Modular dock for facilities integration

• US 9,688,489 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Straszheim, Troy, Zevenbergen, John, Nusser, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James
• Application Number:
  US14/672,302
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/02 Loading or unloading land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/08 using endless conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/20 Loading covered vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/24 having platform level adjusting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller

Abstract

An example apparatus includes an enclosed rectangular container, including an openable first end and an openable second end. The apparatus further includes at least one first supporting base positioned proximate to the first end of the container that has an adjustable height in order to align a floor of the container with a trailer. The apparatus also includes at least one second supporting base positioned proximate to the second end of the container that has an adjustable height in order to align the floor of the container with a loading dock. The apparatus additionally includes a robotic manipulator connected to the floor of the container that is configured to move one or more objects between the trailer and the loading dock by moving the one or more objects through the container when the first end and the second end of the container are opened.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an enclosed rectangular container, comprising an openable first end and an openable second end opposite the first end;

at least one first supporting base positioned proximate to the first end of the container that has an adjustable height from the container;

at least one second supporting base positioned proximate to the second end of the container that has an adjustable height from the container;

a robotic manipulator connected to a floor of the container; and

a control system configured to;

adjust the adjustable height of the at least one first supporting base to align the floor of the container with a trailer when the trailer is located at the first end of the container;

adjust the adjustable height of the at least one second supporting base to align the floor of the container with a loading dock when the loading dock is located at the second end of the container;

provide instructions to cause the robotic manipulator to move an object between the trailer and the loading dock by moving the object through the container; and

adjust the adjustable height of a supporting base of the at least one first supporting base and the at least one second supporting base to stabilize the container in response to movement of the object by the robotic manipulator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one pair of opposing wheels positioned proximate to the second end of the container to allow the container to be hauled by a truck when the at least one first supporting base and the at least one second supporting base are retracted.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first supporting base comprises a front right leg positioned proximate to a right side of the container and a front left leg positioned proximate to a left side of the container, wherein the front right leg and the front left leg have independently adjustable respective heights in order to align the floor of the container with the trailer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one second supporting base comprises a rear right leg positioned proximate to the right side of the container and a rear left leg positioned proximate to the left side of the container, wherein the rear right leg and the rear left leg have independently adjustable respective heights in order to align the floor of the container with the loading dock.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the robotic manipulator is configured to move the object from the container to a conveyor which extends from the container to the loading dock.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a flexible conveyor contained within the container that is connected to the conveyor which extends from the container to the loading dock, wherein the robotic manipulator is configured to move the object from the trailer to the flexible conveyor to cause the object to be moved from the flexible conveyor to the conveyor which extends from the container to the loading dock.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flexible conveyor is mounted to the floor of the container in order to align the flexible conveyor with the trailer and with the loading dock.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to:

receive sensor data from one or more optical sensors within the container, wherein the sensor data is indicative of the object; and

identify one or more metrics of the object based on the received sensor data before the object is moved out of the container.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control system is further configured to:

based on the one or more identified metrics of the object, determine at least one height adjustment of at least one supporting base of the at least one first supporting base and the at least one second supporting base in order to stabilize the container; and

cause the at least one determined height adjustment of the at least one supporting base during movement of the object by the robotic manipulator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one safety sensor positioned at the second end of the container that is configured to monitor a plane aligned with the open second end of the container; and

wherein the control system is configured to;

receive sensor data from the at least one safety sensor indicative of a user crossing the monitored plane; and

responsively provide instructions to stop movement of the robotic manipulator.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the robotic manipulator comprises a robotic arm having a base, wherein the robotic manipulator is connected to the floor of the container by fixing the base of the robotic arm to the floor of the container.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first supporting base and the at least one second supporting base comprise four separately actuable supporting bases positioned proximate to four corners of the container, and wherein the control system is configured to adjust one of the supporting bases positioned proximate to a corner of the container to stabilize the container in response to movement of the object by the robotic manipulator.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

determine that the container is tilting beyond a threshold amount during robotic object manipulation; and

in response to determining that the container is tilting beyond the threshold amount during robotic object manipulation, adjust the adjustable height of at least one supporting base to stabilize the container.

14. A method, comprising:

adjusting, by at least one rear actuator, an adjustable height of at least one rear supporting base of a rectangular container in order to align a floor of the rectangular container with a loading dock that is located at an open rear end of the rectangular container, wherein the at least one rear supporting base is positioned proximate to the open rear end of the rectangular container;

adjusting, by at least one front actuator, an adjustable height of at least one front supporting base of the rectangular container in order to align the floor of the rectangular container with a trailer that is located at an open front end of the rectangular container, wherein the at least one front supporting base is positioned proximate to the open front end of the rectangular container;

moving, by a robotic manipulator connected to the floor of the rectangular container, an object between the trailer and the loading dock by moving the object through the rectangular container; and

adjusting the adjustable height of a supporting base of the at least one front supporting base and the at least one rear supporting base to stabilize the rectangular container in response to movement of the object by the robotic manipulator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one front supporting base comprises a front right leg positioned proximate to a right side of the rectangular container and a front left leg positioned proximate to a left side of the rectangular container, the method further comprising:

adjusting the front right leg to a first height and the front left leg to a second height in order to align the floor of the rectangular container with the trailer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one rear supporting base comprises a back right leg positioned at a right side of the rectangular container and a back left leg positioned at a left side of the rectangular container, the method further comprising:

adjusting the back left leg to a third height and the back right leg to a fourth height in order to align the floor of the rectangular container with the loading dock.

17. A control system for a robotic manipulator configured to:

adjust an adjustable height of at least one rear supporting base of a rectangular container in order to align a floor of the rectangular container with a loading dock when the loading dock is located at an open rear end of the rectangular container, wherein the robotic manipulator is connected to the floor of the rectangular container;

adjust an adjustable height of at least one front supporting base of the rectangular container in order to align the floor of the rectangular container with a trailer when the trailer is located at an open front end of the rectangular container;

control the robotic manipulator to move an object between the trailer and the loading dock by moving the object through the rectangular container; and

adjust the adjustable height of a supporting base of the at least one front supporting base and the at least one rear supporting base to stabilize the rectangular container in response to movement of the object by the robotic manipulator.

18. The control system of claim 17, further configured to:

identify that a second trailer has been positioned at the open front end of the rectangular container;

cause a further adjustment in the adjustable height of the at least one front supporting base of the rectangular container in order to align the floor of the rectangular container with the second trailer; and

control the robotic manipulator to move one or more additional objects between the second trailer and the loading dock.

19. The control system of claim 17, further configured to:

receive sensor data from one or more optical sensors coupled to the robotic manipulator, wherein the sensor data is indicative of the object; and

identify one or more metrics of the objet based on the received sensor data before the object is moved out of the rectangular container.

20. The control system of claim 19, further configured to:

adjust the adjustable height of the supporting base to stabilize the rectangular container based on the one or more identified metrics of the object during movement of the the object by the robotic manipulator.