System and method for automated product sorting and coordinated delivery using autonomous delivery vehicles within a facility

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine readable media are provided for automated product sorting and coordinated delivery using autonomous delivery vehicles within a facility. In exemplary embodiments, a system scans machine readable identifiers affixed to items, and sorts the items into two or more categories. A selected item is identified as scheduled to be picked up in-facility based on the scanning of the machine-readable identifier. An optimal route within the facility from the automated sorting device to a tower apparatus is determined for the a selected autonomous delivery vehicle based at least in part on at least one of facility traffic patterns, locations of other autonomous delivery vehicles, a number of items to be delivered, and additional tasks that can be performed by the selected autonomous delivery vehicle while delivering the item. The selected autonomous delivery vehicle navigates along the optimal route to the tower apparatus to deliver the selected item to the tower apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for automated product sorting and coordinated delivery using autonomous delivery vehicles within a facility, comprising:
 an automated sorting device that includes at least one of a plurality of conveyors and sets of rollers, the automated sorting device configured to:
 scan a plurality of machine-readable identifiers that are each respectively associated with one of a plurality of items; and 
 automatically sort the plurality of items into two or more categories, each category associated with one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers, items in each category forwarded to one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers after being scanned based on the association; 
   a tower apparatus equipped with one or more storage locations suitable for storing the plurality of items and including a processor and communication interface;   one or more autonomous delivery vehicles configured to communicate with the tower apparatus via the communication interface;   a computing device communicatively coupled to the automated sorting device and the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles and configured to execute a distribution module, the distribution module when executed:
 identifying a selected item from the plurality of items to be picked up in-facility based on the scanning of the machine-readable identifier, 
 determining an optimal route within the facility from the automated sorting device to the tower apparatus for a selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles based at least in part on at least one of facility traffic patterns, locations of other autonomous delivery vehicles, a number of items to be delivered, and additional tasks that can be performed by the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while delivering the item, and 
 instructing the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles to retrieve the item from one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers; 
   
       wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles navigates along the optimal route to the tower apparatus to deliver the selected item to the tower apparatus. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the distribution module instructs the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles to retrieve multiple items to be picked up in-facility until the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles has reached a predetermined threshold amount of items. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles is one of a cart, an aerial drone, and an autonomous guided vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles is re-routed while in transit to the tower apparatus based on instructions received from the distribution module or based on an event or condition detected by one or more sensors on the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles picks up an additional item while on route to the tower apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles is unloaded into the tower apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles is at least one of self-loading and self-unloading. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method for automated product sorting and coordinated delivery using autonomous delivery vehicles within a facility, the method comprising:
 scanning a plurality of machine-readable identifiers that are each respectively associated with one of a plurality items with an automated sorting device that includes at least one of a plurality of conveyors and sets of rollers;   automatically sorting the plurality of items into two or more categories, each category associated with one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers, and forwarding items in each category from the plurality of items to one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers after being scanned based on the association;   identifying, with a computing device communicatively coupled to the automated sorting device and one or more autonomous delivery vehicles, a selected item from the plurality of items to be picked up in-facility based on the scanning of the machine-readable identifier;   determining, with the computing device, an optimal route within the facility from the automated sorting device to a tower apparatus for a selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles based at least in part on at least one of facility traffic patterns, locations of other autonomous delivery vehicles, a number of items to be delivered, and additional tasks that can be performed by the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while delivering the item;   instructing, with the computing device, a selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles to retrieve the item from one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers; and   providing the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles with the optimal route to the tower apparatus to deliver the selected item to the tower apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 loading the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles with items to be picked up in-facility until the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles has reached a predetermined threshold amount of items.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles are one of a cart, an aerial drone, and an autonomous guided vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 detecting a condition or event within the facility using at least one sensor on the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles; and 
 re-routing the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while in route to the tower apparatus based on the detected condition or event. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 receiving with the selected one of the one or more automated delivery vehicles a route instruction change from the computing device while the selected one of the one or more automated delivery vehicles is in transit to the tower apparatus; and 
 re-routing the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while in transit to the tower apparatus based on the instruction. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 picking up an additional item with the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while on route to the tower apparatus. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 unloading items from the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles into the tower apparatus. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles is at least one of self-loading and self-unloading. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing device, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processing device to implement an automated product sorting and coordinated delivery method, the method comprising:
 scanning a plurality of machine-readable identifiers that are each respectively associated with one of a plurality items with an automated sorting device that includes at least one of a plurality of conveyors and sets of rollers;   automatically sorting the plurality of items into two or more categories, each category associated with one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers, and forwarding items in each category from the plurality of items to one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers after being scanned based on the association;   identifying, with a computing device communicatively coupled to the automated sorting device and one or more autonomous delivery vehicles, a selected item from the plurality of items to be picked up in-facility based on the scanning of the machine-readable identifier;   determining, with the computing device, an optimal route within the facility from the automated sorting device to a tower apparatus for a selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles based at least in part on at least one of facility traffic patterns, locations of other autonomous delivery vehicles, a number of items to be delivered, and additional tasks that can be performed by the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while delivering the item;   instructing, with the computing device, a selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles to retrieve the item from one of the plurality of conveyors or sets of rollers; and   providing the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles with the optimal route to the tower apparatus to deliver the selected item to the tower apparatus.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16  wherein instructing the autonomous delivery vehicle to retrieve the item from one of the plurality of conveyors or rollers comprises loading the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles with items to be picked up in-facility until the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles has reached a predetermined threshold amount of items. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising detecting a condition or event within the facility using at least one sensor on the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles; and
 re-routing the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while in route to the tower apparatus based on the detected condition or event. 
 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16  wherein the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles picks up an additional item while on route to the tower apparatus. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising picking up an additional item with the selected one of the one or more autonomous delivery vehicles while on route to the tower apparatus.