	US 12,012,285 B2
	Systems and methods for processing objects including a linear gantry 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 Apr. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/730,036.
Application 17/730,036 is a continuation of application No. 16/776,870, filed on Jan. 30, 2020, granted, now 11,358,794.
Application 16/776,870 is a continuation of application No. 15/923,765, filed on Mar. 16, 2018, granted, now 10,596,696, issued on Mar. 24, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/473,082, filed on Mar. 17, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0250838 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 1/137 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/02 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B65G 47/82 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01)

CPC B65G 1/137 (2013.01) [B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 9/026 (2013.01); B25J 9/1612 (2013.01); B25J 9/1615 (2013.01); B65G 1/1376 (2013.01); B65G 1/1378 (2013.01); B65G 47/82 (2013.01); B65G 47/905 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0258 (2013.01)]

28 Claims

1. An object processing system comprising:

a storage bin displacement system that urges a selected storage bin from the storage section onto the conveyor of the retrieval system; and

a processing section including a programmable motion device in communication with the conveyor of the retrieval system for receiving the selected storage bin from the plurality of storage bins, said programmable motion device including an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object out of the selected storage bin;

the processing section further including a plurality of destination bins being provided in at least one output linear arrangement along an output direction adjacent the programmable motion device, wherein the programmable motion device is adapted to place the selected object from the selected storage bin into a selected destination bin among the plurality of destination bins; and

wherein the one or more selected storage bins are returned to the plurality of storage bins by moving the one or more selected storage bins in a reverse direction on the conveyor of the retrieval system.

11. An object processing system comprising:

a storage section including a plurality of storage bins providing storage of a plurality of objects, said plurality of storage bins provided in at least one input linear arrangement adjacent to a conveyor of a retrieval section, and said plurality of storage bins being positionally biased to a first end of the input linear arrangement such that when a selected storage bin is removed, remaining storage bins are brought closer together to fill an input bin space left by the selected and removed storage bin;

a processing section including a programmable motion device in communication with the conveyor of the retrieval system for receiving a selected storage bin from the plurality of storage bins, said programmable motion device including an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object out of the selected storage bin;

the processing section further including a plurality of destination bins being provided in at least one output linear arrangement along an output direction adjacent the programmable motion device, wherein the programmable motion device is adapted to place a selected object from the selected storage bin into a selected destination bin among the plurality of destination bins;

the processing section further including at least one output conveyor of the processing section adjacent the at least one output linear arrangement of the plurality of destination bins, the at least one output conveyor for conveying a completed destination bin to a further processing location, the plurality of destination bins being positionally biased to a first end of the output linear arrangement such that when the completed destination bin is removed, remaining destination bins are brought closer together to fill an output bin space left by the completed destination bin; and

a computer system that tracks an identity and a location of each storage bin among the plurality of storage bins, wherein the computer system updates the location of each storage bin within the remaining storage bins in response to the selected storage bin being removed from the plurality of storage bins, and wherein the computer system updates the location of each destination bin within the remaining destination bins in response to the completed destination bin being removed from the plurality of destination bins.

20. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:

providing storage of a plurality of objects in a plurality of storage bins included in a storage section, said plurality of storage bins provided in at least one input linear arrangement adjacent to a conveyor of a retrieval section,

displacing a selected storage bin from among the plurality of storage bins onto the conveyor of the retrieval system, said plurality of storage bins being positionally biased to a first end of the at least one input linear arrangement such that when the selected storage bin is removed, remaining storage bins are brought closer together to fill an input bin space left by the selected and removed storage bin;

updating a location of each storage bin within the remaining storage bins in a computer system responsive to the selected storage bin being removed from among the plurality of storage bins;

receiving the selected storage bin from the plurality of storage bins at a programmable motion device included in a processing section, the programmable motion device being in communication with the conveyor of the retrieval system;

grasping and moving a selected object out of the selected storage bin using an end effector of the programmable motion device;

providing a plurality of destination bins in at least one output linear arrangement along an output direction adjacent the programmable motion device of the processing section;

placing the selected object from the selected storage bin into a selected destination bin among the plurality of destination bins using the end effector of the programmable motion device;

displacing a completed destination bin from among the plurality of destination bins onto at least one output conveyor of the processing section adjacent the at least one output linear arrangement of the plurality of destination bins, the at least one output conveyor conveying the completed destination bin to a further processing location using at least one output conveyor, the plurality of destination bins being positionally biased to a first end of the at least one output linear arrangement such that when the completed destination bin is removed, remaining destination bins are brought closer together to fill an output bin space left by the completed destination bin; and

updating a location of each destination bin within the remaining destination bins in the computer system responsive the completed destination bin being removed from among the plurality of destination bins.