Computer Optimized Mixed Parcel Loading Equipment
A parcel processing system and method. A method includes receiving a plurality of items to be sorted. The method includes receiving a plurality of parcels by a parcel processing apparatus and producing parcel data corresponding to each of the parcels, the parcel data including physical dimensions and a weight for each parcel. The method includes designing a virtual stack of the plurality of parcels to occupy a working volume according to the parcel data by a volumetric modeling engine. The method includes building a physical stack of the parcels that corresponds to the virtual stack by a working volume builder, wherein the physical stack is thereafter transferred into the working volume in a container.
1 . A parcel processing system, comprising:
a parcel processing apparatus configured to receive a plurality of parcels and to produce parcel data corresponding to each of the parcels, the parcel data including physical dimensions and a weight for each parcel;
a volumetric modeling engine (VME) configured to design a virtual stack of the plurality of parcels to occupy a working volume according to the parcel data, wherein the VME designs the virtual stack according to preferences including a targeted compression to stabilize a physical stack of the parcels during shipment;
a working volume builder configured to build the physical stack of the parcels using a three-axis gantry apparatus with an end-effector that is configured to move the parcels into the physical stack, on a rack, that corresponds to the virtual stack, wherein the rack is configured to transport the physical stack into the working volume in a container.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the working volume builder includes a plurality of positioning drives with conveyor surfaces that are configured to move the parcels to build the physical stack of the parcels.
4 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the VME builds a separate virtual stack for each of a plurality of sort destinations.
5 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the working volume is a three-dimensional space for the physical stack of parcels, and the working volume is a portion of a total loading volume of the container.
6 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the parcel processing system is configured to perform destination sorting to sort the parcels according to the parcel data.
7 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , the parcel processing system is configured to perform sequence buffering to place the parcels in a sequence to build the physical stack.
8 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the parcel processing system is configured to form a random access queue of the parcels.
9 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the parcel processing system includes a carousel sorter.
10 . The parcel processing system of claim 1 , wherein the VME designs the virtual stack according to rules including at least one of a total loading volume, a queue depth, a targeted volumetric efficiency, or a working volume.
11 . (canceled)
12 . A method for processing parcels by a parcel processing system, comprising:
receiving a plurality of parcels by a parcel processing apparatus and producing parcel data corresponding to each of the parcels, the parcel data including physical dimensions and a weight for each parcel;
designing a virtual stack of the plurality of parcels to occupy a working volume according to the parcel data by a volumetric modeling engine (VME), wherein the virtual stack is designed according to preferences including a targeted compression to stabilize a physical stack of the parcels during shipment;
building the physical stack of the parcels that corresponds to the virtual stack by a working volume builder that uses a three-axis gantry apparatus with an end-effector to move the parcels into the physical stack, wherein the physical stack is thereafter transferred into the working volume in a container.
13 . (canceled)
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the working volume builder includes a plurality of positioning drives with conveyor surfaces that are configured to move the parcels to build the physical stack of the parcels.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the VME builds a separate virtual stack for each of a plurality of sort destinations.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the working volume is a three-dimensional space for the physical stack of parcels, and the working volume is a portion of a total loading volume of the container.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the physical stack is built on a movable rack that is used to transfer the physical rack into the working volume.
18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising placing the parcels in a sequence to build the physical stack and forming a random access queue of the parcels.
19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the VME designs the virtual stack according to rules including at least one of a total loading volume, a queue depth, a targeted volumetric efficiency, or a working volume.
20 . (canceled)