US 12,084,214 B2
Product handling and packaging system
Gilad Almogy, Menlo Park, CA (US); Jason Kalus, Menlo Park, CA (US); John Hosken, Menlo Park, CA (US); Nathan Beckett, Menlo Park, CA (US); David Cameron Hosken, Menlo Park, CA (US); and Eric Yehl, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to Fulfil Solutions, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Fulfil Solutions, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on May 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/879,192.
Application 16/879,192 is a continuation of application No. 16/418,901, filed on May 21, 2019, granted, now 10,703,521.
Application 16/418,901 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/189,673, filed on Nov. 13, 2018, granted, now 10,543,942, issued on Jan. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/675,656, filed on May 23, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/589,409, filed on Nov. 21, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0331645 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. G06Q 30/00 (2023.01); B07C 5/34 (2006.01); B65B 5/10 (2006.01); B65B 25/04 (2006.01); B65B 35/02 (2006.01); B65B 43/52 (2006.01); B65B 43/54 (2006.01); B65B 43/56 (2006.01); B65B 43/58 (2006.01); B65B 43/59 (2006.01); B65B 57/12 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B65G 1/127 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01); B65G 17/00 (2006.01); B65G 47/51 (2006.01); B65G 65/36 (2006.01); B65G 65/42 (2006.01); G06Q 30/0601 (2023.01); B65B 11/02 (2006.01); B65G 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 25/04 (2013.01) [B07C 5/34 (2013.01); B65B 5/101 (2013.01); B65B 5/108 (2013.01); B65B 35/02 (2013.01); B65B 43/52 (2013.01); B65B 43/54 (2013.01); B65B 43/56 (2013.01); B65B 43/58 (2013.01); B65B 43/59 (2013.01); B65B 57/12 (2013.01); B65G 1/04 (2013.01); B65G 1/045 (2013.01); B65G 1/06 (2013.01); B65G 1/127 (2013.01); B65G 1/1371 (2013.01); B65G 1/1373 (2013.01); B65G 1/1376 (2013.01); B65G 17/002 (2013.01); B65G 47/5104 (2013.01); B65G 65/365 (2013.01); B65G 65/425 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0627 (2013.01); B07C 2501/009 (2013.01); B65B 5/105 (2013.01); B65B 11/025 (2013.01); B65B 2210/18 (2013.01); B65G 1/00 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0202 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0211 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0258 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01); B65G 2207/46 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for item handling, said method comprising:
(a) using one or more sensors to generate sensor data associated with one or more items of a plurality of items;
(b) processing said sensor data to determine one or more characteristics associated with each item of said one or more items;
(c) determining a sorting sequence for said one or more items based at least in part on said one or more characteristics;
(d) automatically moving and storing said one or more items into or onto one or more locations on a robotic platform, based at least in part on said sorting sequence;
(e) automatically selecting and transferring said one or more items from said one or more locations by one or more robotic lifters of said robotic platform onto one or more robotic travelers based at least in part on a customer order;
(f) automatically controlling said one or more robotic travelers to autonomously travel to one or more containers in proximity to said robotic platform; and
(g) dispensing said one or more items from said one or more robotic travelers into said one or more containers to fulfill said customer order,
wherein said dispensing of (g) comprises positioning a selected one of said one or more robotic travelers based at least in part on at least one of (1) a volume of available vertical space of said selected robotic traveler, (2) a drop distance between an item being dispensed and said selected robotic traveler, (3) physical features of said item being dispensed, (4) a fragility of said item being dispensed, or (5) a fragility of one or more items on or in said one or more robotic travelers.