Selective encoding of packages

• US 10,336,543 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sills, Maxwell Andrew, Wetherbee, Ian, Gordon, Robert Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US15/394,568
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/67 the UAVs comprising tethers for lowering the goods
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/0216 Codes or marks on the article
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/046 RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for worksite automation. One example method includes receiving a work request indicative of at least one of a first item or one or more work request parameters, where the first item is one of a plurality of items stored in an item-storage environment, and where each item is associated with a co-located identifier device; in response to receipt of the work request: identifying the first item; determining a target location corresponding to the first item; selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of encoder UAVs in the item-storage environment, where each encoder UAV includes an encoder device configured to encode data to the identifier devices associated with the plurality of items; and causing the selected UAV to: (a) travel to the target location, and (b) while hovering near to the location, encode particular identification data to the device associated with the first item.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a work request indicative of at least one of;

a first item or one or more work request parameters, wherein the first item is one of a plurality of items stored in an item-storage environment, and wherein each item is associated with a co-located identifier device; and

in response to receipt of the work request;

identifying, by a processor, the first item;

determining, by the processor, a target location corresponding to the first item;

selecting, by the processor, a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of encoder UAVs available for deployment in the item-storage environment, wherein each encoder UAV comprises an encoder device configured to encode data to the identifier devices associated with the plurality of items; and

causing the first UAV to;

(a) travel to the target location, and (b) while hovering at or near to the target location, encode particular identification data to the identifier device associated with the first item, wherein the particular identification data comprises at least the work request parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the first UAV to;

(c) while hovering at or near to the target location, determine a precise location of the item, and (d) communicate the precise location to a computer control system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, from a plurality of collector UAVs, a second UAV to retrieve the first item from the precise location;

causing the second UAV to;

(a) travel to the precise location, and (b) while hovering at or near to the target location, retrieve the item.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, from a plurality of robotic devices, a robotic device to retrieve the first item from the precise location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

causing the selected robotic device to;

(a) travel to or near to the precise location, (b) read data from the identifier device associated with the first item, and (c) while the robotic device is at or near to the precise location, cause the robotic device to retrieve the first item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device associated with the first item is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and wherein the encoder is an RFID encoder.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the RFID tag is attached to the first item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier device associated with the first item is Electronic Shelf Label (ESL), and wherein the encoder is an ESL encoder.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ESL is attached to the rack.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the work request is further indicative of a work request type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the work request type is order fulfillment, and wherein the work request parameters comprise at least order data, wherein the order data comprises an order number, a customer ID, a time of order, and an order fulfillment deadline.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a processor to perform functions comprising:

receiving a work request indicative of at least one of;

a first item or one or more work request parameters, wherein the first item is one of a plurality of items stored in an item-storage environment, and wherein each item is associated with a co-located identifier device; and

in response to receipt of the work request;

identifying, by a processor, the first item;

determining, by the processor, a target location corresponding to the first item;

selecting, by the processor, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAVs available for deployment in the item-storage environment, wherein each UAV comprises an encoder device configured to encode data to the identifier devices associated with the plurality of items; and

causing the selected UAV to;

(a) travel to the target location, and (b) while hovering at or near to the target location, encode particular identification data to the identifier device associated with the item, wherein the particular identification data comprises at least the work request parameters.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a processor to perform functions comprising:

causing the selected UAV to;

(c) while hovering at or near to the target location, determine a precise location of the first item, and (d) communicate the precise location to a control computing system.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a processor to perform functions comprising:

selecting, by the processor, from a plurality of robotic devices, a robotic device to retrieve the first item from the precise location.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a processor to perform functions comprising:

causing the selected robotic device to;

(a) travel to or near to the precise location, (b) read data from the identifier device associated with the first item, and (c) while the robotic device is at or near to the precise location, cause the robotic device to retrieve the first item.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the identifier device associated with the first item is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and wherein the encoder is an RFID encoder.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the RFID tag is attached to the first item.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of UAVs located in an item-storage environment,

wherein a plurality of items are stored in the item-storage environment,

wherein each item is associated with a co-located identifier device,

wherein each UAV comprises an encoder device configured to encode data to the identifier devices associated with the plurality of items, and

wherein each UAV is operable to;

(a) travel to a target location corresponding to a first item of the plurality of items, and (b) while hovering at or near to the target location, encode particular identification data to the identifier device associated with the first item;

a plurality of robotic devices operable to;

(a) travel to or near to a precise location of the first item, (b) read data from the identifier device associated with the first item (c) at or near to the precise location, retrieve the first item;

a controller configured to;

receive a work request indicative of at least one of;

the first item or one or more work request parameters; and

in response to receipt of the work request;

identify the first item;

determine the target location corresponding to the first item;

select an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the plurality of UAVs available for deployment in the item-storage environment; and

cause the selected UAV to;

(a) travel to the target location, and (b) while hovering at or near to the target location, encode the particular identification data to the identifier device associated with the first item, wherein the particular identification data comprises at least the work request parameters.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the selected UAV to;

(d) while in the hover flight mode at or near to the target location, determine the precise location of the first item, and (e) communicate the precise location to the controller.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:

select from the plurality of robotic devices, a robotic device to retrieve the first item from the precise location.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the selected robotic device to;

(a) travel to or near to the precise location, (b) read data from the identifier device associated with the first item, and (c) while the robotic device is at or near to the precise location, cause the robotic device to retrieve the first item.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the identifier device associated with the first item is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and wherein the encoder is an RFID encoder.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the RFID tag is attached to the item.