# US 2021/0276445 A1 · Autonomous transport vehicle charging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276445 A1 - Document ID: US20210276445A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/235,623 - Filed: 2021-04-20 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2010-12-15 - Assignees: Symbotic LLC - Applicants: Symbotic LLC - Inventors: Robert SULLIVAN; Dmitry VASILYEV - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276445A1 ## CPC - B60L 53/63: in response to network capacity - B60G 5/00: Resilient suspensions for a set of tandem wheels or axles having interrelated movements - B60L 53/66: Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles - B60S 5/00: Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles (vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K) - B65G 1/0492: {with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles} - B65G 1/1373: {for fulfilling orders in warehouses} - B65G 47/04: for feeding articles - B65G 67/02: Loading or unloading land vehicles - G06Q 20/105: {involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"} - G06Q 30/0215: {Including financial accounts} - G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00}) - B60S: SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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) - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A charging system for autonomous transport vehicles including at least one charging contact disposed on each pick floor level of a storage and retrieval system, each of the at least one charging contact being located at a transfer station, at least one power supply configured to supply power to the at least one charging contact, and a controller in communication with the transfer station and being configured to communicate information relating to a transfer of items between the transfer station and a predetermined one of the autonomous transport vehicles and to apply power from the power supply to the at least one charging contact for charging the predetermined autonomous transport vehicle corresponding to the transfer and located at the transfer station, wherein the controller is configured to supply power to the charging contacts simultaneously with the predetermined autonomous transport vehicle exchanging items related to the transfer at the transfer station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: providing at least one autonomous transport vehicle; providing at least one transfer station having an allocated and unallocated state where in the allocated state the at least one transfer station allows transfer of items from and to the at least one autonomous transport vehicle; providing at least one charging station on a pick floor level of a storage and retrieval system, the at least one charging station being connected to a respective one of the at least one transfer station; providing at least one power supply configured to supply power to the at least one charging station; communicating, with a controller in communication with more than one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, information related to interface between a predetermined at least one transfer station and a predetermined one of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle; and with the controller, supplying power, from the at least one power supply, to the at least one charging station for charging the more than one auto transport vehicle based on interface demands of the predetermined one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle corresponding to the interface with the predetermined one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle interfacing at the predetermined at least one transfer station with the predetermined at least one transfer station and based on the allocated state and an unallocated time period, with the predetermined at least one transfer station in the unallocated state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the controller effects, based on the interface demands, continuous charging of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle or initiating charging of a different another one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle in the unallocated state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, with the controller, a next allocated time period for the different another one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle at the at least one charging station of the predetermined at least one transfer station. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising effecting, with the controller, at least one of a quick charge and a full charge to both the predetermined one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle corresponding to the transfer of items with the predetermined one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle transferring the items at the predetermined at least one transfer station when the predetermined transfer station is in the allocated state, and an idle autonomous transport vehicle at the at least one charging station when the predetermined at least one transfer station is in the unallocated state wherein the full charge is effected with the at least one autonomous transport vehicle at the at least one charging station during the allocated state and remaining at least part of the unallocated state and the quick charge is effected on determination by the controller that a time period of the allocated state and unallocated state of the predetermined at least one transfer station is less than a charge period for full charge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one power supply is commonly connected to the at least one charging station of vertically adjacent ones of the at least one pick floor level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one charging station is commonly connected to the at least one power supply comprising a two by two array of charging stations where a first two of the charging stations in the array are located on a first pick floor level of the at least one pick floor level and a second two of the charging stations in the array are located on a second pick floor level of the at least one pick floor level, the first two of the charging stations and the second two of the charging stations being vertically stacked one above the other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising reserving, with the controller, access to one or more of the at least one charging station by one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising re-routing, with the controller, one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicles destined for a first charging station, of the at least one charging station, to a second charging station, of the at least one charging station, when the first charging station is inoperable. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transfer station includes a lift and operation of the at least one charging station and an associated lift are linked such that when the at least one charging station is inoperable the controller deems the associated lift inoperable at least for the pick floor level on which the at least one charging station is located. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: providing at least one autonomous transport vehicle; providing at least one transfer station having an allocated and unallocated state where in the allocated state the at least one transfer station allows transfer of items from and to the at least one autonomous transport vehicle; providing at least one charging station on each of at least one pick floor level of a storage and retrieval system, each of the at least one charging station being connected to a respective one of the at least one transfer station; providing at least one power supply configured to supply power to the at least one charging station; communicating, with a controller in communication with more than one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, information related to a transfer of items between the at least one transfer station and a predetermined one of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle; and supplying power, with the controller, from the at least one power supply, to the at least one charging station based on interface demands of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle, to effect at least one of a quick charge and a full charge of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle depending on identification of an unallocated time period of the at least one transfer station in the unallocated state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the controller effects, based on the interface demands, continuous charging of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle or initiating charging of a different another one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle in the unallocated state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein each of the at least one pick floor level includes a transfer deck and a picking aisle in communication with the at least one charging station. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising communicating with an idle autonomous transport vehicle on one of the transfer deck and the picking aisle, with the controller, and identifying a nearest available transfer station, of the at least one transfer station, in the unallocated state for charging the idle autonomous transport vehicle at the at least one charging station of the nearest available transfer station, of the predetermined at least one charging station, in the unallocated state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one power supply is commonly connected to the at least one charging station of vertically adjacent ones of the at least one pick floor level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one charging station is commonly connected to the at least one power supply comprising a two by two array of charging stations where a first two of the charging stations in the array are located on a first pick floor level of the at least one pick floor level and a second two of the charging stations in the array are located on a second pick floor level of the at least one pick floor level, the first two of the charging stations and the second two of the charging stations being vertically stacked one above the other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising reserving, with the controller, access to at least one of the at least one charging station by one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising re-routing, with the controller, one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicles destined for a first charging station, of the at least one charging station, to a second charging station, of the at least one charging station, when the first charging station is inoperable. ### Claim 18 A warehouse storage and retrieval system comprising: at least one autonomous transport vehicle; at least one transfer station having an allocated and unallocated state where in the allocated state the at least one transfer station allows transfer of items from and to the at least one autonomous transport vehicle; at least one charging station disposed on each of at least one pick floor level of the warehouse storage and retrieval system, the at least one charging station being connected to each respective one of the at least one transfer station and each of the at least one pick floor level including a transfer deck and a picking aisle in communication with the at least one charging station; at least one power supply configured to supply power to the at least one charging station; and a controller in communication with more than one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, where the controller is configured to communicate information related to interface between a predetermined at least one transfer station, of the at least one transfer station, and a predetermined one of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle, supply power, from the at least one power supply, to the at least one charging station, based on interface demands of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle, to effect at least one of a quick charge and a full charge of the more than one autonomous transport vehicle depending on identification of an unallocated time period of the at least one transfer station in the unallocated state. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the controller effects, based on the interface demands, continuous charging of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle or initiating charging of a different another one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle in the unallocated state. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The warehouse storage and retrieval system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to effect at least one of a quick charge and a full charge to both the predetermined one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle corresponding to the transfer of items with the predetermined one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle transferring the items at the predetermined at least one transfer station when the predetermined at least one transfer station is in the allocated state, and an idle automated transport vehicle at the at least one charging station when the predetermined at least one transfer station is in the unallocated state. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The warehouse storage and retrieval system of claim 18, wherein the at least one power supply is commonly connected to the at least one charging station of vertically adjacent ones of the at least one pick floor level. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The warehouse storage and retrieval system of claim 21, wherein the at least one charging station is commonly connected to the at least one power supply comprising a two by two array of charging stations where a first two of the charging stations in the array are located on a first pick floor level of the at least one pick floor level and a second two of the charging stations in the array are located on a second pick floor level of the at least one pick floor level, the first two of the charging stations and the second two of the charging stations being vertically stacked one above the other. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The warehouse storage and retrieval system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to access one or more of the at least one charging station by one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicles. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The warehouse storage and retrieval system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to re-route one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle destined for a first charging station, of the at least one charging station, to a second charging station, of the at least one charging station, when the first charging station is inoperable.