US 12,404,117 B2
Systems and methods for providing singulation of objects for processing using object movement redistribution
Thomas Wagner, Concord, MA (US); Kevin Ahearn, Nebo, NC (US); John Richard Amend, Jr., Arlington, MA (US); Benjamin Cohen, White Plains, NY (US); William Hartman Fort, Stratham, NH (US); Michael Dawson-Haggerty, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Christopher Geyer, Arlington, MA (US); Jennifer Eileen King, Gibsonia, PA (US); Thomas Koletschka, Somerville, MA (US); Michael Cap Koval, Mountain View, CA (US); Kyle Maroney, Saunderstown, RI (US); Matthew T. Mason, Atlanta, GA (US); William Chu-Hyon McMahan, North Cambridge, MA (US); Gene Temple Price, Somerville, MA (US); Joseph Romano, Arlington, MA (US); Daniel Smith, Wexford, 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 Sep. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/374,933.
Application 18/374,933 is a continuation of application No. 16/998,049, filed on Aug. 20, 2020, granted, now 11,826,787, issued on Nov. 28, 2023.
Application 16/998,049 is a continuation of application No. 15/961,294, filed on Apr. 24, 2018, granted, now 10,792,706, issued on Oct. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/489,121, filed on Apr. 24, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0024920 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B65G 47/08 (2006.01); B07C 1/04 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B07C 3/18 (2006.01); B07C 5/02 (2006.01); B07C 5/36 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B65B 5/10 (2006.01); B65B 5/12 (2006.01); B65B 35/06 (2006.01); B65B 35/10 (2006.01); B65B 35/12 (2006.01); B65B 35/24 (2006.01); B65B 35/36 (2006.01); B65B 57/14 (2006.01); B65G 47/14 (2006.01); B65G 47/26 (2006.01); B65G 47/28 (2006.01); B65G 47/49 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B65G 47/46 (2006.01); B65G 47/96 (2006.01); B65G 61/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/08 (2013.01) [B07C 1/04 (2013.01); B07C 3/00 (2013.01); B07C 3/08 (2013.01); B07C 3/18 (2013.01); B07C 5/02 (2013.01); B07C 5/36 (2013.01); B25J 9/0084 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B65B 5/101 (2013.01); B65B 5/106 (2013.01); B65B 5/12 (2013.01); B65B 35/06 (2013.01); B65B 35/24 (2013.01); B65B 35/36 (2013.01); B65B 57/14 (2013.01); B65G 47/14 (2013.01); B65G 47/26 (2013.01); B65G 47/28 (2013.01); B65G 47/49 (2013.01); G05B 19/4182 (2013.01); B07C 2501/0063 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B65G 47/46 (2013.01); B65G 47/96 (2013.01); B65G 47/962 (2013.01); B65G 61/00 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0208 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01); G05B 2219/40078 (2013.01); G05B 2219/40554 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
indiscriminately engaging and lifting a subset of a plurality of in-feed objects from an in-feed contained area by a first conveyor;
indiscriminately depositing the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects by the first conveyor at a first end of a second conveyor;
detecting by a first perception unit the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects on the second conveyor as the second conveyor moves in a first direction and providing in-feed perception data responsive thereto;
controlling the speed of movement of the first conveyor by a controller responsive to the in-feed perception data;
selecting certain selected objects of the plurality of in-feed objects detected by the first perception unit for redistribution on the second conveyor;
redistributing the certain selected objects on the second conveyor by moving the certain selected objects, using an end effector of a programmable motion device, to provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor, each object of the singulated stream of objects being provided one per a predefined zone on the second conveyor, said predefined zone being provided as one of a plurality of zones;
passing each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects from the second conveyor through a drop scanner towards a third conveyor, the drop scanner including a plurality of perception units that provide singulated perception data for identifying each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects; and
directing each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects by a diverter toward a destination location of a plurality destination locations based on the singulated perception data.
 
11. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
indiscriminately engaging and lifting a subset of a plurality of in-feed objects from an in-feed contained area by a first conveyor;
indiscriminately depositing the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects by the first conveyor at a first end of a second conveyor;
detecting by a first perception unit the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects on the second conveyor as the second conveyor moves in a first direction and providing in-feed perception data responsive thereto;
selecting certain selected objects of the plurality of in-feed objects detected by the first perception unit for redistribution on the second conveyor;
redistributing the certain selected objects on the second conveyor by moving the certain selected objects, using an end effector of a programmable motion device, to provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor, each object of the singulated stream of objects being provided one per a predefined zone on the second conveyor, said predefined zone being provided as one of a plurality of zones;
passing each object of the singulated stream of objects from the second conveyor through a drop scanner towards a third conveyor, the drop scanner including a plurality of perception units that provide singulated perception data for identifying each object of the singulated stream of objects; and
directing each object of the singulated stream of objects by a diverter toward a destination location based on the singulated perception data.
 
21. An object processing system comprising:
an in-feed contained area providing a plurality of in-feed objects;
a first conveyor for indiscriminately engaging and lifting a subset of the plurality of in-feed objects from the in-feed contained area;
a second conveyor including a first end onto which the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects are indiscriminately deposited;
a first perception unit for detecting the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects on the second conveyor as the second conveyor moves in a first direction and for providing in-feed perception data responsive thereto;
a controller for selecting certain selected objects of the plurality of in-feed objects for redistribution on the second conveyor;
a programmable motion device for redistributing the certain selected objects on the second conveyor by moving the certain selected objects, using an end effector of the programmable motion device, to provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor, each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects being provided one per a predefined zone on the second conveyor, said predefined zone being provided as one of a plurality of zones;
a drop scanner for receiving each object of the singulated stream of objects as the singulated stream of objects are provided towards a third conveyor, the drop scanner including a plurality of perception units that provide singulated perception data for identifying each object of the singulated stream of objects; and
a diverter for directing each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects toward a destination location of a plurality destination locations based on the singulated perception data.