Instrument conveyance using a shuttle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12187544-B2
Application number	US-202117248809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 9, 2021
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A system for instrument conveyance may include a shuttle device including an internal compartment for containing instruments; at least one handling unit configured to dispense instruments, where the handling unit includes: an opening mechanism configured to open the shuttle device to expose the internal compartment of the shuttle device, and a loading mechanism configured to load instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device; at least one head unit configured to obtain input from a user in connection with a transaction involving instruments; and a transportation system disposed between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit, where the transportation system is configured to transport the shuttle device between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for instrument conveyance, the system comprising:
a shuttle device comprising an internal compartment for containing instruments;
at least one handling unit configured to dispense the instruments,
wherein the handling unit comprises:
an opening mechanism configured to open the shuttle device by rotating an outer shell member, relative to an inner shell member, to expose the internal compartment of the shuttle device,
a magazine mechanism, included in a shuttle queue, configured to load the shuttle device to a shuttle dock, and
a loading mechanism configured to load the instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device;

at least one head unit configured to obtain input from a user in connection with a transaction involving the instruments; and
a transportation system disposed between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit,
wherein the transportation system includes one or more conduits, and
wherein the transportation system is configured to transport the shuttle device between the at least one handling unit and the at least one head unit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one head unit comprises a plurality of head units.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a quantity of head units of the at least one head unit is greater than a quantity of handling units of the at least one handling unit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle device further comprises a biasing member configured to bias the shuttle device to a closed configuration.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one handling unit further comprises the shuttle dock configured to dock the shuttle device at the at least one handling unit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the loading mechanism is configured to interface with a dispenser of the at least one handling unit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conduits of the transportation system comprises one or more tubes.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
cause the at least one handling unit to load the shuttle device with the instruments based on inputs obtained at the at least one head unit; and
cause the shuttle device to travel from the at least one handling unit to the at least one head unit via the transportation system.

9. A handling unit, comprising:
a dispenser configured to contain instruments for dispensing to a shuttle device;
a shuttle dock configured to dock the shuttle device at the handling unit;
an opening mechanism configured to open the shuttle device by rotating an outer shell member, relative to an inner shell member, to expose an internal compartment of the shuttle device;
a magazine mechanism, included in a shuttle queue, configured to load the shuttle device to the shuttle dock; and
a loading mechanism configured to load the instruments from the dispenser into the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

10. The handling unit of claim 9 , wherein the opening mechanism is further configured to close the shuttle device to conceal the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

11. The handling unit of claim 9 , wherein the loading mechanism comprises one or more flipping members configured to flip the instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

12. The handling unit of claim 9 , wherein the loading mechanism comprises one or more conveyors configured to transport the instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

13. The handling unit of claim 9 , wherein the loading mechanism comprises one or more arms configured to transport the instruments into the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

14. The handling unit of claim 9 , wherein the shuttle dock is further configured to release the shuttle device to a transportation system for the shuttle device.

15. The handling unit of claim 9 , wherein the magazine mechanism is spring loaded.

16. A method of instrument conveyance, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, an instruction based on a user input in connection with a transaction involving one or more instruments being performed at a head unit;
causing, by the processor and based on receiving the instruction, a shuttle device to dock at a shuttle dock of a handling unit,
wherein causing the shuttle device to dock at the shuttle dock comprises:
causing a magazine mechanism, of a shuttle queue of the handling unit, to load the shuttle device to the shuttle dock;

causing, by the processor, an opening mechanism of the handling unit to open the shuttle device docked at the shuttle dock by rotating an outer shell member, relative to an inner shell member, to expose an internal compartment of the shuttle device;
causing, by the processor, a loading mechanism of the handling unit to load one or more instruments, in accordance with the instruction, into the internal compartment of the shuttle device; and
causing, by the processor, the shuttle device to travel from the handling unit to the head unit via a transportation system disposed between the handling unit and the head unit.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
causing, after causing the loading mechanism to load the one or more instruments, the opening mechanism of the handling unit to close the shuttle device to conceal the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
obtaining, after causing the loading mechanism to load the one or more instruments, information from one or more sensors of at least one of the handling unit or the shuttle device; and
determining, based on the information, whether contents are present in the internal compartment of the shuttle device,
wherein the shuttle device is caused to travel from the handling unit to the head unit based on determining that the contents are present in the internal compartment of the shuttle device.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the handling unit is remotely located from the head unit.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the magazine mechanism is spring loaded.

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Faletti Steve
• Wurmfeld David Kelly
• Neilson Scott R

Classifications

• G07D11/16

  Handling of valuable papers (within containers G07D11/13) · CPC title

• G07D2211/00

  Paper-money handling devices · CPC title

• B65G17/12

  comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/2641

  Fork lift, material handling vehicle · CPC title