Conveyor belt assembly for identifying an asset sort location and methods of utilizing the same

• US 10,471,478 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gil, Julio
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Kalyanavenkateshware
• Application Number:
  US15/581,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20180311704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2301/0008 Electronic Devices, e.g. keyboard, displays
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2301/0016 RFID-tags
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/08 using arrangements of conveyors transport of sheets B65H; transport in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/10 Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/30 Belts or like endless load-carriers co-operating with rails or the like B65G21/22; co-operating with rollers B65G39/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for associating an asset with a sort location, the system comprising a conveyor belt assembly and a user device configured to be worn by a user. The conveyor belt assembly comprises: an acquisition device and a plurality of stripes defining a non-repeating pattern, the plurality of stripes comprising a plurality of unique sets of stripes. The acquisition device is configured to capture image data comprising asset identifier data and conveyor mechanism data, the conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes. The user device is configured to capture conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes; remotely receive asset identifier data associated with the user device captured conveyor mechanism data; and generate and display to the user, relative to the asset, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset.

Claims

1. A system for associating an asset travelling along a conveying mechanism with a sort location, the system comprising:

a conveyor belt assembly comprising;

a conveyor mechanism having a primary axis oriented in a direction of travel of the conveyor mechanism and defining a path of movement of one or more assets placed upon the conveyor mechanism; and

an acquisition device located within an acquisition zone located along the path of movement,

wherein;

the conveyor mechanism comprises a plurality of stripes defining a visible surface of the conveyor mechanism and providing thereon a non-repeating pattern, the plurality of stripes comprising a plurality of unique sets of stripes further defining the non-repeating pattern; and

the acquisition device is configured to capture image data of an asset travelling along the path of movement, the image data captured comprising asset identifier data and conveyor mechanism data, the conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes defining the non-repeating pattern of stripes defining the visible surface of the conveyor mechanism, the asset identifier data and the conveyor mechanism data being associated relative to one another and the associated asset; and

a user device configured to be worn by a user and comprising;

a user device memory; and

one or more user device computer processors configured to;

adjacent the conveyor mechanism, capture conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes defining the non-repeating pattern of stripes defining the visible surface of the conveyor mechanism;

remotely receive asset identifier data associated with the user device captured conveyor mechanism data; and

generate and display to the user, relative to the asset, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset based upon the remotely received asset identifier data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-repeating pattern is defined by at least seven unique colors, each stripe within the plurality of stripes comprising one of the at least seven unique colors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of unique sets of stripes within the plurality of stripes comprise unique sets of at least three distinct stripes located adjacent one another.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one visual indicator of the one or more sort instructions comprises at least one directional arrow overlaid in an augmented reality environment generated by the user device in the field of view of the user wearing the user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset identifier data is selected from the group consisting of an optical code, a barcode, a QR code, an RFID tag, and a character string.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is either a pair of monocular glasses or a pair of binocular glasses configured to be worn by the user during use thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller system remotely located relative to both the conveyor belt assembly and the user device, wherein:

the user device is configured to transmit, to the controller system, the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device; and

the controller system is configured to;

receive from the acquisition device the image data captured thereby;

associate the asset identifier data and the conveyor mechanism data captured by the acquisition device within the captured image data relative to one another and store the same in a database associated with the controller system, the association resulting in discrete portions of the conveyor mechanism data captured together with discrete portions of the asset identifier data being identified relative to one another;

match the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device with at least one portion of the conveyor mechanism data captured by the acquisition device; and

transmit to the user device asset identifier data associated with the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device is one of the unique sets of stripes on the conveyor mechanism; and

the matching that occurs involves a matching of the one of the unique sets of stripes captured by the user device with a corresponding unique set of stripes captured by the acquisition device.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more location devices associated with a sort location, wherein:

each of the one or more location devices comprises;

a location device memory; and

one or more location device computer processors configured to;

store location data indicative of the identity of the sort location; and

transmit at least a portion of the location data to the user device when the user device is located adjacent the sort location; and

the user device is configured to;

generate and display to the user, relative to the sort location, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset.

10. A computer implemented method for associating an asset travelling along a conveying mechanism with a sort location, the method comprising the steps of:

continuously operating a conveyor belt assembly comprising;

a conveyor mechanism having a primary axis oriented in a direction of travel of the conveyor mechanism and defining a path of movement of one or more assets placed upon the conveyor mechanism; and

an acquisition device located within an acquisition zone located along the path of movement; and

wherein the conveyor mechanism comprises a plurality of stripes defining a visible surface of the conveyor mechanism and providing thereon a non-repeating pattern, the plurality of stripes comprising a plurality of unique sets of stripes further defining the non-repeating pattern;

capturing, via the acquisition device, image data of an asset travelling along the path of movement, the image data captured comprising asset identifier data and conveyor mechanism data, the conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes defining the non-repeating pattern of stripes defining the visible surface of the conveyor mechanism, the asset identifier data and the conveyor mechanism data being associated relative to one another and the associated asset;

capturing, via a user device configured to be worn by a user and when the user device is adjacent the conveyor mechanism, conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes defining the non-repeating pattern of stripes defining the visible surface of the conveyor mechanism;

remotely receiving, at the user device, asset identifier data associated with the user device captured conveyor mechanism data; and

generating and displaying to the user and on the user device, relative to the asset, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset based upon the remotely received asset identifier data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a controller system remotely located relative to both the conveyor belt assembly and the user device is provided; and

the controller system is configured to;

receive from the acquisition device the image data captured thereby;

associate the asset identifier data and the conveyor mechanism data captured by the acquisition device within the captured image data relative to one another and store the same in a database associated with the controller system, the association resulting in discrete portions of the conveyor mechanism data captured together with discrete portions of the asset identifier data being identified relative to one another;

match the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device with at least one portion of the conveyor mechanism data captured by the acquisition device; and

transmit to the user device asset identifier data associated with the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device is one of the unique sets of stripes on the conveyor mechanism; and

the matching that occurs involves a matching of the one of the unique sets of stripes captured by the user device with a corresponding unique set of stripes captured by the acquisition device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

one or more location devices are provided at a sort location;

the one or more location devices include one or more computer processors configured to;

store location data indicative of the identity of the sort location; and

transmit at least a portion of the location data to the user device when the user device is located adjacent the sort location; and

the user device is configured to generate and display to the user, relative to the sort location, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-repeating pattern is defined by at least seven unique colors, each stripe within the plurality of stripes comprising one of the at least seven unique colors.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of unique sets of stripes within the plurality of stripes comprise unique sets of at least three distinct stripes located adjacent one another.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one visual indicator of the one or more sort instructions comprises at least one directional arrow overlaid in an augmented reality environment generated by the user device in the field of view of the user wearing the user device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the asset identifier data is selected from the group consisting of an optical code, a barcode, a QR code, an RFID tag, and a character string.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the user device is either a pair of monocular glasses or a pair of binocular glasses configured to be worn by the user during use thereof.

19. A computer program product for associating an asset travelling along a conveying mechanism with a sort location, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising one or more executable portions configured for:

capturing, via an acquisition device within an acquisition zone, image data of an asset travelling along a path of movement on a conveyor mechanism, the image data captured comprising asset identifier data and conveyor mechanism data, the conveyor mechanism data including one of a plurality of unique sets of stripes defining a non-repeating pattern of stripes defining a visible surface of the conveyor mechanism, the asset identifier data and the conveyor mechanism data being associated relative to one another and the associated asset;

capturing, via a user device configured to be worn by a user and when the user device is adjacent the conveyor mechanism, conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes defining the non-repeating pattern of stripes defining the visible surface of the conveyor mechanism;

remotely receiving, at the user device, asset identifier data associated with the user device captured conveyor mechanism data; and

generating and displaying to the user and on the user device, relative to the asset, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset based upon the remotely received asset identifier data.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the one or more executable portions are further configured to:

receive, at a controller system and from the acquisition device, the image data captured thereby;

associate the asset identifier data and the conveyor mechanism data captured by the acquisition device within the captured image data relative to one another and store the same in a database associated with the controller system, the association resulting in discrete portions of the conveyor mechanism data captured together with discrete portions of the asset identifier data being identified relative to one another;

match the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device with at least one portion of the conveyor mechanism data captured by the acquisition device; and

transmit to the user device asset identifier data associated with the conveyor mechanism data captured by the user device.