US 11,829,835 B2Granted

Self-service parcel terminal with optimized shelving arrangement

AssigneeCleveron AS

InventorsRemi Lõssov, Lauri Hirvesaar, Mikk Noorkõiv, Mart Roht

Life of this patent

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Abstract

This disclosure includes a parcel terminal that may include a shelving unit comprising a plurality of shelves that are separated by respective predetermined distances along a dimension of the unit. In an embodiment, the plurality of shelves may be evenly spaced. The parcel terminal may further include a receptable for receiving a parcel from a user, a loader configured to transfer the parcel from the receptacle to a shelf on the shelving unit, and an electronic controller in electronic communication with the loader. The electronic controller may be configured to determine a number of open shelves required to accommodate the parcel based on a size of the parcel and on the respective predetermined distances, to select a set of shelves having at least the required number of open shelves, and to initiate a movement of the loader so as to place the parcel within the selected set of shelves.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A parcel terminal comprising:

an upright parcel transportation boom inside a body attached on top of a rotating base;
a loader comprising a magnetic mechanism and being attached to the boom and being configured to move vertically along the boom;
a shelving unit comprising a plurality of shelves comprising rails configured to support parcel containers, each parcel container comprising a magnetic plate on an upright side of the container;
an opening through which a user may receive or insert a parcel on a parcel container;
wherein the loader is configured to be guided against the magnetic plate of the parcel container to be received through the opening or from a predetermined shelf, and pull the parcel container onto the loader with the magnetic mechanism, and conversely push the container pulled to the loader to a predetermined shelf or to the opening with the magnetic mechanism;
and a computing system and an electronic controller in communication with the loader configured to control movements of the rotating base, the vertical movement of the loader and push and pull action of the magnetic mechanism.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/728,136Filed 25 Apr 2022 · continuation
Priority: 12 Sep 2015
Published: US 2022/0245373 A14 Aug 2022
Granted: 28 Nov 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G06K 7/1417
The method being specifically adapted for the type of code: 2D bar codes
B65G 1/04
Storage devices: mechanical
G06Q 10/08
Administration; Management: logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G06Q 10/08365
Recipient pick-ups: deliveries to storage lockers

Family

Application62/217,864Us provisional application · filed 12 Sep 2015
Application15/262,125Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Sep 2016
Application16/172,031Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Oct 2018
US 10,114,996 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Oct 2018
Application16/701,223Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Dec 2019
US 10,621,401 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Apr 2020
Application17/004,579Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Aug 2020
US 10,817,692 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Oct 2020
US 2022/0245373 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Aug 2022
US 11,341,346 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0073159 A1Published application
US 2019/0065801 A1Published application
US 2020/0104558 A1Published application
US 2020/0394375 A1Published application
US 11,829,835 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.