Systems and methods for providing order fulfillment using a routing conveyance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025229985-A1
Application number	US-202519069764-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2025
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Jul 17, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A storage, retrieval and processing system for processing objects includes: a plurality of bins including objects to be distributed, said plurality of bins being provided on an input conveyance system; a programmable motion device that includes an end effector for grasping and moving any of the objects, a perception system for providing perception data regarding a selected object that is presented to the perception system by the programmable motion device, and a routing conveyance system for receiving the selected object, and for moving the selected object in each of horizontal and vertical directions toward a selected destination container responsive to the perception data, the routing conveyance system including at least one object conveyor for urging the selected object toward the selected destination container in a third direction that is generally orthogonal to the horizontal and vertical directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 .- 30 . (canceled)

31 . A storage, retrieval and processing system for processing objects, said storage, retrieval and processing system comprising:
a plurality of bins including objects to be distributed, said plurality of bins being provided on an input conveyance system; an articulated arm that includes an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object among the objects within at least one of the plurality of bins in an input area of the input conveyance system; a perception unit providing perception data regarding the selected object that is presented to the perception unit by the articulated arm; a routing conveyance system including at least one object conveyor that receives the selected object and moves the selected object in each of horizontal and vertical directions in the space between two vertically stacked arrays of destination container locations to directly reach a selected destination container in a respective destination container location in either of the two vertically stacked arrays of destination containers responsive to the perception data, wherein the at least one object conveyor urges the selected object into the selected destination container in a third direction that is orthogonal to the horizontal and vertical directions, and each destination container location including a destination container conveyor; and a container movement system disposed at each of the vertically stacked arrays of destination containers, each container movement unit including a conveyor module for receiving the destination container discharged by the respective destination container conveyor.

32 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the perception unit is a drop perception unit.

33 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the object conveyor is mounted to a routing vertical rail system.

34 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 33 , wherein the routing vertical rail system is mounted on a routing horizontal rail system.

35 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the container movement system moves the selected destination container in each of removal horizontal and vertical directions toward an output conveyor.

36 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 35 , wherein the container movement system replenishes each of the destination container locations with an empty container.

37 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 36 wherein the empty container is provided by the output conveyor.

38 . A storage, retrieval and processing system for processing objects, said storage, retrieval and processing system comprising:
a plurality of bins including objects to be distributed, said plurality of bins being provided on an input conveyance system; an articulated arm that includes an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object among the objects within at least one of the plurality of bins in an input area of the input conveyance system; and a routing conveyance system including a first object conveyor and a second object conveyor, each object conveyor being provided for receiving a selected object, and for moving the selected object from the input area in each of horizontal and vertical directions in the space between two vertically stacked arrays of destination container locations and directly reach a destination container in either of the two vertically stacked arrays of destination container locations and depositing the selected object into the destination container, each of the destination container locations including a container location conveyor for discharging the destination container, the first and second object conveyors being adapted to travel along the horizontal and vertical directions and to avoid colliding with one another by traveling in circuits, one of which is time delayed with respect to the other; and a container movement system including a first container movement unit and a second container movement unit accessible to each of the two vertically stacked arrays of destination containers and adapted to receive the destination container when discharged by the respective container location conveyor.

39 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the routing conveyance system is responsive to perception data relating to the selected object.

40 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the routing conveyance system is mounted to a routing vertical rail system.

41 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the routing vertical rail system is mounted on a routing horizontal rail system.

42 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the container movement system moves the selected destination container in each of removal horizontal and vertical directions toward an output conveyor.

43 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 42 , wherein the container movement system replenishes each of the destination container locations with an empty container.

44 . The storage, retrieval and processing system as claimed in claim 43 wherein the empty container is provided by the output conveyor.

45 . A method of providing storage, retrieval and processing of objects, said method comprising:
providing on a conveyance system a plurality of bins including objects to be distributed; grasping and moving objects within at least one of the plurality of bins in an input area of the conveyance system using an articulated arm that includes an end effector for grasping and moving any of the objects within at least one of the plurality of bins in an input area of the input conveyance system; providing perception data by a perception unit regarding a selected object that is presented to the drop perception unit by the articulated arm; routing the selected object on a first object conveyor that moves in each of horizontal and vertical directions in the space between two vertically stacked arrays of destination container locations, each of the destination container locations including a container location conveyor therein, to directly reach a selected destination container in a corresponding container location on a corresponding container location conveyor in one of the two vertically stacked arrays of destination containers responsive to the perception data using a first object conveyor; urging the selected object from the first object conveyor into the selected destination container in a third direction that is orthogonal to the horizontal and vertical directions; and removing the selected destination container using the corresponding container location conveyor.

46 . The method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein routing the selected object in each of horizontal and vertical directions includes moving the first object conveyor along vertical and horizontal directions in a circuit.

47 . The method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the method further includes:
routing a further selected object in each of the horizontal and vertical directions toward a further selected destination container responsive to the perception data using a second object conveyor; and urging the selected object from the second object conveyor into the further selected destination container, each of the first and second object conveyors being adapted to travel along

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Long Guoming Alex

Classifications

• B65G2203/04

  Detection means · CPC title

• B65G2203/0208

  relating to the transported articles · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B65G1/1371

  with data records · CPC title

• B65G1/0435

  with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area · CPC title