Autonomous cargo handling system and method
First Claim
1. A sensing agent, comprising:
- a sensing unit configured to monitor a sensing zone; and
a computing unit in electronic communication with the sensing unit, wherein in response to the sensing unit detecting an object in the sensing zone, the computing unit is configured to determine an object physical property based on a physical characteristic of the object, wherein the computing unit is configured to identify the object as a unit load device (“
ULD”
) or a non-ULD object based on the object physical property, and wherein the object physical property comprises at least one of an image of the object, a video of the object, an object dimension, an object shape, an object characteristic, an object orientation, an object location, an object weight, or point cloud data, wherein the object physical property does not include a reading of an identification tag or a label.
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Abstract
An autonomous cargo handling system is provided. The autonomous cargo handling system may comprise one or more sensing agents in electronic communication with each other. One or more of the sensing agents may be configured to monitor a sensing zone in a cargo deck to detect objects traveling through the sensing zone. In response to detecting an object, one or more sensing agents may determine an object property based on the detected object. One or more sensing agents may generate an object model based on the determined object properties. The sensing agents may also determine whether the detected object is a unit load device (ULD) or a non-ULD object based on the object property and/or the object model.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A sensing agent, comprising:
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a sensing unit configured to monitor a sensing zone; and a computing unit in electronic communication with the sensing unit, wherein in response to the sensing unit detecting an object in the sensing zone, the computing unit is configured to determine an object physical property based on a physical characteristic of the object, wherein the computing unit is configured to identify the object as a unit load device (“
ULD”
) or a non-ULD object based on the object physical property, and wherein the object physical property comprises at least one of an image of the object, a video of the object, an object dimension, an object shape, an object characteristic, an object orientation, an object location, an object weight, or point cloud data, wherein the object physical property does not include a reading of an identification tag or a label. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method, comprising:
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monitoring, by a sensing agent, a cargo deck, wherein the sensing agent is configured to monitor a sensing zone defining a logical boundary within the cargo deck; detecting, by the sensing agent, an object in the cargo deck in response to the object being moved into the sensing zone; determining, by the sensing agent, an object property based on a physical characteristic of the object; identifying, by the sensing agent, the object as a ULD or a non-ULD object based on the object property; and generating, by the sensing agent, a non-ULD alert in response to at least one of identifying the object as the non-ULD object or the non-ULD object being in the path of a second ULD. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An aircraft, comprising:
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a cargo deck defined by an aircraft envelope within the aircraft; and a sensing agent coupled to the aircraft envelope, wherein the sensing agent is configured to monitor a sensing zone defining a logical boundary within the cargo deck, wherein in response to the sensing agent detecting an object in the sensing zone, the sensing agent is configured to determine an object property based on a physical characteristic of the object, wherein the sensing agent is configured to identify the object as a ULD or a non-ULD object based on the object property and wherein the object property comprises at least one of an image of the object, a video of the object, an object dimension, an object shape, an object physical characteristic, an object orientation, an object location, an object weight, or point cloud data, wherein the object property does not include a reading of an identification tag or a label. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification