System and method for automated cross-dock operations

• US 10,147,059 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Logistics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Logistics, Inc.
• Inventors: Sullivan, Patrick, Maldonado, Jefferson, Lively, Shannon, Jenkins, Kerry, McCormack, Jonathan, Sloan, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/798,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20180121864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/002 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/02 Loading or unloading land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/30 Non-permanently installed loading ramps, e.g. transportable
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an automated cross-dock management system configured to optimize moves on a cross-dock. The automated cross-dock management system uses inbound manifest data to calculate ordered move instructions for all inbound movable platforms, inbound modular decks, and inbound freight. The ordered move instructions can be assigned to be carried out by manual conveyance vehicles or by automated guided vehicles based upon a plurality of criteria. The automated cross-dock management system is also able to detect damaged freight on the cross-dock using a combination of streams from video cameras.

Claims

1. A cross-dock management system comprising:

a cross-dock having a plurality of doors at opposing ends of the cross-dock for receiving inbound trailers and for loading outbound trailers

a plurality of spaces arranged in a grid pattern on the cross-dock,

wherein the grid pattern comprises at least three rows and at least three columns, and

wherein the separated spaces are angled approximately 30-45°

with respect to the plurality of doors;

a plurality of movable platforms arranged on the cross-dock in the separated spaces,

wherein an area of each movable platform is substantially the same as an area of the separated spaces;

wherein the plurality of movable platforms comprise;

a plurality of vertical posts; and

a plurality of engagement members on each vertical post configured to receive modular decks placed on the plurality of engagement members at varying heights;

a plurality of conveyance vehicles,

wherein a first subset of the plurality of conveyance vehicles are manually operated conveyance vehicles, and

wherein a second subset of the plurality of conveyance vehicles are automated guided vehicles (AGVs);

a local database for storing received manifest data,

wherein the manifest data includes information classifying inbound movable platforms, inbound modular decks, and inbound freight as AGV-compatible or AGV-incompatible; and

an initial setup optimization server for determining a plurality of ordered move instructions for moving the inbound movable platforms, the inbound modular decks, and the inbound freight based upon the manifest data,

wherein a first subset of the ordered move instructions are assigned to and performed by the AGVs, and

wherein a second subset of the ordered move instructions are assigned to and performed by the manually operated conveyance vehicles.

2. The cross-dock management system according to claim 1, further including:

a plurality of RFID readers arranged in an RFID array, and

a RFID server for collecting and storing real-time location information of the conveyance vehicles from the RFID array,

wherein the AGVs utilize the real-time location information for collision avoidance.

3. The cross-dock management system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of conveyance vehicles comprises a remote control unit, and

wherein the remote control unit is configured to allow a remote user or a remote control server to control each of the plurality of conveyance vehicles.

4. The cross-dock management system according to claim 1, wherein all ordered move instructions for the inbound movable platforms, the inbound modular decks, and the inbound freight classified as AGV-compatible are included in the first subset of the ordered move instructions.

5. The cross-dock management system according to claim 4, wherein all ordered move instructions for the inbound movable platforms, the inbound modular decks, and the inbound freight classified as AGV-incompatible are included in the second subset of the ordered move instructions.

6. The cross-dock management system according to claim 1, wherein each ordered move instruction includes origin information and destination information, wherein the destination information includes a movable platform location, a side of the movable platform location, a vertical post location, and a height location.

7. The cross-dock management system according to claim 6, wherein the second subset of the ordered move instructions are displayed to a worker using a tablet in communication with a manually operated conveyance vehicle operated by the worker.

8. The cross-dock management system according to claim 7, wherein each ordered move instruction is displayed using a visualization on a display of the tablet.

9. The cross-dock management system according to claim 8, wherein, for a freight instruction, the visualization includes a visual representation of a movable platform indicating a destination location of freight on a destination movable platform.

10. The cross-dock management system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of conveyance vehicles comprises one or more video cameras.

11. The cross-dock management system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a real time instruction server; and

a video server,

wherein the video server monitors video feeds from the one or more video cameras on each of the plurality of conveyance vehicles for damaged freight or misplaced freight, and

if any damaged freight or misplaced freight is detected, the video server transmits an exception to the real time instruction server.

12. The cross-dock management system according to claim 11, wherein the video server monitors video feeds from the one or more video cameras on each of the plurality of conveyance vehicles to detect unauthorized personnel, and

if any unauthorized personnel are detected, the video server

a) stores a video or an image of the unauthorized personnel;

and

b) triggers a security alarm.

13. The cross-dock management system according to claim 11, wherein the real time instruction server utilizes exceptions to calculate a new set of ordered instructions for handling the damaged freight or the misplaced freight.

14. The cross-dock management system according to claim 13, wherein the new set of ordered instructions are added to the second subset of ordered move instructions.

15. The cross-dock management system according to claim 1, wherein the ordered move instructions are divided into movable platform instructions, modular deck instructions, and freight instructions.

16. The cross-dock management system according to claim 15, wherein all movable platform instructions are included in the first subset of the ordered move instructions.

17. The cross-dock management system according to claim 15, wherein all modular deck instructions are included in the first subset of the ordered move instructions.

18. The cross-dock management system according to claim 17, wherein all freight instructions are included in the second subset of the ordered move instructions.

19. The cross-dock management system according to claim 15, wherein the initial setup optimization server further comprises:

a dock zoning module,

wherein the dock zoning module assigns all movable platform instructions and all modular deck instructions to be carried out in a first zone of the cross-dock, and

wherein the dock zoning module assigns all freight instructions to be carried out in a second zone of the cross-dock different than the first zone.

20. The cross-dock management system according to claim 19, wherein only AGVs are assigned ordered move instructions included in the second zone of the cross-dock.