Back to results
US 11,440,195 B2Granted
Autonomous cargo loading systems and methods
AssigneeTarget Brands, Inc.
InventorGregory Lisso
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Robotic automation and methods described herein can be used to enhance the efficiencies of freight shipping processes. For example, this document describes the use of automated systems and methods for densely loading cargo into freight carriers (e.g., semi-trailers) in an efficient manner. Some such systems can include one or more movable robots that can travel along an open side or open top of a semi-trailer to autonomously load parcels into the trailer in a densely packed manner. The disclosed systems and methods allow for the reduction or elimination of manual labor for loading shipping trailers in a very dense manner.
Claims14
A robotic system for loading a shipment of parcels into a freight carrier, the system comprising:
- the freight carrier comprising:
- a top;
- a front end;
- a back end;
- and
- an openable side extending between the front and back ends;
- a robotic actuator including one or more sensor devices;
- an end effector attached to the robotic actuator and adapted for releasably coupling with individual parcels of the shipment of parcels;
- a rail to which the robotic actuator is movably coupled, the rail extending parallel to the openable side of the freight carrier so that the robotic actuator is movable along the openable side of the freight carrier while loading the individual parcels into the freight carrier through the openable side of the freight carrier;
- a parcel sortation system;
- and
- a control system in communication with the robotic actuator and the parcel sortation system, the control system configured and operable to:
- control the parcel sortation system to consolidate the shipment of parcels into at least:
- (i) a first grouping of similarly sized parcels and (ii) a second grouping of similarly sized parcels, wherein the first and second groupings of similarly sized parcels differ from each other on a size basis of the individual parcels within the first and second groupings of similarly sized parcels;
- determine an open cargo space of the freight carrier using information from the one or more sensor devices;
- determine locations within the open cargo space of the freight carrier that each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels should be positioned based on:
- (i) size dimensions of the individual parcels of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels and (ii) the determined open cargo space of the freight carrier;
- send control commands to the robotic actuator to position each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels at the respective determined locations of each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels;
- determine locations within the open cargo space of the freight carrier that each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels should be positioned based on:
- (i) size dimensions of the individual parcels of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels and (ii) the determined open cargo space of the freight carrier;
- send control commands to the robotic actuator to position each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels at the respective determined locations of each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels;
- and
- create a first layer of the parcels on the floor of the freight carrier until the open cargo space on the floor of the freight carrier cannot accommodate another parcel of the shipment of parcels, and when the floor of the freight carrier cannot accommodate another parcel, create a second layer of the parcels directly on top of the first layer of parcels until the open cargo space directly on top of the first layer of parcels cannot accommodate another parcel of the shipment of parcels.
20 more elements
A method for robotically loading a shipment of parcels into a freight carrier, the method comprising:
- controlling a robotic system to obtain:
- (i) a physical orientation of the robotic system in relation to a cargo space of the freight carrier and (ii) an open cargo space of the freight carrier, wherein the freight carrier comprises:
- a top;
- a front end;
- a back end;
- and
- an openable side extending between the front and back ends;
- receiving respective size dimensions of each individual parcel of the shipment of parcels to be loaded into the freight carrier;
- controlling a parcel sortation system to consolidate the shipment of parcels into at least:
- (i) a first grouping of similarly sized parcels and (ii) a second grouping of similarly sized parcels, wherein the first and second groupings of similarly sized parcels differ from each other based on the respective size dimensions of the individual parcels within the first and second groupings of similarly sized parcels;
- determining respective locations within the open cargo space of the freight carrier for each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels based on:
- (i) the respective size dimensions of each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels and (ii) the open cargo space of the freight carrier;
- controlling the robotic system to travel along a rail that extends parallel to the openable side of the freight carrier and to physically position each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels through the openable side of the freight carrier and in the determined respective locations within the open cargo space of the freight carrier for each individual parcel of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels;
- determining respective locations within the open cargo space of the freight carrier for each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels based on:
- (i) the respective size dimensions of each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels and (ii) the open cargo space of the freight carrier;
- controlling the robotic system to travel along a rail that extends parallel to the openable side of the freight carrier and to physically position each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels through the openable side of the freight carrier and in the determined respective locations within the open cargo space of the freight carrier for each individual parcel of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels;
- and
- controlling the robotic system to:
- create a first layer of the parcels on the floor of the freight carrier until the open cargo space on the floor of the freight carrier cannot accommodate another parcel of the shipment of parcels, and
- when the floor of the freight carrier cannot accommodate another parcel, create a second layer of the parcels directly on top of the first layer of parcels until the open cargo space directly on top of the first layer of parcels cannot accommodate another parcel of the shipment of parcels,
- wherein the open cargo space is determined after each individual parcel is physically positioned within the freight carrier.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.