# US 11,440,195 B2 · Autonomous cargo loading systems and methods

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- Number: US 11,440,195 B2
- Document ID: US11440195B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/519,206
- Filed: 2019-07-23
- Published: 2020-01-30
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-25
- Assignees: Target Brands, Inc.
- Applicants: Target Brands, Inc.
- Inventors: Gregory Lisso
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440195B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems}
- B25J 5/02: travelling along a guideway
- B25J 9/0018: {Bases fixed on ceiling, i.e. upside down manipulators}
- B25J 9/0093: {co-operating with conveyor means}
- B25J 9/1661: {characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages}
- B25J 9/1669: {characterised by special application, e.g. multi-arm co-operation, assembly, grasping}
- B65G 1/1375: {the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck}
- B65G 67/04: Loading land vehicles {(loading or unloading boats to or from land vehicles B60P3/10)}
- G06Q 10/0832: Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
- G05B 2219/40006: Placing, palletize, un palletize, paper roll placing, box stacking
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- 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)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured and operable to determine an updated open cargo space of the freight carrier as each of the individual parcels is individually positioned in the open cargo space of the freight carrier.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a conveyor positioned along the rail and extending parallel to the rail, the conveyor configured to convey the first grouping of similarly sized parcels to the robotic actuator and the second grouping of similarly sized parcels, wherein the first and second groupings of similarly sized parcels are conveyed in two separate groups.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic actuator comprises a vision system, and wherein the end effector is oriented to couple with the individual parcels using the vision system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic actuator is supported on and above the rail.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a second robotic actuator movably coupled to the rail.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a second rail and a second robotic actuator movably coupled to the second rail.

### Claim 8

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.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein a vision system is used to assist the robotic system to pick up each of the parcels.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining respective positions within the freight carrier for each of the individual parcels is performed on a one parcel at a time basis.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining respective positions within the freight carrier for each of the individual parcels is performed on batch of parcels basis for a first batch that consists of the first grouping of similarly sized parcels and for a second batch that consists of the second grouping of similarly sized parcels.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising a second robotic actuator movably coupled to the rail.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising a second rail and a second robotic actuator movably coupled to the second rail.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising a conveyor positioned along the rail, the conveyor configured to convey the parcels to the robotic system.