Dynamic discharge compensation for a sortation system

• US 9,150,362 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligrated Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intelligrated Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Vegh, Mark Kenneth, Rosenwald, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US14/086,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/34 Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyor B65G47/256 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/96 Devices for tilting links or platform releasing load-carriers B65G47/38
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40078 Sort objects, workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45047 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The discharge accuracy of unit sortation is improved by making real time adjustments to the discharge timing of the carrier based on the determined actual position of each article on respective carriers. The adjustments are applied at the time the discharge command is given.

Claims

1. A method of discharging an article from a sortation system, the article positioned off-center on a selected moving carrier of the sortation system, the method comprising:

detecting a longitudinal component of a relative location of the article positioned off-center on the selected moving carrier;

determining a release point for discharging to a selected stationary discharge location, the release point compensating for at least the longitudinal component of the relative location of the article positioned off-center; and

determining whether the release point has been reached; and

in response to determining that the release point has been reached, initiating discharge of the article positioned off-center by the selected moving carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a lateral component of the relative location of the article positioned off-center on the selected moving carrier; and

wherein determining the release point for discharging comprises determining the release point for discharging to compensate for at least the lateral component of the relative location.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the selected moving carrier comprises a cross belt carrier;

and

wherein determining the release point for discharging further comprises compensating for one or more factors including a motor speed profile for the cross belt carrier and a longitudinal speed of the selected moving carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating discharge of the article further comprises communicating a lateral direction to the selected moving carrier to initiate the discharge.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating discharge of the article by the selected moving carrier comprises discharging the article from the selected moving carrier in one movement from the detected relative location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the relative location of the article to the selected moving carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the relative location of the article comprises:

imaging the selected moving carrier; and

recognizing the article positioned off-center thereon.

8. A material handling system, comprising:

an endless conveyor having more than one moving carrier that moves past more than one stationary discharge location;

an image device positioned to detect an article positioned off-center on a selected moving carrier;

a controller in communication with the endless conveyor and image device to perform operations to;

detect a longitudinal component of a relative location of the article positioned off-center on a selected moving carrier of the endless conveyor;

determine a release point for discharging to a selected stationary discharge location, the release point compensating for at least the longitudinal component of the relative location of the article positioned off-center; and

determine whether the release point has been reached; and

in response to determining that the release point has been reached, initiate discharge of the article positioned off-center by the selected moving carrier.

9. The material handling system of claim 8, further comprising said controller to perform operations to:

detect a lateral component of the relative location of the article positioned off-center on the selected moving carrier; and

determine the release point for discharging to compensate for at least the lateral component of the relative location.

10. The material handling system of claim 8, wherein the selected moving carrier comprises a cross belt carrier, and further comprising said controller to perform operations to compensate for one or more factors including a motor speed profile for the cross belt carrier and a longitudinal speed of the selected moving carrier in determining the release point.

11. The material handling system of claim 8, further comprising said controller to perform operations to communicate a discharge command to the selected moving carrier to initiate the discharge of the article prior to determining the release point.

12. The material handling system of claim 11, further comprising said controller to perform operations to communicate a lateral direction to the selected moving carrier when communicating a discharge command.

13. The material handling system of claim 8, further comprising said controller to perform operations to discharge the article from the selected moving carrier in one movement from the detected relative location.

14. The material handling system of claim 8, further comprising said controller to perform operations to communicate the relative location of the article to the selected moving carrier.

15. The material handling system of claim 8, further comprising said controller to perform operations to:

image the selected moving carrier; and

recognize the article positioned off-center thereon.

16. A controller, comprising:

an interface to an endless conveyor;

at least one processor; and

a memory,

wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the memory and the interface and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations to;

detect a longitudinal component of a relative location of an article positioned off-center on a selected moving carrier of the endless conveyor;

determine a release point for discharging to a selected stationary discharge location, the release point compensating for at least the longitudinal component of the relative location of the article positioned off-center; and

determine whether the release point has been reached; and

in response to determining that the release point has been reached, initiate discharge of the article positioned off-center by the selected moving carrier.

17. The controller of claim 16, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to:

detect a lateral component of the relative location of the article positioned off-center on the selected moving carrier; and

determine the release point for discharging to compensate for at least the lateral component of the relative location.

18. The controller of claim 16, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to compensate for one or more factors including a cross belt motor speed profile for the selected moving carrier and a longitudinal speed of the selected moving carrier in determining the release point.

19. The controller of claim 16, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to communicate a discharge command to the selected moving carrier to initiate the discharge of the article prior to determining the release point.

20. The controller of claim 19, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to communicate a lateral direction to the selected moving carrier when communicating a discharge command.

21. The controller of claim 16, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to discharge the article from the selected moving carrier in one movement from the detected relative location.

22. The controller of claim 16, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to communicate the relative location of the article to the selected moving carrier.

23. The controller of claim 16, further comprising said at least one processor configured with processor-executable instructions to:

image the selected moving carrier; and

recognize the article positioned off-center thereon.