Automated loading and unloading items

• US 9,950,862 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kadaba, Nagesh, Peterson, Erik, Ramsager, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/393,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20170107056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/4414 and keeping the loading platform parallel to the ground when raising the load
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/52 using rollers in the load-transporting element
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/5438 with a moveable base B60P1/5485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/007 for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/16 Special arrangements of articles in storage spaces
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/025 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2814/0302 Central control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/02 Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/04 Loading land vehicles loading or unloading boats to or from land vehicles B60P3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/24 Unloading land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/19 characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32392 Warehouse and loading, unloading station and shop and machining centers and in out buffer
• 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 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 : Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for automated loading and retrieval of items. In various embodiments, items are received at a loading station where identification data may be captured for each item and handling instructions may be generated. In some embodiments, a label having indicia associated with the item may be generated and affixed to the item. The items may then be deposited through an access door into the vehicle identified in the handling instructions. Once the items are loaded into the access door, an automated load/unload device may deposit the item in the appropriate storage location. The automated load/unload device may also retrieve and rearrange items as desired.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving items from a vehicle comprising the steps of:

storing, in a memory, data indicative of a storage location of each of one or more items, wherein the storage locations are assigned locations at which each of the one or more items are placed within a vehicle;

identifying the one or more items to be retrieved;

retrieving data indicative of the storage location of each of the one or more items from the memory;

detecting, via a location-determining device, a position of the vehicle with respect to a delivery location;

determining whether the detected position of the vehicle is within a threshold distance of the delivery location;

in response to determining that the detected position of the vehicle is within the threshold distance of the delivery location, actuating a load/unload device to retrieve each of the one or more items from the storage location; and

transporting, via the load/unload device, the one or more items to an access port for retrieval from the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting that the vehicle is stopped, and wherein the load/unload device is actuated in response to:

(1) detecting that the vehicle is stopped, and (2) determining that the detected position of the vehicle is within the threshold distance of the delivery location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more items to be retrieved is based at least in part on the detected position of the vehicle with respect to the delivery location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more items to be retrieved is based on a sequence of delivery identified in a predetermined dispatch plan.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining one or more characteristics of the one or more items, and wherein the storage location of the one or more items is based at least in part on the determined characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more items comprises a plurality of items, and the step of transporting the one or more items to the access port comprises transporting the plurality items to the access port such that the plurality of items are available for retrieval from the vehicle simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a delivery service according to a dispatch plan, wherein said dispatch plan comprises a plurality of delivery stops each corresponding to a delivery location associated with one or more items of a plurality of items, and wherein the step of identifying the one or more items to be retrieved is based at least in part on the delivery location corresponding to an upcoming delivery stop.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the load/unload device comprises a selectively rotatable platform having one or more power rollers, and wherein actuating the load/unload device comprises moving a lifting mechanism to adjust the relative height of the selectively rotatable platform to gain access to the storage location.

9. A system for retrieving items from a vehicle comprising:

a vehicle having a cargo area with an access port and a plurality of storage locations, wherein each of said plurality of storage locations are configured for storing one or more items;

a load/unload device configured to transport the one or more items from one of the plurality of storage locations to the access port for retrieval from the vehicle;

a vehicle location-determining device configured to detect a position of the vehicle; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the vehicle location determining device and the load/unload device, the controller comprising at least one processor and at least one memory having program code instructions embodied therein, the at least one memory and program code instructions being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the controller to;

store, in the at least one memory, data indicative of a storage location of each of the one or more items, wherein the storage locations are assigned locations at which each of the one or more items are placed within the vehicle;

receive input indicative of the one or more items to be retrieved;

retrieve data indicative of the storage location of each of the one or more items from the at least one memory;

receive, from the vehicle location-determining device, a detected position of the vehicle with respect to a delivery location;

determine whether the detected position of the vehicle is within a threshold distance of the delivery location; and

in response to determining that the detected position of the vehicle is within the threshold distance of the delivery location, provide instructions to the load/unload device to retrieve the one or more items from the storage location of each of the one or more items.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a telematics device communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to detect conditions indicative of the vehicle being stopped.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to receive data from the telematics device, and wherein the instructions are provided to the load/unload device in response to the controller receiving data:

(1) from the telematics device indicating that the vehicle is stopped, and (2) that the detected position of the vehicle is within the threshold distance of the delivery location.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to identify the one or more items to be retrieved based at least in part on the detected position of the vehicle with respect to the delivery location.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the load/unload device comprises a selectively rotatable platform having one or more power rollers and a lifting mechanism configured to adjust the relative height of the selectively rotatable platform to gain access to one or more of the plurality of storage locations.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the lifting mechanism is operatively attached to the selectively rotatable platform and a base, wherein the base is configured to move axially within the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the base engages one or more rails in the vehicle to facilitate movement of the base within the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a characteristic determining device communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to determine at least one physical characteristic of the one or more items, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the storage location of each of the one or more items based at least in part on the determined at least one physical characteristic of each of the one or more items.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the determined characteristic is at least one of a dimension of the item or a weight of the item.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one memory has a dispatch plan stored therein, the dispatch plan comprising a plurality of delivery stops each corresponding to a delivery location associated with the one or more items; and

the controller is further configured to identify the one or more items to be retrieved based at least in part on the dispatch plan.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the input indicative of one or more items to be retrieved comprises input to a mobile computing entity identifying one or more items to be retrieved.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one memory has a dispatch plan stored therein, the dispatch plan comprises a plurality of delivery stops each corresponding to a delivery location associated with the one or more items; and

the controller is further configured to identify the one or more items to be retrieved based at least in part on the dispatch plan.