Vehicle systems and methods to support the distribution of products

• US 10,137,816 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Harper, Thomas L., Allen, William R., Blair, II, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joerger, Kaitlin S
• Application Number:
  US15/421,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 414523
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/36 using endless chains or belts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/20 Loading covered vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Some embodiments provide vehicle systems comprising: a housing; a wheel system comprising at least one axle extending between at least two wheels positioned on opposite sides of the housing and supporting the housing; a mobile product distribution system comprising: a product movement system maintained within the housing; and multiple bay doors formed in the housing and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align while products are distributed from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles; wherein the product movement system extends between the multiple bay doors and is configured to transport the products from each of the inbound vehicles, through the housing and to at least one of the outbound vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, comprising:

a housing;

a wheel system comprising at least one axle extending between at least two wheels positioned on opposite sides of the housing and supporting the housing;

a mobile product distribution system comprising;

a product movement system maintained within the housing;

a pallet transport system;

multiple bay doors formed in the housing and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align while products are distributed from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles; and

a control circuit cooperated with the housing and configured to;

estimate arrival times of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles based on respective distances the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are from a temporary distribution location of multiple different temporary distribution locations, historical travel times, and other stops a correspond one of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are scheduled to make;

receive identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors;

generate a distribution plan identifying a number of each product to be moved from each of the inbound vehicles and a number of each product to be moved into each of the outbound vehicles based on the estimated arrival times and the identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors; and

determine product distribution routing to be applied by at least by the product movement system based on the distribution plan;

wherein the product movement system extends between the multiple bay doors and the control circuit directs the control of the product movement system to cause the transport of the products by the product movement system from each of the inbound vehicles, through the housing and to at least one of the outbound vehicles;

wherein the product movement system comprises a conveyor system extending through the housing, wherein the conveyor system comprising multiple conveyors over which at least some of the products are supported as the products are moved along at least a first conveyor of the multiple conveyors comprises an array of rollers that allow products to roll along a length of the at least one conveyor and provides at least a portion of a conveyor path between two bay doors and along which products are rolled along the array of rollers and transported from a first inbound vehicle of the inbound vehicles to a first outbound vehicle of the outbound vehicles; and

wherein the first conveyor is retractable and movable to be moved away from a first bay door to open space of the floor of the housing between at least the first bay door and a second bay door to enable movement of the pallet transport system to cooperate with and transport at least a pallet loaded with products from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the multiple bay doors are arranged in the housing enabling at least the first inbound vehicle to align with the first bay door of the multiple bay doors while at least the first outbound vehicle is simultaneously aligned with the second bay door of the multiple bay doors and a second outbound vehicle is simultaneously aligned with a third bay door of the multiple bay doors;

wherein the product movement system is configured to extend from the first bay door to each of the second bay door and the third bay door and is configured to transport the products from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle and the second outbound vehicle.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the product movement system comprises:

an automated routing system comprising;

a conveyor system controller communicatively coupled with the control circuit to receive the product distribution routing;

at least one scanner system configured to detect a product identifier of a product traveling along the first conveyor of the conveyor system and communicate the product identifier to the conveyor system controller, wherein the conveyor system controller is configured to identify an intended outbound vehicle and a corresponding one of the multiple bay doors where the intended outbound vehicle is located; and

a plurality of motorized product routers positioned to move relative to conveyors of the conveyor system and controlled to move, based on instructions from the conveyor system controller generated in accordance with and in implementing the product distribution routing, to direct the identified product as the identified product rolls along a second array of rollers of a second conveyor of the multiple conveyors onto a third conveyor and toward the corresponding one of the multiple bay doors and the intended outbound vehicle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the conveyor system controller is configured to communicate instructions to control the motorized product router to simultaneously direct each of multiple distinct and separate products, based on the product identifier of each of the products, from multiple of the inbound vehicles each aligned with one of the multiple bay doors to one of multiple of the outbound vehicles each aligned with one of the multiple bay doors while the multiple inbound vehicles are aligned with one of the multiple bay doors.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

wherein the control circuit of the mobile product distribution system couples with the wireless transceiver to receive the inbound vehicle identifiers for each inbound vehicle that is within a first threshold distance of the mobile product distribution system, and the outbound vehicle identifiers for each outbound vehicle that is within a second threshold distance of the mobile product distribution system, wherein the control circuit schedules when each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles is to align with one of the multiple bay doors, and communicates a notification to each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles specifying timing of when each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles is to align with one of the multiple bay doors and specifies a bay door identifier with which each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles is to align.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the mobile product distribution system further comprises:

a loading ramp associated with the first bay door of the multiple bay doors and configured to extend between the mobile product distribution system to cooperate with the first inbound vehicle to support the pallet transport system and the at least the pallet loaded with the products while the products are transferred by the pallet transport system at least from the first inbound vehicle; and

a height control system that enables adjustment of a height of at least a portion of the mobile product distribution system in allowing alignment with at least one of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising:

a scheduling control circuit; and

memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the scheduling control circuit cause the scheduling control circuit to;

obtain, for each of the multiple inbound vehicles, a source location from which a corresponding one of the multiple of inbound vehicles is to transport at least one product of multiple products;

obtain multiple destination locations scheduled to receive at least one of the multiple products and to which at least one of the multiple outbound vehicles is to travel;

select a first temporary distribution location of the multiple different temporary distribution locations as a function of the multiple destination locations and at least one of the source locations; and

communicate instructions to cause the mobile product distribution system to be transported to the selected first temporary distribution location.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the first conveyor comprises a plurality of hinges and is expandable and movable, and wherein the first conveyor is configured to be moved to align with and expanded to extend into a corresponding one of the inbound vehicles or outbound vehicles that is aligned with the first bay door with which the first conveyor is aligned.

9. A method of distributing products between vehicles, comprising:

causing a mobile product distribution system to be transported via a wheel system of the mobile product distribution system to a selected first temporary distribution location;

providing each of multiple inbound vehicles and multiple outbound vehicles with access to align with one of multiple bay doors formed in a housing of the mobile product distribution system and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align;

estimating arrival times of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles based on respective distances the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are from a temporary distribution location of multiple different temporary distribution locations, historical travel times, and other stops a correspond one of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are scheduled to make;

receiving, at a control circuit of the mobile product distribution system cooperated with the housing, identifiers of each of the multiple inbound vehicles and the multiple outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors;

generating, through the control circuit, a distribution plan identifying a number of each product to be moved from each of the multiple inbound vehicles aligned with one of the bay doors and a number of each product to be moved into each of the multiple outbound vehicles aligned with one of the bay doors based on the estimated arrival times and the identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors;

distributing products from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles while aligned with one of the multiple bay doors directing the control of the product movement system causing the transporting of the products through the housing by a product movement system within the housing and extending between the multiple bay doors from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles wherein the product movement system comprises a conveyor system extending through the housing and comprising multiple conveyors over which at least some of the products are supported as the products are moved along at least a first conveyor of the multiple conveyors comprising an array of rollers that allow products to roll along a length of the at least one conveyor and provides at least a portion of a conveyor path between two bay doors and along which products are rolled along the array of rollers and transported from a first inbound vehicle of the inbound vehicles to a first outbound vehicle of the outbound vehicles; and

causing the first conveyor to be retracted and moved away from a first bay door to open space of the floor of the housing between at least the first bay door and a second bay door to enable movement of a pallet transport system to cooperate with and transport at least a pallet loaded with products from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing the multiple inbound vehicles and the multiple outbound vehicles with access to align with one of the multiple bay doors comprises enabling at least the first inbound vehicle to align with the first bay door of the multiple bay doors while at least the first outbound vehicle is simultaneously aligned with the second bay door of the multiple bay doors and a second outbound vehicle is simultaneously aligned with a third bay door of the multiple bay doors;

and

wherein the distributing the products comprises transporting the products along the product movement system extending from the first bay door to each of the second bay door and the third bay door from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle and the second outbound vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a product identifier of each product traveling along the first conveyor of the conveyor system;

identifying, for each of the products, an intended outbound vehicle and a corresponding one of the bay doors where the intended outbound vehicle is located; and

controlling at least one of a plurality of motorized product routers positioned to move relative to conveyors of the conveyor system to move, based on the identification of the bay door where the corresponding outbound delivery vehicle is located and implementing the product distribution routing, and

directing each of the identified products as the identified products roll along a second array of rollers of a second conveyor of the multiple conveyors onto a third conveyor and toward the corresponding one of the bay doors and the intended outbound vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling the plurality of motorized product routers comprises communicating instructions to control the motorized product routers and simultaneously directing each of multiple distinct and separate products, based on the product identifier of each of the products, from the multiple inbound vehicles each aligned with one of the multiple bay doors to one of the multiple outbound vehicles each aligned with one of the multiple bay doors while the multiple inbound vehicles are aligned with one of the multiple bay doors.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving the inbound vehicle identifiers for each inbound vehicle that is within a first threshold distance of the mobile product distribution system;

wirelessly receiving the outbound vehicle identifiers for each outbound vehicle that is within a second threshold distance of the mobile product distribution system;

scheduling, through the control circuit of the mobile product distribution system, when each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles is to align with one of the multiple bay doors; and

communicating a notification to each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles specifying timing of when each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles is to align with one of the multiple bay doors, and specifying a bay door identifier with which each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles is to align.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

extending a loading ramp configured to extend between the mobile product distribution system to cooperate with the first inbound vehicle to support the pallet transport system and the at least the pallet loaded with the products while the products are transferred by the pallet transport system at least from the first inbound vehicle; and

activating a height control system and adjusting a height of at least a portion of the mobile product distribution system in aligning with at least one of the multiple inbound vehicles and the multiple outbound vehicles.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying, by a scheduling control circuit of a mobile product distribution system scheduling system, a source location of each of the multiple inbound vehicles from which a corresponding one of the multiple inbound vehicles is to transport at least one product of multiple products;

identifying multiple destination locations to receive at least one of the multiple products and to which at least one of the multiple outbound vehicles is to travel;

selecting the first temporary distribution location of multiple different predefined temporary distribution locations where the mobile product distribution system is to be temporarily positioned to enable products to be distributed from the multiple inbound vehicles to the multiple outbound vehicles, wherein the selecting the first temporary distribution location comprises selecting the first temporary distribution location as a function of the multiple destination locations and at least one of the source locations; and

wherein the causing the mobile product distribution system to be transported comprises communicating instructions to cause the mobile product distribution system to be transported to the selected first temporary distribution location.