Universal robotic-enabled storage and retrieval system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897689-B2
Application number	US-202117508774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2021
Priority date	Oct 26, 2020
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

The present application discloses temperature regulated apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for temperature regulated containers. An example temperature regulated apparatus includes a base container. The base container includes at least a base portion, one or more sidewall portions, and a lid portion. The example temperature regulated apparatus also includes one or more thermoelectric components, where (i) each of the one or more thermoelectric components are configured to be disposed within the interior of the base container, (ii) each thermoelectric component comprises an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a composite semiconductor layer disposed between the exterior surface and the interior surface, and (iii) each thermoelectric component is configured to, in an instance current flows through the thermoelectric component, transfer heat between the interior surface and exterior surface.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A temperature regulated apparatus comprising:
a base container, wherein the base container includes at least:
a base portion;
one or more sidewall portions, wherein the one or more sidewall portions are integrated with an interior surface of the base portion;
a lid portion, wherein the lid portion is configured to attach to the one or more sidewall portions, and wherein the base container defines an interior portion defined by at least the base portion, the one or more sidewall portions, and the lid portion;
one or more thermoelectric components, wherein (i) each of the one or more thermoelectric components is configured to be disposed within the interior portion of the base container, (ii) each thermoelectric component comprises an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a composite semiconductor layer disposed between the exterior surface and the interior surface, and (iii) each thermoelectric component is configured to, when a current flows through the thermoelectric component, transfer heat between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and
an inductive charging grid, wherein the inductive charging grid is integrated within the base container, wherein the inductive charging grid is configured to induce the current within the one or more thermoelectric components, wherein the inductive charging grid comprises one or more inductive charging grid sections, wherein each inductive charging grid section is configured to provide the current to the one or more thermoelectric components within a portion of the base container.

2. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inductive charging grid is configured to be powered using one or more batteries.

3. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulated apparatus further comprises:
one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors may be configured to measure at least one of a temperature or humidity of the interior portion of the base container.

4. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the base container further includes one or more louvre sets, wherein:
each louvre set includes one or more louvres configured to actuate as a unit,
each louvre set is configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
when a louvre set is not in the closed configuration, air may flow between the interior portion of the base container and a surrounding external environment of the base container.

5. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulated apparatus further comprises:
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform one or more operational tasks and wherein the controller is in communication with at least one or more sensors and the inductive charging grid.

6. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the one or more operational tasks include at least one of:
actuating one or more louvre sets between one or more configurations,
activating the one or more inductive charging grid sections of the inductive charging grid, or
providing one or more warning data objects to one or more user devices when one or more trigger events occur.

7. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the one or more trigger events include determination that one or more temperature values do not satisfy one or more temperature threshold values, one or more humidity values do not satisfy one or more humidity threshold values, or a maintenance time duration satisfies one or more maintenance time durations.

8. The temperature regulated apparatus of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the one or more thermoelectric components are stacked adjacent to one or another such that the interior surface of one thermoelectric component is adjacent to the exterior surface of another thermoelectric component.

9. A method comprising:
measuring, using one or more sensors, a temperature value within a temperature regulated container;
determining whether the measured temperature value satisfies one or more temperature threshold values; and
in response to determining that the measured temperature value does not satisfy the one or more temperature threshold values, activating one or more inductive charging grid sections of an inductive charging grid.

10. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
measuring, using the one or more sensors, a temperature value within the temperature regulated container after a duration of time since activation of the one or more inductive charging grid sections;
determining whether the measured temperature value satisfies the one or more temperature threshold values;
in response to determining that the measured temperature value does not satisfy the one or more temperature threshold values, maintaining activation of the one or more inductive charging grid sections of the inductive charging grid; and
in response to determining that the measured temperature value satisfies the one or more temperature threshold values, deactivating the one or more inductive charging grid sections of the inductive charging grid.

11. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
in response to determining that the measured temperature value does not satisfy the one or more temperature threshold values, actuating one or more louvre sets between one or more configurations.

12. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
measuring, using the one or more sensors, a humidity value within the temperature regulated container;
determining whether the measured humidity value satisfies one or more humidity threshold values;
in response to determining that the measured humidity value does not satisfy the one or more humidity threshold values, actuating one or more louvre sets between one or more configurations.

13. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
providing one or more warning data objects to one or more user devices when one or more trigger events occur.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more trigger events include determination that one or more temperature values do not satisfy the one or more temperature threshold values, one or more humidity values do not satisfy one or more humidity threshold values, or a maintenance time duration satisfies one or more maintenance time durations.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer executable program code instructions therein, the computer executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions configured, upon execution, to:
measure a temperature value within a temperature regulated container;
determine whether the measured temperature value satisfies one or more temperature threshold values; and
when the measured temperature value does not satisfy the one or more temperature threshold values, activate one or more inductive charging grid sections of an inductive charging grid.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , the computer executable program code instructions comprising the program code instructions further configured, upon execution, to:
measure a temperature value within the temperature regulated container after a duration of time since activation of the one or more inductive charging grid sections;
determine whether the measured temperature value satisfies the one or more temperature threshold values;
when the measured temperature value does not satisfy the one or more temperature threshold values, maintain activation of the one or more induc

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Pai Ramdas M
• Lui Tak Keung Joseph
• Krishnamoorthy Sai Prasanth

Classifications

• B65D88/744 Primary

  heating or cooling through the walls or internal parts of the container, e.g. circulation of fluid inside the walls · CPC title

• B65D81/18

  providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient (with thermal insulation B65D81/38) · CPC title

• B65D88/747

  dehumidifying, dewatering or draining · CPC title

• F25B21/04 Primary

  reversible · CPC title

• F25B2321/023

  Mounting details thereof · CPC title