Systems and methods for processing objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780684-B2
Application number	US-202016995015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Nov 8, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A processing system is disclosed for processing objects. The processing system includes a perception system for providing perception data regarding an object, and a primary transport system for providing transport of the object along a primary direction toward a processing location that is identified based on the perception data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for processing objects, said system comprising:
an input transport system including a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor;
a singulation system including a robotic arm having an end effector that selectively provides a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor for transport along a second direction that is at least in part orthogonal to the first direction;
a perception system including a housing defining a top opening and a bottom opening through which the singulated stream of objects are dropped from an end of the second conveyor, and a plurality of perception units directed towards a hollow interior of the housing that generate perception data regarding each object dropped through the hollow interior of the housing; and
a distribution transport system for transporting the singulated stream of objects in a third direction that is generally parallel with the second direction for distribution to any of a plurality of destination locations responsive to the perception data.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second conveyor is a cleated conveyor.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein one object is provided in each cleated area of the cleated conveyor.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the singulated stream of objects is provided on the second conveyor without dividers between the objects.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , where the singulated stream of objects is provided on the distribution transport system in a plurality of carriers.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein one object is provided in each of the plurality of carriers.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one perception unit among the plurality of perception units is a camera.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one perception unit among the plurality of perception units is a code scanner.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one perception unit among the plurality of perception units is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag scanner.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distribution transport system includes at least one diverter unit for diverting objects from the distribution transport system.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a cleated conveyor.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a plurality of diverters for urging objects in directions that are generally transverse to the third direction.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a plurality of actuatable carriages.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a plurality of shuttle wings including the plurality of destination locations into which objects are directed based on the perception data.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttle wings includes a reciprocating carriage.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each of the reciprocating carriages is actuated to drop a selected object into a desired destination location of the plurality of destination locations.

17. A system for processing objects, said system comprising:
an input transport system including a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor;
a singulation system including a robotic arm having an end effector that selectively provides a singulated stream of objects to a perception system, said perception system for receiving the singulated stream of objects, said perception system including at least one perception unit that generates perception data regarding each object in the singulated stream of objects received from the second conveyor; and
a distribution transport system for transporting the singulated stream of objects in a third direction that is generally parallel with the second conveyor for distribution to any of a plurality of destination locations responsive to the perception data, each of the plurality of destination locations being provided as a set of destination locations adjacent a reciprocating carriage for receiving objects.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second conveyor is a cleated conveyor.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein one object is provided in each cleated area of the cleated conveyor.

20. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the singulated stream of objects is provided on the second conveyor without dividers between the objects.

21. The system as claimed in claim 17 , where the singulated stream of objects is provided on the distribution transport system in a plurality of carriers.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein one object is provided in each of the plurality of carriers.

23. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the perception system includes a housing defining a top opening and a bottom opening through which the singulated stream of objects are dropped from an end of the second conveyor, and a plurality of perception units directed towards a hollow interior of the housing that generate perception data regarding each object dropped through the hollow interior of the housing.

24. The system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the at least one perception unit is a camera.

25. The system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the at least one perception unit is a code scanner.

26. The system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the at least one perception unit is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag scanner.

27. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the distribution transport system includes at least one diverter unit for diverting objects from the distribution transport system.

28. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a cleated conveyor.

29. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a plurality of diverters for urging objects in directions that are generally transverse to the third direction.

30. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the distribution transport system includes a plurality of actuatable carriages.

31. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each set of the destination locations adjacent the reciprocating carriage is provided as part of one of a plurality of shuttle wings including a pair of sets of a plurality of destination locations into which objects are directed based on the perception data.

32. The system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein each of the plurality of shuttle wings includes the reciprocating carriage.

33. The system as claimed in claim 32 , wherein each of the reciprocating carriages is actuated to drop a selected object into a desired destination location of the plurality of destination locations.

34. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
transporting objects along a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor;
using a robotic arm having an end effector

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Thomas
• Ahearn Kevin
• Cohen Benjamin
• DAWSON-HAGGERTY Michael
• GEYER Christopher
• Koletschka Thomas
• MARONEY Kyle
• Mason Matthew T
• Price Gene Temple
• Romano Joseph
• Smith Daniel
• SRINIVASA Siddhartha
• Velagapudi Prasanna
• Allen Thomas

Classifications

• B65G47/49 Primary

  without bodily contact between article or load carrier and automatic control device {, e.g. the destination marks being electrically or electronically detected} · CPC title

• B65G47/40

  by tilting conveyor buckets · CPC title

• B65G47/82

  Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)} · CPC title

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G05B19/4189

  characterised by the transport system · CPC title