# US 11,305,936 B2 · Commercial logistic facility, configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle, and method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,936 B2 - Document ID: US11305936B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/586,040 - Filed: 2019-09-27 - Published: 2020-04-02 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28 - Assignees: Autoguide, LLC - Applicants: Autoguide, LLC - Inventors: Robert Sullivan; Justin Holwell; Paul Perry; William Fannin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305936B2 ## CPC - B65G 1/1375: {the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck} - B66F 9/07513: {Details concerning the chassis} - B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided} - B66F 9/065: non-masted (mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00) - B66F 9/08: Masts; Guides; Chains - G05B 19/41895: {using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] (control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00)} - G05D 1/225: operated by off-board computers - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - G05B 2219/31003: Supervise route, reserve route and allocate route to vehicle, avoid collision - G05B 2219/50393: Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle - G05D 2105/28: of freight - G05D 2107/70: Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories - G05D 2107/95: {Interior or surroundings of another vehicle} - G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle having an engine module and multiple different ones of selectably interchangeable logistic or material handling accessory modules. The engine module has motors, sensors and a control system integrated with each other for autonomous navigation freely throughout a travel area forming a logistic space. A module interface is located at one end of the engine module for modular coupling of the engine module with a handling accessory module of the vehicle. Each of the handling accessory modules has a different predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that on integral coupling with the engine module define a different logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. Selectable coupling of the handling accessory module with the engine module configures the vehicle so as to change the vehicle type from a first vehicle type to a second vehicle type different than the first vehicle type. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle comprising: a robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module including: motors, sensors, and a control system, wherein the motors, sensors, and control system are integrated with each other to provide autonomous navigation of the robotic autonomous guided vehicle freely throughout a travel area, the travel area forming a logistic space; wherein the integrated motors, sensors, and control system of the robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module are packaged within a module housing to comprise a module unit; and the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle further comprising: multiple different logistic or material handling accessory modules, each logistic or material handling accessory module including a corresponding different predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic, wherein with the module unit is coupled to a selected one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules, a type of logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle is defined; wherein, the module unit has a module interface at one end to provide modular coupling of the module unit with one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules, each of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules being selectably interchangeable with each other, and the different logistic or material handling accessory modules are further configured to selectably couple to the module unit via the module interface; wherein by selectably coupling a selected one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules to the module unit, a type of the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle is changed from a first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type to a second logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type different than the first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control system has a controller that is configured with different predetermined autonomous navigation programming, the different predetermined autonomous navigation programming having different predetermined autonomous navigation characteristics corresponding to the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to: automatically register the logistic or material handling accessory module that is coupled to the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle via the module interface, and the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type, and access a corresponding autonomous navigation program for the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type that is registered. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein the module unit is configured to define an integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic, the integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic being different from the corresponding logistic or material handling characteristics of each of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules, and the integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic defines another logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type different from each of the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle types defined from coupling respective logistic or material handling accessory modules with the module unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 4, wherein the other logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type is a tugger autonomous guided vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 4, wherein the module housing and control system of the module unit are configured to couple with a removable input-output device, the removable input-output device is configured for operator control of the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle, and change the control system from autonomous navigation that is intrinsic to the module unit to operator assisted or operator controlled navigation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type is a tugger autonomous guided vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a car assembly mover autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a logistic unit load roller bed autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a pallet fork lift-truck autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a high bay pallet lift-truck autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a pallet jack autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 13 A method for transporting logistics units with a configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle, the method comprising: providing a robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module, the robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module including: motors, sensors, and a control system that are integrated with each other to provide autonomous navigation of the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle freely throughout a travel area, the travel area forming a logistic space, wherein: the integrated motors, sensors, and control system of the robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module are packaged within a module housing to form a module unit, the module unit has a module interface at one end of the module unit for modular coupling of the module unit with a selected one of multiple, different logistic or material handling accessory modules of the configurable modular autonomous guided vehicle, each of the multiple, different logistic or material handling accessory modules being configured with a corresponding different predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic, and each of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules being selectably interchangeable with each other and configured to selectably couple to the module unit via the module interface, and with the module unit of the modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle coupled to a selected one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules, a type of logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle is defined; and configuring the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle by selectably coupling one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules to the module unit so as to change the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type from a first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type to a second logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type different than the first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the control system has a controller that is configured with different predetermined autonomous navigation programming, the different predetermined autonomous navigation programming having different predetermined autonomous navigation characteristics corresponding to the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: automatically registering, with the controller, the logistic or material handling accessory module coupled to the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle via the module interface, and the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type; and automatically accessing, with the controller, a corresponding autonomous navigation program for the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type registered. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the module unit is configured to define an integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic, the integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic being different from the corresponding logistic or material handling characteristics of each of the logistic or material handling accessory modules, and the integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic defines another logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type different from each of the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle types defined from coupling respective logistic or material handling accessory modules with the module unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the other logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type is a tugger autonomous guided vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: coupling a removable input-output device to the module housing and control system of the module unit, the removable input-output device being configured for operator control of the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle; and changing the control system from autonomous navigation that is intrinsic to the module unit, to operator assisted or operator controlled navigation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type is a tugger autonomous guided vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a car assembly mover autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a logistic unit load roller bed autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a pallet fork lift-truck autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a high bay pallet lift-truck autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a pallet jack autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 25 A commercial logistic facility comprising: material handling stations; and at least one configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle configured for transporting logistics units from one material handling station to another material handling station, each of the at least one configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle including: a robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module including: motors, sensors, and a control system, wherein the motors, sensors, and control system are integrated with each other to provide autonomous navigation of the at least one configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle freely throughout a travel area, the travel area forming a logistic space; wherein the integrated motors, sensors, and control system of the robotic autonomous guided vehicle engine module are packaged within a module housing to comprise a module unit; and the at least one configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle further comprising: multiple different logistic or material handling accessory modules, each logistic or material handling accessory module including a corresponding different predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic, wherein with the module unit is coupled to a selected one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules, a type of logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle is defined; wherein, the module unit has a module interface at one end to provide modular coupling of the module unit with one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules, each of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules being selectably interchangeable with each other, and the different logistic or material handling accessory modules are further configured to selectably couple to the module unit via the module interface; wherein by selectably coupling a selected one of the different logistic or material handling accessory modules to the module unit, a type of the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle is changed from a first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type to a second logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type different than the first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein the control system has a controller that is configured with different predetermined autonomous navigation programming, the different predetermined autonomous navigation programming having different predetermined autonomous navigation characteristics corresponding to the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The commercial logistic facility of claim 26, wherein the controller is further configured to: automatically register the logistic or material handling accessory module that is coupled with to the at least one configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle via the module interface, and the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type, and access a corresponding autonomous navigation program for the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type registered. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein the module unit is configured to define an integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic, the integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic being different from the corresponding logistic or material handling characteristics of each of the logistic or material handling accessory modules, and integral predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic defines another logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type different from each of the logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle types defined from coupling respective logistic or material handling accessory modules with the module unit. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The commercial logistic facility of claim 28, wherein the other logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type is a tugger autonomous guided vehicle. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The commercial logistic facility of claim 28, wherein the module housing and control system of the module unit is configurable so as to couple a removable input-output device configured for operator control of the configurable modular robotic autonomous guided vehicle, and changing the control system from autonomous navigation that is intrinsic to the module unit, to operator assisted or operator controlled navigation. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein the first logistic or material handling autonomous guided vehicle type is a tugger autonomous guided vehicle. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a car assembly mover autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 33 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a logistic unit load roller bed autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a pallet fork lift-truck autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 35 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a high bay pallet lift-truck autonomous guided vehicle type. ### Claim 36 (depends on 25) The commercial logistic facility of claim 25, wherein at least one of the logistic or material handling accessory modules has a corresponding predetermined logistic or material handling characteristic that defines a pallet jack autonomous guided vehicle type.