Abstract:
A method of loading at least one item onto a vehicle is provided. The method includes providing at least one vehicle for operation in a desired environment, providing at least one mechanism operably connected to a portion of the vehicle, and gathering at least one item as the vehicle travels in the desired environment. The method further includes arranging the items on the vehicle via the mechanism based on at least one criterion, such as the weight of the items, so that the items can be loaded onto the vehicle without needing the vehicle to travel to the items in a specific order to thereby enable the vehicle to operate more quickly in the desired environment and conserve power.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to loading items onto a vehicle. 
     Background Information 
     Items may need to be loaded onto vehicles for a variety of reasons. Often times these items need to be gathered in a specific order so they can be positioned in a certain arrangement. This existing technique, however, may require the vehicle to travel along lengthy routes and lead to increased power consumption. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method of loading at least one item onto a vehicle is provided. The method includes providing at least one vehicle for operation in a desired environment, providing at least one mechanism operably connected to a portion of the vehicle, and gathering at least one item as the vehicle travels in the desired environment. The method further includes arranging the items on the vehicle via the mechanism based on at least one criterion, such as the weight of the items, so that the items can be loaded onto the vehicle without needing the vehicle to travel to the items in a specific order to thereby enable the vehicle to operate more quickly in the desired environment and conserve power. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which there is shown one or more of the multiple embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  generally illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  generally illustrates a vehicle traveling in an area in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  generally illustrates a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  generally illustrates a vehicle in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 5  generally illustrates a method of loading items onto a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments that represent examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Although specific elements and configurations are described to provide an understanding of the invention, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments, elements and configurations provided are for illustrative purposes only. Other configurations will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the teachings of the present invention or the scope of the appended claims. 
     Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present disclosure. In the drawings, the same reference numbers are employed for designating the same elements throughout the figures. 
     The present invention is generally related to loading items onto a vehicle. In the context of this invention, the term “vehicle” may include a car, forklift, truck, pallet jack, robot, boat, very narrow aisle (VNA) lift truck, van, or any other type of vehicle. In the context of this invention, the term “item” may refer to boxes, crates, containers, packages, barrels, canisters, luggage, chests, bags, or any other type of tangible item. 
     These items may need to be loaded onto a surface (such as on a vehicle) in accordance with certain requirements. For example, it may be desirable to arrange heavier items immediately on the surface, and to have lighter items positioned on top of the heavier items. This may, among other advantages, create a lower center of gravity and decrease the likelihood of heavy items damaging other items. 
     Or, it may be desirable to arrange items on a surface based on their physical volume. Arranging items with smaller volumes on top of items with larger volumes may provide a more stable arrangement, for example. 
     It may also be desirable to arrange items based on the order in which the items are to be removed from the surface. If several items on a surface are to be distributed at different destinations, the items may be arranged such that those being distributed at the earlier destinations are at the front of the surface or on top of other items (essentially providing easier access for removal). 
     The features of the invention do not require the vehicle to travel to the items in a specific order. Rather, the vehicle in accordance with the invention may include a mechanism that can arrange the items as desired once they are on the vehicle. For example, lighter items may be gathered before the heavier items and the mechanism may then arrange the items such that the lighter items are on top of the heavier items. 
     Because items can be arranged as desired after they are gathered (picked from a pickup location and placed onto the vehicle), the order in which the items are gathered is immaterial. This allows the vehicle to follow the shortest route available that visits each item&#39;s pickup location and therefore leads to shorter mission times and decreased power consumption. 
     The features of the invention may be advantageous in applications such as warehouse systems for shipping/receiving items. In this type of application, items are frequently gathered and transported to locations for storage, use, or further shipment. 
     Similarly, military and other shipping services may benefit from the features of the invention, as well as any other type of logistic operations. Other types of logistic operations may include applications in health care facilities, hospitality resorts, correctional facilities, and retail stores. This list is merely exemplary, and applicant contemplates a wide variety of applications that may benefit from the features of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  generally illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The vehicle  10  may include a control device  12  implemented using hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The control device  12  may include one or more processing devices, analog and/or digital circuitry, and be in operable communication with other components such as a manipulator mechanism  14 , a sensor system  16 , a receiver element  18 , memory  20 , an interface  22 , a power source  24 , and a mobility platform  26 . 
     Briefly, in operation the control device  12  may receive a list of items to be gathered in a desired environment. Based on the locations of the items (as known by a central computing device, for example), the control device  12  may generate a route for the vehicle  10  to follow to gather the items. This may be the shortest possible route that visits each item location so that the vehicle does not need to travel greater distances or otherwise operate for longer than necessary. 
     As items are being gathered (or after all items have been gathered), the manipulator mechanism  14  may arrange the items on the vehicle  10  as desired. For example, the manipulator mechanism  14  may arrange the items such that the heavier items are positioned directly on the vehicle, and lighter items are positioned on the heavier items. 
     As stated previously, the vehicle  10  may be any type of vehicle, depending on the application. The vehicle  10  may also include a pallet or other type of removable support surface for supporting the items. 
     Depending on the embodiment, the vehicle  10  and the manipulator mechanism  14  may be autonomous or controlled by an operator. Similarly, the vehicle  10 , along with the manipulator mechanism  14  may be operated remotely. 
     The manipulator mechanism  14  may be configured to interact with or otherwise manipulate items in the environment. To pick up or otherwise gather items, the manipulator mechanism  14  may include some type of engagement mechanism or the like, such as, for example, at least one robotic arm member  28  that may be electronically, hydraulically, pneumatically or mechanically actuated. Each arm member  28  may also be configured with an end effector  30  such as a hand member or other gripping device such as a suction device, an electromagnet, or any other device whether available now or invented hereafter as long as it can manipulate the items as desired. 
     The manipulator mechanism  14  may be controlled remotely by an operator, controlled by an operator positioned on the vehicle  10 , or may be fully autonomous. If the manipulator mechanism is fully autonomous, the manipulator mechanism  14  may rely on sensor devices of the sensor system  16  (described below) to locate, gather, and arrange the items. 
     The manipulator mechanism  14  may also scan or otherwise receive information directly from the items. For example the manipulator mechanism  14  may include a bar code scanning device that may scan the exterior of the items to obtain information such as their weights, volumes, footprints, destinations, or any other type of information regarding the items. 
     The sensor system  16  may include any type of sensor device that can gather information regarding the environment surrounding the vehicle  10  and the manipulator mechanism  14 , such as the items&#39; locations and orientations. For example, the sensor system  16  may include cameras such as those described in detail in applicant&#39;s allowed patent application Ser. No. 12/626,990 entitled “System for Providing Camera Views”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     The sensor system  16  may alternatively or additionally include global positioning system (GPS) sensors, 3D cameras (e.g., LIDAR), infrared cameras, stereoscopic cameras, inertial sensors, odometric sensors, radar, electro-acoustic transducers (microphones), and/or other types of devices that assist the vehicle  10  in surveying and navigating within its environment. The number of, type of, and positions of the sensor devices of the sensor system  16  may vary as long as the features of the invention can be accomplished. 
     The receiver element  18  may receive commands via a wireless connection from a central computing device (not shown). For example, the receiver element  18  may receive a list of items to be gathered, as well as information regarding the items&#39; locations, weights, volumes, shapes, destinations, contents, and/or other characteristics. 
     The memory  20  may be configured to store software such as instructions for execution by the control device  12 . The memory  20  may include volatile and/or non-volatile memory, and may also be configured to store information regarding the environment such as where certain items are located, along with other characteristics mentioned previously. 
     An interface  22  may be used and configured to receive instructions or commands from an operator (such as a list of items to be gathered) if the vehicle  10  is autonomous or semi-autonomous, for example. The interface  22  may include an input/output (I/O) device such as a display screen or a touch pad. The interface  22  may also output the generated path for an operator to follow to make item pickups. 
     The power source  24  may be configured to supply power to the control device  12  and/or other components of the vehicle  10 . The power source  24  may include, for example, a battery or a series of batteries, rechargeable batteries, battery packs, and/or the like. 
     In one embodiment, the control device  12  may, before starting a mission, determine whether or not there is enough power to complete the mission. For example, if an item is to eventually be delivered to a customer, and the vehicle  10  runs out of power during delivery, the delivery order would not be fulfilled. 
     The mobility platform  26  may move the vehicle  10  throughout its environment. The configuration of the mobility platform may of course vary. For example, the mobility platform  26  may include motorized drive wheels or motorized track systems. 
     To generally illustrate an advantage of the invention,  FIG. 2  shows a vehicle  10  with the manipulator mechanism  14  traveling in an aisle  200 . This may be in a warehouse, for example, in which the vehicle  10  may be assigned to gather items  204 ,  206 ,  208 , and  210 , and to transport these items to a location for further shipment, storage, or use. 
     Assume the items  204 ,  206 ,  208 , and  210  are items of varying weights and/or sizes. Assume also that because of these characteristics, it is desirable to place the heavier and/or larger items directly on the vehicle  10 , and to place the smaller and/or lighter items on top of the heavier and/or larger items. 
     Not only may the manipulator mechanism  14  remove the items from the shelf  202  (via handles  212 , for example), but the manipulator mechanism  14  may also arrange the items as desired once the items are on the vehicle  10 . Therefore, the vehicle  10  may only need to travel up/down the aisle  200  once, rather than back and forth multiple times to gather items in a specific order. 
       FIG. 3  generally illustrates a vehicle  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The vehicle  10  in this embodiment may be autonomous and includes the manipulator mechanism  14  and a support surface  32  (e.g., a pallet). The vehicle  10  may travel within the environment to gather/arrange items onto the support surface  32 , and then transport the support surface  32  and the gathered items to a location for further shipment, storage, or use. 
     The manipulator mechanism  14  of  FIG. 3  includes two arm members  28 . Only one arm member  28  may be used, or multiple arm members  28  may be used to accomplish the item gathering and/or arranging. 
     The arm members  28  of  FIG. 3  each include an end effector  30  for manipulating items  204  and  206 . In this particular embodiment, the end effectors  30  include a clasping device (holding item  204 ) and suction devices (holding item  206 ). However, any other type of end effector may be used as long as it can accomplish the features of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  generally illustrates the vehicle  10  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the vehicle  10  is a device that is designed to maneuver in narrow areas, and can extend vertically to reach items that are located on high shelves or other elevated areas. 
     As stated previously, the manipulator mechanism  14  may gather items  400 ,  402 ,  404 ,  406 , and  408  without requiring the vehicle  10  to come to a stop. This saves time and conserves power not only because there is less “stop and go,” but also because the manipulator mechanism  14  (or a human) does not need to wait for the vehicle  10  to stop “swaying,” which may occur after the vehicle  10  (particularly a vertically extended vehicle) comes to a stop. 
     When gathering an item while the vehicle  10  is in motion, the manipulator mechanism  14  (along with the vehicle  10 ), may take into account the speed of the vehicle  10  along with the weight of item. The manipulator mechanism  14  may be configured to provide a certain amount of “give” when gathering the item to create a less rigid connection. 
       FIG. 5  generally illustrates a method  500  of loading items onto a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The steps of method  500  may be carried out using the components described above. 
     In step  502 , the vehicle  10  may receive a list of items to be gathered from an area. If the vehicle  10  is autonomous, the list may be communicated to the vehicle  10  via a wireless connection. Additionally and alternatively, a human operator may input instructions regarding items to be gathered via the interface  22 . 
     In step  504 , the control device  12  may access the receiver element  18  or memory  20  to determine the locations of the items to be gathered. The locations of items may be updated as they are moved (whether by humans or robots) from locations within the area. 
     Based on the locations of the items, the control device  12  may, in step  506 , autonomously generate a route for the vehicle to follow to gather the items. The route may be a path that visits each item&#39;s pickup location by traveling the shortest distance possible. If a human operator is driving the vehicle  10 , the generated path may be outputted to the operator via the interface  22 . 
     In step  508  the vehicle begins to travel along the generated path. If the vehicle  10  is autonomous, it may rely on the sensor system  16  to navigate through the area. Alternatively, a human operator may control the vehicle  10 . 
     In step  510 , and once at an item pickup location, the control device  12  may signal the manipulator mechanism  14  to gather the item and place it onto the vehicle  10 . The manipulator mechanism  14  may use one or more robotic arm members  28  and any applicable end effectors  30  to manipulate the items as desired. 
     As stated previously, and to expedite the item-gathering process, the manipulator mechanism  14  may gather an item as the vehicle  10  approaches the item without requiring the vehicle  10  to decrease its speed or come to a stop. Not only does this decrease the overall mission time, but it also decreases vehicle power consumption as there is less accelerating and decelerating of the vehicle  10 . 
     In step  512  the manipulator mechanism  14  may position the item on the vehicle  10  in a specific arrangement. Steps  508 ,  510 , and  512  may be repeated as necessary to gather and arrange items in accordance with any desired criteria. 
     The manipulator mechanism  14  may arrange items as the vehicle  10  is traveling between locations. In certain embodiments, and as stated previously, the manipulator mechanism  14  may include multiple robotic arm members for gathering and arranging the items. 
     Although the description above contains many specific examples, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure but as merely providing illustrations of some of the preferred embodiments of this disclosure. Thus, the scope of the embodiments of the disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.