The Autonomous Transportation System can offer unparalleled
levels of Safety, Security, and Privacy by enabling complete
control of the entire transport process. No one can send you something without
your permission: no junk mail and no spam packages. You specify when and where
you want it delivered: really helpful when you are traveling or staying at
your summer home; and the sender doesn’t learn your location. You know the
characteristics of the Contents before delivery starts, so you can track the
weight and other characteristics to be sure the claimed Contents match what you
expect, and nothing was added or taken in transit. You know that no one had unauthorized
access to your package or tampered with it in transit. You can send an item off
for testing before you accept it, for example to determine ripeness. You can
return an item to the sender. You can even charge the sender a fee if the
contents aren’t as advertised – what a great way to stop junk mail! The system
can also be applied to electronic messaging, which would stop spam as well.
Enabling this is integral to all elements of the Autonomous
Transportation System. The Autonomous Containers can enclose and protect
Contents, continuously monitoring their status and location, and signaling if something
unexpected occurs, such as someone gaining unauthorized access, or even trying. Enclosed
A-Ways assure safety, security, and privacy throughout the transit. The communications system inside
the A-Ways is designed to be secure and immune to outside interference. A-Ways
implement continuous monitoring of all components, including managing results
of redundant monitoring mechanisms. Cameras look for extraneous objects, and other
sensors monitor weight and other characteristics to detect extraneous items. A-Ways
provide additional safety features by invoking automatic adjustments,
dispatching Autonomous Vehicles for routine testing and maintenance, and dealing
with any anomalies. Any Autonomous Vehicle in question can be routed to a
facility for appropriate action, or moved by another Autonomous Vehicle if
necessary.
Security and Privacy are assured because no one sees your
items anywhere in the delivery process; even the sender does not know your
location, because you manage location and timing for each delivery.
Innovation: Autonomous Delivery Management
Before an Item can be entered into the Autonomous Transportation
System, the Recipient must authorize delivery. Here is a sample of the process: the Sender logs into the Autonomous Transportation System, identifies the intended Recipient, and enters
information about the Item, the Services requested from the
Autonomous Transportation System, and the method of payment. The Sender must
have authorization to enter this Item to an A-Way Access Port, and must specify
where to return the Item, and must have authorization to send to the return location. The Autonomous Transportation System
sends a Transport Request message to the Recipient: the Recipient can accept or
reject the Transport Request; the process can be automatic, such as always
accept items under 100 pounds from my daughter.
If the Recipient will accept delivery, they specify the Delivery
Location – the Recipient must have authorization to accept this type of Item at
the specified Delivery Location. Note this delivery specification can be complex,
e.g., depending on time of delivery, alternate delivery options, and what to do
if the Item is undeliverable. For example, you may be checking out of your
hotel at 10:00 am, so if the delivery can’t be completed before then, it must
go on to your next opportunity to receive it. The delivery might even take place while you are traveling on an Autonomous Vehicle, for example, you could order lunch. The Recipient can specify
additional services, such as send it to a testing service for checking
ripeness, or instructions for the delivery, such as, move it to the
refrigerator. Note the Autonomous Transportation System does not disclose the Delivery
Location to the Sender, unless authorized by the Recipient.
The Autonomous Transportation System notifies the Sender that the
Recipient has accepted, and dispatches an appropriate Autonomous Vehicle or
Vehicles to pick up the Item(s). The Autonomous Transportation System can take
photographs of the item, and determine the weight, size and other characteristics of the
Item, to be sure they match the Delivery Request. The Autonomous Transportation
System monitors the entire transit, performs the specified services, and delivers
the Item to the agreed location. If the Recipient rejects the Delivery, the
Recipient specifies the reason for rejection, for example, not what was claimed,
or cancel the order. In either case the Sender is informed of the Delivery or
Rejection.
Charges are deducted from the Sender and or Recipient Accounts,
depending on the specified conditions; for example, if the Transport Request is
considered spam, or if the Item was not ordered or does not meet claimed
characteristics, the Sender may be charged an additional fee, which might
include a payment to the Recipient – that should help defeat spam and fraud. Autonomous
Transportation System internal information is updated, for example, if the
Sender is sending defective or deceptive items, which can affect future
requests and charges.
This innovation can also be applied to phone calls, email, and other
forms of communications. Not only can you refuse to accept calls or email, you
can even have the sender charged a fee that you split with the message carrier
– a $5 surcharge takes all the financial incentive out of spam. In addition,
the protocol for Request To Send is designed to prevent infection by viruses
and other malware, so the system is safe from intrusions.
Innovation: Autonomous Door
The Autonomous Door is an integral part of helping you
manage delivery of items to your premises. For example, as part of preauthorizing
a delivery, you can specify that your Autonomous Door accept the Container into
a holding area, because you don’t want the delivery Autonomous Vehicle or
person gaining access to your premises, or you want the Item kept outside your
home, but secured. Or
you might authorize your Autonomous Door to admit the person or Autonomous
Vehicle, after verifying they have your Recipient Authorization code. Your
Autonomous Door can let you view the delivery before and after entering the
holding area, and communicate with the Autonomous Vehicle, Container, or person
at your Autonomous Door. And your Autonomous Door can send alert messages in
case of unexpected events.
For example your Autonomous Door could admit:
- a head of lettuce and move it to the refrigerator, or
- a dose of pills and send them to you, along with a glass of water, or
- a new shower head, and the plumber to install it, or
- a new bed, combined with removing the old one.
The Autonomous Transportation System can provide more
complex services. For example, you may order a new refrigerator requiring several steps: the refrigerator is delivered through your Autonomous Door,
because it doesn’t have a holding area larger enough; later installers arrive
to remove the new refrigerator from the Container, put it in place, and pack the
old refrigerator in the Container; the old refrigerator is sent off for
recycling; a plumber comes to hook up the water supply for the ice maker; a
painter comes to fix the scratches the installers and plumber made in the wall.
Autonomous Doors will come in many sizes to accommodate
delivery for different sizes of items, which I predict will become standardized,
as boxes are today, accommodating: pill bottles, food containers, pets, people,
furniture, and vehicles – like a garage door.
