US 12,410,012 B1
Systems and methods for efficient package sorting for delivery
Shreyash Dhirendra Patel, Sammamish, WA (US); William Casey McIntyre, Jr., Snohomish, WA (US); Nicholas Adam Wagner, Everett, WA (US); Julie Mitchell, Lynnfield, MA (US); and Varun Adhityaa Sridharan, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/853,175.
Int. Cl. B65G 1/137 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B65G 43/08 (2006.01); B66F 9/06 (2006.01); G06K 7/10 (2006.01); G06K 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/1371 (2013.01) [B07C 3/008 (2013.01); B07C 3/08 (2013.01); B25J 9/162 (2013.01); B65G 1/0492 (2013.01); B65G 1/06 (2013.01); B65G 1/065 (2013.01); B65G 43/08 (2013.01); B66F 9/063 (2013.01); G06K 7/10366 (2013.01); G06K 7/1413 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0285 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for transferring delivery packages to a delivery area, the method comprising:
conveying, on a first floor, a first container having a first package associated with a first address and a second package associated with a second address to a first container lift;
causing the first container lift to move the first container vertically from a first floor to a second floor;
causing a first drive unit on the second floor to load the first container;
causing the first drive unit to transport the first container to an unloading area having an unloader;
causing the unloader to unload the first package from the first container and place the first package onto a second drive unit located in the loading area;
causing the second drive unit to transport the first package to a second container corresponding to the first address and having a third package corresponding to a third address, the third address and the first address associated with a first delivery container;
causing the second drive unit to deposit the first package into the second container;
determining that the second container has a load value that satisfies a load threshold value;
causing a third drive unit to load the second container based on the load value satisfying the load threshold value;
causing the third drive unit to transport the second container to a second container lift;
causing the second container lift to move the second container vertically from the second floor to the first floor; and
determining a first loading area on the first floor based on the first address, the loading area having a loader and the first delivery container.
 
5. A method comprising:
causing a first container lift to move a first container having a first package corresponding to a first address vertically from a first floor to a second floor;
causing a first drive unit on the second floor to transport the first container to an unloader in an unloading area;
causing an unloader to unload the first package from the first container and place the first package onto a second drive unit;
causing the second drive unit to transport the first package to a second container corresponding to the first address and having a second package corresponding to a second address, the first and second address associated with a first delivery container;
causing a second drive unit to deposit the first package into the second container;
causing a third drive unit to transport the second container to a second container lift;
causing the second container lift to move the second container vertically from the second floor to the first floor; and
determining a first delivery area on the first floor based on the first address.
 
13. A system comprising:
memory configured to store computer-executable instructions, and
at least one computer processor configured to access memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:
cause a first container lift to move a first container having a first package corresponding to a first address vertically from a first floor to a second floor;
cause a first drive unit on the second floor to transport the first container to an unloader in an unloading area;
cause an unloader to unload the first package from the first container and place the first package onto a second drive unit;
cause the second drive unit to transport the first package to a second container corresponding to the first address and having a second package corresponding to a second address, the first and second address associated with a first delivery container;
cause a second drive unit to deposit the first package into the second container;
cause a third drive unit to transport the second container to a second container lift;
cause the second container lift to move the second container vertically from the second floor to the first floor; and
determine a first delivery area on the first floor based on the first address.