Monorail sortation system
AssigneeCross Belt IP, L.L.C.
InventorsDavid Rosenwinkel, Charles Edward Pantusa, Robert Austin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sortation system where control and operation is facilitated by a contact-free, wireless communication configuration. Wireless communication is accomplished in a line-of-sight (LOS) manner while the cars of the sortation system are continuously moving along the track at operational speed. Each car is configured to operate independently with respect to how a car is instructed to accept and deliver packages. The sortation system provides for the cars to act as messengers between the bin stations and the system controller with respect to the status and health of the bin stations.
Claims19
A communication method in a sortation system having article-conveying cars moving along a track, said method comprising:
- wirelessly transmitting bin status information from a first off-car communication device in communication with a bin station of the sortation system to an article-conveying car of the sortation system when the car is proximate to the bin station;
- wirelessly relaying the bin status information from the car to a second off-car communication device in communication with a system controller of the sortation system when the car is proximate to an induct station or a check station of the sortation system;
- and
- sending the bin status information from the second off-car communication device to the system controller of the sortation system.
A sortation system, said sortation system comprising:
- a track forming a continuous loop;
- a plurality of article-conveying cars positioned on the track and configured to move along the track;
- a system controller;
- one or more communication stations positioned near the track for communicating with the cars and the system controller;
- and
- a plurality of bin stations positioned along the track for receiving packages from the cars,
- wherein each of the plurality of bin stations is configured to wirelessly transmit bin status information to a car when the car is proximate to a bin station, and
- wherein each of the plurality of cars is configured to wirelessly relay the bin status information to an off-car communication device at one of the one or more communication stations when the car is proximate to one of the one or more communication stations, and
- wherein the off-car communication device is configured to send the bin status information to the system controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.