Parcel station, parcel system and method for operating a parcel station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12091250-B2
Application number	US-202117524175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A parcel station including a housing having a front cover which is slidable along at least one side of the housing which further includes a plurality of segments, and wherein the front cover is configured so that two neighboring segments among the plurality of segments are separable from each other to form an opening in the front; and a plurality of storage plates, which are arranged one above the other in the interior space of the housing with respect to planar extensions thereof and which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the planar extensions and in the upper direction and/or the lower direction, wherein the opening extends between at least two neighboring storage plates among the plurality of storage plates and at current positions thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A parcel station for supplying parcels to a receptor, the parcel station comprising:
a housing having a front cover which is slidable along at least one side of the housing in an upward direction and/or a downward direction of the housing,
wherein the front cover includes a plurality of segments, each being slidable along the at least one side of the housing in the upward direction and/or the downward direction of the housing,
wherein the plurality of segments is arranged and connected next to each other along the upward direction and the downward direction when an interior space of the housing is closed by the front cover,
wherein the front cover is configured so that two neighboring segments among the plurality of segments are disconnectable from each other to form an opening in the front cover to the interior space of the housing and thereby to divide the front cover into an upper portion and a lower portion,
wherein the upper portion is movable in the upward direction and the lower portion is movable in the lower direction to open the opening in the front cover; and

a plurality of storage plates, which is arranged one above the other in the interior space of the housing and each of which is movable in the upper direction and/or the lower direction,
wherein the opening extends between at least two neighboring storage plates among the plurality of storage plates and at current positions thereof,
wherein the parcel station further includes a segment actuator at each segment, wherein the segment actuator is configured to connect and/or disconnect the two neighboring segments from each other,
wherein the parcel station further includes a controller which is connected to the segment actuator and which is configured to open and/or close the opening for a parcel and to adjust a size of the opening for the parcel,
wherein the parcel station further includes a communication unit connected to the controller and configured to receive or transmit information to a user and/or the receptor about the parcel and/or a size of the parcel and/or about a favorable height position of the parcel in the interior space of the housing according to a user profile,
wherein the parcel station further includes a plate actuator at each storage plate, wherein the plate actuator is configured to move the storage plates in the upward direction and/or the downward direction inside the interior space of the housing, and
wherein the controller is configured to control the plate actuator to provide a height according to the size of the parcel at the favorable height position of the parcel according to the user profile by moving an upper storage plate of two neighboring storage plates at the favorable height position in the upward direction and a lower storage pate of the two neighboring storage plates in the downward direction, and to control the segment actuator to open or close the opening according to the height and a position of the parcel by moving the upper portion of the front cover at the favorable height position in the upward direction and the lower portion of the front cover at the favorable height position in the downward direction.

2. The parcel station of claim 1 , wherein for closing the opening the upper portion of the front cover is movable in the downward direction and the lower portion of the front cover is movable in the upward direction until the opening is closed and the two neighboring segments are connected to each other when closing the opening.

3. The parcel station of the claim 1 , further including the controller which is connected to the plate actuator and configured to adjust a height for the parcel in the interior space between two storage plates among the plurality of storage plates by moving at least one storage plate thereof in the upward direction or the downward direction.

4. A parcel system comprising:
at least one a parcel station of the claim 1 , which is placed at a fixed position and/or which is mobile.

5. A method for operating the parcel station of claim 1 for supplying the parcels to the receptor, the method comprising the steps:
providing the parcel station or a parcel system,
receive information related to a dimension of the parcel and/or about the receptor and/or about a time of picking up of the parcel;
providing a space in the interior space of the housing by moving the at least two neighboring storage plates so that the height according to the dimension of the parcel is provided at the favorable height position of the parcel according to the user profile;
opening the front cover by separating two segments among the plurality of segments and providing the opening at the provided space for the parcel in the interior space, storing the parcel in the provided space and closing the opening;
moving the parcel in the interior space to an intermediate position or keeping the parcel at a fixed initial position in the interior space;
receiving a command from the receptor to provide the opening for picking up the parcel;
moving the parcel to the favorable height position of the parcel according to the user profile; and
providing the opening at the favorable height position of the parcel by separating the two neighboring segments in the front cover.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the parcels are registered to corresponding receptors, dimensions and time of expected picking up of the parcels are registered, and the parcels are sorted and/or laced in the interior space depending on height thereof and the time of expected picking up.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein after a first parcel among the parcels is picked up the opening is closed and a space of the first parcel is occupied by a space of another parcel among the parcels, which is expected to be picked up next by moving corresponding storage plates among the plurality of storage plates and at least a next parcel among the parcels in the upward direction and/or the downward direction to position the at least a next parcel at a most favorable height of a next receptor.

8. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein a first parcel which is expected to be picked up first among the parcels is initially placed at a most favorable height for picking up the first parcel expected to be picked up first,
wherein the plurality of storage plates is arranged to provide corresponding spaces for the parcels,
wherein a size of the receptor is received and a most favorable height for picking up a corresponding parcel is determined for a corresponding receptor, and
wherein predetermined parcels which are expected to be picked up in consecutive temporal order, among the parcels are initially placed in a consecutive order in the upward direction or the downward direction next to the first parcel.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein after the first parcel among the parcels is picked up the opening is closed and a space of the first parcel is occupied by a space of another parcel among the parcels, which is expected to be picked up next by moving corresponding storage plates among the plurality of storage plates and at least a next parcel among the parcels in the upward direction and/or the downward direction to position the at least a next parcel at a most favorable height of a next receptor.

10. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the parcels in the interior space are initially arranged as close as possible to a predetermined most favorable height for picking up thereof, and
wherein after one parcel among the parcels is picked up remaining spaces of remaining parcels among the parcels are placed next to each other and each as close as possible to the redetermined most favorable height for picking up thereof.

11. The meth

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Schreiber Michael
• Munkler Nico
• Moarefi Bahman
• De Graag Gerrit
• Tjebbes Jelle
• Dammel Joel
• Bonnemayers Vitto
• Wolf Frank
• Laurent Vincent

Classifications

• B65G1/127

  the circuit being confined in a vertical plane · CPC title

• B65G1/1371

  with data records · CPC title

• B65G2201/0285

  Postal items, e.g. letters, parcels · CPC title

• G06Q10/043

  Optimisation of two dimensional placement, e.g. cutting of clothes or wood · CPC title

• G06Q10/0832

  Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods · CPC title