Robotic Handling System for High Priority Items
AssigneeZebra Technologies Corporation
InventorsAnders Gustafsson, Edward Barkan, Darran Michael Handshaw, Joseph Cabana
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for controlling a mobile robot to escort high priority items are disclosed herein. An example mobile robot includes an electronically securable storage compartment electronically controllable between a stored state and an accessible state. The example mobile robot further includes a user access controller configured to receive a user authorization indicating a desired user access to the electronically securable storage compartment. The user access controller may also trigger a mitigation protocol when the electronically securable storage compartment is accessed without receiving the user authorization.
Claims20
A mobile robot comprising:
- an electronically securable storage compartment accessible to a user and electronically controllable between a stored state in which contents within the electronically securable storage compartment are inaccessible to the user and an accessible state in which the contents within the electronically securable storage compartment are accessible to the user;
- and
- a user access controller configured to receive from a user a user authorization indicating a desired user access to the electronically securable storage compartment, the user access controller further configured to trigger a mitigation protocol when the electronically securable storage compartment is accessed without receiving the user authorization.
A method for controlling a mobile robot to escort high priority items, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a user, a user authorization indicating a desired user access to an electronically securable storage compartment, the electronically securable storage compartment being accessible to a user and electronically controllable between a stored state in which contents within the electronically securable storage compartment are inaccessible to the user and an accessible state in which the contents within the electronically securable storage compartment are accessible to the user;
- and
- issuing an alert when the electronically securable storage compartment remains in the accessible state for a predetermined time period.
A method for controlling a mobile robot to deliver high priority items, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a user, a user authorization indicating a desired user access to an electronically securable storage compartment of the mobile robot, the electronically securable storage compartment being accessible to a user and electronically controllable between a stored state in which contents within the electronically securable storage compartment are inaccessible to the user and an accessible state in which the contents within the electronically securable storage compartment are accessible to the user;
- receiving positional data from a navigation system spanning a facility navigatable by the mobile robot;
- determining, in response to the received positional data, an initial location within the facility and a destination location within the facility;
- establishing a recharge threshold, such that, in a default battery usage profile, the navigation controller instructs the mobile robot to travel to a charger location to recharge a battery of the mobile robot when a battery level is below the recharge threshold;
- determining that the recharge threshold is reached while the electronically securable storage compartment is in the stored state;
- and
- entering an alternate battery usage profile by instructing the mobile robot to travel to the destination location when (i) the battery level is at or below the recharge threshold and (ii) sufficient charge is present in the battery to reach the destination location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.