Patent · US12291333B1 · B1 · US

System and method of providing a robotic retrieval system in a vehicle for use in delivering items

(11) Publication number

US12291333B1

(21) Application number

17/394,603

(22) Filing date

2021-08-05

(30) Priority date

2021-08-05

(43) Publication date

2025-05-06

(45) Date of grant

2025-05-06

(51) IPC

B60L 53/80; B60P 3/00; B64D 1/10; B64F 1/36; B64U 10/13; B64U 101/64; B64U 80/86; B65G 1/04; B65G 1/137; G06Q 10/0832

(52) CPC

B64D Equipment for fitting in or to aircraft; flight suits; parachutes; arrangement or mounting of power plants or propulsion transmissions in aircraft: 1/10
B60L Propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles; supplying electric power for auxiliary equipment of electrically-propelled vehicles; electrodynamic brake systems for vehicles in general; magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles; monitoring operating variables of electrically-propelled vehicles; electric safety devices for electrically-propelled vehicles: 53/80
B60P Vehicles adapted for load transportation or to transport, to carry, or to comprise special loads or objects: 3/007
B64F Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations specially adapted for use in connection with aircraft; designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for: 1/364
B64U Unmanned aerial vehicles [uav]; equipment therefor: 10/13, 2101/64, 80/86
B65G Transport or storage devices, e.g. conveyors for loading or tipping, shop conveyor systems or pneumatic tube conveyors: 1/0421, 1/137
G06Q Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes; systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not otherwise provided for: 10/083, 10/0832

(73) Assignee

Vecna Robotics Inc

(72) Inventors

Daniel Theobald; Siddharth Ram Chhatpar

(54) Title

System and method of providing a robotic retrieval system in a vehicle for use in delivering items

(57) Abstract

An example system includes a vehicle having a platform, a linear slide configured on the platform, a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide, a shelf configured adjacent to the linear slide and a control system that controls a reception of a first item and a second item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the first item and the second item, by the robotic retrieval system, on the shelf. A drone can be configured to retrieve the first item or the second item from the robotic retrieval system on the vehicle and deliver the first item or the second item to a destination location. The vehicle can thereby enable delivery of many items without the vehicle stopping or even driving to a specific destination location.

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Claims (18)

A system comprising: a vehicle having a platform supporting a set of multi-level shelves, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road; a linear slide attached to the platform and configured within a housing of the vehicle, the linear slide configured to be adjacent to the set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide; a control system that controls a reception of items by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the items on the set of multi-level shelves; a drone configured on a top surface of the vehicle; an item-securing mechanism associated with the drone; and an opening in the top surface of the vehicle, wherein the drone drops the item-securing mechanism through the opening to receive an item of the items from the robotic retrieval system and delivers the item to a destination location.
The system of claim 1, further comprising: a charging station configured within the vehicle that charges the drone as it is positioned on the top surface.
The system of claim 2, wherein the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to re-shuffle items on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves between delivery locations to render the items more accessible for the item-securing mechanism.
The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery replacement station configured to enable the drone to replace a used battery with a charged battery while the drone is positioned on the vehicle.
The system of claim 1, wherein the drone retrieves a package from the destination location and the robotic retrieval system receives the package from the drone and places the package on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves.
The system of claim 5, wherein the robotic retrieval system places the package double deep in the shelf for delivery to a collection center.
The system of claim 1, wherein the item-securing mechanism comprises one of a platform and a grabbing mechanism.
A method comprising: receiving an item at a robot configured on a linear slide configured in a housing on a vehicle, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road and the vehicle configured with a platform having attached thereto the linear slide and a set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; moving the robot along the linear slide to a position for storing the item on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves and configured adjacent to the linear slide; moving the vehicle to a vicinity of a delivery destination; retrieving the item from the shelf via the robot; and transferring the item, via an opening in a top surface of the vehicle, from the robot to an item-securing mechanism associated with a drone and dropped down through the opening.
The method of claim 8, further comprising: delivering the item to the delivery destination by the drone.
The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle does not stop when transferring the item from the robot to the drone and delivering the item to the delivery destination by the drone.
A method comprising: receiving an item at a robot configured on a linear slide configured in a housing on a vehicle, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road and the vehicle configured with a platform having attached thereto the linear slide and a set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; moving the robot along the linear slide to a position adjacent to a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves; transferring the item from the robot to the shelf; moving the vehicle to a vicinity of a delivery destination; retrieving the item from the shelf via the robot; and while maintaining movement of the vehicle at the vicinity of the delivery destination: transferring the item from the robot, via an opening in a top surface of the vehicle, to an item-securing mechanism associated with a drone, wherein the drone is configured on the top surface of the vehicle and wherein the drone drops the item-securing mechanism through the opening to receive the item from the robot; and delivering, via the drone, the item to the delivery destination.
The method of claim 11, further comprising: after delivering the item, returning the drone to the vehicle while maintaining the movement of the vehicle.
A system comprising: a vehicle having a platform, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road and the platform supporting a set of multi-level shelves; a linear slide attached to the platform and configured in a housing of the vehicle, the linear slide configured to be adjacent to the set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide; a control system that controls a reception of an item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the item, by the robotic retrieval system, on one of the first shelf or the second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves; and a drone configured on a top surface of the vehicle, wherein in a vicinity of a destination location for the item, the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to perform at least one of: retrieving, via the robotic retrieval system, the item from the first shelf or the second shelf, passing the item from the robotic retrieval system, via an opening in the top surface of the vehicle, to an item-securing mechanism associated with the drone and that is dropped down the opening, such that the item is delivered, via the drone, to the destination location; receiving, from the drone, a package retrieved by the drone from the destination location; and storing the package on one of the first shelf or the second shelf.
The system of claim 13, wherein the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to shuffle items on the first shelf or the second shelf in between delivery of items to respective destination locations.
The system of claim 13, wherein the control system causes the drone to pick up the package from the destination location and transfer the package to the robotic retrieval system for placement on the first shelf or the second shelf.
The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle does not stop when delivering the item, via the drone, to the destination location and/or retrieving, via the drone, the package from the destination location.
A system comprising: a vehicle having a platform supporting a set of multi-level shelves, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road; a linear slide attached to the platform and configured in a housing of the vehicle, the linear slide configured to be adjacent to the set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide; a control system that controls a reception of a first item and a second item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the first item and the second item, by the robotic retrieval system, on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves; and a first drone and a second drone configured on a top surface of the vehicle, wherein in a vicinity of a first destination location for the first item and a second destination location for the second item, the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to perform at least one of: retrieving, via the robotic retrieval system, the first item from the shelf, passing the first item from the robotic retrieval system, via an opening in the top surface of the vehicle, to a first item-securing mechanism of the first drone, and delivering the first item, via the first drone, to the first destination location; retrieving, via the robotic retrieval system, the second item from the shelf, passing the second item from the robotic retrieval system, via the opening in the top surface of the vehicle, to a second item-securing mechanism of the second drone configured on the vehicle, and delivering the second item, via the second drone, to the second destination location; and retrieving, via the first drone or the second drone, a package from a pickup destination location, passing the package from the first drone or the second drone to the robotic retrieval system, and storing the package on the shelf.
The system of claim 17, wherein delivering the first item via the first drone to the first destination location and delivering the second item via the second drone to the second destination location occurs at least in part simultaneously.

Description

The present technology pertains to robotics and more specifically to a system and method of providing a robotic retrieval system in a linear slide on a vehicle, such as in a trailer or cargo space, with shelves adjacent to the linear slide such that the robotic retrieval system can place, retrieve, and shuffle items from the shelves as part of a delivery process which can include a human or a drone to deliver items to destination locations. In this scenario, the vehicle does not need to stop as packages are delivered to destination locations.

Currently, companies like Amazon or other mail-order merchants deliver packages directly to the homes of consumers. Typically, this process involves loading a delivery truck with packages for a particular area and manually delivering each package. This process can be labor-intensive, time-consuming and expensive. At each stop, the driver needs to stop the vehicle, climb into the cargo area of the truck and locate the package for that destination location. The driver typically will provide good service by leaving a package on the porch or a mailbox or some other convenient location for the customer.

There are many challenges associated with this approach, one of which is time. In today's world, next-day delivery is expected for many products purchased online. Thus, any action that is part of the overall business value chain associated with delivering an ordered package to the destination location has to be efficient. Some of the gathering and loading of the truck might be automated, but the last portion of the delivery process is manual and thus can cause delays.

Citations (24)

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Record as JSON

{
  "publication_number": "US12291333B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "System and method of providing a robotic retrieval system in a vehicle for use in delivering items",
  "abstract": "An example system includes a vehicle having a platform, a linear slide configured on the platform, a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide, a shelf configured adjacent to the linear slide and a control system that controls a reception of a first item and a second item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the first item and the second item, by the robotic retrieval system, on the shelf. A drone can be configured to retrieve the first item or the second item from the robotic retrieval system on the vehicle and deliver the first item or the second item to a destination location. The vehicle can thereby enable delivery of many items without the vehicle stopping or even driving to a specific destination location.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system comprising: a vehicle having a platform supporting a set of multi-level shelves, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road; a linear slide attached to the platform and configured within a housing of the vehicle, the linear slide configured to be adjacent to the set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide; a control system that controls a reception of items by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the items on the set of multi-level shelves; a drone configured on a top surface of the vehicle; an item-securing mechanism associated with the drone; and an opening in the top surface of the vehicle, wherein the drone drops the item-securing mechanism through the opening to receive an item of the items from the robotic retrieval system and delivers the item to a destination location.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a charging station configured within the vehicle that charges the drone as it is positioned on the top surface.",
    "3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to re-shuffle items on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves between delivery locations to render the items more accessible for the item-securing mechanism.",
    "4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery replacement station configured to enable the drone to replace a used battery with a charged battery while the drone is positioned on the vehicle.",
    "5. The system of claim 1, wherein the drone retrieves a package from the destination location and the robotic retrieval system receives the package from the drone and places the package on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves.",
    "6. The system of claim 5, wherein the robotic retrieval system places the package double deep in the shelf for delivery to a collection center.",
    "7. The system of claim 1, wherein the item-securing mechanism comprises one of a platform and a grabbing mechanism.",
    "8. A method comprising: receiving an item at a robot configured on a linear slide configured in a housing on a vehicle, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road and the vehicle configured with a platform having attached thereto the linear slide and a set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; moving the robot along the linear slide to a position for storing the item on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves and configured adjacent to the linear slide; moving the vehicle to a vicinity of a delivery destination; retrieving the item from the shelf via the robot; and transferring the item, via an opening in a top surface of the vehicle, from the robot to an item-securing mechanism associated with a drone and dropped down through the opening.",
    "9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: delivering the item to the delivery destination by the drone.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle does not stop when transferring the item from the robot to the drone and delivering the item to the delivery destination by the drone.",
    "11. A method comprising: receiving an item at a robot configured on a linear slide configured in a housing on a vehicle, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road and the vehicle configured with a platform having attached thereto the linear slide and a set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; moving the robot along the linear slide to a position adjacent to a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves; transferring the item from the robot to the shelf; moving the vehicle to a vicinity of a delivery destination; retrieving the item from the shelf via the robot; and while maintaining movement of the vehicle at the vicinity of the delivery destination: transferring the item from the robot, via an opening in a top surface of the vehicle, to an item-securing mechanism associated with a drone, wherein the drone is configured on the top surface of the vehicle and wherein the drone drops the item-securing mechanism through the opening to receive the item from the robot; and delivering, via the drone, the item to the delivery destination.",
    "12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: after delivering the item, returning the drone to the vehicle while maintaining the movement of the vehicle.",
    "13. A system comprising: a vehicle having a platform, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road and the platform supporting a set of multi-level shelves; a linear slide attached to the platform and configured in a housing of the vehicle, the linear slide configured to be adjacent to the set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide; a control system that controls a reception of an item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the item, by the robotic retrieval system, on one of the first shelf or the second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves; and a drone configured on a top surface of the vehicle, wherein in a vicinity of a destination location for the item, the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to perform at least one of: retrieving, via the robotic retrieval system, the item from the first shelf or the second shelf, passing the item from the robotic retrieval system, via an opening in the top surface of the vehicle, to an item-securing mechanism associated with the drone and that is dropped down the opening, such that the item is delivered, via the drone, to the destination location; receiving, from the drone, a package retrieved by the drone from the destination location; and storing the package on one of the first shelf or the second shelf.",
    "14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to shuffle items on the first shelf or the second shelf in between delivery of items to respective destination locations.",
    "15. The system of claim 13, wherein the control system causes the drone to pick up the package from the destination location and transfer the package to the robotic retrieval system for placement on the first shelf or the second shelf.",
    "16. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle does not stop when delivering the item, via the drone, to the destination location and/or retrieving, via the drone, the package from the destination location.",
    "17. A system comprising: a vehicle having a platform supporting a set of multi-level shelves, the vehicle configured with wheels to drive on a road; a linear slide attached to the platform and configured in a housing of the vehicle, the linear slide configured to be adjacent to the set of multi-level shelves, wherein a first shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a first side of the linear slide and wherein a second shelf of the set of multi-level shelves is configured adjacent to the linear slide on a second side of the linear slide; a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide; a control system that controls a reception of a first item and a second item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the first item and the second item, by the robotic retrieval system, on a shelf of the set of multi-level shelves; and a first drone and a second drone configured on a top surface of the vehicle, wherein in a vicinity of a first destination location for the first item and a second destination location for the second item, the control system causes the robotic retrieval system to perform at least one of: retrieving, via the robotic retrieval system, the first item from the shelf, passing the first item from the robotic retrieval system, via an opening in the top surface of the vehicle, to a first item-securing mechanism of the first drone, and delivering the first item, via the first drone, to the first destination location; retrieving, via the robotic retrieval system, the second item from the shelf, passing the second item from the robotic retrieval system, via the opening in the top surface of the vehicle, to a second item-securing mechanism of the second drone configured on the vehicle, and delivering the second item, via the second drone, to the second destination location; and retrieving, via the first drone or the second drone, a package from a pickup destination location, passing the package from the first drone or the second drone to the robotic retrieval system, and storing the package on the shelf.",
    "18. The system of claim 17, wherein delivering the first item via the first drone to the first destination location and delivering the second item via the second drone to the second destination location occurs at least in part simultaneously."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present technology pertains to robotics and more specifically to a system and method of providing a robotic retrieval system in a linear slide on a vehicle, such as in a trailer or cargo space, with shelves adjacent to the linear slide such that the robotic retrieval system can place, retrieve, and shuffle items from the shelves as part of a delivery process which can include a human or a drone to deliver items to destination locations. In this scenario, the vehicle does not need to stop as packages are delivered to destination locations.\n\nCurrently, companies like Amazon or other mail-order merchants deliver packages directly to the homes of consumers. Typically, this process involves loading a delivery truck with packages for a particular area and manually delivering each package. This process can be labor-intensive, time-consuming and expensive. At each stop, the driver needs to stop the vehicle, climb into the cargo area of the truck and locate the package for that destination location. The driver typically will provide good service by leaving a package on the porch or a mailbox or some other convenient location for the customer.\n\nThere are many challenges associated with this approach, one of which is time. In today's world, next-day delivery is expected for many products purchased online. Thus, any action that is part of the overall business value chain associated with delivering an ordered package to the destination location has to be efficient. Some of the gathering and loading of the truck might be automated, but the last portion of the delivery process is manual and thus can cause delays.",
  "cpc": [
    "B64D 1/10",
    "B60L 53/80",
    "B60P 3/007",
    "B64F 1/364",
    "B64U 10/13",
    "B64U 2101/64",
    "B64U 80/86",
    "B65G 1/0421",
    "B65G 1/137",
    "G06Q 10/083",
    "G06Q 10/0832"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60L 53/80",
    "B60P 3/00",
    "B64D 1/10",
    "B64F 1/36",
    "B64U 10/13",
    "B64U 101/64",
    "B64U 80/86",
    "B65G 1/04",
    "B65G 1/137",
    "G06Q 10/0832"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Vecna Robotics Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Daniel Theobald",
    "Siddharth Ram Chhatpar"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-08-05",
  "publication_date": "2025-05-06",
  "grant_date": "2025-05-06",
  "priority_date": "2021-08-05",
  "application_number": "US-202117394603-A",
  "family_id": "95563868",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
  "citations": [
    "US20160376031A1",
    "US20160334276A1",
    "US20190270591A1",
    "US20220223056A1",
    "US20180229843A1",
    "US20170316701A1",
    "US20190161190A1",
    "US20220058300A1",
    "US9815633B1",
    "CN107539199B",
    "US20190220044A1",
    "US11682253B2",
    "US11679494B2",
    "US20190383052A1",
    "EP3653500A1",
    "US20230078448A1",
    "US20230102048A1",
    "US11530041B2",
    "US20220108273A1",
    "US20230098602A1",
    "US11667383B2",
    "US20230123322A1",
    "US20230176557A1",
    "US20230083724A1"
  ]
}

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