In-vehicle package location identification at load and delivery times

• US 10,192,194 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Bernhardt, Keith L., Agrawal, Sameer, Poole, Mark, Gansen, Sherri
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US14/944,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20170140329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 705 725, 705 731, 705 733, 705 2, 705 28, 705 5, 705218, 705 13, 705 75, 705341, 705338
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/007 for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/04 Indication location means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A shelving and package locating system for delivery vehicles includes one or more shelves for storing packages within a delivery vehicle during delivery. Each package is associated with both a geographic delivery address and an assigned location on a particular shelf within the delivery vehicle. A GPS unit determines the location of the 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. Several embodiments exist for registering the location of the package in the vehicle at load time, such as scanned location indicia, light sensors on shelves, pressure sensors on shelves, pressure sensors on the floor of the vehicle, and light spot. Several embodiments exist for locating the package in the vehicle at delivery time, such as a pick-to-light system that employs variable length lighting and a light pointer system that generates a light spot.

Claims

1. A delivery vehicle package locating system, the system comprising:

a pularity of shelves for storing a plurality of packages, including at least a first shelf and a second shelf adjacent to the first shelf, wherein;

each shelf comprises a plurality of indicator lights in a row;

the first shelf comprises a plurality of emitting lights in a row along a first edge of the first shelf; and

the second shelf comprises a plurality of light sensors in a row on a second edge of the second shelf, wherein each light sensor on the second edge of the second shelf corresponds to an emitting light on the first edge of the first shelf;

a shelf control system communicatively coupled, via a shelf communication interface, to the plurality of indicator lights, the plurality of emitting lights, and the plurality of light sensors, and comprising a shelf processor and a shelf memory storing program codes;

wherein the shelf control system is operable to;

determine a width and a shelf-location of a package loaded on the first shelf based upon light from a plurality of the emitting lights on the first edge of the first shelf being blocked from corresponding light sensors on the second edge of the second shelf by the package; and

send the width and the shelf-location information for the package to a computer system; and

the computer system, comprising;

a computer communication interface; and

a computer control system communicatively coupled to the computer communication interface, and comprising a computer processor and a computer memory storing program codes;

wherein the computer system is operable to;

receive delivery-location information for the package;

receive package identification information for the package;

receive the width and the shelf-location information for the package from the shelf control system;

correlate and store the delivery-location information, the package identification information, and the width and the shelf-location information for the package;

determine vehicle-location information based upon current location of the delivery vehicle; and

send the shelf-location information for the package to the shelf control system responsive to determining that the vehicle-location information corresponds with the delivery-location information for the package; and

wherein the shelf control system is further operable to;

receive the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system; and

activate the indicator lights corresponding to the width and shelf-location of the package responsive to receiving the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is operable to:

receive the current location of the delivery vehicle from a GPS unit in communication with the computer system; and

receive the package identification information for the package from an indicia reader in communication with the computer system and operable for scanning an indicia on the package.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator lights are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitting lights are infrared emitting LEDs.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the light sensors detect light from infrared LEDs.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein activating the indicator lights comprises causing the indicator lights to blink.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein activating the indicator lights comprises causing the indicator lights to light up.

8. A delivery vehicle package locating system, the system comprising:

one or more shelves for storing a plurality of packages, wherein each shelf comprises;

a plurality of indicator lights disposed in a row along each of the one or more shelves; and

pressure sensors associated with surface area locations of the one or more shelves;

a shelf control system communicatively coupled, via a shelf communication interface, to the plurality of indicator lights and the pressure sensors, and comprising a shelf processor and a shelf memory storing program codes;

wherein the shelf control system is operable to;

determine a width and a shelf-location of a package loaded on one of the shelves, wherein the width and the shelf location of the package is determined based upon weight of the package triggering a plurality of the pressure sensors of the one shelf; and

send the width and the shelf-location information for the package to a computer system; and

the computer system, comprising;

a computer communication interface; and

a computer control system communicatively coupled to the computer communication interface, and comprising a computer processor and a computer memory storing program codes;

wherein the computer system is operable to;

receive delivery-location information for the package;

receive package identification information for the package;

receive the width and the shelf-location information for the package from the shelf control system;

correlate and store the delivery-location information, the package identification information, and the width and the shelf-location information for the package;

determine vehicle-location information based upon current location of the delivery vehicle; and

send the shelf-location information for the package to the shelf control system responsive to determining that the vehicle-location information corresponds with the delivery-location information for the package; and

wherein the shelf control system is further operable to;

receive the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system; and

activate a plurality of the indicator lights corresponding to the width and shelf-location of the package responsive to receiving the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer system is operable to:

receive the current location of the delivery vehicle from a GPS unit associated with the computer system; and

receive the package identification information for the package from an indicia reader associated with the computer system and operable for scanning an indicia on the package.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the indicator lights are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. The system of claim 8, wherein activating the indicator lights comprises causing the indicator lights to blink.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein activating the indicator lights comprises causing the indicator lights to light up.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more shelves comprise one or more floor areas of the delivery vehicle.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the computer system is operable to receive a request for available shelf space in the delivery vehicle and send a request to the shelf control system for available shelf space on each of the one or more shelves;

the shelf control system is operable to, responsive to receiving the request from the computer system for available shelf space on each of the one or more shelves, determine the available shelf space on each of the one or more shelves based upon weight of packages triggering a plurality of pressure sensors on the one or more shelves, and send the determined shelf space to the computer system; and

the computer system is further operable to;

receive the available shelf space on each of the one or more shelves from the shelf control system;

aggregate the available shelf space on each of the one or more shelves to create the available shelf space in the delivery vehicle; and

report the available shelf space in the delivery vehicle to a dashboard.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request for available shelf space in the delivery vehicle is received from an input device operably connected to the computer system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the dashboard is displayed on the computer system.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the request for available shelf space in the delivery vehicle is received from a computer system associated with a dispatcher.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the dashboard is displayed on the computer system associated with a dispatcher.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein each shelf further comprises grid lights.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further operable to:

activate the grid lights corresponding to the shelf-location of the package responsive to receiving the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system.

21. A delivery vehicle package locating system, the system comprising:

one or more shelves for storing a plurality of packages;

one or more light pointers, wherein each light pointer comprises;

a light pointer communication interface;

a light source; and

a light pointer control system communicatively coupled to the light pointer communication interface and the light source, and comprising a light pointer processor and a light pointer memory storing program codes;

wherein the light pointer control system is operable to;

identify a shelf-location for storing a package on one of the shelves during delivery, wherein the shelf-location is identified using a light spot generated by the light source for loading the package on the one shelf; and

send the shelf-location information for the package to a computer system; and

the computer system, comprising;

a computer communication interface; and

a computer control system communicatively coupled to the computer communication interface and comprising a computer processor and a computer memory storing program codes;

wherein the computer system is operable to;

receive delivery-location information for the package;

receive package identification information for the package;

receive the shelf-location information for the package; and

correlate and store the delivery-location information, the package identification information, and the shelf-location information for the package.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the computer system is further operable to;

determine vehicle-location information based upon current location of the delivery vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle-location information corresponds with the delivery-location information for the package, send the shelf-location information for the package to the one or more light pointers; and

each of the one or more light pointers is further operable to;

receive the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system; and

identify the shelf-location of the package responsive to receiving the shelf-location information for the package from the computer system, wherein the shelf-location is identified using a light spot generated by the light source.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the light source is adjustable.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the light pointer comprises a plurality of light sources.