System and method of asynchronous robotic retrieval and delivery of items between two sites

• US 10,556,334 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vecna Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vecna Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Theobald, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US16/035,236
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0019 End effectors other than grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/00 Programme-controlled manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/026 Racks equipped with a displaceable load carrying surface to facilitate loading or unloading
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Asynchronous item delivery utilizes a system including a first depot and a first mobile robot at a first site and a second depot and a second mobile robot at a second site. A centralized control system manages asynchronous delivery of items through the first depot and the second depot such that the first mobile robot can retrieve an item from the first depot and deliver the item to a transportation systems for transition to the second site, such that the second depot at the second site can, in an asynchronous fashion, receive the item and deliver the item to the second mobile robot for transportation to the ultimate destination at the second site. Two or more sites can be coordinated by the centralized control system for management of movement of items through a supply chain using asynchronous item delivery and movement through each respective site to an ultimate destination.

Claims

1. An asynchronous item delivery system comprising:

a first depot at a first site, the first depot communicating with a centralized control system, the first depot comprising;

a first rack module that houses drawers; and

a first depot control system that connects to and controls the first rack module;

a first mobile robot comprising;

a first mobile robot drawer-swapping module; and

a first mobile control system that connects and controls the first mobile robot drawer-swapping module, wherein the first depot and the first mobile robot operate in a coordinated manner to asynchronously deliver items from the first depot to a first destination at the first site;

a second depot at a second site, the second depot communicating with the centralized control system, the second depot comprising;

a second rack module that houses drawers; and

a second depot control system that connects to and controls the second rack module; and

a second mobile robot comprising;

a second mobile robot drawer-swapping module; and

a second mobile control system that connects and controls the second mobile robot drawer-swapping module, wherein the second depot and the second mobile robot operate in a coordinated manner to asynchronously deliver items from the second depot to a second destination at the second site, wherein the centralized control system performs operations comprising;

receiving an identification of an item to be delivered from the first site to the second destination at the second site;

coordinating movement of the item from an origination location at the first site to the first depot at the first site, to the first destination at the first site, to a transportation system which delivers the item from the first site to the second site, to the second depot, and to the second destination at the second site.

2. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 1, wherein the first depot further comprises one or more of:

a first depot user interface;

a first depot drawer-swapping module; and

a first depot battery-swapping module, wherein the first depot control system connects to and controls two or more of the first depot user interface, the first rack module, the first depot battery-swapping module and the first depot drawer-swapping module.

3. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 2, wherein the second depot further comprises one or more of:

a second depot user interface;

a second depot drawer-swapping module; and

a second depot battery-swapping module, wherein the second depot control system connects to and controls two or more of the second depot user interface, the second rack module, the second depot battery-swapping module and the second depot drawer-swapping module.

4. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 1, wherein coordinating movement of the item from an origination location to the first depot at the first site to the second destination at the second site utilizes the first depot and the first mobile robot operating in a coordinated manner to asynchronously deliver the item from the first depot to the first destination at the first site.

5. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 4, wherein coordinating movement of the item from an origination location to the first depot at the first site to the second destination at the second site utilizes the second depot and the second mobile robot operating in a coordinated manner to asynchronously deliver the item from the second depot to the second destination at the second site.

6. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 1, wherein coordinating movement of the item from an origination location to the first depot at the first site to the second destination at the second site utilizes a machine learning algorithm that predicts a timing of a movement of the item between the first site, the second site, and the second destination at the second site.

7. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 1, wherein coordinating movement of the item from an origination location to the first depot at the first site to the second destination at the second site utilizes at least one or more of the following data associated with the item:

information about a recipient of the item, information about a person that ordered the item, information about congestion in the transportation system, information about a priority associated with the item, information about a service level agreement associated with delivering the item, dynamic information about a priority associated with the item while in transit, a payment associated with delivering the item, social media data associated with delivering the item, a timing associated with delivery of the item, a type of transportation used in the transportation system, and predicted congestion at the first site or the second site.

8. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 1, wherein coordinating movement of the item from an origination location to the first depot at the first site to the second destination at the second site further comprises the centralized control system controlling one or more of the first depot, the first rack module that houses drawers, the first depot control system, the first mobile robot, the first mobile robot drawer swapping module, the first mobile control system, the second depot, the second rack module, the second depot control system, the second mobile robot, the second mobile robot drawer swapping module, the second mobile control system.

9. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 1, further comprising compiling a manifest for each drawer in the first rack module and the second rack module.

10. The asynchronous item delivery system of claim 9, wherein the manifest comprises one or more of an identification of a respective drawer, items in the respective drawer, a respective destination, and instructions for delivery of the item.

11. A method a coordinating transportation of an item from a first site to a second site, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first depot at a first site, a specification of a destination location at a second site for an item to yield item delivery data;

selecting, based on item delivery data and by a first depot control system, a first drawer from a first rack module in the first depot that houses first drawers;

receiving the item into the first depot;

transferring the item to the first drawer within the first rack module of the first depot that houses the first drawers;

communicating, from the first depot and to a first mobile robot at the first site, a message to pick up the item;

transferring the item from the first drawer to the first mobile robot using a first depot drawer-swapping module and a first mobile robot drawer-swapping module;

delivering, by the first mobile robot, the item to a transportation system;

receiving, at a second depot at a second site, a specification of the destination location at the second site for the item;

selecting, based on item delivery data and by a second depot control system, a second drawer from a second rack module in the second depot that houses second drawers;

receiving the item into the second depot after delivery from the transportation system;

transferring the item to the second drawer within the second rack module that houses the second drawers;

communicating, from the second depot and to a second mobile robot at the second site, a message to pick up the item;

transferring the item from the second drawer to the second mobile robot using a second depot drawer-swapping module and a second mobile robot drawer-swapping module; and

delivering, by the second mobile robot, the item to the destination location at the second site, wherein the first depot and the second depot utilize an asynchronous approach to managing items and the coordination with the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first depot and the second depot scan the item before receiving the item in the first drawer or the second drawer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising compiling a manifest for each drawer in the first rack module and the second rack module, the manifest comprising one or more of an identification of a drawer, items in the drawer, the destination location, and instructions for delivery of the item.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the first mobile robot or the second robot, that a charge level of a first battery installed in the first mobile robot or the second mobile robot is less than a threshold; and

swapping the first battery with a second charged battery in one of the first depot or the second depot.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein after receiving the item in the first drawer or the second drawer, routing the first drawer or the second drawer to a chosen position in the first rack module where the second rack module in preparation for retrieval by the first mobile robot or the second mobile robot.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein delivering, by the second mobile robot, the item to the destination location is performed using machine learning to schedule one of a route, a timing and a pace of delivering the item to the destination location.

17. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a first depot at a first site and via a first depot user interface, a specification by a user of a destination location at a second site and an item to yield first item delivery data;

selecting, based on first item delivery data and by a centralized control system, a first drawer from a first rack module in the first depot that houses first drawers;

receiving the item from the user via the first depot user interface;

transferring the item to the first drawer within the first rack module that houses drawers;

communicating, to a first mobile robot, a message to pick up the item; and

transferring the item from the first drawer to the first mobile robot using a first depot drawer-swapping module and a first mobile robot drawer-swapping module;

transferring the item from the first mobile robot at the first site, through a transportation system, to the second site;

receiving, at a second depot at the second site and via a second depot user interface, a specification of the destination location at the second site and an item to yield second item delivery data;

selecting, based on second item delivery data and by the system, a second drawer from a second rack module in the second depot that houses second drawers;

receiving the item via the second depot user interface;

transferring the item to the second drawer within the second rack module that houses drawers;

communicating, to a second mobile robot, a message to pick up the item; and

transferring the item from the second drawer to the second mobile robot using a second depot drawer-swapping module and a second mobile robot drawer-swapping module, wherein the second mobile robot is configured to deliver the item to the destination location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

compiling a manifest for each drawer in the first rack module in the second rack module that houses the first drawers and the second drawers.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the manifest comprises one or more of an identification of the first drawer or the second drawer, items in the first drawer or the second drawer, the destination location, and instructions for delivery of the item.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

after receiving the item in the first drawer or the second drawer, routing the first drawer or the second drawer to a chosen position in the first rack module or the second rack module in preparation for retrieval by the first mobile robot or the second mobile robot.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein delivering, by the second mobile robot, the item to the destination location is performed using machine learning to schedule one of a route, a timing and a pace of delivering the item to the destination location.