Systems and methods for handling packages transported in a delivery vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12008507-B2
Application number	US-202117394288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2021
Priority date	Aug 4, 2021
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure generally pertain to systems and methods to handle packages transported in a delivery vehicle. In an example embodiment, a computer that is provided in a vehicle receives a command related to delivery of a package. The command may be associated, for example, with rerouting of the vehicle due to various reasons such as, for example, due to a change in a delivery schedule and/or a delivery priority. The computer may respond to the command by operating an unmanned package moving apparatus to move the package from one location in a cargo area of the vehicle to another location in the cargo area while the vehicle is in motion and prior to the vehicle reaching a delivery destination for the package. In an example implementation, the unmanned package moving apparatus includes a bed of rollers that are operated by servomotors under control of the computer.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer in a vehicle that is traveling on a package delivery route, a command related to a delivery of a first package;
determining, by the computer, a time constraint associated with the delivery of the first package, wherein the time constraint is based on a trip time to a delivery destination for the first package;
operating, by the computer, responsive to the command and based on the time constraint, an unmanned package moving apparatus to move the first package from a first location in a cargo area of the vehicle to a second location in the cargo area while the vehicle is in motion and prior to the vehicle reaching the delivery destination for the first package, wherein the unmanned package moving apparatus comprises a bed of rollers operated by one or more servomotors under control of the computer;
determining, by the computer, an arrival of the vehicle at a pickup location for a second package;
determining, by the computer, a first physical characteristic of the second package;
determining, by the computer, based on the command and the first physical characteristic of the second package, a third location in the cargo area of the vehicle;
determining, by the computer, a first movement path for the second package upon the bed of rollers, the first movement path extending between a door of the vehicle and the third location; and
activating, by the computer, a first set of rollers in the bed of rollers, to automatically move the second package along the first movement path from the door of the vehicle to the third location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the command comprises a rerouting of the vehicle due to a change in a delivery schedule and/or a delivery priority.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein moving the first package from the first location in the cargo area to the second location in the cargo area comprises:
identifying, by the computer, based on the command, the second location in the cargo area of the vehicle as one of a second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or an unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle;
determining, by the computer, a second movement path for the first package upon the bed of rollers, the second movement path extending between the first location and the one of the second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or the unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle; and
activating, by the computer, a second set of rollers in the bed of rollers, to automatically move the first package along the second movement path from the first location to the one of the second storage location in the cargo area of the vehicle or the unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying, by the computer, based on the command, the second storage location for the first package is further based on executing an algorithm to resolve a knapsack problem, a bin packing problem, and/or a traveling thief problem.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the computer, the third location for the second package based on executing an algorithm to resolve a knapsack problem, a bin packing problem, and/or a traveling thief problem.

6. A method comprising:
identifying, by a computer, in a bed of rollers operated by one or more servomotors under control of the computer and provided in a cargo area of a vehicle, a first set of rollers that are activatable to move packages along a first movement path extending between a door of the vehicle and a package storage space in the cargo area;
identifying, by the computer, a package placement configuration for a set of packages based on a delivery address for each package in the set of packages, a delivery route of the vehicle for delivering the set of packages, and/or precluding placement of any of the set of packages on the first movement path;
determining, by the computer, a time constraint associated with delivering the set of packages, wherein the time constraint is based on a trip time to one or more delivery destinations for the set of packages;
operating, by the computer, based on the time constraint, the first set of rollers to move the set of packages into a set of storage locations in the cargo area in conformance with the package placement configuration;
identifying, by the computer, a first physical characteristic of a first package in the set of packages;
identifying, by the computer, based on at least one of the first physical characteristic of the first package and the delivery route of the vehicle for delivering the set of packages, a first storage location for the first package in the package storage space in the cargo area;
activating, by the computer, the first set of rollers to automatically move the first package from a door of the vehicle to the first storage location along the first movement path;
receiving, by the computer, a notification of one of a change of a first delivery address for the first package, a change of a delivery priority of the first package, or a change in a delivery route of the vehicle; and
activating, by the computer, responsive to the notification, while the vehicle is moving, the first set of rollers to automatically move the first package along the first movement path from the first storage location to an unloading location adjacent to the door of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein identifying the package placement configuration is additionally based on a physical characteristic of each package in the set of packages.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
activating, by the computer, while the vehicle is moving, a second set of rollers in the bed of rollers to automatically move the first package in the set of packages along a second movement path extending between a first location in the package storage space in the cargo area to a second location in the package storage space.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
identifying, by the computer, a second physical characteristic of a second package in the set of packages;
identifying, by the computer, based on the first physical characteristic of the first package and the second physical characteristic of the second package, a second storage location for the second package in the package storage space, wherein identifying the second storage location for the second package comprises resolving a bin packing problem associated with the first storage location and the second storage location in the package storage space of the vehicle and/or a sliding block puzzle problem associated with moving the first package and/or the second package on the bed of rollers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein identifying, by the computer, the second storage location for the second package further comprises resolving a knapsack problem associated with the package storage space of the vehicle, a bin packing problem associated with the package storage space, and/or a traveling thief problem associated with the package storage space and the delivery route of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle comprising:
an unmanned package moving apparatus, comprising a bed of rollers operated by one or more servomotors, provided in a cargo area of the vehicle; and
a computer comprising:
a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving a command related to a delivery of a first package;
determining a time constraint associated with the delivery of the first package, wherein the time constraint is based on a trip ti

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hong Young-Chae
• Chueh Shan Chy
• Vincent John Randolph
• Stark Steven

Classifications

• B65B65/003

  Packaging lines, e.g. general layout · CPC title

• B65B65/02

  Driving gear · CPC title

• B65B35/54

  Feeding articles along multiple paths to a single packaging position · CPC title

• B60P3/007

  for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles · CPC title

• B60P1/52

  using rollers in the load-transporting element · CPC title