# US 12,002,006 B2 · Systems, methods, computing platforms, and storage media for directing and controlling a supply chain control territory in an autonomous inventory management system

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- Number: US 12,002,006 B2
- Document ID: US12002006B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/700,003
- Filed: 2022-03-21
- Published: 2022-11-03
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-07
- Assignees: Prime Robotics, Inc.
- Applicants: Autonomous Shelf, Inc.
- Inventors: Eric Rongley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002006B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- B65D 88/74: having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents
- G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence)
- G01C 21/3415: {Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents}
- G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)}
- G05D 1/227: Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements
- G06K 7/10366: {the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications}
- G06Q 10/047: Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
- G06Q 10/083: Shipping
- G06Q 10/0832: Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
- G06Q 10/0833: Tracking
- G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083)
- H04L 9/3213: {using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos (network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807)}
- G01C 21/3423: {Multimodal routing}
- G06Q 30/0185: {Product, service or business identity fraud}
- 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
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Systems, methods, computing platforms, and storage media for directing and controlling an autonomous storage unit in an autonomous inventory management system are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may negotiate, by a first controller, a dispatch routine for the storage unit with a transport controller and a second controller, assign a token to the storage unit and the second controller, the token providing an identification signal between the storage unit and the second controller, register a departure event with the first controller, provide a secure connection between the storage unit and the second controller, exchange the token between the storage unit and the second controller, authenticate the secure connection based on exchanging the token, and give the storage unit permission to access a control territory assigned to the second controller.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system configured for directing and controlling an autonomous inventory storage unit in an autonomous inventory management system, the system comprising:
an inventory storage device,
a drive device, wherein the drive device is operationally configured to physically move the inventory storage device in one or more control territories,
a navigation device, wherein the navigation device is operationally configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine a physical location of the inventory storage device,
a sensing device, wherein the sensing device is operationally configured to detect physical objects and transmit and receive physical object data, and
a control device, wherein the control device is operationally configured to control the autonomous inventory storage unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems;
a transport controller, wherein the transport controller is operationally configured to transmit to and receive data from the inventory storage device and wherein the transport controller is operationally configured to physically receive the inventory storage device, and physically transport the inventory storage device between the one or more control territories;
a controller, wherein the controller is assigned to a first control territory, and wherein the first controller is in communication with the control device of the inventory storage device, and
one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to,
negotiate, by the controller, a dispatch routine for the inventory storage device with the transport controller, wherein the inventory storage device is configured to transport an inventory item;
assign an authentication token to the inventory storage device, the authentication token providing an identification signal between the inventory storage device and the controller;
register, by the inventory storage device, a departure event with the controller;
provide a secure connection between the inventory storage device and the controller;
exchange the authentication token between the inventory storage device and the controller;
authenticate the secure connection between the inventory storage device and the controller based at least in part on exchanging the authentication token;
give, by the controller, the inventory storage device a set of permissions to access a second control territory at a delivery location.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
provide a second connection between the inventory storage device and the transport controller, wherein the second connection is based at least in part on an authentication handshake between the inventory storage device and the transport controller; and
give, by the transport controller, the inventory storage device a set of permissions to enter the transportation system assigned to the transport controller.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
provide, by the transport controller, a transport route to the inventory storage device, the transport route including information about permitted parking areas, drive paths and building access instructions; and
send, by the transport controller, a signal to the inventory storage device when the transportation system assigned to the transport controller arrives at the delivery location.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the second controller conveys site data associated with the second control territory to the inventory storage device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the site data associated with the second control territory comprises one or more of: permitted drive paths, waiting areas, building access codes, and charging station locations in the second control territory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
deposit, by the inventory storage device, the inventory item at the delivery location;
accept, by the inventory storage device, a second inventory item from the delivery location.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the inventory storage device negotiates a second dispatch routine with one or more of the first controller, the second controller, and the transport controller.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
identify a hostage event for the inventory storage device in the second control territory, the hostage event comprising at least a physical blocking of the inventory storage device;
transmit, by the inventory storage device, an alert to the first controller based in part on identifying the hostage event.

### Claim 9

A method of directing and controlling an inventory storage device in an inventory management system, the method comprising:
negotiating, by a first controller, a dispatch routine for the inventory storage device with one or more a transport controller and a second controller, the inventory storage device configured to transport an inventory item, and wherein the first controller is assigned to a first control territory, and the second controller is assigned to a second control territory;
assigning an authentication token to the inventory storage device and the second controller, the authentication token providing an identification signal between the inventory storage device and the second controller;
registering a departure event with the first controller;
providing a connection between the inventory storage device and the second controller;
exchanging the authentication token between the inventory storage device and the second controller;
authenticating the connection between the inventory storage device and the second controller based at least in part on exchanging the authentication token; and
giving, by the second controller, the inventory storage device a set of permissions to access the second control territory at the delivery location.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the dispatch routine is further negotiated with one or more of a client, and a way station.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
providing a second connection between the inventory storage device and the transport controller, wherein the second connection is based at least in part on an authentication handshake between the inventory storage device and the transport controller; and
giving, by the transport controller, the inventory storage device a set of permissions to enter a transportation system assigned to the transport controller.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
providing, by the transport controller, a transport route to the inventory storage device, the transport route including information about permitted parking areas, driving paths and building access instructions; and
sending, by the transport controller, a signal to the inventory storage device when the transportation system assigned to the transport controller arrives at the delivery location.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the second controller conveys site data associated with the second control territory to the inventory storage device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the site data associated with the second control territory comprises one or more of: permitted drive paths, waiting areas, building access codes, and charging station locations in the second control territory.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
depositing, by the inventory storage device, the inventory item at the delivery location; and
accepting, by the inventory storage device, a second inventory item from the delivery location.