Optimized shipment transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11111076-B1
Application number	US-202017068819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 12, 2020
Priority date	Jun 3, 2019
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

With respect to a transfer facility configured to optimize package transfers therethrough, a container housing packages may be delivered to a first floor of the transfer facility. The packages may be transported to consolidation stations based on destinations associated therewith. In some examples, the packages may be bound for a single destination and thus transported to a single consolidation station. In some examples, the packages may be bound for multiple destinations and thus transported to a second floor of the transfer facility for sortation. A destination and mode of transportation associated with the package may be determined at an induction station on the second floor, as well as a consolidation station associated therewith. A drive unit may insert the package into a chute for transit down a slide to the consolidation station, where it may be placed into another container for shipment to the destination via the mode of transportation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first floor of a transfer facility comprising:
a first surface configured to facilitate movement of a unit load device (ULD) across the first surface between a first location associated with a cargo station, a second location associated with a conveyor loading station, and a third location associated with a consolidation station;
a plurality of consolidation stations, wherein the consolidation station of the plurality of consolidation stations is configured for consolidating packages based on a destination and a mode of transportation associated with the packages;
a conveyor configured to transport one or more packages from the conveyor loading station on the first location to a second floor of the transfer facility;
the second floor comprising:
a plurality of drive units configured to carry a package across a second surface of the second floor;
a plurality of induction stations configured for:
receiving a package;
determining the destination and the mode of transportation associated with the package;
identifying a chute corresponding to the consolidation station configured to consolidate packages bound for the destination via the mode of transportation, wherein a first end of a slide is located at the chute and a second end of the slide is located at the consolidation station; and
causing a drive unit of the plurality of drive units to deliver the package to the consolidation station via the chute, wherein based on an insertion of the package into the chute, the package travels on the slide to the consolidation station for consolidation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first surface comprises at least one of:
ball decking comprising first omni-directional balls powered by at least one motor and configured to facilitate movement of the ULD;
roller decking comprising first bi-directional rollers powered by the at least one motor and configured to facilitate the movement of the ULD;
non-powered ball decking comprising second omni-directional balls configured to facilitate the movement of the ULD;
non-powered roller decking comprising second bi-directional rollers configured to facilitate the movement of the ULD; or
caster wheel decking comprising wheels coupled to rotating casters configured to facilitate the movement of the ULD.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the consolidation station comprises at least one of the ULD or a ground shipment container.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second floor further comprising a horizontal conveyor configured to transfer the packages from a conveyor unloading station on the second floor associated with the conveyor to an induction station of the plurality of induction stations.

5. A method comprising:
determining that a first container at a first location of a transfer facility comprises one or more packages bound for one or more destinations;
causing a package of the one or more packages to be delivered to a second location;
causing the package to be delivered to an induction station associated with the second location, wherein a computing device associated with the induction station is configured to determine a destination associated with the package;
determining that at least one of a length, a width, or a height of the package is equal to or greater than a threshold length, a threshold width, or a threshold height;
identifying a consolidation station configured for consolidating packages into a second container bound for the destination;
causing the package to be delivered to the consolidation station; and
causing the package to be placed in the second container bound for the destination.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining that the second container is at capacity; and
causing the second container to be delivered to a loading station configured for at least one of: facilitating movement of a unit load device (ULD) or operation of a first drive unit and a human powered vehicle.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining that a second package at the second location comprises at least one of a height, a width, or a length that exceeds a threshold value;
determining a second destination associated with the second package;
identifying a second consolidation station corresponding to the second destination; and
causing the second package to be delivered to the second consolidation station via a third drive unit.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining that a third container at the first location of the transfer facility comprises one or more second packages bound for a second destination via a first mode of transportation, wherein the third container is configured for transportation via a second mode of transportation;
identifying a second consolidation station associated with the second destination and the first mode of transportation; and
causing the third container to be delivered to the second consolidation station.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first container is configured for a first mode of transportation, the method further comprising:
determining that a third container at the first location of the transfer facility comprises one or more second packages bound for a second destination via the first mode of transportation, wherein the third container is configured for the first mode of transportation; and
causing the third container to be moved to a second loading station associated with the first mode of transportation.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
causing the first container to be delivered to the second location with a first conveyor configured to deliver packages from the first location to the second location of the transfer facility, and wherein the package is delivered to the induction station via at least one of:
a third drive unit;
the first conveyor, wherein the first conveyor is further configured to deliver packages across the second location;
a second conveyor;
an unmanned aerial vehicle; or
a package loader.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a package backlog associated with a plurality of induction stations;
determining that the induction station has an associated package backlog below a threshold amount; and
identifying the induction station for processing the package on the second location,
wherein causing the package to be delivered to the induction station is based at least in part on identifying the induction station for processing the package.

12. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a mode of transportation associated with the package,
wherein the consolidation station and the second container are identified based at least in part on the mode of transportation.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the first container comprises at least one of a ULD configured for air transportation or a ground shipment container configured for ground transportation; and
the second container comprises the other of the ULD configured for air transportation or the ground shipment container configured for ground transportation.

14. A method comprising:
determining that a first container configured for a first mode of transportation at a first location of a transfer facility comprises one or more packages to be transported to a destination via a second mode of transportation;
identifying a consolidation station associated with the destination and the second mode of transportation, wherein the consolidation station is configured for consolidating packages into a second container for transport to the destination via the second mode of

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Campbell Stephen T
• Whitten Robert M
• Gupta Shilpi
• Horvath Ibolya
• Kharchenko Oksana Mikhailovna
• Lakinger Justina
• Clarke Ryan

Classifications

• B65G2209/04

  Indication location means · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title

• B65G1/06 Primary

  with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level (B65G1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G2201/0235

  Containers · CPC title

• B65G67/08

  using endless conveyors · CPC title