Systems and methods for processing objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12286310-B2
Application number	US-202318235426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2023
Priority date	Nov 8, 2016
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A processing system is disclosed for processing objects. The processing system includes a perception system for providing perception data regarding an object, and a primary transport system for providing transport of the object along a primary direction toward a processing location that is identified based on the perception data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for processing objects, said system comprising:
a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor, said first direction including a horizontal component and a vertical component leading up to the second conveyor, and the first conveyor including cleats for engaging the objects;
a robotic arm with an end effector that is programmed to selectively provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor for transport along a second direction that is at least in part orthogonal to the horizontal component of the first direction;
a perception system that generates perception data regarding each object in the singulated stream of objects received from the second conveyor; and
a distribution transport system including a third conveyor that transports the singulated stream of objects in a third direction toward a plurality of shuttle wings adjacent to the third conveyor, each shuttle wing including at least one carriage that transports each object in the singulated stream of objects in a fourth direction away from the perception system to any of a plurality of destination locations into which objects are directed responsive to the perception data, wherein the distribution transport system further includes at least one diverter unit for diverting objects from the third conveyor into the at least one carriage of any of the plurality of shuttle wings.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second conveyor is a cleated conveyor.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein one object is provided in each cleated area of the cleated conveyor.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the singulated stream of objects is provided on the second conveyor without dividers between the objects.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one object is provided in the at least one carriage of any of the plurality of shuttle wings.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third conveyor of the distribution transport system includes a cleated conveyor.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one diverter unit of the distribution transport system urges the objects in directions that are generally transverse to the third direction of the third conveyor.

8. A system for processing objects, said system comprising:
a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor;
a robotic arm with an end effector that is programmed to selectively provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor for transport along a second direction;
a perception system that generates perception data regarding each object in the singulated stream of objects received from the second conveyor; and
at least one first carriage that transports each object in the singulated stream of objects in a third direction away from the perception system to any of a plurality of destination locations responsive to the perception data, said at least one first carriage providing each object in the singulated stream of objects to a second carriage that provides each object to a selected destination location of the plurality of destination locations.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second conveyor is a cleated conveyor.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein one object is provided in each cleated area of the cleated conveyor.

11. The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the singulated stream of objects is provided on the second conveyor without dividers between the objects.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the at least one first carriage is provided among a plurality of first carriages.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein one object is provided in each of the plurality of first carriages.

14. The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second carriage is provided in at least one of a plurality of shuttle wings that includes the plurality of destination locations into which objects are directed based on the perception data.

15. A system for processing objects, said system comprising:
a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor;
a robotic arm with an end effector that is programmed to selectively provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor for transport along a second direction;
a perception system including at least one perception unit that generates perception data regarding each object in the singulated stream of objects received from the second conveyor; and
a distribution transport system for transporting the singulated stream of objects in a third direction for distribution to any of a plurality of destination locations responsive to the perception data, wherein the distribution transport system includes a plurality of destination wings, each destination wing including a carriage and a subset of the plurality of destination locations into which each object in the singulated stream of objects is directed from the carriage based on the perception data.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the second conveyor is a cleated conveyor.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein one object is provided in each cleated area of the cleated conveyor.

18. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the singulated stream of objects is provided on the second conveyor without dividers between the objects.

19. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the singulated stream of objects is provided to any of the plurality of destination wings of the distribution transport system in a plurality of carriers.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein one object is provided in each of the plurality of carriers.

21. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein at least one perception unit is a camera.

22. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein at least one perception unit is a code scanner.

23. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein at least one perception unit is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag scanner.

24. The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the distribution transport system further includes a third conveyor and at least one diverter unit for diverting objects from the third conveyor into the carriage of any of the plurality of destination wings.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the third conveyor of the distribution transport system includes a cleated conveyor.

26. The system as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the at least one diverter unit of the distribution transport system urges the objects in directions that are generally transverse to the third conveyor.

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Thomas
• Ahearn Kevin
• Cohen Benjamin
• DAWSON-HAGGERTY Michael
• GEYER Christopher
• Koletschka Thomas
• MARONEY Kyle
• Mason Matthew T
• Price Gene Temple
• Romano Joseph
• Smith Daniel
• SRINIVASA Siddhartha
• Velagapudi Prasanna
• Allen Thomas

Classifications

• B65G2203/041

  Camera · CPC title

• B65G2201/0285

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

• B65G47/82

  Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)} · CPC title

• B65G47/40

  by tilting conveyor buckets · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title