IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,167,146
Granted Patent B2
US 10,167,146 · App. 14/623,330 · Granted Jan 1, 2019

Containerized transportation trailers

Inventor: Simon Kurt Johnston (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
B65G63/025B65D88/127B65D90/0073B65G63/004B65G65/08B65G67/20B65G67/24B65D2203/10B65G2201/025B65G2811/0678B65G2814/0311
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,167,146
App. No.
14/623,330
Granted
Jan 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a containerized shipping trailer and an automated module moving apparatus. A containerized shipping trailer may comprise a shipping container having a plurality of compartments configured to store a plurality of modules in an interior of the shipping container. An automated module moving apparatus may comprise a body configured to move horizontally along a rail from a first position to a second position to insert at least one projection into a portal of a module located in a compartment of the shipping container. The module may be removed and placed at a predefined location.

Claims (25)

1. A system, comprising:

a shipping container, comprising:

a first side and a second side;

a plurality of compartments positioned longitudinally along the shipping container, the plurality of compartments being defined by a plurality of openings between the first side and the second side of the shipping container;

a plurality of modules positioned in the plurality of compartments, individual ones of the plurality of compartments being configured to receive the plurality of modules at an interior of the shipping container such that a first side of the plurality of modules is exposed on the first side of the shipping container during transport, and a second side of the plurality of modules is exposed on the second side of the shipping container during transport;

a sensor;

processing circuitry coupled to the sensor comprising at least one hardware processor that, through execution of program instructions, is configured to:

detect a placement of one of the plurality of modules in one of the plurality of compartment using the sensor;

in response to the placement of the one of the plurality of modules in the one of the plurality of compartments, determine that the one of the plurality of modules requires a resource based at least in part on data corresponding to the one of the plurality of modules; and

provide the resource to the one of the plurality of modules;

wherein individual ones of the plurality of modules are independently insertable into or removable from a corresponding one of the plurality of compartments of the shipping container, and

wherein the first side and the second side of the individual ones of the plurality of modules comprise at least one portal configured to receive at least one projection to insert or remove a corresponding one of the plurality of modules into or from a corresponding one of the plurality of compartments from either the first side or the second side of the shipping container.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one projection further comprises a fork of a forklift, or a fork of a module moving apparatus.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the individual ones of the plurality of modules comprise a lock and a device having memory with electronically stored information thereon comprising whether the lock has been engaged.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a refrigeration unit configured to provide cool air to at least a portion of the plurality of modules.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

identify the resource required by the one of the plurality of modules from an electronic identifier of the one of the plurality of modules using the sensor; and

provide the at least one resource to the one of the plurality of modules in response to the electronic identifier being identified.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the resource is at least one of refrigeration, heat, electrical power, networking resources, or location-based resources.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the individual ones of the plurality of modules comprise a tag having a unique identifier stored thereon interpretable by the sensor;

the shipping container further comprises a memory device having a digital manifest stored thereon; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to interrogate the sensor to verify a placement of the one of the plurality of modules in the one of the plurality of compartments of the shipping container in accordance with the digital manifest by comparing the unique identifier obtained from the sensor to the digital manifest.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the tag comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shipping container is detachably attached to a trailer or a rail car comprising a plurality of wheels.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2015
From: JOHNSTON, SIMON KURT
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035911/0501 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160318721A1 · Nov 3, 2016
Cited By (2)
US 12,291,410 US 12,728,933