# US 12,008,507 B2 · Systems and methods for handling packages transported in a delivery vehicle

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- Number: US 12,008,507 B2
- Document ID: US12008507B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/394,288
- Filed: 2021-08-04
- Published: 2023-02-09
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-04
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Young-Chae Hong; Shan Chy Chueh; John Randolph Vincent; Steven Stark
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008507B2

## CPC

- B60P 1/52: using rollers in the load-transporting element
- G06Q 10/083: Shipping
- B60P 3/007: {for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles}
- B65B 35/54: Feeding articles along multiple paths to a single packaging position
- B65B 65/003: {Packaging lines, e.g. general layout}
- B65B 65/02: Driving gear
- G06Q 10/0843: {using forecasting or optimisation}
- B65G 43/10: Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
- B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00)
- 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
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)
- 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)

## Abstract

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure generally pertain to systems and methods to handle packages transported in a delivery vehicle. In an example embodiment, a computer that is provided in a vehicle receives a command related to delivery of a package. The command may be associated, for example, with rerouting of the vehicle due to various reasons such as, for example, due to a change in a delivery schedule and/or a delivery priority. The computer may respond to the command by operating an unmanned package moving apparatus to move the package from one location in a cargo area of the vehicle to another location in the cargo area while the vehicle is in motion and prior to the vehicle reaching a delivery destination for the package. In an example implementation, the unmanned package moving apparatus includes a bed of rollers that are operated by servomotors under control of the computer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer in a vehicle that is traveling on a package delivery route, a command related to a delivery of a first package;
determining, by the computer, a time constraint associated with the delivery of the first package, wherein the time constraint is based on a trip time to a delivery destination for the first package;
operating, by the computer, responsive to the command and based on the time constraint, an unmanned package moving apparatus to move the first package from a first location in a cargo area of the vehicle to a second location in the cargo area while the vehicle is in motion and prior to the vehicle reaching the delivery destination for the first package, wherein the unmanned package moving apparatus comprises a bed of rollers operated by one or more servomotors under control of the computer;
determining, by the computer, an arrival of the vehicle at a pickup location for a second package;
determining, by the computer, a first physical characteristic of the second package;
determining, by the computer, based on the command and the first physical characteristic of the second package, a third location in the cargo area of the vehicle;
determining, by the computer, a first movement path for the second package upon the bed of rollers, the first movement path extending between a door of the vehicle and the third location; and
activating, by the computer, a first set of rollers in the bed of rollers, to automatically move the second package along the first movement path from the door of the vehicle to the third location.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a rerouting of the vehicle due to a change in a delivery schedule and/or a delivery priority.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein moving the first package from the first location in the cargo area to the second location in the cargo area comprises:
identifying, by the computer, based on the command, the second location in the cargo area of the vehicle as one of a second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or an unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle;
determining, by the computer, a second movement path for the first package upon the bed of rollers, the second movement path extending between the first location and the one of the second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or the unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle; and
activating, by the computer, a second set of rollers in the bed of rollers, to automatically move the first package along the second movement path from the first location to the one of the second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or the unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein identifying, by the computer, based on the command, the second storage location for the first package is further based on executing an algorithm to resolve a knapsack problem, a bin packing problem, and/or a traveling thief problem.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying, by the computer, the third location for the second package based on executing an algorithm to resolve a knapsack problem, a bin packing problem, and/or a traveling thief problem.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
identifying, by a computer, in a bed of rollers operated by one or more servomotors under control of the computer and provided in a cargo area of a vehicle, a first set of rollers that are activatable to move packages along a first movement path extending between a door of the vehicle and a package storage space in the cargo area;
identifying, by the computer, a package placement configuration for a set of packages based on a delivery address for each package in the set of packages, a delivery route of the vehicle for delivering the set of packages, and/or precluding placement of any of the set of packages on the first movement path;
determining, by the computer, a time constraint associated with delivering the set of packages, wherein the time constraint is based on a trip time to one or more delivery destinations for the set of packages;
operating, by the computer, based on the time constraint, the first set of rollers to move the set of packages into a set of storage locations in the cargo area in conformance with the package placement configuration;
identifying, by the computer, a first physical characteristic of a first package in the set of packages;
identifying, by the computer, based on at least one of the first physical characteristic of the first package and the delivery route of the vehicle for delivering the set of packages, a first storage location for the first package in the package storage space in the cargo area;
activating, by the computer, the first set of rollers to automatically move the first package from a door of the vehicle to the first storage location along the first movement path;
receiving, by the computer, a notification of one of a change of a first delivery address for the first package, a change of a delivery priority of the first package, or a change in a delivery route of the vehicle; and
activating, by the computer, responsive to the notification, while the vehicle is moving, the first set of rollers to automatically move the first package along the first movement path from the first storage location to an unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the package placement configuration is additionally based on a physical characteristic of each package in the set of packages.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
activating, by the computer, while the vehicle is moving, a second set of rollers in the bed of rollers to automatically move the first package in the set of packages along a second movement path extending between a first location in the package storage space in the cargo area to a second location in the package storage space.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
identifying, by the computer, a second physical characteristic of a second package in the set of packages;
identifying, by the computer, based on the first physical characteristic of the first package and the second physical characteristic of the second package, a second storage location for the second package in the package storage space, wherein identifying the second storage location for the second package comprises resolving a bin packing problem associated with the first storage location and the second storage location in the package storage space of the vehicle and/or a sliding block puzzle problem associated with moving the first package and/or the second package on the bed of rollers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein identifying, by the computer, the second storage location for the second package further comprises resolving a knapsack problem associated with the package storage space of the vehicle, a bin packing problem associated with the package storage space, and/or a traveling thief problem associated with the package storage space and the delivery route of the vehicle.

### Claim 11

A vehicle comprising:
an unmanned package moving apparatus, comprising a bed of rollers operated by one or more servomotors, provided in a cargo area of the vehicle; and
a computer comprising:
a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving a command related to a delivery of a first package;
determining a time constraint associated with the delivery of the first package, wherein the time constraint is based on a trip time to a delivery destination for the first package;
operating, responsive to the command and based on the time constraint, the unmanned package moving apparatus to move the first package from a first location in the cargo area of the vehicle to a second location in the cargo area while the vehicle is in motion and prior to the vehicle reaching the delivery destination for the first package;
determining an arrival of the vehicle at a pickup location for a second package;
determining a physical characteristic of the second package;
determining, based on the command and the physical characteristic of the second package, a third location in the cargo area of the vehicle;
determining a first movement path for the second package upon the bed of rollers, the first movement path extending between a door of the vehicle and the third location; and
activating a first set of rollers in the bed of rollers to automatically move the second package along the first movement path from the door of the vehicle to the third location.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle of claim 11, wherein moving the first package from the first location in the cargo area to the second location in the cargo area comprises:
identifying, by the processor, based on the command, the second location in the cargo area of the vehicle as one of a second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or an unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle;
determining, by the processor, a second movement path for the first package upon the bed of rollers, the first movement path extending between the first location and the one of the second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or the unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle; and
activating, by the processor, a second set of rollers in the bed of rollers, to automatically move the first package along the first movement path from the first location to the one of the second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or the unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle of claim 12, wherein identifying, based on the command, the second storage location in the cargo area is further based on the processor executing an algorithm to resolve a knapsack problem, a bin packing problem, and/or a traveling thief problem.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to access the memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
identifying the third location for the second package based on executing an algorithm to resolve a knapsack problem, a bin packing problem, and/or a traveling thief problem.