公开(公告)号：US10745213B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-18

申请号：US16145870

申请日：2018-09-28

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Racha Lwali ,  Andrew Gawne ,  Bruce Leardi

IPC: B65G47/74

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sortation system has a conveyor system and mobile drive units. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that carries payloads along a direction that extends from a first conveyor end to a second conveyor end. The conveyor system has support structure that supports the conveyor surface above a floor so as to define a space between the conveyor surface and the floor. The space is sized so that the mobile drive units can drive under the conveyor surface towards the second conveyor end. The conveyor system has sensors supported that are positioned to detect positions of the mobile drive units under the conveyor surface. The conveyor system moves at least a portion of the conveyor surface based on the sensors detecting the presence of each mobile drive unit so as to synchronize movement of the payloads from the conveyor surface to the mobile drive units.

公开(公告)号：US20200102156A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-02

申请号：US16145870

申请日：2018-09-28

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Racha Lwali ,  Andrew Gawne ,  Bruce Leardi

IPC: B65G47/74

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sortation system has a conveyor system and mobile drive units. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that carries payloads along a direction that extends from a first conveyor end to a second conveyor end. The conveyor system has support structure that supports the conveyor surface above a floor so as to define a space between the conveyor surface and the floor. The space is sized so that the mobile drive units can drive under the conveyor surface towards the second conveyor end. The conveyor system has sensors supported that are positioned to detect positions of the mobile drive units under the conveyor surface. The conveyor system moves at least a portion of the conveyor surface based on the sensors detecting the presence of each mobile drive unit so as to synchronize movement of the payloads from the conveyor surface to the mobile drive units.

公开(公告)号：US10689200B1

公开(公告)日：2020-06-23

申请号：US16145950

申请日：2018-09-28

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Racha Lwali ,  Andrew Gawne ,  Bruce Leardi

IPC: B65G17/34 ,  B65G47/48 ,  B65G47/50 ,  B65G47/49 ,  G05B13/00 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G05D1/02 ,  B65G43/08 ,  B66F9/06

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sortation system at a facility has a conveyor system and a mobile drive unit system. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that transfers payloads to the mobile drive units, and a controller that communicates a payload identifier for each payload to the mobile drive unit system. The payload identifiers are masked such that information about the local destinations are unknown to the conveyor system. The mobile drive unit system determines the local destinations from the payload identifiers by unmasking the payload identifiers, and delivers the payloads to determined local destinations at the facility.