US 11,911,797 B1
Systems and methods for multi-path package sortation
Rajeev Dwivedi, Sammamish, WA (US); Kaushal Bharatkumar Mehta, Seattle, WA (US); and Ameya Abhyankar, Franklin, TN (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Sep. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/954,743.
Int. Cl. B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B07C 3/14 (2006.01); B07C 3/18 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 3/08 (2013.01) [B07C 3/14 (2013.01); B07C 3/18 (2013.01); B07C 2301/0066 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for multi-path sortation of packages, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, a packaging route based on a destination address corresponding to a first item identifier;
associating a first item identifier with a destination address and the packaging route in a database;
determining a packaging message corresponding to the first item identifier or packaging route;
determining an updated packaging route for the first item identifier based on the packaging message;
associating the updated packaging route with the first item identifier in the database;
causing a first conveyor to convey a first package toward a first scanner device, the first package having a label indicative of the destination address and the first item identifier;
causing the scanner device to scan the label to generate a signal representative of the label;
determining that the signal corresponds to the first item identifier;
determining that the first item identifier corresponds to the updated packaging route associated with the first item identifier in the database;
determining that the packaging route includes use of a second conveyor;
causing the first conveyor to convey the package to a first multi-path conveyor system having a first conveyor portion adjacent to a second conveyor portion, the first conveyor portion and the second conveyor portion configured to move in a first direction;
causing the first multi-path conveyor system to route the package to the second conveyor, the first multi-path conveyor system adapted to move the first conveyor portion independently from the second conveyor portion in the first direction to selectively move a package in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and adapted to receive packages from the first conveyor and a third conveyor and to selectively deposit the packages onto the second conveyor, a fourth conveyor, and a second multi-path conveyor system; and
causing the second conveyor to convey the package to a packaging station for outbound shipment.