US 11,897,702 B2
Parcel transfer system
Michael Thomas Fleming, Waxhaw, NC (US); and Robertus Arnoldus Adrianus Schmit, West Bloomfield, MI (US)
Assigned to Material Handling Systems, Inc., Mt. Washington, KY (US)
Filed by Material Handling Systems, Inc., Mt. Washington, KY (US)
Filed on Jan. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/142,795.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/957,633, filed on Jan. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0206582 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. B65G 47/50 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/50 (2013.01) [B65G 2201/0285 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for transferring a parcel, comprising:
a conveyor configured to transport the parcel in a first direction of travel and offload the parcel in a second direction of travel;
a self-driving vehicle configured to travel alongside the conveyor and receive the parcel as the parcel is offloaded from the conveyor; and
a vision and control subsystem operably connected to the conveyor and the self-driving vehicle, including
one or more sensors for acquiring data corresponding to the positioning of the parcel on the conveyor, and
a controller including a processor for executing instructions stored in a memory component to (i) receive and analyze data received from the one or more sensors and from the self-driving vehicle to identify the position of the self-driving vehicle relative to the parcel, (ii) communicate instructions to the self-driving vehicle which cause the self-driving vehicle to move toward the parcel based on the identified position of the self-driving vehicle relative to the parcel, and (iii) communicate instructions to the conveyor which cause the conveyor to offload the parcel in the second direction of travel.