System, device, and method for item sorting and conveying

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020147653-A1
Application number	US-201716616669-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2017
Publication date	May 14, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a package sorting method, a sorting area layout, a sorting system, and a path optimization method. The package sorting method includes: dividing a sorting area into at least a first logical partition close to a first item collecting area and a second logical partition close to a second item collecting area, where the first logical partition includes a first item dropping area, and the second logical partition includes a second item dropping area. By this method, a total path of package delivery is reduced.

First claim

1 - 6 . (canceled)

7 . A sorting area layout, comprising an item collecting area located in a center of the sorting area and logical partitions close to the item collecting area;
wherein the item collecting area comprises a first item collecting area and a second item collecting area, and the logical partitions comprise a first logical partition close to the first item collecting area and a second logical partition close to the second item collecting area; and wherein the first logical partition comprises a first item dropping area configured for receiving items from the first item collecting area which are intended for a plurality of road directions, and the second logical partition comprises a second item dropping area configured for receiving items from the second item collecting area which are intended for a plurality of road directions.

8 . The sorting area layout of claim 7 , wherein the first item dropping area and the second item dropping area are each configured for receiving items intended for all road directions.

9 . The sorting area layout of claim 7 , wherein the sorting area further comprises a common area located outside the first logical partition and the second logical partition, and the common area comprises a third item dropping area;
wherein the first item dropping area and the second item dropping area are each configured for receiving items intended for only a part of all road directions, and the third item dropping area is configured for receiving items from the remaining road directions.

10 . The sorting area layout of claim 7 , wherein an edge of the item dropping area comprises a structure recessed toward the center of the sorting area.

11 . The sorting area layout of claim 10 , wherein the edge of the item dropping area is a sawtooth structure.

12 . An item sorting system, configured for sorting items in a sorting area, wherein the item sorting system comprises a plurality of mobile transporting devices, and the sorting area comprises an item collecting area and an item dropping area, wherein the item collecting area comprises at least a first item collecting area and a second item collecting area, and the sorting area comprises a first logical partition close to the first item collecting area and a second logical partition close to the second item collecting area;
the item dropping area comprises a first item collecting area and a second item collecting area, the first item collecting area is located in the first logical partition, and the second item collecting area is located in the second logical partition; wherein a mobile transporting device located in the first logical partition is configured to obtain an item from the first item collecting area and move to the first item dropping area along the first logical partition to deliver the item to the first item dropping area; and a mobile transporting device located in the second logical partition is configured to obtain an item from the second item collecting area and move to the second item dropping area along the second logical partition to deliver the item to the second item dropping area.

13 . The item sorting system of claim 12 , wherein the first item dropping area and/or the second item dropping area each comprise a plurality of temporary item storage containers intended for all road directions.

14 . The item sorting system of claim 12 , wherein the first item dropping area and/or the second item dropping area each comprise a plurality of temporary item storage containers intended for a part of all road directions, wherein the sorting area further comprises a common area located outside the first logical partition and the second logical partition, wherein the common area comprises a plurality of temporary item storage containers intended for the remaining road directions.

15 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . The item sorting system of claim 12 , wherein an edge of the item dropping area comprises a structure recessed toward a center of the sorting area.

19 . The item sorting system of claim 18 , wherein the edge of the item dropping area is a sawtooth structure.

20 . The item sorting system of claim 12 , further comprising a server that runs a path optimization method for the item sorting system, the path optimization method comprising:
mapping a container with a short delivery distance to a road direction with a high delivery probability, so as to minimize a total delivery distance of a mobile transporting device.

21 . The item sorting system of claim 20 , wherein the “mapping a container with a short delivery distance to a road direction with a high delivery probability, so as to minimize a total delivery distance of a mobile transporting device” comprises:
assuming there are N road directions and N temporary item storage containers in the sorting area, a path distance of one round-trip delivery corresponding to an ith temporary item storage container is S i , a probability of a jth road direction being selected in each delivery is P j , and i,j ϵ{1, 2, . . . , N}, so that each probability meets the following relationship:

∑

j
=
1

N



P
j

=
1

then a mapping of the container i to the road direction j, f:i→j , is optimized by the following formula:

f
opt



:


i

→
j

=

arg



min

f
:

i
→
j



∑

i
=
1

N



E


(

S
i



P
i

)

22 . An item delivery system, comprising:
a mobile transporting device, provided with a bearing device configured to carry one or more to-be-sorted items, and further provided with a first height adjustment device operative to adjust a height of the bearing device; and a transferring device, which compri

Assignees

• Beijing Geekplus Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Han Hao

Classifications

• B07C3/18

  Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks {(applying data to information carriers G06K1/12)} · CPC title

• B07C3/082 Primary

  In which the objects are carried by transport holders and the transport holders form part of the conveyor belts (conveyors with carriers B65G47/00) · CPC title

• B07C3/008

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

• B65G2201/0285

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

• B65G35/00

  Mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for · CPC title