US 11,932,279 B2
Item repositioning method using a vehicle equipped with a lift assist device
Stuart C. Salter, White Lake, MI (US); Brendan Diamond, Grosse Pointe, MI (US); David Kennedy, Canton, MI (US); John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Novi, MI (US); Pietro Buttolo, Dearborn Heights, MI (US); Paul Kenneth Dellock, Northville, MI (US); and David Brian Glickman, Southfield, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/550,266.
Prior Publication US 2023/0182779 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60P 1/00 (2006.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G01C 21/36 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 60/0025 (2020.02) [B60P 1/00 (2013.01); G01C 21/3407 (2013.01); G01C 21/36 (2013.01); G05D 1/0212 (2013.01); G05D 1/0276 (2013.01); B60W 2300/12 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An item repositioning method, comprising:
in response to a request for an item, moving a vehicle along a first route to a location of the item, wherein the request is a request that is sent based on a passage of time;
loading the item in the vehicle using a lift assist device mounted to the vehicle;
moving the vehicle along a second route to transport the item to a desired location, the passage of time a passage of time since the vehicle last delivered another item to the desired location;
at the desired location, unloading the item from the vehicle using the lift assist device;
and sliding the lift assist device along a crossbar in a cross-vehicle direction after moving the vehicle along the first route and before moving the vehicle along the second route.