Shelving and package locating systems for delivery vehicles

• US 10,139,495 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Payne, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Li, Ce Li
• Application Number:
  US14/590,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/007 for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A shelving and package locating system for delivery vehicles includes one or more shelves for storing packages within a package-delivery vehicle during delivery. Each package is associated with both a geographic delivery address and an assigned location on a particular shelf within the package-delivery vehicle. A GPS unit determines the location of the package-delivery vehicle during delivery, and a computer provides the shelf location of a particular package when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information substantially corresponds to vehicle-location information.

Claims

1. A delivery-vehicle shelving system, comprising:

a vehicle for transporting packages;

one or more shelves within the vehicle for storing the packages during delivery, each package associated with corresponding delivery-location information, the one or more shelves having indicators comprising a light source and bearing decodable indicia corresponding to respective locations on the one or more shelves;

an indicia-reading device for (i) scanning the packages that are loaded onto the one or more shelves, (ii) scanning the decodable indicia to associate each package with the package'"'"'s shelf location on the one or more shelves wherein the shelf location is coded within the decodable indicia, (iii) transmitting the corresponding package shelf location information, and (iv) transmitting the corresponding package delivery-location information;

a GPS receiver for detecting a location of the vehicle and transmitting corresponding vehicle-location information; and

a computer in communication with the indicia-reading device and the GPS receiver, the computer including a central processing unit and memory;

wherein the computer'"'"'s central processing unit is configured to receive (i) the package shelf location information for the packages that have been loaded onto the vehicle from the indicia-reading device, (ii) the delivery-location information for the packages that have been loaded onto the vehicle from the indicia-reading device, and (iii) the vehicle-location information from the GPS receiver;

wherein, in response to receiving the vehicle-location information, the central processing unit is configured to identify the package shelf location information for one of the packages when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information is within a predetermined geographic range of the vehicle-location information received; and

wherein the central processing unit is configured to provide a prompt comprising the identified package shelf location information to a driver of the vehicle via, at least, the indicators.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer, indicia-reading device, and the GPS receiver are enclosed within a hand-supportable housing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a network interface.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer is configured to receive delivery route data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-provided information is delivery route information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a LED light source.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the decodable indicia corresponding to respective locations on the one or more shelves comprise E-Ink displays.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt to the driver comprises audibly indicating the shelf location.

9. A shelving system for a package-delivery vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of shelves for storing packages during delivery to respective geographic locations, each package being associated with corresponding delivery-location information, the plurality of shelves having indicators comprising a light source and bearing decodable indicia corresponding to respective locations on the one or more shelves;

an indicia-reading device for (i) scanning the packages that are loaded onto the plurality of shelves, (ii) scanning the decodable indicia to associate each loaded package with its shelf location wherein the shelf location is coded within the decodable indicia, (iii) transmitting the corresponding shelf-location information, and (iv) transmitting the corresponding delivery-location information;

a GPS receiver for (i) determining a location of the package-delivery vehicle and (ii) transmitting the corresponding vehicle-location information; and

a computer in communication with the indicia-reading device and the GPS receiver, the computer including a central processing unit and a memory;

wherein the computer'"'"'s central processing unit is configured to receive (i) the shelf-location information and delivery-location information from the indicia-reading device for the packages that have been loaded onto the plurality of shelves, and (ii) the vehicle-location information from the GPS receiver;

wherein the computer'"'"'s central processing unit is configured to analyze (i) the vehicle-location information, (ii) the delivery-location information, and (iii) the shelf-location information; and

wherein, the central processing unit is configured to provide, based upon the results of the analysis and via the indicators, the shelf location of a package when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information is within a predetermined geographic range of the vehicle-location information.

10. The shelving system according to claim 9, comprising a visual display in communication with the computer, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to indicate the shelf location of the package via the visual display when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information corresponds with the vehicle-location information.

11. The shelving system according to claim 10, comprising an audio device in communication with the computer, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to indicate the shelf location of the package via the audio device when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information corresponds with the vehicle-location information.

12. A package delivery system, comprising:

a vehicle for transporting packages;

one or more areas within the vehicle for storing the packages during transport, each package associated with corresponding delivery-location information, the one or more areas having indicators comprising a light source and bearing decodable indicia corresponding to respective locations on the one or more areas;

an indicia-reading device configured for scanning the packages that are loaded onto the one or more areas, scanning the decodable indicia to associate each package with the package'"'"'s area location on the one or more areas wherein the area location is coded within the decodable indicia, transmitting the corresponding package area location information, and transmitting the corresponding delivery-location information;

a GPS receiver for transmitting location information relating to the vehicle; and

a computer in communication with the indicia-reading device and the GPS receiver, the computer configured to identify, via the indicators, one of the package area locations when the delivery-location information for one of the packages is within a predetermined geographic range of the vehicle location information, wherein the identification is based on (i) the area location information received from the indicia-reading device for the one of the packages, (ii) the delivery-location information received from the indicia-reading device for the one of the packages, and (iii) the vehicle location information received from the GPS receiver.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the computer comprises a network interface;

the computer is configured to receive delivery route data relating to the packages via the network interface; and

the computer is configured to identify the one of the package area locations based further upon the one of the package'"'"'s delivery-location information corresponding with the vehicle-location information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer, the indicia-reading device, and the GPS receiver are enclosed within a hand-supportable housing.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer is configured to provide an audible prompt comprising the identified one of the package area locations.