US 11,932,489 B2
Systems and methods for processing objects including an auto-shuttle system
Thomas Wagner, Concord, MA (US); Kevin Ahearn, Nebo, NC (US); John Richard Amend, Jr., Belmont, MA (US); Benjamin Cohen, Somerville, MA (US); Michael Dawson-Haggerty, Pittsburgh, PA (US); William Hartman Fort, Stratham, NH (US); Christopher Geyer, Arlington, MA (US); Victoria Hinchey, Winchester, MA (US); Jennifer Eileen King, Oakmont, PA (US); Thomas Koletschka, Cambridge, MA (US); Michael Cap Koval, Mountain View, CA (US); Kyle Maroney, North Attleboro, MA (US); Matthew T. Mason, Pittsburgh, PA (US); William Chu-Hyon McMahan, Cambridge, MA (US); Gene Temple Price, Cambridge, MA (US); Joseph Romano, Arlington, MA (US); Daniel Smith, Canonsburg, PA (US); Siddhartha Srinivasa, Seattle, WA (US); Prasanna Velagapudi, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Thomas Allen, Reading, MA (US)
Assigned to Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc., Bedford, MA (US)
Filed by Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc., Bedford, MA (US)
Filed on May 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/739,735.
Application 17/739,735 is a continuation of application No. 16/744,862, filed on Jan. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,365,051.
Application 16/744,862 is a continuation of application No. 15/924,883, filed on Mar. 19, 2018, granted, now 10,583,553, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/473,843, filed on Mar. 20, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0258975 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 1/137 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/02 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 47/82 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01); B65G 65/00 (2006.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01)
CPC B65G 1/137 (2013.01) [B07C 3/00 (2013.01); B07C 3/008 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 9/026 (2013.01); B25J 9/1612 (2013.01); B25J 9/1615 (2013.01); B65G 1/0485 (2013.01); B65G 1/1373 (2013.01); B65G 47/82 (2013.01); B65G 47/90 (2013.01); B65G 47/905 (2013.01); B65G 65/005 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0258 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An object processing system for processing objects, said object processing system comprising:
a processing station including a receiving area for receiving an input bin containing one or more objects, and a programmable motion device for grasping and removing a selected object of the one or more objects from the input bin and moving and dropping the selected object;
a carrier for receiving the dropped selected object from the programmable motion device, said carrier being adapted for translational movement to move the selected object as well as being adapted for discharge movement to discharge the selected object from the carrier; and
an array of destination locations below the carriage such that the translational movement of the carrier is at an elevation above the array of destination locations, each destination location including an open top such that the carrier may deposit the selected object into any of the plurality of destination locations by actuating the discharge movement of the carrier to discharge the selected object into a selected destination location.
 
11. An object processing system for processing objects, said object processing system comprising:
a processing station including a receiving area for receiving an input bin containing one or more objects, and a programmable motion device for grasping and removing a selected object of the one or more objects from the input bin and moving the selected object;
a carrier for receiving the selected object from the programmable motion device, said carrier being adapted for translational movement to move the selected object as well as being adapted for tipping movement to discharge the selected object from the carrier; and
an array of destination locations below the carriage such that the translational movement of the carrier is at an elevation above the array of destination locations, each destination location including an open top such that the carrier may deposit the selected object into any of the plurality of destination locations by actuating the tipping movement of the carrier to discharge the selected object into a selected destination location.
 
21. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
receiving at a processing station, an input bin containing one or more objects;
using a programmable motion device, grasping and removing a selected object of the one or more objects from the input bin;
moving and dropping the selected object from the programmable motion device;
receiving the dropped selected object from the programmable motion device in a carrier;
translationally moving the carrier to move the selected object;
providing an array of destination locations below the carriage such that the translational movement of the carrier is at an elevation above the array of destination locations; and dropping the selected object into a selected destination location of the array of destination locations by actuating a discharge movement of the carrier to discharge the selected object into the selected destination location.