Patent ID: 11911797
Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method for multi-path sortation of packages, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, a packaging route based on a destination address corresponding to a first item identifier;
associating a first item identifier with a destination address and the packaging route in a database;
determining a packaging message corresponding to the first item identifier or packaging route;
determining an updated packaging route for the first item identifier based on the packaging message;
associating the updated packaging route with the first item identifier in the database;
causing a first conveyor to convey a first package toward a first scanner device, the first package having a label indicative of the destination address and the first item identifier;
causing the scanner device to scan the label to generate a signal representative of the label;
determining that the signal corresponds to the first item identifier;
determining that the first item identifier corresponds to the updated packaging route associated with the first item identifier in the database;
determining that the packaging route includes use of a second conveyor;
causing the first conveyor to convey the package to a first multi-path conveyor system having a first conveyor portion adjacent to a second conveyor portion, the first conveyor portion and the second conveyor portion configured to move in a first direction;
causing the first multi-path conveyor system to route the package to the second conveyor, the first multi-path conveyor system adapted to move the first conveyor portion independently from the second conveyor portion in the first direction to selectively move a package in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and adapted to receive packages from the first conveyor and a third conveyor and to selectively deposit the packages onto the second conveyor, a fourth conveyor, and a second multi-path conveyor system; and
causing the second conveyor to convey the package to a packaging station for outbound shipment.