Methods and systems for loading products into a cargo space of a delivery vehicle

A method of loading products at a product distribution facility into a cargo space of a delivery vehicle, the method comprising:

• processing, at a computing device including a processor-based control unit, an electronic packing list including at least one product to be loaded into the cargo space of the delivery vehicle;
• providing at least one electronic database in communication with the computing device, the at least one electronic database storing data representing:
• at least one of size, weight, and product characteristic parameters for the at least one product on the electronic packing list;
• at least one of size and shape parameters of the cargo space of the delivery vehicle;
• and
• packing rules for the at least one product on the electronic packing list;
• retrieving, using the computing device, the data from the at least one electronic database;
• providing at least one sorting conveyor at a product sorting area of the product distribution facility;
• determining, at the computing device and based on the data retrieved from the at least one database, a location and orientation in the cargo space of the delivery vehicle for loading the at least one product on the electronic packing list;
• calculating, at the computing device and based on the determining step, step-by-step instructions for:
• loading the at least one product onto the at least one sorting conveyor at the product sorting area of the product distribution facility;
• unloading the at least one product from the at least one sorting conveyor;
• and
• loading the at least one product on the electronic packing list and unloaded from the at least one sorting conveyor into the determined location and orientation in the cargo space of the delivery vehicle;
• and
• outputting, using the computing device and based on the calculating step, the step-by-step instructions for loading the at least one product on the electronic packing list into the determined location and orientation in the cargo space of the delivery vehicle;
• storing data representing the step-by-step instructions for loading the at least one product on the electronic packing list into the determined location and orientation in the cargo space of the delivery vehicle in the at least one electronic database;
• providing a portable electronic device in communication with the computing device, the portable electronic device including a video camera;
• transmitting, from the computing device and to the portable electronic device, the step-by-step instructions for loading the at least one product on the electronic packing list into the determined location and orientation in the cargo space of the delivery vehicle;
• acquiring digital images of the cargo space of the delivery vehicle by the camera of the portable electronic device during loading of the at least one product on the electronic packing list into the cargo space of the delivery vehicle, the digital images including video capture data depicting the cargo space of the delivery vehicle and a location and orientation of the at least one product on the electronic packing list as loaded into the cargo space;
• receiving, at the computing device and from the portable electronic device, the digital images of the cargo space acquired by the camera of the portable electronic device during the acquiring step;
• extracting, by the control unit of the computing device and from the digital images of the cargo space acquired by the camera, the video capture data to determine the location and the orientation of the at least one product as loaded within into the cargo space;
• correlating, by the control unit of the computing device, the location and the orientation of the at least one product loaded into the cargo space represented by the extracted video capture data against the data stored in the at least one electronic database and representing the step-by-step instructions for loading the at least one product on the electronic packing list into the determined location and orientation in the cargo space of the delivery vehicle;
• generating, via the control unit of the computing device, an alert in response to a determination by the control unit of the computing device during the correlating step that the location and orientation of the at least one product in the cargo space as represented by the extracted video capture data deviates from the location and the orientation of the at least one product indicated by the data representing the step-by-step instructions stored in the at least one electronic database for loading the at least one product into the cargo space;
• and
• transmitting the generated alert from the computing device to the portable electronic device.