Robot delivery method

Abstract

A computer-implemented robot delivery method including receiving a request from a user to pick up an article. A robot having a transport container is directed to the first location to receive the article. The robot navigates over an outdoor transportation network from the first location to a second location. The robot removes the article from the transport container and delivers the article to a recipient container at the second location. The recipient container moves the article inside the recipient container.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising receiving a request from a user to pick up an article at a first location, directing a robot configured to travel along roads, bike paths and sidewalks and having a transport container to receive the article within the transport container at the first location, navigating the robot over an outdoor transportation network that includes roads, bike paths and sidewalks from the first location to the second location, causing the robot to remove the article from the transport container and deliver the article to a recipient container at the second location and causing the recipient container to move the article inside the recipient container at the second location. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the robot is a wheeled vehicle free of a human driver compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the robot has a delivery mechanism inside the transport container for removing the article from the transport container for delivery to the second location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the delivery mechanism is a conveyor mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing the robot to remove the article from the transport container step includes causing the robot to open the transport container. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing the robot to remove the article from the transport container step includes causing the robot to autonomously remove the article from the transport container and deliver the article to the recipient container. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the causing the robot to deliver step includes causing the robot to deliver the article to an additional robot at the second location, wherein the recipient container at the second location is a transport container of the additional robot, further comprising navigating the additional robot over the outdoor transportation network from the second location to a third location, causing the additional robot to deliver the article to an additional recipient container at the third location and causing the additional recipient container to move the article inside the additional recipient container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing an additional robot having an additional transport container to receive the article within the additional transport container from the recipient container at the second location, navigating the additional robot over the outdoor transportation network from the second location to a third location, causing the additional robot to remove the article from the additional transport container and deliver the article to an additional recipient container at the third location and causing the additional recipient container to move the article inside the additional recipient container. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing the transport container of the robot to receive the article from a pickup container at the first location and causing the transport container to move the article inside the transport container at the first location. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pickup container has a delivery mechanism for removing the article from the pickup container for delivery to the transport container of the robot. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving step includes purchasing the article by the user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transport container has an interior and an opening communicating with the interior of the transport container and the recipient container has an interior and an opening communicating with the interior of the recipient container and the causing the robot to deliver step includes causing the robot to align the opening of the transport container with the opening of the recipient container. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the robot has a first assembly for causing the transport container to translate in three orthogonal directions relative to the recipient container and a second assembly for causing the transport container to rotate about three orthogonal axes relative to the recipient container for permitting alignment of the opening of the transport container with the opening of the recipient container. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-implemented method, comprising receiving a request from a user to deliver an article from a first location to a second location, directing a robot configured to travel along roads, bike paths and sidewalks to pick up the article at the first location, wherein the robot has a transport container for receiving the article at the first location, autonomously navigating the robot over an outdoor transportation network that includes roads, bike paths and sidewalks from the first location to the second location, autonomously removing the article from the transport container and autonomously delivering the article to a recipient container at the second location and directing the recipient container to autonomously move the article inside the recipient container at the second location. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the recipient container has an interior and a door for accessing the interior and the directing the recipient container step includes directing the door to open for permitting the recipient container to move the article to the interior of the recipient container. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the directing the recipient container step includes directing the recipient container through the robot. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the directing the recipient container step includes powering the recipient container through the robot. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising directing the robot to autonomously translate the transport container in at least one of a vertical direction and a sideways direction and to autonomously pivot the transport container about at least one axis so as to align the transport container with the recipient container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the robot is a driverless wheeled vehicle.