Padding station, padding system, and method

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• determining at least one padding configuration associated with the pre-packed shipping box according to the sensor information;
• and
• wherein the providing of at least one padding item, receiving of the at least one padding item, and arranging of the at least one padding item are performed according to the determined padding configuration;
• wherein the determination of the at least one padding configuration comprises:
• determining a plurality of padding configurations and corresponding confidence values associated therewith, by means of differently machine-trained and/or differently configured functions, differing in their structure;
• selecting a padding configuration from the plurality of padding configurations according to the confidence values, selecting the padding configuration with the highest confidence value;
• and
• wherein the providing of the at least one padding means, receiving of the at least one padding means, and arranging of the at least one padding means are performed according to the selected padding configuration.

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• determining at least one padding configuration associated with the pre-packed shipping box according to the sensor information;
• and
• wherein the providing of at least one padding item, receiving of the at least one padding item, and arranging of the at least one padding item are performed according to the determined padding configuration;
• determining the corresponding availability of padding items for each of the plurality of padding item dispensers;
• and
• wherein the determination of the at least one padding configuration associated with the pre-packed shipping box is additionally carried out according to the determined availability of padding items.

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• determining at least one padding configuration associated with the pre-packed shipping box according to the sensor information;
• and
• wherein the providing of at least one padding item, receiving of the at least one padding item, and arranging of the at least one padding item are performed according to the determined padding configuration;
• determining and checking a confidence value which represents an estimate for the actual applicability of the determined padding configuration to the pre-packed shipping box, according to the at least one piece of sensor information;
• providing, receiving and arranging at least one padding item if the confidence value indicates the applicability of the padding configuration, or
• separating out the pre-packed shipping box in a separating segment if the confidence value does not indicate applicability of the padding configuration.

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• determining a further piece of sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box, which characterizes at least one position of at least one padding item arranged in the unused space of the shipping box;
• determining and checking a padding quality associated with the at least one padding item according to the at least one further piece of sensor information;
• and
• transporting the shipping box to an output segment for transfer to a subsequent station if there is sufficient padding quality, or
• separating out the shipping box provided with padding items in a separating segment if there is insufficient padding quality.

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• wherein receiving the at least one padding item comprises:
• determining a gripping pose, wherein the gripping pose comprises gripping by a gripper of the handling system in a segment of the padding items which is opposite a planned insertion segment of the padding items for insertion into the associated unused space;
• and
• gripping the at least one padding item according to the determined gripping pose.

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• wherein arranging the at least one padding item comprises:
• determining a first trajectory starting from a receiving position, in which the padding item was gripped by the handling system in the at least one dispensing segment, to an intermediate position, in which the gripped padding item is situated in front of an outer opening of the associated free unused space;
• determining a second trajectory starting from the intermediate position to an end position in which the padding item is arranged within the associated unused space;
• moving the gripped padding item along the first trajectory to the intermediate position;
• and
• moving the gripped padding item along the second trajectory.

A method comprising:

• determining sensor information which is associated with a pre-packed shipping box, which is pre-packed with at least one shipping product, wherein the determined sensor information characterizes a position of each unused space within the at least one pre-packed shipping box;
• conveying the at least one pre-packed shipping box out of an inlet segment and into a padding segment;
• providing a plurality of padding items, of different types and/or sizes, in at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information associated with the at least one shipping box;
• receiving each of the plurality of padding items provided in the at least one dispensing segment according to the determined sensor information;
• and
• arranging each of the received items of the plurality of padding items in one of the free unused spaces within the at least one pre-packed shipping box positioned in the padding segment according to the determined sensor information;
• fixing, the at least one shipping product which bounds the free unused space, at least during the movement of the gripped padding item along the second trajectory.