Asset delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11829136-B2
Application number	US-201916731560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus may automatically move one or more assets to or from one or more storage units to or from a delivery bot. The apparatus and the one or more storage units and the delivery bot may be stored in a logistics vehicle. The delivery bot may be configured to deliver or pick up the one or more assets to or from one or more delivery or pickup locations that are outside of the logistics vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for loading one or more assets to a delivery bot, the apparatus aligned over an outside surface of a storage unit, the outside surface defining a boundary of an opening of the storage unit, the apparatus comprising:
one or more asset loading components outside of the storage unit, the one or more asset loading components including a set of rods that is extendable through the opening of the storage unit between a first surface of the one or more assets and a second surface of the storage unit, the set of rods configured to transfer the one or more assets from the storage unit to the delivery bot based on the set of rods being extendable, the one or more asset loading components not being included in the delivery bot, the one or more asset loading components and the storage unit and the delivery bot are included in a logistics vehicle, the delivery bot is configured to deliver the one or more assets outside of the logistics vehicle to one or more delivery locations in response to transferring of the one or more assets from the storage unit to the delivery bot; and
one or more sensors configured to automatically guide the set of rods to the one or more assets for the transferring of the one or more assets from the storage unit to the delivery bot.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each rod of the set of rods include an extension that is configured to catch the one or more assets for the transferring of the one or more assets from the storage unit to the delivery bot.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an actuator component configured to place at least a portion of the set of rods over a top portion of the one or more assets and cause a rotation of the extension such that the extension catches an edge of the one or more assets.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the rotation includes causing rotation of the extension from being substantially parallel with a horizontal edge of a top of the one or more assets to a position that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal edge of the one or more assets.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more stopper components that are configured to prevent other assets from being moved to the delivery bot.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each rod of the set of rods is configured to move independently from another rod for the transferring of the one or more assets such that the set of rods does not perform a same movement at a same time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is disposed over each boundary of a slot that includes the storage unit, and wherein the slot is rotatable such that another slot is configured to rotate to the one or more asset loading components to move other assets to the delivery bot.

8. A system comprising:
a logistics vehicle that includes one or more storage units, the logistics vehicle is configured to carry one or more assets for one or more shipping operations; and
an apparatus coupled to one or more slots that define one or more openings of the one or more storage units, the apparatus included in the logistics vehicle, the apparatus coupled to one or more asset loading components, the one or more asset loading components including a set of rods that is extendable through an opening of the one or more storage units between a first surface of the one or more assets and a second surface of the one or more storage units, the set of rods configured to automatically transfer the one or more assets to or from the one or more storage units to or from an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) inside of the logistics vehicle, the UGV including a set of wheels, the UGV configured to deliver the one or more assets to or from one or more delivery or pickup locations outside of the logistics vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the logistics vehicle includes a plurality of delivery bot storage racks that are each configured to receive a respective UGV, and wherein each of the plurality of delivery bot storage racks is vertically aligned one with another at a rear portion of the logistics vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising: a ramp configured to extend between a ground surface and a bottom portion of an inside of the logistics vehicle, the ramp is configured to allow the UGV to traverse outside of the logistics vehicle or inside of the logistics vehicle in order to complete the one or more shipping operations, wherein the ramp is configured to raise and lower in a vertical plane to each of the one or more slots to receive the respective UGV.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the ramp includes a first end that is configured to lower from the logistics vehicle to the ground surface beneath the logistics vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the logistics vehicle or a computing device is configured to transmit, over a network, service level data to the UGV to complete the one or more shipping operations.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus performs the automatically transfer of the one or more assets to or from the one or more storage units to or from the UGV inside of the logistics vehicle in response to the one or more storage units rotating to a position adjacent to the apparatus.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the logistics vehicle includes a sensor that maps out a geographical environment that the logistics vehicle traverses to guide the UGV to perform the one or more shipping operations.

15. A method for loading one or more shipment assets to or from a delivery bot, the method comprising:
automatically transferring, by an apparatus, one or more assets from one or more storage locations to the delivery bot by sliding a set of rods, of the apparatus, into the one or more storage locations between a first surface of the one or more assets and a second surface inside the one or more storage locations and then pulling, via the set of rods, the one or more assets onto the delivery bot, the apparatus and the one or more storage locations and the delivery bot are stored in a logistics vehicle, the apparatus being aligned over the one or more storage locations, the delivery bot is configured to deliver the one or more assets to one or more delivery or pickup locations that are outside of the logistics vehicle, the apparatus not being included in the delivery bot.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sliding and pulling of the set of rods occurs in response to a vision sensor located on the apparatus sensing contours of the one or more assets and guiding the set of rods to the one or more assets for the transferring of the one or more assets.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising preventing other assets from being moved to or from the delivery bot.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the transferring of the one or more assets includes moving the set of rods independently one from another.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising automatically rotating, prior to the transferring of the one or more assets, the one or more storage locations to a position adjacent to the apparatus in order to place or pick up the one or more assets from the one or more storage locations.

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Gil Julio

Classifications

• B65G2203/042

  Sensors · CPC title

• B65G2201/02

  Articles · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• B65G63/002 Primary

  for articles · CPC title

• G05D1/0088 Primary

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title