Systems and methods for dynamic sortation of objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337353-B2
Application number	US-202318377417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2023
Priority date	Dec 4, 2015
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An automated shuttle sorter is disclosed that includes a carriage that is movable from a load position at which the carriage may be loaded, and at least two destination locations into which any contents of the carriage may be provided from the carriage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
receiving a plurality of objects to be processed at an input area;
grasping a selected object of the plurality of objects with an end-effector of a programmable motion device;
moving the selected object with the end-effector of the programmable motion device to a load bed of a carriage at a loading location of a processing area, said load bed for receiving the selected object;
driving the carriage at a carriage elevation on a track system in a first route to move from the loading location of the processing area to a selected destination location of a plurality of destination locations within the processing area, wherein the plurality of destination locations is provided below the track system;
dropping the selected object from the carriage into a selected container at the selected destination location by tipping the carriage;
driving the carriage in a second route that is different than the first route to move along the track system from the selected destination location back toward the loading location to receive a next object from the programmable motion device; and
removing the selected container from the selected destination location, said selected container being provided on a pull-out drawer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the plurality of objects includes receiving the plurality of objects on an input conveyor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end-effector includes a vacuum cup for grasping the selected object.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the selected object is dropped from the vacuum cup into the load bed of the carriage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of destination locations is provided in an array of destination locations arranged underneath the track system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pull-out drawer includes at least one further container associated with a further destination location of the plurality of destination locations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carriage changes from moving in the first route to moving in the second route after the selected object is dropped into the selected destination location.

8. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
receiving a plurality of objects to be processed at an input area;
grasping a first selected object of the plurality of objects with an end-effector of a programmable motion device;
moving the selected first object with the end-effector of the programmable motion device to a load bed of a carriage at a loading location of a processing area;
driving the carriage at a carriage elevation on a track system in a first route to move from the loading location to a first selected destination location of a plurality of destination locations within the processing area, wherein the plurality of destination locations is provided below the track system;
dropping the first selected object from the carriage into a first selected container at the first selected destination location by tipping the carriage;
driving the carriage in a second route that is different than the first route to move along the track system from the first selected destination location back toward the loading location;
grasping a second selected object of the plurality of objects at the input area with the end- effector of the programmable motion device;
moving the second selected object with the end-effector to the load bed of the carriage at the loading location of the processing area;
driving the carriage at the carriage elevation on the track system in a third route to move from the loading location to a second selected destination location of the plurality of destination locations within the processing area;
dropping the second selected object from the carriage into a second selected container at the second selected destination location by tipping the carriage; and
driving the carriage in a fourth route that is different than the third route to move along the track system from the second selected destination location back toward the loading location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the plurality of objects includes receiving the plurality of objects on an input conveyor.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the end-effector includes a vacuum cup for grasping the selected object.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the selected object is dropped from the vacuum cup into the load bed of the carriage.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of destination locations is provided in an array of destination locations arranged underneath the track system.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further includes removing the first selected container from the first selected destination location, said first selected container being provided on a pull-out drawer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pull-out drawer includes at least one further container associated with a further destination location of the plurality of destination locations.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carriage changes from moving in the first route to moving in the second route after the selected object is dropped into the first selected destination location.

16. An object processing system comprising:
a programmable motion device for moving a first object of a plurality of objects and for moving the first object to a carriage with a load bed for receiving the first object thereon from the programmable motion device at a loading location, said carriage being movably mounted at a carriage elevation on a track system for movement of the carriage at the carriage elevation;
a plurality of destination locations, each destination location including a destination container with an open top, said plurality of destination locations being provided in an array of destination locations arranged underneath the track system at a destination location elevation that is lower than the carriage elevation; and
an actuation system for causing the carriage to discharge the selected object from the load bed and drop the selected object into a selected destination container of a selected destination location of the plurality of destination locations,
wherein the carriage is driven in a first route to move along the track system from the loading location towards the selected destination location and is driven in a second route that is different than the first route to move along the track system towards the loading location from the selected destination location to receive a next selected object from the programmable motion device at the loading location.

17. The object processing system of claim 16 , wherein the object processing system further includes an input conveyor on which the plurality of objects are provided to the programmable motion device.

18. The object processing system of claim 16 , wherein the programmable motion device includes an end-effector with a vacuum cup for grasping the selected object.

19. The object processing system of claim 18 , wherein the selected object may be dropped from the vacuum cup into the load bed of the carriage.

20. The object processing system of claim 16 , wherein the actuation system is actuatable to drop the selected object from the load bed into the selected destination container.

21. The object processing system of claim 16 , wherein the selected destination container is provided on a pull-out drawer.

22. The object processing system of claim 21 , wherei

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

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• B07C3/14

  using light-responsive detecting means {(for information carriers G06K7/14)} · CPC title

• B07C3/02

  Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution · CPC title

• B07C3/008

  Means for collecting objects, e.g. containers for sorted mail items (pile receivers in general B65H31/00) · CPC title

• B07C5/3412

  according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication (sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00) · CPC title