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 against a landing surface so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 stands on the landing surface.

The photographing unit 850 captures an image and sends the image to the controller.

The product mounting unit 860 is provided under the main body and is connected to the main body 810 through wires 870 in such a way as to move up and down. The wires 870 are wound or unwound by a motor (not shown). That is, at normal times, the wires 870 are wound so that the product mounting unit 860 comes into contact with the main body 810. When a product is loaded onto the product mounting unit 860, the wires 870 are unwound by the motor so that the product mounting unit 860 descends in the direction of the product and the product is mounted on the bottom of the product mounting unit 860.

A coupling unit 880 for mounting a product thereon is provided at the bottom of the product mounting unit 860. The product is mounted on the product mounting unit 860 through the coupling unit 880. The coupling unit 880 is connected to a to-be-coupled portion provided at the top of the product, and the product is mounted on the product mounting unit 860.

For example, a method of mounting, by the unmanned aerial vehicle 800, a product thereon is described below with reference to FIG. 8. In order to mount a product loaded onto the base 710 of the docking station 700 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 800, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 drops the product mounting unit 860 by unwinding the wires 870 as shown in (a). Thereafter, as shown in (b), the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 couples the coupling unit 880 of a screw form to the to-be-coupled portion of a ring form and mounts the product on the product mounting unit 860.

When landing completion for the docking station 700 is detected, the controller unwinds the wires 870 by driving the motor and controls the product mounting unit 860 so that it descends toward the product.

Furthermore, the to-be-coupled portion of the product is coupled to the coupling unit 880. When product mounting completion is detected, the controller winds the wires 870 by driving the motor so that the product mounting unit 860 rises vertically.

Furthermore, the controller controls the driving of the rotor rotation blades 830 based on information about the location and driving coordinates of the unmanned aerial vehicle 800.

Furthermore, when a start-up signal including a delivery path and a destination is received from the docking station 700 through the communication unit, the controller drivers the driving of the rotor rotation blades 830 based on the delivery path and the destination.

Furthermore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 arrives near the product receipt system 900 disposed on the rooftop of a collective building and outside a logistics center, the controller recognizes the feeding entrance of the product receipt system 900 by analyzing an image captured by the photographing unit 850. Thereafter, the controller controls the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 so that it is in place over the feeding entrance vertically, descends to the recognized feeding entrance, and drops the product mounted on the product mounting unit 860 to the recognized feeding entrance. When the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 is in place over the feeding entrance vertically, the controller controls the product mounting unit 860 so that it descends by driving the motor so that the wires 870 are unwound as shown in FIG. 9. Thereafter, the controller controls the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 so that the product drops to the feeding entrance by releasing the coupling of the coupling unit 880 and the to-be-coupled portion of the product, and controls the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 so that the product mounting unit 860 rises vertically by driving the motor so that the wires 870 are wound. When the dropping of the product is completed, the controller sends a product drop completion signal to the docking station 700.

The product receipt system 900 is disposed in a delivery place collective building or outside a logistics center and safely receives a product from the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 on which the product has been mounted. In order to utilize the product receipt system 900, the unmanned aerial vehicle 800 needs to be able to recognize the product receipt system 900 by analyzing image information collected through a camera attached thereto.

Referring to FIG. 9, the product receipt system 900 includes a feeding entrance 910, a shock reduction unit 920 for reducing the shock of a product that is dropped from the top, an invoice recognition unit 930 capable of recognizing the invoice of a product fed to the feeding entrance 910, a product release unit 940 for sequentially classifying, keeping and releasing a plurality of products, and a communication unit 950.

The shock reduction unit 920 has a damping function, such as a tube or a suspension, in order to minimize shock energy with a device surface when a product is dropped. The dropped product is received by a sliding transfer apparatus.

The invoice recognition unit 930 recognizes delivery information by recognizing the invoice of a product dropped through the feeding entrance 910. In this case, the invoice recognition unit 930 may recognize the delivery information using a recognition technology, such as image-based invoice recognition or barcode scanner-based barcode recognition. The delivery information may include product recipient information, a product name and a delivery place.

The product release unit 940 sequentially automatically keeps products whose delivery information has been recognized by the invoice recognition unit 930, and sends delivery completion information including the recognized delivery information to the order management server 200 through the communication unit 950. In response thereto, the order management server 200 sends the delivery completion information to a corresponding customer terminal. A corresponding customer shares the delivery information through the delivery completion information.

When the customer inputs the delivery information in order to receive the kept product, the product release unit 940 automatically releases the corresponding product.

The product receipt system 900 may be fabricated in a movable type. When the product receipt system 900 is located, coordinates measured through location measuring units (e.g., GPSs) within the product receipt system may be transmitted to the order management server 200 so that the coordinates are incorporated into the setting of a delivery path.

The order management server for requesting the release of a product from the logistics center system when a product delivery request signal is received and the management server for controlling the logistics center system have been illustrated as being separately implemented, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The order management server and the management server may be implemented in the form of a single server.

An example in which the order management server and the management server are implemented in the form of a single server is described below with reference to FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a server configured to control unmanned delivery using an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a detailed diagram showing the configuration of a logistics center control unit shown in FIG. 11.

Referring to FIG. 11, the server 1000 configured to control unmanned delivery using an unmanned aerial vehicle includes a product order information DB 1010, a logistics center information DB 1020, a communication unit 1030, a product release instruction unit 1040, a logistics center control unit 1050, a delivery control unit 1060, a logistics center management unit 1070, an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 1080 and a control unit 1090.

The product order information DB 1010 stores product order information and delivery information.

The logistics center information DB 1020 stores the location of logistics centers, information about products included in the logistics centers, and information about the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles in the logistics centers. The product information may include a list of products and a product quantity. The information about the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles may include the number of unmanned aerial vehicles and the state of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

When a product delivery request signal using an unmanned aerial vehicle is received from a customer terminal, the product release instruction unit 1040 sends a product release request signal to a logistics center system capable of releasing a corresponding product using an unmanned aerial vehicle.

That is, when the product delivery request signal is received from the customer terminal through the communication unit 1030, the product release instruction unit 1040 stores product order information in the product order information DB 1010 and determines whether unmanned aerial vehicle delivery is to be performed. If it is determined that unmanned aerial vehicle delivery is to be performed, the product release instruction unit 1040 searches the logistics center information DB 1020 for a logistics center capable of releasing the corresponding product to an unmanned aerial vehicle, and obtains information about the location of the selected logistics center and the operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Thereafter, the product release instruction unit 1040 calculates a location and time in which the product can be received by synthetically analyzing the obtained information and delivery place information, sends the calculated location and time to the customer terminal, and sends the product release request signal to the system of the selected logistics center. In this case, the product release request signal may include a product name, a product quantity and delivery place information.

Furthermore, the product release instruction unit 1040 sets an optimal delivery path based on information about the delivery place of a purchase product.

The logistics center control unit 1050 controls the logistics center system so that the logistics center system that has received a product delivery request signal automatically releases and transfers a product and automatically mounts the transferred product on an unmanned aerial vehicle. That is, the logistics center control unit 1050 controls and monitors the operation of each of the product release system, the product classification system and the docking station included in the logistics center system.

The logistics center control unit 1050 includes a product release system control module 1052, a product classification system control module 1054 and a docking station control module 1056 as shown in FIG. 11.

The product release system control module 1052 controls operations, such as the product picking and invoice attachment of the product release system by sending a product release command to the product release system. The product release system control module 1052 determines whether the product release system normally operates by monitoring the operation of the product release system. If it is determined that the product release system does not normally operate, the product release system control module 1052 may notify an administrator of the abnormal operation through an alarm signal.

When picking completion information is received from the product release system, the product classification system control module 1054 sends a product classification request signal including a delivery schedule to the product classification system and controls the operation of the product classification system so that it automatically classifies products based on their delivery schedules. The product classification system control module 1054 determines whether the product classification system normally operates by monitoring the operation of the product classification system. If it is determined that the product classification system does not normally operate, the product classification system control module 1054 may notify an administrator of the abnormal operation through an alarm signal.

When product classification completion information is received from the product classification system, the docking station control module 1056 controls the docking station so that it automatically mounts a product on an unmanned aerial vehicle. When take-off preparation completion information is received from the docking station, the docking station control module 1056 sends a flight plan and destination to the docking station. The docking station control module 1056 determines whether the docking station normally operates by monitoring the operation of the docking station. If it is determined that the docking station does not normally operate, the docking station control module 1056 may notify an administrator of the abnormal operation through an alarm signal.

When delivery completion information is received from the product receipt system through the communication unit 1030, the delivery control unit 1060 sends the delivery completion information to a corresponding customer terminal.

The logistics center management unit 1070 receives information about products included in a logistics center and information about the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in the logistics center from the logistics center system, and updates the logistics center information DB 1020 with the received information.

The unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 1080 manages information about the destinations of delivery products and the identification code of unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely controls the loading and unloading of a delivery product for each of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and the flight operation of each unmanned aerial vehicle. Furthermore, when product loading completion information is received from the docking station, the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 1080 starts up an unmanned aerial vehicle that waits in the docking station.

Each of the product release instruction unit 1040, the logistics center control unit 1050, the delivery control unit 1060, the logistics center management unit 1070 and the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 1080 may be implemented by a processor necessary to execute a program on a computing device. The product release instruction unit 1040, the logistics center control unit 1050, the delivery control unit 1060, the logistics center management unit 1070 and the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 1080 may be implemented by respective elements that are physically independent as described above or may be implemented in a form in which they are functionally divided within a single processor.

The control unit 1090 controls the operations of various elements of the server 1000, including the product order information DB 1010, the logistics center information DB 1020, the communication unit 1030, the product release instruction unit 1040, the logistics center control unit 1050, the delivery control unit 1060, the logistics center management unit 1070 and the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 1080. The control unit 1090 may include at least one operation device. In this case, the operation device may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a programmable device element (e.g., a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA)) implemented for a specific purpose, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a microcontroller chip.

As described above, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in other detailed forms without changing the technological spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the aforementioned embodiments are only illustrative and are not limitive.

Technological characteristics described in this specification and an implementation for executing the technological characteristics may be implemented using a digital electronic circuit, may be implemented using computer software, firmware, or hardware including the structure described in this specification and structural equivalents thereof, or may be implemented using a combination of one or more of them. Furthermore, an implementation for executing the technological characteristics described in this specification may be implemented using a computer program product, that is, a module regarding computer program instructions encoded on a kind of program storage media in order to control the operation of a processing system or for execution by the processing system.

As described above, this specification is not intended to limit the present invention by the proposed detailed terms. Accordingly, although the present invention has been described in detail in connection with the aforementioned embodiments, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains may alter, change, and modify the embodiments without departing from the range of right of the present invention.

The range of right of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description, and the present invention should be construed as covering all of modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

An unmanned delivery system using an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

an order management server configured to send a product release request signal to a logistics center system capable of releasing a delivery-requested product using an unmanned aerial vehicle when a product delivery request signal using an unmanned aerial vehicle is received from a customer terminal; and

the logistics center system configured to automatically release the delivery-requested product when the product release request signal is received, automatically classify the requested product for each docking station based on its delivery schedule, send a requested product to a corresponding docking station, and start up a corresponding unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle has the requested product mounted thereon in the corresponding docking station and automatically flies to a destination.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:

a main body;

a plurality of arms formed in a circumference of the main body;

rotor rotation blades formed at ends of the respective arms;

a photographing unit mounted on one side of the main body;

a product mounting unit disposed under the main body, a product being mounted on the product mounting unit; and

a control unit configured to perform control so that the product is mounted on the product mounting unit when landing completion for a docking station of a logistics center system is sensed, control a driving of the rotor rotation blades so that the unmanned aerial vehicle automatically flies to a destination, analyze an image captured by the photographing unit, and perform control so that the product mounted on the product mounting unit descends and drops to a recognized feeding entrance if the feeding entrance of the product receipt system is recognized.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 2, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises:

wires configured to connect the product mounting unit and the main body; and

a motor configured to wind or unwind the wires so that the product mounting unit ascends or descends.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 2, wherein a coupling unit for mounting the product is provided in a bottom of the product mounting unit.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 1, wherein the order management server analyzes information about a delivery place, information about a logistics center from which the requested product is able to be released using an unmanned aerial vehicle, and information about operations of unmanned aerial vehicles in the logistics center, sends a location and time in which the requested product is able to be received to a corresponding customer terminal, and sends the product release request signal to a corresponding logistics center system.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 1, wherein the logistics center system comprises:

a management server configured to send information about an operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle included in a corresponding logistics center to the order management server and to send a product release command to a product release system when a product release request signal is received;

the product release system configured to pick a corresponding product when the product release command is received, transport the product to a transfer conveyor, attach an invoice in which a delivery place and classification code have been written to the product, and transfer the product to a product classification system through the transfer conveyor;

the product classification system configured to automatically classify the product transferred by the product release system for each docking station based on its delivery schedule and to transfer the product to a docking station; and

the docking station disposed outside a logistics center and configured to start up the unmanned aerial vehicle on which the product has been mounted so that the unmanned aerial vehicle automatically flies to a destination by sending a start-up signal comprising the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle when the product transferred by the product classification system is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle and a takeoff preparation completion signal is received from the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 6, wherein the product release system comprises:

a picking apparatus configured to automatically pick the corresponding product from a storage location when the product release command is received and to transfer the picked product to the transfer conveyor; and

an automatic labeling apparatus configured to attach the invoice in which the delivery place and the classification code have been written to the released product and to transfer the released product to the product classification system through the transfer conveyor.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 6, wherein the product classification system comprises:

a product recognition apparatus configured to recognize the product by recognizing the invoice attached to the product;

a product classification apparatus configured to automatically classify the recognized product for each docking station based on its delivery schedule; and

a transfer apparatus configured to move the product classified by the product classification apparatus to the docking station disposed outdoors.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 6, wherein the docking station comprises:

a communication unit;

a base configured to provide a physical space in which an unmanned aerial vehicle takes off or lands, a product transferred to the product classification system being loaded onto the base; and

a start-up processing unit configured to send take-off preparation completion information to the management server when a takeoff preparation completion signal is received from the unmanned aerial vehicle through the communication unit, receive a flight plan and destination from the management server, and start up the unmanned aerial vehicle waiting in the base by sending the flight plan and the destination to the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 9, further comprising a wireless charging unit configured to wirelessly charge the unmanned aerial vehicle waiting in the base.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a product receipt system disposed in a delivery place collective building or outside a logistics center and configured to receive a product mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 11, wherein the product receipt system comprises:

a feeding entrance;

an invoice recognition unit configured to recognize an invoice of a product fed to the feeding entrance; and

a product release unit configured to sequentially automatically keep products whose delivery information has been recognized by the invoice recognition unit and to send the recognized delivery information to the order management server,

wherein the product dropped through the feeding entrance is transferred to the invoice recognition unit and the product release unit through a transfer apparatus.
The unmanned delivery system of claim 12, wherein the product receipt system further comprises a shock reduction unit configured to reduce a shock to the product dropped through the feeding entrance.
A server, comprising:

a product release instruction unit configured to send a product release request signal to a logistics center system capable of releasing a delivery-requested product using an unmanned aerial vehicle when a product delivery request signal using an unmanned aerial vehicle is received from a customer terminal; and

a logistics center control unit configured to control the logistics center system so that the logistics center system which has received the product release request signal automatically releases the product, automatically classifies the product for each docking station based on its delivery schedule, transfers the product to a corresponding docking station, and automatically mounts the product transferred to the docking station on an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The server of claim 14, further comprising a delivery control unit configured to send delivery completion information to the customer terminal when the delivery completion information is received from a product receipt system.
The server of claim 14, further comprising:

a logistics center information database; and

a logistics center management unit configured to receive information about products included in a corresponding logistics center and information about an operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle from at least one logistics center system and to register the information with the logistics center information database.
The server of claim 14, further comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit configured to manage information about a destination of a delivery product and identification code of an unmanned aerial vehicle and to remotely control a loading and unloading of a delivery product for each of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles and a flight operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The server of claim 14, wherein the logistics center control unit comprises:

a product release system control module configured to control a product picking operation of a product release system by sending a product release command to the product release system;

a product classification system control module configured to send a product classification request signal comprising the delivery schedule to a product classification system when picking completion information is received from the product release system and to control an automatic product classification operation according to the delivery schedule of the product classification system; and

a docking station control module configured to control the docking station so that the docking station automatically mounts the product on the unmanned aerial vehicle when product classification completion information is received from the product classification system and to send a flight plan and destination to the docking station when take-off preparation completion information is received from the docking station.