Decentralized tracking of packages on a conveyor
AssigneeHytrol Conveyor Company, Inc.
InventorsBryan Dale Taylor, Clifford Allen Mullis, Cole Jeremiah Prince
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A decentralized tracking system is discussed herein. The decentralized tracking system can be comprised of two or more tracking elements and be used to track packages moving on a conveyor system. Each tracking element can operate independently, despite being highly sophisticated and dynamically coordinated with one or more other tracking elements. The conveyor system can be a modular and/or accumulation conveyor system that has sorting functionality. The decentralized tracking system can be used to divert packages for sortation by, for example, embedding a destination zone into the package's tracking data and/or preprogramming conveyor zones to sort specific packages based on a package identifier.
Claims25
A method of tracking packages on a multi-zone conveyor having a subject zone and a downstream zone, the method comprising:
- receiving, with subject zone circuitry that is dedicated to the subject zone, first package tracking data, wherein the first package tracking data represents a first package;
- in response to receiving the first package tracking data, storing the first package tracking data in a subject zone loading registry;
- detecting the presence of the first package in the subject zone;
- in response to detecting the first package in the subject zone,
- reassigning the first package tracking data from the subject zone loading registry to a subject zone registry;
- receiving, with the subject zone circuitry, second package tracking data, wherein the second package tracking data represents a second package;
- and
- storing the second package tracking data in the subject zone loading registry.
A package tracking element for a conveyor system, comprising:
- a sensor configured to sense a package;
- a data storage component, wherein the data storage component includes a loading registry and a zone registry;
- communications circuitry configured to receive tracking data that represents a package;
- and
- decentralized tracking circuitry that is configured to:
- receive the tracking data;
- store the tracking data in the loading registry;
- receive position data from the sensor that indicates the package is being detected by the sensor;
- and
- in response to receiving the position data, reassign the tracking data from the loading registry to the zone registry.
A redirection apparatus for a conveyor system, comprising:
- a sensor that detects a package;
- a data storage component, wherein the storage component includes a loading registry and a zone registry;
- communications circuitry configured to facilitate downloading of tracking data that represents the package;
- decentralized tracking circuitry that is configured to:
- receive the tracking data;
- store the tracking data in the loading registry;
- receive position data from the sensor that indicates the package is being detected by the sensor;
- and
- in response to receiving the position data:
- delete the tracking data from the loading registry;
- and
- store the tracking data in the zone registry;
- and
- redirection circuitry that is configured to:
- determine whether the package is to be redirected by parsing the tracking data;
- and
- in response to determining that the package is to be redirected, send a redirection command to a mechanical transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.