US 12,141,650 B2
Systems and methods for processing objects, including automated radial processing stations
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); 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 Jun. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/207,971.
Application 18/207,971 is a continuation of application No. 17/124,925, filed on Dec. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,718,479.
Application 17/124,925 is a continuation of application No. 15/928,556, filed on Mar. 22, 2018, granted, now 10,906,740, issued on Feb. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/474,797, filed on Mar. 22, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0322490 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06K 7/10 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B07C 5/34 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01)
CPC G06K 7/10861 (2013.01) [B07C 3/008 (2013.01); B07C 5/3412 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B65G 1/1371 (2013.01); B65G 1/1376 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); B65G 1/1373 (2013.01)] 40 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A processing system for processing objects comprising:
a circulating input conveyor for conveying objects to be processed in a circuit; and
a plurality of processing stations in communication with the circulating input conveyor via an input area conveyor of each processing station that is adapted to receive objects from the circulating input conveyor,
each of the plurality of processing stations including
a perception unit for perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of an object within the input area conveyor,
a plurality of processing bins provided in a plurality of semicircular rows, each of the plurality of semicircular rows being provided at a different elevation,
a programmable motion device for grasping the object from the input area conveyor and for moving the object to a selected processing bin of the plurality of processing bins, and
a trajectory database that communicates with a planning server for selecting a path to the selected processing bin with an associated minimum risk factor.
 
8. A processing system for processing objects comprising:
an input conveyor for conveying objects to be processed; and
a plurality of processing stations in communication with the input conveyor via an input area conveyor of each processing station that is adapted to receive objects from the input conveyor,
each of the plurality of processing stations including
a perception unit for perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of an object within the input area conveyor,
a plurality of processing bins provided in a plurality of semicircular rows,
a programmable motion device for grasping the object from the input area conveyor and for moving the object to a selected processing bin of the plurality of processing bins, said plurality of processing bins at each of the plurality of semicircular rows each being tilted toward the programmable motion device, and
a trajectory database that communicates with a planning server for selecting a path to the selected processing bin with an associated minimum risk factor.
 
15. A processing system for processing objects comprising:
an input conveyor for conveying objects to be processed; and
a plurality of processing stations in communication with the input conveyor via a pair of input area conveyors of each processing station that are adapted to receive objects from the input conveyor,
each of the plurality of processing stations including
a perception unit for perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of an object within either of the pair of input area conveyors,
a plurality of processing bins provided in a plurality of semicircular rows, the plurality of semicircular rows being provided at a plurality of elevations,
a programmable motion device for grasping the object from either of the pair of input area conveyors and for moving the object to a selected processing bin of the plurality of processing bins, the pair of input area conveyors being provided on either side of the programmable motion device, and
a trajectory database that communicates with a planning server for selecting a path to the selected processing bin with an associated minimum risk factor.
 
21. A processing system for processing objects comprising:
a circulating input conveyor for conveying objects to be processed in a circuit; and
a plurality of processing stations in communication with the circulating input conveyor via an input area conveyor of each processing station that is adapted to receive objects from the circulating input conveyor,
each of the plurality of processing stations including
a perception unit for perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of an object within the input area conveyor,
a plurality of processing bins provided in a plurality of semicircular rows, each of the plurality of semicircular rows being provided at a different elevation,
a programmable motion device for grasping the object from the input area conveyor and for moving the object to a selected processing bin of the plurality of processing bins, and
a trajectory database that communicates with a planning server for selecting a path to the selected processing bin with an associated minimum time factor.
 
28. A processing system for processing objects comprising:
an input conveyor for conveying objects to be processed; and
a plurality of processing stations in communication with the input conveyor via an input area conveyor of each processing station that is adapted to receive objects from the input conveyor,
each of the plurality of processing stations including
a perception unit for perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of an object within the input area conveyor,
a plurality of processing bins provided in a plurality of semicircular rows,
a programmable motion device for grasping the object from the input area conveyor and for moving the object to a selected processing bin of the plurality of processing bins, said plurality of processing bins at each of the plurality of semicircular rows each being tilted toward the programmable motion device, and
a trajectory database that communicates with a planning server for selecting a path to the selected processing bin with an associated minimum time factor.