Abstract:
A method of enabling collection of goods supplied by a provider is initiated by a user placing an order with a provider, the order identifying goods and a vehicle scheduled to collect the goods. In response to the order, the provider generates a code that relates the order with information identifying the scheduled collection vehicle. The provider transmits the code to a communication device operated by a delivery person at a collection point. Upon arrival of the vehicle at the collection point, the delivery person reads the vehicle information from the vehicle and enters it into the device to thereby trigger transmission of the code from the device. Upon receipt by the vehicle of the code, a vehicle compartment is unlocked so that it may be opened for loading of the goods.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to DE 10 2014 214 624.0 filed Jul. 25, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a method and a device for assisting the process of collecting goods. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The routine purchase of everyday articles such as, for example, foodstuffs, constitutes a burdensome and tedious task for many people. 
         [0004]    JP 2009-211476 A discloses, inter alia, a system for assisting the provision of a transportation service for purchased goods acquired by a user to the parked position of a plug-in vehicle of the respective user, in which system a purchase management system which is present at the business is linked to an on-board system which is present onboard the parked plug-in vehicle which is connected to a charging cable and to a telecommunications cable. The system has, in particular, an apparatus for specifying the parked position of the respective vehicle, an unlocking device for unlocking the trunk or the vehicle doors of the respective motor vehicle after the purchased goods have been transported to the parked position of the vehicle and a vehicle-mounted reading device (tag reader) for reading an identifier which is present, for example, on the crate or shopping basket. In this context, the trunk can be unlocked on the basis of a comparison between key information which is present in the vehicle-mounted system and the identifier which is present on the crate or shopping basket. 
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]    According to an embodiment disclosed herein, a method of enabling collection of goods supplied by a provider is initiated by receiving an order identifying goods and a vehicle scheduled to collect the goods. In response to the order, a code is generated that relates the order with information identifying the scheduled collection vehicle. The code is transmitted to a communication device operated by a delivery person at a collection point, and upon arrival of the vehicle at the collection point the vehicle information is entered into the device to thereby trigger transmission of the code from the device. Upon receipt by the vehicle of the code, a vehicle compartment is unlocked so that it may be opened for loading of the goods. 
         [0006]    According to a another disclosed embodiment, a method comprises receiving an order for goods, generating a code relating the order with information identifying a scheduled collection vehicle, and transmitting the code to a communication device at a collection point. Upon arrival of the scheduled vehicle, the identifying information is read from the vehicle and entered into the device thereby causing the device to transmit the code to the vehicle. Receipt of the code enables opening of a vehicle compartment to permit the goods to be loaded into the vehicle. 
         [0007]    According to a another disclosed embodiment, a method comprises communicating to a provider an order for goods, the order including information identifying a vehicle scheduled to collect the goods, and dispatching the vehicle to a collection point where the goods are to be picked up. At the collection point, the vehicle receives a code generated by the provider in response to the order and transmitted from a wireless device. The transmission of the code to the vehicle is triggered by input of the vehicle identifying information into the device by a delivery person. Receipt of the code by the vehicle enables opening of a vehicle compartment to permit loading of the goods. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  shows a schematic side view of a vehicle arriving at a provider&#39;s collection point; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  shows a schematic rear view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of the vehicle at the collection point along with goods to be collected and a delivery person; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic rear view of the vehicle after being loaded with the goods of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a flowchart explaining a typical exemplary sequence of the disclosed method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
         [0014]    In a method for assisting the process of collecting goods, the ordered goods are made available by a providing business (“the provider”) in response to a corresponding request by a user acquiring the goods, and said goods are brought by a delivery person (who may be an agent or representative of the provider) to a vehicle dispatched by the user. 
         [0015]    The method utilizes a wireless data transmission between the user (the person or persons acquiring the purchased goods) and the provider&#39;s business, an access code for opening (and optionally also closing) a compartment (such as a trunk) of the vehicle is generated by the provider in order to permit the delivery person to load the purchased goods into the vehicle independently of any further action by the user. 
         [0016]    The method enables the use of an autonomous motor vehicle to collect ordered goods and involves optimizing the communication between the respective business, the person acquiring the goods and the autonomous vehicle, wherein wireless communication technology is utilized for the exchange of information between the autonomous vehicle and a delivery person (made available by and representing the provider). 
         [0017]    As used herein the term “collect” is defined as: “to get and bring with one; specifically: pick up.” (From Merriam Webster Dictionary, on-line edition, accessed on 13 Jul., 2015.) 
         [0018]    According to one embodiment, the collecting vehicle is an autonomous vehicle which is configured to travel in at least partially automatically navigating fashion along a route to the collection point of the business making available the ordered goods. It is therefore possible, in particular, for the autonomous motor vehicle to be dispatched in an automatically navigating fashion in order to collect ordered goods from the corresponding distribution center. 
         [0019]    According to one embodiment, the correct loading of the ordered goods into the vehicle is verified. In particular, the ordered goods which have been packed by the provider or made available for collection (or which have already been loaded into the vehicle compartment) can be identified and the correct provision or loading of the ordered goods can be checked, for example using a barcode scanner or a wireless identification method. Furthermore, a camera which is mounted in or on the vehicle (inside the compartment, for example) can also be used to identify the goods placed in the trunk and record or transmit corresponding data during the collection or delivery process. In addition, during the process of loading the goods into the trunk it is also possible to activate a camera-assisted 360° all-round viewing facility. 
         [0020]    In the text which follows, a typical exemplary sequence of a method according to the invention and the components used to perform said method are explained with reference to the schematic illustrations in  FIGS. 1-3  and the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0021]    At the start of the method, the user (the party acquiring the goods) creates, according to step S 10  in  FIG. 4 , an order listing the goods desired for collection. The order may also include, for example, the possibility of making an input with respect to a collection option (as to whether the collection will be made manually or by using the autonomous vehicle). In addition, the user may make or schedule payment for the goods. 
         [0022]    Then, in step S 11  the provider  20  of the goods creates an access code and a payment confirmation. Furthermore, in step S 12  the user uploads into the system vehicle identification information (typically the license plate number) of a vehicle scheduled to collect the goods of the order. The vehicle identification information is included in or otherwise associated with the goods order and with the access code for use in later steps. 
         [0023]    Subsequently, in step S 20  the ordered goods are packed (and/or otherwise prepared for collection) by the provider  20  or by corresponding personnel, with the result that the goods  50  are then available for collection (S 30 ). In the exemplary embodiment, the user then dispatches an autonomous vehicle  10  (the vehicle which has been scheduled to collect the goods and for which the identification information has been associated with the order) for the collection in step S 40 , which autonomous vehicle  10  arrives in the loading area (for example carpark of the collection point identified by the provider  20 ) in step S 50 . The invention is not restricted to automatic navigation of the vehicle  10  to the collection point. For example, in further embodiments it is also possible for the user to drive the vehicle  10 , partially or completely, to the collection point. 
         [0024]    In step S 60  it is checked whether there is a parking space available at the collection point that is suitable for the collection of the goods  50 . If this is not the case, in step S 70  the autonomous vehicle  10  waits nearby and continues the checking or interrogation for an available suitable parking space. As soon as a suitable parking space is available at the collection point, in step S 80  the autonomous vehicle  10  parks in the loading area. This may be, for example, in front of the provider  20 , as is illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-B  both in a side view ( FIG. 1A ) and in a rear view ( FIG. 1B ). In addition, a locking means  15  for a compartment (such as a trunk) capable of holding the goods is indicated in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0025]    Subsequently, in step S 90  the autonomous vehicle  10  transmits a signal to the provider  20  that it is ready for the loading process. A delivery person  30  made available by the provider  20  then proceeds with the goods  50  to the vehicle  10 . The delivery person arrives at the vehicle according to step S 100  and the schematic illustration in  FIG. 2 . The delivery person  30  carries a wireless communication device  40  on his person. 
         [0026]    In step S 110 , the autonomous vehicle  10  detects the delivery person  30  who has arrived with the goods  50 . In step S 120 , the delivery person  30  reads the motor vehicle license plate number (or other identifying information) visible on the vehicle and enters it into the communication device  40 . In step S 130 , the autonomous vehicle  10  is ready to open the compartment and waits for the input of an access code by the delivery person  30 , which takes place in step S 140  for the opening of the compartment. Subsequently, in step S 150  the autonomous vehicle  10  activates a 360° all-round viewing facility, wherein, in addition, a corresponding video can be transmitted to a hand-held device (for example a mobile phone or smartphone) which is carried on the user&#39;s person. The compartment is opened by activating the compartment locking means  15 . 
         [0027]    After loading of the goods  50  into the compartment is complete (this “loading complete” state shown in  FIG. 3 , with a trunk lid or hatch of the compartment open so that the goods  50  are visible), in step S 160  the delivery person  30  enters the access code for locking the compartment, after which in step S 170  the autonomous vehicle  10  locks the compartment. Furthermore, after the loading of the goods  50  into the vehicle  10  is complete, the correct loading of the goods  50  can be verified or checked, for which purpose, for example, a camera  16  which is mounted in the compartment of the vehicle  10  can be used according to  FIG. 3 . The autonomous vehicle  10  subsequently ends the 360° all-round viewing process in step S 180  and informs the user that the collection process is concluded. In step S 190 , the autonomous vehicle  10  leaves the parking space and drives to a desired destination (for example the user&#39;s residence). 
         [0028]    While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.