Systems and methods for dynamic processing of objects using box tray assemblies
A box handling system is disclosed for use in an object processing system. The box handling system includes a box tray including a recessed area for receiving a box, and the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box that contains objects to be processed.
1. A method of processing objects within a plurality of boxes, said method comprising:
placing the plurality of boxes on a respective plurality of box trays, the plurality of box trays being provided on a generally horizontal surface, wherein each box tray has an identical shape and includes at least one magnet to facilitate linear alignment of the plurality of box trays on the generally horizontal surface;
depositing using a programmable motion device at least one object into at least one box of the plurality of boxes;
determining that a selected box on a selected box tray is full or otherwise finished being processed;
moving a box removal mechanism to the selected box; and
actuating the box removal mechanism to selectively move the selected box onto an output conveyance system by urging a contact portion of the box removal mechanism against the selected box tray.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of box trays includes air egress features that permit any trapped air to escape each box tray when any of the plurality of boxes is placed in the box tray.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each box tray includes a designated box kick region for being contacted by the contact portion of the box removal mechanism.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes receiving identifying indicia at a recessed region of each box tray, said identifying indicia for uniquely identifying the respective box tray.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes facilitating stacking box trays using stacking alignment features of the box trays when not in use holding boxes.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generally horizontal surface on which the plurality of boxes and box trays are provided includes a processing conveyor that urges box trays thereon toward one end thereof such that, when the selected box tray and selected box are selectively moved to the output conveyance system, any remaining box trays on the processing conveyor are urged toward each other to fill a void left by the selected box tray.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further includes providing box tray perception data regarding a position of the selected box tray on the processing conveyor.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further includes providing box perception data regarding a position of the selected box and confirming that the selected box is associated with the selected box tray.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output conveyance system includes an output conveyor that is biased to move the selected box tray and the selected box to one end thereof.
10. A method of processing objects within a plurality of boxes, said plurality of boxes being provided on a respective plurality of box trays, said method comprising:
receiving the plurality of box trays with the plurality of boxes on a generally horizontal surface, wherein each box tray has an identical shape and includes at least one magnet to facilitate linear alignment of the plurality of box trays on the generally horizontal surface;
receiving a plurality of objects at a programmable motion device;
depositing using the programmable motion device the plurality of objects into at least a subset of the plurality of boxes;
determining that a selected box on a selected box tray is full or otherwise finished being processed;
actuating a box removal mechanism to selectively move the selected box onto an output conveyance system by urging a contact portion of the box removal mechanism against the selected box tray; and
moving at least one remaining box tray of the plurality of box trays on the generally horizontal surface to fill a void left by the selected box tray.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of box trays includes air egress features that permit any trapped air to escape each box tray when any of the plurality of boxes is placed in the box tray.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each box tray includes a designated box kick region for being contacted by the contact portion of the box removal mechanism.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further includes receiving identifying indicia at a recessed region of each box tray, said identifying indicia for uniquely identifying the respective box tray.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further includes facilitating stacking box trays using stacking alignment features of the box trays when not in use holding boxes.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the generally horizontal surface on which the plurality of boxes and box trays are provided includes a processing conveyor that urges box trays thereon toward one end thereof such that, when the selected box tray and selected box are selectively moved to the output conveyance system, any remaining box trays on the processing conveyor are urged toward each other to fill the void left by the selected box tray.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further includes providing box tray perception data regarding a position of the selected box tray on the processing conveyor.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further includes providing box perception data regarding a position of the selected box and confirming that the selected box is associated with the selected box tray.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the output conveyance system includes an output conveyor that is biased to move the selected box tray and the selected box to one end thereof.
19. A method of processing objects within a plurality of boxes, said plurality of boxes being provided on a respective plurality of box trays, said method comprising:
receiving the plurality of box trays with the plurality of boxes on a generally horizontal surface, wherein the generally horizontal surface on which the plurality of boxes and the plurality of box trays are provided includes a processing conveyor that urges box trays thereon toward one end therefore such that when the selected box tray and the selected box are selectively moved to an output conveyance system, any remaining box trays on the processing conveyor are urged toward each other to fill a void left by the selected box tray;
receiving a plurality of objects at a programmable motion device;
depositing using the programmable motion device the plurality of objects into at least a subset of the plurality of boxes;
determining that a selected box on a selected box tray is full or otherwise finished being processed;
providing box tray perception data regarding a position of the selected box tray on the processing conveyor;
actuating a box removal mechanism to selectively move the selected box onto the output conveyance system by urging a contact portion of the box removal mechanism against the selected box tray; and
moving at least one remaining box tray of the plurality of box trays on the generally horizontal surface to fill a void left by the selected box tray.
20. A method of processing objects within a plurality of boxes, said plurality of boxes being provided on a respective plurality of box trays, said method comprising:
receiving the plurality of box trays with the plurality of boxes on a generally horizontal surface;
receiving a plurality of objects at a programmable motion device;
providing box tray perception data regarding a detected box tray;
providing box perception data regarding a detected box on the detected box tray;
confirming that the detected box tray is associated with the detected box;
depositing using the programmable motion device at least one object of the plurality of objects into the detected box;
determining that the detected box on the detected box tray is full or otherwise finished being processed; and
moving the detected box tray and the associated detected box off of the generally horizontal surface while leaving the plurality of box trays other than the detected box tray.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of the plurality of box trays includes air egress features that permit any trapped air to escape each box tray when any of the plurality of boxes is placed in the box tray.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein each box tray includes a designated box kick region for being contacted by a contact portion of a box removal mechanism that moves the detected box tray off of the generally horizontal surface.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the method further includes facilitating stacking box trays using stacking alignment features of the box trays when not in use holding boxes.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the method further includes facilitating linear alignment of the plurality of box trays by providing that each of the box trays is identically-shaped to each other and each includes at least one magnet.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the generally horizontal surface on which the plurality of boxes and box trays are provided includes a processing conveyor that urges box trays thereon toward one end such that, when the detected box tray and the detected box are selectively moved to the output conveyance system, any remaining box trays on the processing conveyor are urged toward each other to fill a void left by the removed detected box tray.
26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the output conveyance system includes an output conveyor that is biased to move the detected box tray and the detected box to one end thereof.
27. A method of processing objects within a plurality of boxes, said method comprising:
placing the plurality of boxes on a respective plurality of box trays, the plurality of box trays being provided on a generally horizontal surface, wherein the generally horizontal surface on which the plurality of boxes and the plurality of box trays are provided includes a processing conveyor that urges box trays thereon toward one end therefore such that when the selected box tray and the selected box are selectively moved to the output conveyance system, any remaining box trays on the processing conveyor are urged toward each other to fill a void left by the selected box tray;
depositing using a programmable motion device at least one object into at least one box of the plurality of boxes;
determining that a selected box on a selected box tray is full or otherwise finished being processed;
providing box tray perception data regarding a position of a selected box tray on the processing conveyor;
moving a box removal mechanism to the selected box; and
actuating the box removal mechanism to selectively move the selected box onto an output conveyance system by urging a contact portion of the box removal mechanism against the selected box tray.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein each of the plurality of box trays includes air egress features that permit any trapped air to escape each box tray when any of the plurality of boxes is placed in the box tray.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein each box tray includes a designated box kick region for being contacted by the contact portion of the box removal mechanism.
30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the method further includes receiving identifying indicia at a recessed region of each box tray, said identifying indicia for uniquely identifying the respective box tray.
31. The method of claim 27 , wherein the method further includes facilitating stacking box trays using stacking alignment features of the box trays when not in use holding boxes.
32. The method of claim 27 , wherein the method further includes facilitating linear alignment of the plurality of box trays by providing that each of the box trays is identically-shaped to each other and each includes at least one magnet.
33. The method of claim 27 , wherein the method further includes providing box perception data regarding a position of the selected box and confirming that the selected box is associated with the selected box tray.
34. The method of claim 27 , wherein the output conveyance system includes an output conveyor that is biased to move the selected box tray and selected box to one end thereof.
35. The method of claim 19 , wherein the output conveyance system includes an output conveyor that is biased to move the selected box tray and selected box to one end thereof.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein each of the plurality of box trays includes air egress features that permit any trapped air to escape each box tray when any of the plurality of boxes is placed in the box tray.
37. The method of claim 35 , wherein each box tray includes a designated box kick region for being contacted by the contact portion of the box removal mechanism.
38. The method of claim 35 , wherein the method further includes receiving identifying indicia at a recessed region of each box tray, said identifying indicia for uniquely identifying the respective box tray.
39. The method of claim 35 , wherein the method further includes facilitating stacking box trays using stacking alignment features of the box trays when not in use holding boxes.
40. The method of claim 35 , wherein the method further includes facilitating linear alignment of the plurality of box trays by providing that each of the box trays is identically-shaped to each other and each includes at least one magnet.
41. The method of claim 35 , wherein the method further includes providing box perception data regarding a position of the selected box and confirming that the selected box is associated with the selected box tray.