SHELVING AND PACKAGE LOCATING SYSTEMS FOR DELIVERY VEHICLES

• US 20150210199A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 packages during delivery of the packages;

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

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

wherein the computer'"'"'s central processing unit is configured to receive (i) package-location information about packages that have been loaded onto the vehicle and (ii) vehicle-location information from the GPS receiver; and

wherein, in response to vehicle-location information, the central processing unit is configured to identify package-location information.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising an indicia-reading device for scanning packages that are loaded onto the shelves, associating each package with the package'"'"'s shelf location, and transmitting corresponding package-location information

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the computer is in communication with the indicia-reading device; and

the computer'"'"'s central processing unit is configured to receive package-location information from the indicia-reading device for packages that have been loaded onto the vehicle.

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

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

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer is configured to receive delivery route data.

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

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt to the delivery driver comprises a LED light source.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt to the delivery driver comprises a display.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt to the delivery driver comprises an E-Ink display.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt to the delivery driver comprises audibly indicating the location of a package.

12. 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;

an indicia-reading device for (i) scanning packages that are loaded onto the shelves, (ii) associating each package with its shelf location, and (iii) transmitting the corresponding shelf-location information;

a GPS receiver for (i) determining the 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) shelf-location information from the indicia-reading device for packages that have been loaded onto the package-delivery vehicle'"'"'s shelves and (ii) vehicle-location information from the GPS receiver;

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

wherein, the central processing unit is configured to provide the shelf location of a package when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information corresponds with vehicle-location information.

13. The shelving system according to claim 12, comprising a visual display to indicate the shelf location of a package when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information corresponds with vehicle-location information.

14. The shelving system according to claim 12, comprising an audio device to indicate the shelf location of a package when that package'"'"'s delivery-location information corresponds with vehicle-location information.

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

a track system affixed to an internal wall of the package-delivery vehicle; and

an adjustable shelf moveably connected to the track system, wherein the adjustable shelf (i) is configured to slide laterally along the track system and (ii) is configured to fold up and down with respect to the track system.

16. The modular shelving system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable shelf comprises integrated surface rollers to facilitate the movement of packages along the adjustable shelf'"'"'s upper surface.

17. The modular shelving system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable shelf comprises a front lip opposite the package-delivery vehicle'"'"'s internal wall.

18. The modular shelving system of claim 17, wherein the adjustable shelf comprises a spring-loaded pusher that is configured to advance packages toward the adjustable shelf'"'"'s front lip.

19. The modular shelving system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable shelf comprises at least one divider extending vertically from the shelf.

20. The modular shelving system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable shelf comprises a shelf-locator indicator.