Temperature-controlled receiving tunnel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043160-B2
Application number	US-202318157826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2023
Priority date	Oct 3, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

Examples provide a system for a temperature-controlled receiving tunnel. A main body includes an interior compartment and a set of adjustable bulkheads configured to create a set of temperature-controlled zones within the interior compartment. A set of cooling devices are configured to adjust an internal temperature of the set of temperature-controlled zones within the interior compartment. A control device analyzes dynamic truck delivery data and ambient temperature data to generate a predicted cooling time and a cooling initiation time. The predicted cooling time comprises an estimated quantity of time after the cooling initiation time to reach a target temperature within a selected zone in the set of temperature-controlled zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system providing a temperature-controlled receiving tunnel, the system comprising:
a main body comprising an interior compartment;
a set of adjustable bulkheads configured to create a set of temperature-controlled zones within the interior compartment;
a set of cooling devices configured to adjust an internal temperature of the set of temperature-controlled zones within the interior compartment; and
a control device that analyzes dynamic truck delivery data and ambient temperature data to generate a predicted cooling time and a cooling initiation time, the predicted cooling time comprising an estimated quantity of time after the cooling initiation time to reach a target temperature within a selected zone in the set of temperature-controlled zones.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first door associated with a first end of the main body;
a docking device associated with the first end of the main body, the docking device configured to connect to an end of a delivery truck; and
an autonomous pallet loader that autonomously moves a set of pallets from the delivery truck into the selected zone within the interior compartment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the docking device is adjustable, and wherein the control device analyzes sensor data associated with a location of the delivery truck and outputs instructions to assist connection between the delivery truck and the docking device.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexible extension device including a turntable configured to rotate, wherein the flexible extension device enables connection between an end of a delivery truck and the first end of the main body.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the set of cooling devices to adjust the internal temperature of each temperature-controlled zone within the set of temperature-controlled zones.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pneumatic lift associated with the main body, the pneumatic lift configured to adjust a height of the main body to self-level based on a height of a delivery truck.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic truck delivery data includes at least one of a current location of a delivery truck, a delivery schedule for the delivery truck, and inventory of the delivery truck.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control device generates the target temperature for the selected zone based on items identified in the dynamic truck delivery data.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control device automatically controls the set of cooling devices to achieve the target temperature at an expected delivery arrival time based on the predicted cooling time and cooling initiation time.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a temperature-controlled compartment, including:
a cooling device configured to adjust an internal temperature within the temperature-controlled compartment;
a control device coupled to the cooling device, the control device configured to obtain dynamic truck delivery data, determine a target temperature for the temperature-controlled tunnel based on the dynamic truck delivery data, generate a predicted cooling time to reach the target temperature based on ambient temperature relative to the temperature-controlled compartment, and control the cooling device to automatically reach the target temperature at an arrival time of a delivery truck associated with the dynamic truck delivery data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a set of adjustable bulkheads configured to create a set of individual zones within the temperature-controlled compartment, each individual zone in the set of individual zones being individually temperature-controlled by the control device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a docking device associated with an end of the temperature-controlled compartment, the docking device configured to connect to an end of the delivery truck.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a pallet loader implemented within the temperature-controlled compartment, the pallet loader configured to autonomously move items from the delivery truck into the temperature-controlled compartment.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a map generation component, implemented on the control device, that generates a load map for placement of items within the temperature-controlled compartment based on at least one of delivery schedules, delivery inventory, and cold-chain compliance associated with delivery items.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
an inventory component, implemented on the control device, that updates perpetual inventory associated with a receiving facility corresponding to the temperature-controlled compartment as items come into the temperature-controlled compartment.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:
an access component, implemented on the control device, that controls access from the temperature-controlled compartment to the receiving facility and initiates autonomous unloading of the items from the temperature-controlled compartment into the receiving facility.

17. A temperature-controlled tunnel comprising:
an interior compartment;
a set of adjustable bulkheads configured to create a set of zones within the interior compartment;
a set of cooling devices implemented within the interior compartment; and
a control device that controls the set of cooling devices to individually adjust an internal temperature of each zone in the set of zones.

18. The temperature-controlled tunnel of claim 17 , further comprising:
an aperture connecting the interior compartment with an interior of a receiving facility to permit transport of items from the interior compartment into the interior of the receiving facility.

19. The temperature-controlled tunnel of claim 17 , further comprising:
a pallet loader associated with the interior compartment that autonomously moves a pallet from a delivery truck into a zone within the interior compartment.

20. The temperature-controlled tunnel of claim 19 , further comprising:
a collapsible extension device configured to connect to an end of a delivery truck that is unaligned with the interior compartment to facilitate the transfer of the pallet from the delivery truck to the pallet loader within the interior compartment.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Cruz Jeffrey Scott
• Easterling Brandon Joel
• Velten Jeremy L

Classifications

• B60P3/205

  with means for dividing the interior volume, e.g. movable walls or intermediate floors · CPC title

• B65G69/008

  Dock- or bumper-seals · CPC title

• B65G2203/0258

  Weight of the article · CPC title

• F24F11/63 Primary

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• F24F1/00

  Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station · CPC title