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US 12,754,539 B2Granted
Systems and methods for automated guided vehicle control
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsLeung Man Shiu, Erich Joseph Petre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for commanding, controlling, and guiding automated guided vehicles (“AGVs”). Automated systems translate AGV commands according to AGV manufacturers. AGVs can be summoned and destinations be determined automatically.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a sensor system configured to detect one or more item containers for transport occupying an area of a distribution facility;
- a communication module configured to receive a request for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) to retrieve the one or more detected item containers;
- and
- one or more processors in communication with the sensor system and the communication module, the one or more processors configured to:
- identify a first AGV of a plurality of AGVs to retrieve the one or more detected item containers;
- determine a potential route for the first AGV;
- determine if the potential route conflicts with a route of a second AGV of the plurality of AGVs;
- in response to determining that the potential route of the first AGV conflicts with the route of the second AGV, determine a priority between the potential route of the first AGV and the route of the second AGV;
- in response to determining that the potential route of the first AGV has a lower priority compared to the route of the second AGV, determine a new route for the first AGV that does not conflict with the route of the second AGV.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- scanning, with a sensor, an area of a distribution facility to detect one or more item containers for transport occupying the area;
- receiving, with a communication module, a request for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) to retrieve the one or more detected item containers;
- identifying, with one or more processors, a first AGV of a plurality of AGVs to retrieve the one or more detected item containers;
- determining, with the one or more processors, a potential route for the first AGV;
- determining, with the one or more processors, if the potential route conflicts with a route of a second AGV of the plurality of AGVs;
- in response to determining that the potential route of the first AGV conflicts with the route of the second AGV, determining a priority between the potential route of the first AGV and the route of the second AGV;
- in response to determining that the potential route of the first AGV has a lower priority compared to the route of the second AGV, determining a new route for the first AGV that does not conflict with the route of the second AGV.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.