GB2583062A - Autonomous delivery vehicle with re-routing system - Google Patents

Abstract

An autonomous delivery vehicle features a re-routing system. The vehicle is adapted travel on a roadway from a start location to a final location, optionally via one or more intermediate locations. The system comprises means to generate a GPS reference for each location and means to generate a first route on a roadway for the vehicle to travel to each location based on the GPS reference and/or external factors. The system further comprises means to monitor obstructions at any point on the first route and to generate a subsequent route on a roadway from the first route to avoid any obstructions, the subsequent route including any locations not travelled to before each subsequent route was generated. The external factors can include advance knowledge of roadworks or traffic reports. The obstructions can include recently created obstructions such as other vehicle breakdowns, other vehicles blocking the roadway, or cancellation or rescheduling of a delivery.

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous vehicle re-routing system.

According to the present invention there is provided an autonomous delivery vehicle with re-routing system comprising: a) an autonomous vehicle adapted travel on a roadway from one start location to a final location optionally via one or more intermediate locations, b) means to generate a GPS reference for each location, c) means to generate a first route on a roadway for the vehicle to travel to each location based on the GPS reference and/or external factors, d) means to monitor obstructions at any point on the first route and to generate a subsequent route/s on a roadway from the first route to avoid any obstructions, said subsequent route/s including any locations not travelled to before each subsequent route was generated.

The external factors may include advance knowledge of roadworks, traffic reports, and the like.

The obstructions include inter alia recently created obstructions such as other vehicle breakdowns, other vehicles blocking the roadway, or cancellation or re-scheduling of a delivery.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a first route on a roadway, and Figure 2 shows a second route on the same roadway.

As shown in Figure 1 an autonomous delivery vehicle V is required to deliver parcels on a roadway from a start location A to a final location E via intermediate locations B,C,and D, shown schematically on the street map.

Vehicle V has means to generate a GPS reference for each location.

Vehicle V has means to generate a first route on a roadway for the vehicle to travel to each location based on the GPS reference and/or external factors which are pre-known before the journey starts such as roadworks X in adjacent streets. The first route passes sequentially through locations B,C,D to E. Under normal circumstances the vehicle V will undertake this first route delivering parcels sequentially to locations B,C,D and E. Roadworks X prevent vehicle V from taking the most direct route from A to B, but this is taken into account when the first route is generated. The external factors could be other than roadworks, such a traffic jams and the like.

Referring now to Figure 2, suppose vehicle starts on its first oute and leaves location B towards C and there is an accident Y and Z preventing the vehicle from going to C by the shortest route. Means are provided on the vehicle such as sensors (e.g cameras) which monitor such obstructions and creates a second route taking in all the locations C,D and E but in this case works out it is better going to location D before going to location C. The second route however always includes any locations not travelled to before the second route was generated, even though the order in which the locations are travelled to changes.

The above description is a simple example of the invention. In practice the vehicle V may need to visit many locations and may need to re-route itself generating several subsequent route/s before visiting each location. The means to monitor obstructions on the vehicle could include numerous different sensors such as cameras, lidar and infrared sensors detecting all sorts of obstructions. The means to monitor obstructions on the vehicle could, inter alia, also be a remotely controlled cancellation or re-schedule of a delivery address or time/date, e.g. by the receipient at a location using an App.

The term GPS used herein covers standard satellite positioning systems or any other positioning system to identify the whereabouts of locations.

The invention may take a form different to that described above.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing form the scope of the present invention.

Claims (3)

1. CLAIMS1. An autonomous delivery vehicle with re-routing system comprising: a) an autonomous vehicle adapted travel on a roadway from one start location to a final location optionally via one or more intermediate locations, b) means to generate a GPS reference for each location, c) means to generate a first route on a roadway for the vehicle to travel to each location based C\I on the GPS reference and/or external factors, d) means to monitor obstructions at any point on the first route and to generate a subsequentCDroute/s on a roadway from the first route to avoid any obstructions, said subsequent route/s including any locations not travelled to before each subsequent route was generated.
2. 2. An autonomous delivery vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the external factors include advance knowledge of roadworks, and/or traffic reports.
3. 3. An autonomous vehicle according to cliam 1 or 2, wherein the obstructions include recently created obstructions such as other vehicle breakdowns, other vehicles blocking the roadway, and/or cancellation or re-scheduling of a delivery.