Patent ID: 9619776
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: B64C,G05D,G06Q

Claim:
1. A method comprising: determining, by a computer system, real-time location information for a transportation item, wherein the transportation item comprises an unmanned vehicle; the computer system determining real-time route information for a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles comprising a vehicle-in-transit actively transporting the transportation item; the computer system analyzing, via the real-time location information and the real-time route information, a route efficiency of the plurality of vehicles relative to an intended destination of the transportation item; the computer system selecting a replacement vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles based, at least in part, on a result of the analyzing; the unmanned vehicle undocking from an unmanned-vehicle dock disposed on a surface of the vehicle-in-transit; the unmanned vehicle achieving a docking position relative to the replacement vehicle; the unmanned-vehicle dock of the replacement vehicle authenticating the unmanned vehicle; responsive to successful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, the unmanned vehicle docking to the unmanned-vehicle dock of the replacement vehicle; and responsive to unsuccessful authentication of the unmanned vehicle by the unmanned-vehicle dock, the unmanned-vehicle dock physically declining engagement with the unmanned vehicle, the physically declining comprising reversing electromagnet polarity.