US 10,800,608 B1Granted

Optimized shipment transfer

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsStephen T. Campbell, Robert M Whitten, Shilpi Gupta, Ibolya Horvath, Oksana Mikhailovna Kharchenko, Justina Lakinger, Ryan Clarke

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Abstract

With respect to a transfer facility configured to optimize package transfers therethrough, a container housing packages may be delivered to a first floor of the transfer facility. The packages may be transported to consolidation stations based on destinations associated therewith. In some examples, the packages may be bound for a single destination and thus transported to a single consolidation station. In some examples, the packages may be bound for multiple destinations and thus transported to a second floor of the transfer facility for sortation. A destination and mode of transportation associated with the package may be determined at an induction station on the second floor, as well as a consolidation station associated therewith. A drive unit may insert the package into a chute for transit down a slide to the consolidation station, where it may be placed into another container for shipment to the destination via the mode of transportation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a first floor of a transfer facility comprising:
a first surface comprising:
a first portion configured to facilitate movement of a unit load device (ULD) across the first surface of the first floor between a first location associated with an air cargo station, a second location associated with a conveyor loading station, and a third location associated with a consolidation station;
and
a second portion configured for at least one of a drive unit or a human powered vehicle to operate for delivering a ground shipment container between a fourth location associated with a ground cargo station, a fifth location associated with the conveyor loading station, and a sixth location associated with the consolidation station;
a plurality of consolidation stations, wherein the consolidation station of the plurality of consolidation stations is configured for consolidating packages based on a destination and a mode of transportation associated with the packages, wherein the consolidation station comprises at least one of the ULD or the ground shipment container;
a first-to-second floor conveyor configured to transport one or more packages from the conveyor loading station on the first floor to a second floor of the transfer facility;
the second floor comprising:
a plurality of drive units configured to carry a package across a second surface of the second floor;
a plurality of induction stations configured for:
receiving a package;
determining the destination and the mode of transportation associated with the package;
identifying a chute corresponding to the consolidation station configured to consolidate packages bound for the destination via the mode of transportation, wherein a first end of a slide is located at the chute and a second end of the slide is located at the consolidation station;
and
causing a drive unit of the plurality of drive units to deliver the package to the consolidation station via the chute, wherein based on an insertion of the package into the chute, the package travels on the slide to the consolidation station for consolidation into the at least one of the ULD or the ground shipment container.

12 more elements

A method comprising:

determining that a first container at a first location on a first floor of a transfer facility comprises one or more packages bound for one or more destinations;
causing the first container to be delivered to a second location on the first floor associated with a conveyor configured to deliver packages from the first floor to a second floor of the transfer facility, wherein the first container is delivered to the second location via a first flooring, the first flooring configured for at least one of:
facilitating movement of a unit load device (ULD), operation of a first drive unit, or operation of a human powered vehicle;
causing a package of the one or more packages to be delivered to the second floor via the conveyor;
causing a package to be delivered to an induction station located on the second floor, wherein a computing device at the induction station is configured to determine a destination associated with the package;
identifying an opening through a bottom surface of the second floor, wherein the opening corresponds to a consolidation station configured for consolidating packages into a second container bound for the destination;
causing a second drive unit to deliver the package to the consolidation station via the opening;
and
causing the package to be placed in the second container bound for the destination.

6 more elements

A method comprising:

determining that a first container configured for a first mode of transportation at a first location of a transfer facility comprises one or more packages to be transported to a destination via a second mode of transportation;
identifying a consolidation station associated with the destination and the second mode of transportation, wherein the consolidation station is configured for consolidating packages into a second container for transport to the destination via the second mode of transportation;
causing the first container to be delivered to the consolidation station via a first flooring, the first flooring configured for at least one of:
facilitating movement of a unit load device (ULD), an operation of a drive unit, or an operation of a human operated vehicle;
determining that at least a portion of the one or more packages have been placed into the second container configured for the second mode of transportation;
determining that the second container is at capacity;
and
causing the second container to be delivered to a loading station via a second flooring, the second flooring configured for the other of the at least one of:
facilitating movement of the ULD, the operation of the drive unit, or the operation of the human powered vehicle.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.