SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SORTATION OF PRODUCTS USING A CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20170330135A1
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Robert J., Alexander, Matthew D., Propes, William M., Crecelius, JR., John C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,810,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to the sortation of products using a conveyor assembly. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for receiving and sorting products shipped to a shopping facility including: a delivery location at a shopping facility configured to receive a shipment of products; a conveyor assembly comprising: a product identification module configured to read identification data from an identification label disposed on a product; a plurality of sortation modules configured to move the product to one of a predetermined plurality of sortation destination areas; a control circuit operatively coupled to the product identification module and to each of the sortation modules, the control circuit configured to: receive the identification data from the product identification module; determine the sortation destination area for the product based at least on one of shopping facility data and shipping data regarding the product as sortation criteria; and cooperate with the plurality of sortation modules to move the product to the determined sortation destination area.

Claims

1. A system for receiving and sorting products shipped to a shopping facility comprising:

a delivery location at a shopping facility configured to receive a shipment of products;

a conveyor assembly comprising;

a product identification module configured to read identification data from an identification label disposed on a product;

a plurality of sortation modules configured to move the product to one of a predetermined plurality of sortation destination areas;

a control circuit operatively coupled to the product identification module and to each of the sortation modules, the control circuit configured to;

receive the identification data from the product identification module;

determine the sortation destination area for the product based at least on one of shopping facility data and shipping data regarding the product as sortation criteria; and

cooperate with the plurality of sortation modules to move the product to the determined sortation destination area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery location comprises a loading dock at the shopping facility configured to receive delivery vehicles.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the product identification module comprises a scan tunnel or arm positioned above or adjacent one of the plurality of sortation modules.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly further comprises:

a plurality of powered rollers disposed at predetermined locations along the conveyor assembly; and

a plurality of sensors disposed at predetermined locations along the conveyor assembly to detect positions of the product.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is operatively coupled to the plurality of powered rollers and to the plurality of sensors, the control circuit configured to activate a powered roller to adjust the speed of the product to maintain a predetermined minimum separation distance between it and an adjacent product.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the product identification module and plurality of sortation modules are reconfigurable for coupling to one another to define different geometric arrangements of the conveyor assembly.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit tracks the positions of the plurality of destination areas after the sortation modules are interchanged or reconfigured.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an operator interface configured to control the conveyor assembly.

9. A method for receiving and sorting products shipped to a shopping facility comprising:

receiving a shipment of products at a delivery location at a shopping facility;

depositing a product on a conveyor assembly;

reading identification data from an identification label disposed on the product;

moving the product along the conveyor assembly;

by a control circuit, receiving the identification data from the product identification module;

by the control circuit, determining the sortation destination area for the product from among a predetermined plurality of sortation destination areas based at least on one of shopping facility data and shipping data regarding the product as sortation criteria; and

moving the product to the determined sortation destination area.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising unloading the shipment of products from a delivery vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transporting the product from the determined sortation destination area to a corresponding location for the product in the shopping facility.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the control circuit, selectively determining the sortation destination area based on the sales location of the product in the shopping facility.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the control circuit, selectively determining the sortation destination area based, at least in part, on shopping facility inventory information regarding the product.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the control circuit, selectively determining the sortation destination area based, at least in part, on current product availability information at the shopping facility.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the control circuit, selectively determining the sortation destination area based on the quantity of the product delivered in the shipment of products.