US 12,005,478 B2
Multi-tiered parcel sortation system
Julian Leland Bell, Decatur, GA (US); Gregory Casanova Brown, II, Lilburn, GA (US); Stephens Woodrough, Peachtree Corners, GA (US); and Dameion Teres Drake, Lithonia, GA (US)
Assigned to United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by United Parcel Service Of America, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Feb. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/107,228.
Application 18/107,228 is a continuation of application No. 17/217,192, filed on Mar. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,607,711.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/002,846, filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0191457 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 3/008 (2013.01) [B07C 3/006 (2013.01); B65G 1/0464 (2013.01); B65G 1/0478 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0285 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0283 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated parcel sortation system comprising:
a first tier comprising a plurality of tracks that intersect to form a grid that is horizontally oriented, and one or more autonomous guided vehicles that traverse the grid along the plurality of tracks;
a second tier positioned beneath the first tier and comprising a plurality of accumulation containers, each accumulation container of the plurality of accumulation containers being associated with a shipping destination; and
a third tier comprising a parcel accumulation transporter positioned beneath the second tier and configured to transport an accumulation of parcels received from one of the plurality of accumulation containers towards a perimeter of the automated parcel sortation system,
wherein the one or more autonomous guided vehicles are each configured to transport a parcel across the grid to a position above an accumulation container of the plurality of accumulation containers that is associated with the shipping destination that corresponds to an assigned shipping destination of the parcel and to release the parcel into the accumulation container.