Autonomous baggage device

Abstract

To provide a device that relates to the transportation field of baggage and cargo in the aviation industry, and more specifically, relates to automated baggage transportation.SOLUTION: A device includes an exterior conveyor and a storage area. The exterior conveyor is configured to convey baggage to and from the storage area. The baggage may be sorted to the storage area by a lateral sorter and a vertical sorter. The baggage is conveyed from a front of the storage area to a rear of the storage area by a storage area conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 896,482, filed on September 5, 2019, and U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 014,903, filed on September 8, 2020, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of transporting luggage and cargo in the aviation industry, and more specifically, to an apparatus for automated luggage transportation.

Background Art

[0003] Passengers check in their luggage at the airport terminal with their luggage. The terminal building receives the passengers' luggage and registers the luggage with a luggage number. The luggage number may be a 10 - digit International Air Transport Association (IATA) luggage identifier consisting of a leading digit, a three - digit airline code, and a six - digit luggage number. Thereafter, the luggage is guided to the luggage handling area. Next, the luggage is loaded from the luggage handling area onto the airplane by luggage carts, luggage tractors, and belt loaders. Similarly, it is also possible to unload the luggage from the airplane by luggage carts, luggage tractors, and belt loaders. In the case of luggage carts, porters may be required for loading and unloading the luggage. With a belt loader, it is possible to load and unload from the luggage cart. The belt loader must be arranged to receive the luggage from the luggage handling area and send the luggage out to the luggage cart. The belt loader and the luggage cart must be manually moved between various locations in the airport. The belt loader and the luggage cart can also provide a limited sorting function in the storage area in the luggage cart if there is a storage area. In this case, it may become difficult for the airline to know where the luggage is currently stored.

[0004] Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus that overcomes the above - mentioned drawbacks.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a storage unit. In another exemplary embodiment, the storage unit includes a first storage area, a second storage area, and a third storage area. In another exemplary embodiment, the first storage area is vertically adjacent to the second storage area and horizontally adjacent to the third storage area. In another exemplary embodiment, the first storage area, the second storage area, and the third storage area are configured to receive packages. In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes an external conveyor having a first end and a second end. In another exemplary embodiment, the external conveyor is configured to carry packages from the first end to the second end. In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a lateral sorter configured to sort packages laterally among a plurality of lateral storage areas. In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a vertical sorter configured to sort packages vertically among a plurality of vertical storage areas. In another exemplary embodiment, the external conveyor can pivot around a pivotable connection. In another exemplary embodiment, the first end of the external conveyor can be selectively adjusted by pivoting the external conveyor around the pivotable connection. In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of wheels configured to support the weight of the storage unit. In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a propulsion unit connected to the plurality of wheels and configured to selectively rotate the wheels. In another exemplary embodiment, the external conveyor is connected to the vertical sorter.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Those skilled in the art will better understand many advantages of the present invention by referring to the accompanying drawings.

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0008] Generally referring to FIGS. 1 to 12, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a luggage handling system 100, a luggage carrier 101, and a method 800 are disclosed.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for loading and unloading luggage from an airplane. The apparatus may include a plurality of storage areas for storing luggage. Luggage from an airplane or from the ground can be packed into the storage areas. The luggage can be transported to the storage areas by an external conveyor. The luggage can be selectively stored in one of the plurality of storage areas by a vertical sorter and a horizontal sorter.

[0010] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a luggage handling system 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0011] In an embodiment, the luggage handling system 100 includes a luggage carrier 101. The luggage carrier 101 includes an external conveyor 102. The external conveyor 102 may have a first end 104 and a second end 106 (shown in FIG. 2). The external conveyor 102 may be configured such that luggage is received by the apparatus from an airplane by the first end 104. The external conveyor 102 may be configured to transport luggage from the first end 104 to the second end 106. The luggage may also be transported from the second end 106 to the first end 104 (for example, a bidirectional conveyor). The external conveyor 102 may transport the luggage by any suitable means, including but not limited to, for example, a conveyor belt, a power roller conveyor, an omnidirectional conveyor, or a chain conveyor. The external conveyor 102 enables the luggage carrier 101 to store luggage in the luggage carrier 101 autonomously, semi-autonomously, and / or manually (for example, by remote control).

[0012] The device may include a storage unit 204 having one or more storage areas 108 for storing luggage. For example, the storage unit 204 may include a storage area 108 (shown in FIG. 2), or may include a plurality of storage areas 108a-f (shown in FIG. 3A). The (plural) storage areas 108 may be configured to receive luggage. In this regard, the storage area 108 may have one or more walls for receiving the stored luggage. The luggage carrier 101 may be configured to carry luggage from the external conveyor 102 to one or more storage areas by an external conveyor or a lateral sorter 140 (e.g., a plurality of directional conveyors 202, a sub-conveyor 502 connected to the horizontal stage 504, a diverter or a pusher).

[0013] In an embodiment, the external conveyor 102 may be configured to pivot around a pivotable connection 110. By pivoting, the first end 104 of the external conveyor 102 can pivot to a ground position (e.g., an angle of up to -15° with respect to the ground), an airplane position (e.g., an angle of up to 30° with respect to the ground), or a storage position (e.g., an angle of 90° with respect to the ground). In this regard, the height of the first end 104 can be controlled by the angle around the pivotable connection 110. The external conveyor 102 may pivot around the pivotable connection 110 by any suitable means, including but not limited to a rotary actuator, a linear actuator (e.g., the actuator 702 as shown in FIG. 7), a hydraulic lift, a pneumatic lift, or a cable winch. The pivotable connection 110 may be arranged in any manner on the luggage carrier 101. It may be arranged to pivot between the lateral sorter 140 and the storage unit 204 (shown in FIGS. 3A-3B), or may be arranged to pivot between the external conveyor 102 and a frame 402 connected to the storage unit 204 (shown in FIG. 4A).

[0014] In an embodiment, one or more of the storage areas 108 may include a storage area conveyor 112. The storage area conveyor 112 may be housed within the storage area 108. The storage area conveyor 112 may be disposed along the entire length of the storage area 108 or along a portion shorter than the entire length to carry luggage between the front and rear of the storage area 108. Also, the storage area conveyor 112 may be engaged in the reverse direction (e.g., a bidirectional conveyor) to unload luggage from the storage area 108 to the external conveyor 102. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the storage area conveyor 112 can be connected to a controller (e.g., controller 120).

[0015] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 includes one or more storage areas 108 adjacent to each other in the lateral direction. For example, the apparatus may include a storage area 108a and a storage area 108b disposed adjacent to the storage area 108a in the lateral direction. The luggage carrier 101 can sort luggage into the laterally adjacent storage areas 108a, 108b by a lateral sorter 140 (not limited to, for example, a plurality of directional conveyors 202 (shown in FIGS. 3A to 4B), a sub-conveyor 502 (shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C) connected to the horizontal stage 504, a diverter (not shown), or a pusher (not shown)).

[0016] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 includes one or more storage areas 108 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. For example, the luggage carrier 101 may include a storage area 108a and a storage area 108c disposed below the storage area 108a. The luggage carrier 101 can sort luggage into the vertically adjacent storage areas 108a, 108c in the vertical direction by a vertical sorter 114 (shown in FIGS. 3A to 5C).

[0017] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 may include a controller 120. The controller 120 may include one or more memory media 122 and one or more processors 124 configured to execute a set of program instructions in the memory 122, and the set of program instructions is configured to cause the processor 124 to execute one or more steps of the present invention. The controller 120 may be configured to control various components of the apparatus, such as, but not limited to, the external conveyor 102, the pivotable connection portion 110, the storage area conveyor 112, the vertical sorter (e.g., the vertical sorter 114), the horizontal sorter 140 (e.g., a plurality of directional conveyors 202, the sub-conveyor 502 and the horizontal stage 504, the diverter, the pusher, etc.), or the propulsion unit 134.

[0018] For example, the controller 120 can control the external conveyor 102 so that luggage is carried to and from the storage area 108. The controller 120 can also determine that the storage area 108 at the first height is full and that the luggage must be stored in the storage area 108 at another height. The controller 120 can control the vertical sorter 114 so that the luggage is sorted into each of the vertical storage areas 108. The controller 120 can also control the horizontal sorter 140 so that the luggage is sorted into each of the horizontally adjacent storage areas 108. The controller 120 may engage the storage area conveyor 112 to carry the luggage to the rear of the storage area. The controller can also adjust the height and angle of the external conveyor 102 when the external conveyor 102 is connected to the vertical sorter 114 (shown in FIGS. 3A - 3B). When the vertical sorter 114 adjusts the height of the second end 106 of the external conveyor 102, the first end 104 is moved by the same amount. The controller 120 can consider this amount and rotate the external conveyor 102 around the pivotable connection 110 to compensate (e.g., to maintain the connection between the cargo hold of the airplane and the first end of the conveyor). Also, the controller 120 can extend or retract the telescoping external conveyor 602. The controller 120 can also move the luggage carrier 101 forward or backward by the propulsion unit 134.

[0019] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 can be coupled to the user interface 138. The user can use the user interface 138 to view the luggage stored in the luggage carrier 101, set up a sorting scheme, or view other information stored in the memory 122 by the luggage carrier 101. Note here that a single electronic device (e.g., a tablet, a personal computer, etc.) can function as both the controller 120 and the user interface 138.

[0020] In an embodiment, the luggage handling system 100 may include a network connection 126 that connects the luggage carrier 101 to a server 128 including one or more memory media 130 and a processor 132. The network 126 may include a network interface circuit system. It should be noted that the network interface circuit system (not shown) of the luggage carrier 101 may include any network interface device suitable for interfacing with the server 128. For example, the network interface circuit system may include a wireline-based interface device (e.g., DSL interconnection, cable interconnection, T9 interconnection, etc.). In another embodiment, the network interface circuit system may include a wireless-based interface device that utilizes GSM, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, WiFi protocol, RF, LoRa, etc. The user can access various functions of the controller 120, such as providing a sorting scheme to the controller 120 or viewing the luggage stored by the luggage carrier 101, via the network interface, but is not limited thereto. The server can also communicate with the luggage carrier 101 via one or more RF links (e.g., LF, HF, UHF, etc.). The luggage carrier 101 may provide a status report (e.g., the number of loaded luggage or the battery charge level) to a human operator via one or more display screens.

[0021] In an embodiment, the controller 120 is configured to receive a luggage identifier of the luggage. For example, the luggage may have a luggage tag (e.g., IATA code) that can be read by a barcode reader. The barcode can be scanned by the barcode reader and provided to the controller 120. Thereafter, the controller 120 can identify the luggage by comparing the scanned barcode with a database of known luggage barcodes (e.g., via a connection to the server 128). Next, the controller 120 can search for the luggage identifier in the database and determine the flight associated with the luggage. The luggage identifier can indicate various data such as weight, one or more dimensions, destination, color, or the owner of the luggage, but is not limited thereto. Although the controller 120 has been described as receiving the luggage identifier from a barcode reader, this is not intended as a limitation of the present invention. In this regard, the controller 120 may receive the luggage identifier from any suitable source, such as, but not limited to, an RFID tag reader, a barcode reader, or a visual machine learning algorithm.

[0022] In an embodiment, the controller 120 is configured to autonomously sort the luggage to each of the storage areas 108 of the luggage carrier 101. The autonomous sorting can be based on a sorting scheme. The sorting scheme may include one or more elements that are evaluated when sorting the luggage. The sorting scheme may include an element that there is space for the luggage in the storage area (for example, the storage area is not full of other luggage). The sorting scheme may include at least one element of the size, weight, or destination of the luggage. The sorting scheme may include an element of the passenger status of the passenger associated with the luggage (for example, first-class customers can have their luggage stored preferentially). The sorting scheme may include an element of the type of the luggage (for example, fragile luggage may be stored preferentially, and U.S. mail may be transported to the U.S. mail storage area). The sorting scheme includes an element of the flight delay time associated with the luggage. Also, the sorting scheme may be evaluated by a process improvement algorithm (not shown). The process improvement algorithm may be configured to estimate the optimal storage area in a plurality of storage carriers based on the flight data of the luggage and the current status of the luggage in the plurality of storage carriers. In this regard, the luggage can be sorted to the storage area so that the time until the luggage reaches the airplane and / or the terminal is shortened. The controller 120 can autonomously sort the luggage by determining an appropriate storage area 108 based on the sorting scheme and engaging with the external conveyor 102, the lateral sorter 140, the vertical sorter 114, and the storage area conveyor 112.

[0023] The load carrier 101 may include a propulsion unit 134. The propulsion unit 134 may include, but is not limited to, a motor such as a diesel / gasoline combustion / electric motor. The propulsion unit 134 may be configured to move the load carrier 101 by rotating one or more wheels 136 of the device (shown in FIG. 2). The wheels 136 can also be selectively steered by a steering system (not shown). In this regard, the load carrier 101 may be configured to be driven to a position for loading the load into one of the storage areas 108 of the load carrier 101 (e.g., by autonomous sorting by the controller 120, the lateral sorter 140, and the vertical sorter 114), or to a position for unloading the load from this storage area. The propulsion unit 134 may be controlled by an operator (e.g., using a steering wheel housed in the load carrier 101), or may be controlled by the controller in autonomous control.

[0024] The wheel 136 can be connected to the load axis (not shown). The wheel 136 can be arranged on one or more sides of the storage unit 204. In this regard, the luggage carrier 101 can be configured to roll by the wheel 136. The load axis can be connected to the propulsion unit 134 via a transmission system (not shown). In this regard, the wheel 136 can be controlled by the propulsion unit 134 to drive the luggage carrier between one or more areas so that the luggage can be received. The luggage carrier may further include one or more brakes (not shown), for example, but not limited to, an electric brake, a pneumatic brake, or a hydraulic brake. In this regard, the movement of the luggage carrier 101 can be stopped by the brake. The load axis may be coupled to one or more suspension components (not shown). For example, the frame 402 may be coupled to the load axis via one or more suspension components, for example, but not limited to, brackets, bearings, leaf springs, shocks, or struts. In this regard, the wheel 136 can bear the load of various components of the luggage carrier 101, such as the storage unit 204, via the frame suspension components and the load axis.

[0025] In an embodiment, the controller 120 is configured to autonomously drive the luggage carrier 101. The controller 120 may be configured to drive the luggage carrier 101 by communicating with a steering system (not shown) connected to the propulsion unit 134 and the wheels 136. The luggage carrier 101 may include a position tracking sensor (e.g., a global positioning system circuit) and one or more vehicle sensors. The one or more vehicle sensors may include any suitable vehicle sensors, including but not limited to, a parking sensor, a backup collision sensor, an intelligent parking assistance sensor, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, a camera, a computer vision system, or a laser system (e.g., a distance sensor, a photoelectric sensor, etc.). Further, the luggage carrier 101 can communicate with one or more other airplanes or with air traffic control (e.g., via a wireless network at RF frequencies). The luggage carrier 101 may be configured to traverse an airport on a pre-set map of the airport having one or more driving routes. The propulsion unit 134 may be autonomously controlled at a level of autonomous driving that is a system from level 0 to 5 of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), but not limited thereto, based on position tracking and position data from one or more vehicle vision sensors. For example, the luggage carrier 101 can provide warning and intervention control (e.g., autonomous braking) according to a level 0 system. As another example, the luggage carrier 101 can provide driver assistance (e.g., parking assistance) according to a level 1 system. As another example, the luggage carrier 101 can provide lane centering and adaptive cruise control according to a level 2 system. As another example, the luggage carrier 101 can include autonomous driving with user driver assistance according to a level 3 system. As another example, the luggage carrier 101 can include a pedal and / or a steering wheel option system according to a level 4 system. As another example, the luggage carrier 101 can include fully autonomous driving that does not require a steering wheel to operate this device according to a level 5 system.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a cargo carrier 101 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] In an embodiment, the cargo carrier 101 includes a storage area 108 with a storage area conveyor 112. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage area 108 and the storage area conveyor 112 can span the width of the cargo carrier 101. In this regard, the storage area 108 may be configured to receive various large cargos, such as, for example, airplane parts, boxes, or tires, but is not limited thereto. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the apparatus may further include a pivotable connection 110 and an external conveyor 102.

[0028] In an embodiment, the cargo carrier 101 includes a lateral sorter 140. The lateral sorter 140 may include a plurality of directional conveyors 202. The plurality of directional conveyors 202 may include one or more left-sided directional conveyors 202a and one or more right-sided directional conveyors 202b. The plurality of directional conveyors 202 may be arranged on the cargo carrier 101 at one or more angles (e.g., ±30 to 60° with respect to the side of the storage section 204). The plurality of directional conveyors 202 may be selectively actuated so that cargos are carried to the storage area 108. Further, the plurality of directional conveyors 202 may be actuated in the reverse direction (e.g., a bidirectional conveyor) to carry the cargos from the storage area 108 to the external conveyor 102 and unload them from the storage area 108.

[0029] The plurality of directional conveyors 202 may be configured to manipulate the orientation of the load by changing the speed of each of the plurality of directional conveyors 202. In this regard, the (plurality of) left conveyors 202a can be selectively engaged in one direction and the (plurality of) right conveyors 202b can be selectively engaged in one direction to rotate the load. By manipulating the orientation of the load, the load can be oriented to most effectively fill the storage area (e.g., with the maximum dimensions allowed in the width direction). Such an operation can be determined by one or more sensor data (e.g., a load vision sensor that estimates the width and length of the load) received by the controller.

[0030] The number and configuration of the illustrated directional conveyors 202 are not intended to be limiting. In this regard, any number and configuration of directional conveyors 202 may be utilized to sort the loads into the storage area 108.

[0031] Figures 3A - 3B show a load carrier 101 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] In an embodiment, the storage unit 204 may include storage areas 108 adjacent in the lateral direction. The left directional conveyor 202a may be directed towards the first row of storage areas (108a, 108c, and 108e shown in Figures 3A - 3B), and the right directional conveyor 202b may be directed towards the second row of storage areas (102b, 102d, and 108f shown in Figures 3A - 3B). In this regard, the left directional conveyor 202a can be selectively activated such that the load is carried to the storage areas 108a, 108c, and 108e, and the right directional conveyor 202b can be selectively activated such that the load is carried to the storage areas 108b, 108d, and 108f. In this regard, the load can be loaded and unloaded from the storage areas 108 adjacent in the lateral direction.

[0033] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 includes a vertical sorter 114. The vertical sorter 114 can sort luggage vertically between vertically adjacent storage units 108a, 108c, and 108e, and / or vertically adjacent storage areas 108b, 108d, and 108f. The vertical sorter 114 may be configured to sort luggage by moving the luggage up and down. The vertical sorter 114 may be configured to move the luggage up and down by any suitable mechanism, including but not limited to, for example, a scissor mechanism, a rack and pinion, a lead screw, a ball screw, a forklift mast, a hoist, a hydraulic actuator, or a winch and cable.

[0034] In combination with the vertical sorter 114, the horizontal sorter 140 can also store luggage in a plurality of storage areas (e.g., storage areas 108a, 108b, 108c, 108d, etc.) that can be arranged horizontally and / or vertically. The horizontal sorter 140 may be arranged to sort luggage horizontally by any suitable means, such as, for example, a plurality of directional conveyors 202, a horizontal stage 504 (shown in FIGS. 5A-5C), a diverter (not shown), or a pusher (not shown). In this regard, the horizontal sorter 140 can be connected to the vertical sorter 114.

[0035] In an embodiment, the external conveyor 102 can also be connected to the vertical sorter 114. In this regard, the height of the external conveyor 102 can be selectively adjusted by the vertical sorter 114. For example, the second end 106 of the external conveyor 102 can be selectively adjusted by the vertical sorter 114 to different height storage areas. As another example, the first end 104 of the external conveyor 102 can be selectively adjusted by the vertical sorter 114 to the cargo hold of an airplane or to the ground level. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the first end 104 can also pivot around a pivotable connection portion 110.

[0036] For example, the package will be stored in the upper left storage area 108a. The external conveyor 102 and the lateral sorter 140 may be in the home position of the bottom storage area (shown in FIG. 3A). The controller can engage with the vertical sorter 114 to raise the second ends 106 of the plurality of directional conveyors 202 and the external conveyor 102 to the height of the upper left storage area 108a (shown in FIG. 3B). When the second ends 106 of the external conveyor are raised, the first ends 104 can be raised by a similar amount. The external conveyor 102 can be rotated by the controller 120 to compensate for this amount and pivot the first end 104 downwardly about the pivotable connection 110. Thereafter, the package can be placed on the first end 104 and conveyed to the plurality of directional conveyors 202. Thereafter, the left directional conveyor 202a can be engaged to sort the package into the upper left storage area 108a.

[0037] Figure 3C shows a rear view of the load carrier 101. The load carrier 101 may have one or more rear openings 304. The rear opening 304 may be associated with the storage area 108 of the device. For example, each storage area 108 can have an associated rear opening 304. The load carrier 101 may be configured to unload the load from the storage area 108 through the rear opening (e.g., by a storage area conveyor 112 or a plurality of rollers). The load carrier 101 may further include one or more rear opening covers 302. For example, Figure 3C shows a rear opening cover 302 including the rear opening cover 302. The rear opening cover 302 can prevent the load from being carried from the storage area 108 by covering the rear opening 304. The rear opening cover 302 can be selectively lifted, and then the load is carried through the rear opening 304 (e.g., by the controller 120). The rear opening cover 302 is shown as a retractable rear opening cover and includes, for example, a shutter (e.g., a vinyl overhead door), but is not limited thereto. This is not intended to be limiting. In this regard, the rear opening cover 302 may include any suitable mechanism configured to selectively cover the rear opening 304, such as a shutter mechanism, one or more assembled panels, an integral track door, a monolithic door, or a hinged door, but is not limited thereto.

[0038] Figures 4A - 4B show the load carrier 101 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0039] Although the vertical sorter 114 has been described as being configured to move the external conveyor 102 up and down, this is not intended as a limitation of the present invention. For example, the external conveyor 102 may be connected to the frame 402. The frame 402 may be connected to the storage unit 204. In this regard, while the second end 106 of the external conveyor 102 remains at a fixed height, the first end 106 may be configured to pivot up and down (e.g., up and down to ground level or to the height of an airplane) by pivoting around the pivotable connection 110. The lateral sorter 140 can be connected to the vertical sorter 114 to move the height of the lateral sorter 140 up and down.

[0040] For example, the package will be stored in the upper left storage area (e.g., 108a) of the package carrier 101. The plurality of directional conveyors 202 may be in their home position, which is the height of the lowest storage area (102e and 102f shown in FIG. 3A). The package can be conveyed by the external conveyor 102 to the plurality of directional conveyors 202. Thereafter, the vertical sorter 114 can be engaged to raise the plurality of directional conveyors 202 together with the package to the height of the upper storage areas 102a and 102b (shown in FIG. 4B). Thereafter, the (plurality of) left-side directional conveyors 202a can be engaged to convey the package to the front of the upper left storage section 108a. Next, the package can be conveyed from the front to the rear of the upper left storage section 108a by the storage area conveyor 112. Then, the plurality of directional conveyors 202 can be returned to their home position by the vertical sorter 114.

[0041] Figures 5A - 5C show a package carrier 101 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] In an embodiment, the lateral sorter 140 includes a sub-conveyor 502 and a horizontal stage 504. The sub-conveyor 502 may be configured to load and unload from the storage area 108 by any suitable mechanism (e.g., a bidirectional conveyor), and examples include, but are not limited to, a conveyor belt, a power roller conveyor, an omnidirectional conveyor, or a chain conveyor. The horizontal stage 504 may be configured to horizontally move the sub-conveyor 502 laterally by connection with the sub-conveyor 502. In this regard, the sub-conveyor 502 can move horizontally between laterally adjacent storage areas (e.g., 108a, 108b). The horizontal stage 504 may include any suitable linear stage, such as a rack and pinion, a lead screw, a ball screw, a forklift mast, a hoist, or a hydraulic actuator, but is not limited thereto. The horizontal stage 504 may be connected to the vertical sorter 114. In this regard, the sub-conveyor 502 can be positioned in each of the storage areas (e.g., 108a to 108d) arranged longitudinally or laterally. The sub-conveyor 502 and the horizontal stage may be controlled by the controller 120.

[0043] For example, the luggage will be stored in the upper left storage area (e.g., 108a) of the luggage carrier 101. The sub-conveyor 502 can be in the home position (e.g., starting position; origin return position) located in the lower right storage area as shown in FIGS. 5A-5B. The luggage can be carried to the sub-conveyor 502 by the external conveyor 102. Thereafter, the vertical sorter 114 can be engaged to raise the horizontal stage 504 and the sub-conveyor 502 together with the luggage to the height of the upper left storage area (shown in FIG. 5C). Thereafter, the horizontal stage 504 can be engaged to carry the sub-conveyor 502 together with the luggage to the front opening of the upper left storage area. Next, the sub-conveyor 502 can be engaged to carry the luggage to the front of the upper left storage section. Next, the luggage can be carried from the front to the rear of the upper left storage section by the storage area conveyor 112. And the sub-conveyor 502 can be returned to the home position by the vertical sorter 114 and the horizontal stage 504.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a telescopic external conveyor 602 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] In an embodiment, the external conveyor 102 is configured as a telescopic 602. The telescopic external conveyor 602 can be configured to load and unload luggage over a wide range of airplane heights. For example, the distance from the ground plane to the door of the cargo hold of an airplane is 148 inches. The telescopic external conveyor 602 can extend and contract to its maximum length and pivot at an angle of 30° with respect to the ground to reach such a height. As another example, the telescopic external conveyor 602 is used to load and unload luggage from the ground. The telescopic external conveyor 602 can extend and contract to its shortest length and pivot at an angle of -15° with respect to the ground. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the telescopic external conveyor 602 can be configured to extend and contract by the controller 120. The telescopic conveyor is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,431,346, filed on April 5, 2000, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0046] In an embodiment, the cargo carrier 101 can raise the second end 106 while keeping the first end 104 of the external conveyor 102 in the cargo hold of the airplane, using the telescopic external conveyor 602, the pivotable connection part 110, and the vertical sorter 114. By contracting the telescopic external conveyor 602, raising the external conveyor 602 by the vertical sorter 114, and rotating the first end 104 downward around the pivotable connection part 110, the first end 104 can be kept in the cargo hold of the airplane.

[0047] Although the external conveyor 102 has been described as telescopic 602, this is not intended as a limitation of the present invention. For example, the external conveyor 102 may be configured to be foldable (not shown). By folding, the external conveyor 102 can be changed from the loading and unloading arrangement to the transportation arrangement. The external conveyor may include a folding mechanism that connects the first and second conveyors of the external conveyor. The folding mechanism can fold the first and second conveyors together. The foldable conveyor is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,708,814, filed on September 30, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0048] Figures 7A - 7B show the transportation arrangement of the cargo carrier 101 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0049] In an embodiment, the cargo carrier 101 may include a transportation arrangement. When in the transportation arrangement, the cargo carrier 101 may have a reduced transportation size. The external conveyor 102 may be configured to pivot around the pivotable connection part 110 towards the storage area. As shown in Figure 7A, the cargo carrier 101 may include an actuator 702. The actuator 702 may be configured to pivot the external conveyor 102 between one or more positions, for example, to a vertical storage position (e.g., at an angle of 90° to the ground) as shown in Figure 7A, but is not limited thereto. Such a storage arrangement can reduce the transportation size of the cargo carrier 101.

[0050] The load carrier 101 has been described as including the actuator 702, but this is not intended to be limiting. In this regard, the external conveyor 102 may be arranged to pivot about the pivotable connection 110 by any suitable means, such as, for example, a rotary actuator, a linear actuator, a hydraulic lift, a pneumatic lift, or a cable winch, but is not limited thereto. Note that the lateral sorting device (e.g., a plurality of directional conveyors 202) may be configured to pivot to a transport arrangement as shown in FIG. 7B.

[0051] As discussed in one or more embodiments of the present invention, the external conveyor 102 may be configured to expand or contract, or fold. The ability of the external conveyor 102 to expand or contract, or fold, can reduce the transport size of the device and provide an external conveyor 102 with a longer working length.

[0052] FIG. 8 shows a method 800 for sorting packages into storage areas according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 8, the method 800 includes a step 810 of determining a package associated with a package identifier, a step 820 of determining a storage area for the package, a step 830 of transporting the package from a first end of the external conveyor to a second end of the external conveyor, a step 840 of longitudinally sorting the package to a longitudinal position in the storage area, a step 850 of laterally sorting the package to a lateral position in the storage area, and a step 860 of transporting the package within the storage area.

[0054] Method 800 may include step 810 for determining a piece of luggage associated with a luggage identifier. Step 810 may further include receiving the luggage identifier by at least one of an RFID tag, a barcode, or a visual machine learning algorithm. The luggage identifier may be received from a component of a luggage carrier (e.g., luggage carrier 101), or may be received by a component other than the luggage carrier, such as a hand-held reader. In response to receiving the luggage identifier, the luggage identifier can be searched in a database stored in a server (e.g., server 128) via a network connection.

[0055] Method 800 may include step 820 for determining a storage area for the luggage. The determination of the storage area for the luggage in step 820 may be based on at least one of the dimensions, weight, or destination of the luggage. The determination of the storage area for the luggage in step 820 may also be based on the determination that there is space to receive the luggage in the storage area. In this regard, the database may include the capacity of the area and the amount of luggage currently in the storage area. Subtracting the amount of luggage from the capacity gives the amount of available space. If the dimensions of the luggage to be received are smaller than the available space, it is determined that the storage area can receive the luggage.

[0056] Method 800 may include step 830 for transporting the luggage from a first end of an external conveyor to a second end of the external conveyor. The luggage is received by the first end of the external conveyor from at least one of an airplane, the ground, or a luggage handling area.

[0057] Method 800 may include step 840 for sorting the luggage vertically into a vertical position in the storage area. The luggage may be sorted vertically by any suitable mechanism, such as, for example, a shear mechanism, a rack and pinion, a lead screw, a ball screw, a forklift mast, a hoist, a hydraulic actuator, or a winch and cable, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] Method 800 may include step 850 of laterally sorting packages to a lateral position in a storage area by a horizontal sorter. The packages may be sorted vertically by any suitable mechanism, such as, for example, a horizontal stage connected to a sub-conveyor, a plurality of directional conveyors, a diverter, a pusher, or an omnidirectional conveyor, but are not limited thereto.

[0059] Method 800 may include step 860 of transporting packages within the storage area. The packages may be transported within the storage area by a storage area conveyor.

[0060] Similarly, method 800 may be executed in reverse. In this regard, packages stored in the storage area may be transported to a first end of an external conveyor.

[0061] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart 900 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0062] In an embodiment, the package handling system 100 is configured to execute flowchart 900.

[0063] The package handling system 100 may be configured to receive packages from a customer 910.

[0064] The package handling system 100 can determine a package identifier for a package 920. The package may have a package tag (e.g., an IATA code) readable by a barcode reader. The barcode can be scanned by the barcode reader and provided to the system. The system can then identify the package by comparing the scanned barcode to a database of known package barcodes.

[0065] Thereafter, the package handling system 100 can search the database for the package identifier to determine a flight associated with the package 930.

[0066] If there is no known flight for the baggage, the baggage handling system 100 can notify the porter 945.

[0067] If there is a known flight for the baggage, the baggage handling system 100 can transport the baggage to an appropriate transportation area 940. The baggage can be transported by one or more conveyors (further shown in FIG. 10). The flight can be associated with an appropriate transportation area.

[0068] Thereafter, the baggage handling system 100 can determine an appropriate storage area in the storage carrier 950. The storage carrier can include the baggage carrier 101. The determination 950 of the appropriate storage area in the storage carrier can be based on a sorting scheme. The sorting scheme can include one or more elements that are evaluated when determining 950 the appropriate storage area. The sorting scheme can include an element that there is space in the storage area for the baggage (e.g., the storage area is not full of other baggage). The sorting scheme can include at least one element of the dimensions, weight, or destination of the baggage. The sorting scheme can include an element of the passenger status of the passenger associated with the baggage (e.g., a first-class customer can be preferentially stored with the baggage). The sorting scheme can include an element of the type of the baggage (e.g., fragile baggage can be preferentially stored, and U.S. mail can be transported to a U.S. mail storage area). The sorting scheme includes an element of the delay time of the flight associated with the baggage. Further, the sorting scheme can be evaluated by a process improvement algorithm (not shown). The process improvement algorithm can be configured to estimate the optimal storage area of a plurality of storage carriers based on the flight data of the baggage and the current baggage status of the plurality of storage carriers. In this regard, the baggage can be sorted into storage areas so that the time until the baggage reaches the airplane and / or the terminal is shortened.

[0069] When the luggage handling system 100 determines that there is no available storage area, the system 100 can notify the porter 965.

[0070] When the luggage handling system 100 determines that a storage area is available, it can transport the luggage to the storage area 960. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the luggage can be transported to the storage area. For example, the storage transporter may include one or more of an external conveyor, a lateral sorter, a vertical sorter, and a storage area conveyor.

[0071] Thereafter, the luggage handling system 100 can move the storage transporter to the airplane associated with the flight by autonomous control 970. The autonomous control 970 can be executed by one or more propulsion units in the storage transporter. The autonomous control 970 may be a level of autonomous driving that is not limited to but includes SAE levels 0 to 5. For example, the autonomous control 970 can provide warning and intervention control (e.g., autonomous braking) according to a level 0 system. As another example, the autonomous control 970 can provide driver assistance (e.g., parking assistance) according to a level 1 system. As another example, the autonomous control 970 can include fully autonomous driving that does not require a steering wheel to operate this device according to a level 5 system. The controller 120 can execute any one of the respective autonomous controls of the described SAE levels. The autonomous control 970 can be based on data from various sensors, for example, a position tracking sensor (e.g., a global positioning circuit), or one or more vehicle sensors (e.g., an automatic parking sensor, a backup collision sensor, an intelligent parking assistance sensor, etc.), but is not limited thereto. The autonomous control 970 can be facilitated by communicating with one or more airplanes (e.g., communicating via a wireless network of RF frequencies). The autonomous control 970 can be based on a pre-set airport map having one or more driving routes.

[0072] FIG. 10 shows a cargo carrier 101 that receives a cargo 1006 from a conveyor belt 1002 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0073] In an embodiment, the cargo carrier 101 is configured to receive a cargo from the conveyor 1002. The illustrated conveyor 1002 is merely an example. The conveyor 1002 may be a component of an aircraft cargo handling system (e.g., the system 100 shown in the flowchart 900). The system 100 can selectively carry the cargo 1006 to the conveyor 1002 by any method known in the art. Thereafter, the cargo can be carried by the conveyor 1002 to the cargo carrier 101. FIG. 10 shows a diverter 1004 as redirecting the cargo to the cargo carrier 101, but this is not intended to be limiting. The cargo carrier 101 can receive the cargo from the conveyor 1002 by the first end 106 of an external conveyor 102. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the cargo carrier 101 can then sort the cargo to a selected storage area 108.

[0074] FIG. 11 shows a first cargo carrier 101a lowering a cargo to a second cargo carrier 101b and a third cargo carrier 101c according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0075] In an embodiment, the load carrier 101a can include a load (e.g., load 1006) in the storage area 108 of the load carrier 101a. The load carrier 101a can engage with the storage area conveyor 112 and unload the load by carrying the load through the rear opening 304 (further shown in FIG. 3C). If the device includes the rear opening cover 302, the rear opening cover 302 must be lifted before the load is carried through the rear opening 304. The second load carrier 101b can move to the rear opening 304. Similarly, the third load carrier 101c can move to another rear opening 304. In this regard, the first load carrier 101a can be regarded as a sorting device, and the second load carrier 101b and the third load carrier 101c can be regarded as receiving devices. The description of the sorting device and the receiving device is not intended to be limiting. For example, any one of the load carriers 101a, 101b, or 101c can be configured to sort the load from the rear opening and receive the load by the external conveyor 102. Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the second load carrier 101b and / or the third load carrier 101c can be located at the rear of the first load carrier 101a in various arrangements, for example, parallel or perpendicular to the first load carrier 101a, but not limited thereto.

[0076] The first load carrier, the second load carrier, and the third load carriers 101a - 101c may be controlled by the load system 100 (e.g., by a controller of the system 100). In this regard, the system 100 can determine that the load carried by the first load carrier 101a should be on a specific flight. The second load carrier 101b can be associated with this flight. The system 100 can sort the load from the first load carrier 101a to the second load carrier 101b by engaging with the storage area conveyor 112 of the first load carrier 101a. Thereafter, the load can be sorted to the storage area 108 in the second device associated with the destination of the load.

[0077] Although the cargo carrier 101a has been described as dropping off cargo through the rear opening 304, this is not intended to limit the present invention. As discussed in one or more embodiments of the present invention, the sub-conveyor 112 and the external conveyor 102 may be bi-directional conveyors. In this regard, the cargo carrier 101a can drop off cargo from the storage area 108 by engaging with the storage area conveyor 112 and the external conveyor 102 in the reverse direction.

[0078] FIG. 12 shows a system 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0079] As described above, the system 100 can include a cargo carrier 101 connected to a server 128 via a network 126. The system 100 can further include one or more auxiliary devices 1202. The auxiliary device 1202 can be connected to the server 128 via the network 126.

[0080] The auxiliary device 1202 can include a conveyor 1002 or a diverter 1004. In this regard, the conveyor 1002 and the diverter 1004 can communicate with the server 128 regarding cargo carried by the conveyor 1002 and diverted by the diverter 1004. The server 128 can then transmit this information to the cargo carrier 101 via the network 126.

[0081] The auxiliary device 1202 can further include a second cargo carrier 101b and a third cargo carrier 101c. In this regard, the system 100 can perform various loading and unloading operations as shown in FIG. 11. Each of the cargo carriers 101a - 101c can be configured to communicate via the network 126. In this regard, the system 100 can include a plurality of cargo carriers 101.

[0082] Overall, a cargo handling system 100 is disclosed with reference to FIGS. 1A - 12.

[0083] The lateral sorter 140 shown in FIGS. 1A - 2B is described as a secondary conveyor 502 connected to the horizontal stage 504 or as a plurality of directional conveyors 202, but this is not intended as a limitation of the present invention. For example, the lateral sorter 140 may include any suitable mechanism, such as, but not limited to, a diverter, a pusher, or an omnidirectional wheel.

[0084] In an embodiment, the lateral sorter 140 of the load carrier 101 includes a diverter (not shown). The diverter can be pivoted between one or more positions by electric drive or pneumatic drive. The diverter can then redirect the load from the conveyor to one or more secondary conveyors (e.g., secondary conveyor 502). The diverter can be pneumatic or electric. Also, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the diverter may be controlled by the controller 120. The diverter is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,711,357, filed on December 18, 1985, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0085] In an embodiment, the lateral sorter 140 of the load carrier 101 includes a pusher (not shown) and the secondary conveyor 502. The secondary conveyor 502 can span the width of the storage area 108. The pusher can be disposed on the secondary conveyor 502. The pusher can be actuated by any suitable mechanism, such as, but not limited to, a hydraulic actuator or a cam. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the pusher can be controlled by the controller 120. The controller can actuate the pusher to push the load laterally along the secondary conveyor 502 (e.g., push the load between adjacent storage areas in the lateral direction). The pusher is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,837,359, filed on February 17, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0086] The pusher may be connected to the vertical sorter 114. In this regard, when the sub-conveyor ascends (e.g., ascends to the storage area 108), the pusher can ascend together with the sub-conveyor 502. Thereafter, the pusher can engage with the pusher and sort the goods laterally by pushing the goods laterally along the sub-conveyor. Alternatively, the pusher can be connected to a device (e.g., a storage unit or an external conveyor 102) by connection to other than the vertical sorter. In this regard, when the height of the sub-conveyor 502 is changed to the height of the storage area 108 by the vertical sorter, the pusher can remain stationary. The goods can be pre-sorted laterally on the sub-conveyor 502 by the pusher before the height of the sub-conveyor 502 is changed.

[0087] In an embodiment, the lateral sorter 140 of the goods carrier 101 may include any suitable mechanism for sorting the goods laterally between the lateral storage areas 108. For example, the lateral sorter 140 may include omnidirectional wheels (not shown).

[0088] In an embodiment, the storage area 108 of the goods carrier 101 may be associated with the category of items to be stored. For example, most of the present invention has discussed the storage of goods in the storage area 108. This is not intended as a limitation to the present invention. In this regard, the goods are construed to include various types of goods such as, but not limited to, general cargo, special cargo, freight, consumer goods, and U.S. mail.

[0089] The storage area 108 has been described as including the storage area conveyor 112, but this is not intended as a limitation to the present invention. For example, the storage area 108 may include one or more rollers (not shown). In this regard, the goods can be loaded into the storage area 108 and rolled to the rear of the storage area 108. The storage area 108 can then unload the goods by pushing and / or pulling the goods along the rollers.

[0090] As shown in FIGS. 3A to 5C, the luggage carrier 101 may include storage areas 108 adjacent to each other in three rows in the vertical direction and storage areas 108 adjacent to each other in two columns in the horizontal direction (a total of six storage areas). This description is not intended to be limiting. In this regard, the device may include any number of rows and columns of storage areas. Also, the storage areas may include storage areas of different sizes (e.g., a storage area with twice the height, a storage area with twice the width, etc.). With storage areas of different sizes, for example, large items such as ski boards or golf clubs can be stored in the device.

[0091] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 includes one or more sensors (not shown). The sensors can be configured to identify the luggage (e.g., by an RFID tag, barcode, visual machine learning algorithm, etc.). The sensors may include any suitable sensors, such as, for example, an RFID sensor, a barcode scanner, or a computer vision sensor (with a visual identifier), but are not limited thereto. For example, the sensor may include a barcode scanner configured to scan a luggage tag. The tag may include a barcode for luggage identification. The barcode may include, but is not limited to, any data related to the luggage, such as the owner of the luggage, the destination of the luggage, the details of the owner's flight, the owner's seat number, the priority of the luggage, the owner's transfer time, the owner's postal code, the color of the luggage, or the weight of the luggage, and can be stored in a database of the luggage. The barcode may be scanned by a porter or autonomously scanned by the luggage carrier 101. Thereafter, the scan data can be provided to the controller 120. The controller 120 can determine that the luggage should be stored in the storage area 108 based on the details of the flight (e.g., the storage area 108a is currently used for a flight to Los Angeles). Thereafter, the controller 120 can autonomously control the device to store the luggage in the appropriate storage area 108 by the vertical sorter 114 and the horizontal sorter. The luggage carrier 101 has been described as including sensors, but this is not intended as a limitation of the present invention. For example, the controller 120 can receive a luggage identifier through communication with the server 128.

[0092] The luggage carrier 101 has been described as having its home position at the bottom storage areas 108e, 108f, but this is not intended as a limitation of the present invention. For example, the home position may be arranged at any position in the horizontal and vertical directions of the device. The home position can be optimized to shorten the travel time between the home position and each storage area. In this regard, with a centralized home position, the travel time can be minimized.

[0093] In an embodiment, the luggage carrier 101 may include one or more digital displays (e.g., LED, OLED, etc.) for messages / advertisements formed on / attached to one or more surfaces (e.g., the upper surface) of the device.

[0094] The vertical sorter 114 has been described as sorting luggage vertically between one or more vertically adjacent storage areas (e.g., 108a - 108f). However, this is not intended to be limiting. In this regard, the vertical sorter 114 may be configured to sort luggage vertically within a single storage area 108 by connection to a horizontal sorter 140 (not shown). For example, the storage area 108 may include a first piece of luggage at the height of the floor of the storage area 108. Next, the luggage carrier 101 can receive a second piece of luggage. The vertical sorter 114 can lift the second piece of luggage to a position higher than the height of the first piece of luggage (e.g., based on the height of the first piece of luggage). Thereafter, the second piece of luggage can be placed on top of the first piece of luggage by the horizontal sorter 140.

[0095] The luggage carrier 101 has been described as a luggage carrier having a propulsion unit 134 for moving the luggage carrier 101 by one or more wheels 136. This is not intended to limit the present invention. The luggage carrier 101 may be configured to couple to an external propulsion unit (not shown), such as a tow truck, for example. The luggage carrier 101 may be configured to couple by any suitable means, including, but not limited to, a pintle hitch trailer connection (not shown). In this regard, a porter can use a luggage tow truck to control the luggage carrier 101 and place the luggage carrier 101 in the luggage handling area.

[0096] One or more processors of the control system can include any one or more processing elements known in the art. In general, the term "processor" can be broadly defined to include any device having one or more processing elements that execute program instructions from a non-transitory memory medium. One or more processors can include software algorithms and / or any device of a microprocessor type configured to execute program instructions. In one embodiment, one or more processors can be configured to execute a set of program instructions for performing one or more steps described throughout the present invention. It should be recognized that the steps described throughout this disclosure can be performed by a single control system or by multiple control systems. The memory can include any memory medium known in the art suitable for storing program instructions executable by one or more associated processors of the control system. For example, the memory can include, but is not limited to, read-only memory, random access memory, solid-state drives, etc. In another embodiment, note that the memory can be configured to store one or more results from one or more of the various subsystems of the system.

[0097] In some of the implementations described in this specification, the logic and similar implementations may include software or other control structures. For example, an electronic circuit may have one or more paths of current that are constructed and arranged to perform various functions as described herein. In some implementations, one or more media may be configured to carry device-detectable implementations when such media store or transmit device-detectable instructions operable to execute as described herein. In some variations, for example, an implementation may include updating or modifying existing software or firmware, or a gate array or programmable hardware, such as by performing steps of receiving or transmitting one or more instructions in relation to one or more operations described herein. Alternatively or additionally, in some variations, an implementation may include dedicated hardware, software, firmware components, and / or general-purpose components that execute or otherwise call dedicated instruction sequences or one or more repetitions of any of the functional operations described above. Specifications or other implementations may be transmitted by passing through a distributed medium at various times, optionally by packet transmission, or in other ways, by one or more examples of the tangible transmission media described herein.

[0098] Alternatively or additionally, an implementation may include calling a circuit for executing a dedicated instruction sequence or enabling, triggering, conditioning, requesting, or causing one or more repetitions of any of the functional operations described above. In some variations, the operations herein or other logical descriptions may be expressed directly as source code and compiled or called as an executable instruction sequence.

[0099] One skilled in the art will recognize that the components, devices, objects, and accompanying descriptions described herein are used as examples for clarity of concept, and various configuration changes are contemplated. Accordingly, as used herein, the specific examples and accompanying discussions described are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, the use of any specific example is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of a particular component, device, and object should not be construed as limiting.

[0100] As used herein, directional terms such as "top," "bottom," "above," "below," "upper," "upward," "lower," "down," and "downward" are provided for relative position for purposes of explanation and are not intended to specify an absolute reference frame. Various changes to the described embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments.

[0101] Basically, with respect to the use of any plural and / or singular terms herein, one skilled in the art can change from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural as appropriate to the context and / or application. Various singular / plural permutations are not explicitly described herein for clarity.

[0102] The subject matter described in this specification may show different components that are included within or connected to other components. It should be understood that the structures so depicted are merely exemplary, and in fact, many other structures that achieve the same function can be implemented. In a conceptual sense, the arrangements of components for achieving the same function are all effectively "associated" so that the desired function is achieved. Thus, any two components combined in this specification to achieve a particular function can be regarded as "coupled" to each other so that the desired function is achieved, regardless of the structure or intermediate components. Similarly, any two components so related can also be regarded as "connected" or "coupled" to each other to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be so related can also be regarded as "couplable" to each other to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of couplable components include, but are not limited to, components that can be physically coupled and / or physically interact, and / or components that can wirelessly interact and / or wirelessly interact, and / or components that can logically interact and / or logically interact.

[0103] Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that terms used in the appended claims, particularly in the body of the appended claims (e.g., the term "comprising" should be construed as "comprising but not limited to", the term "having" should be construed as "having at least", and the term "containing" should be construed as "containing but not limited to") are generally intended as "open" terms. Those skilled in the art will further understand that if a specific number of recitations is intended at the beginning of a claim, such intent is explicitly recited in the claim, and if there is no such recitation, such intent does not exist. For example, for the sake of understanding, the following appended claims may include the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" as a preamble to the claim description. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as limiting any particular claim scope that includes such a claim description preamble to a claim scope that includes only one such description, even if the claim description preamble includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should typically be construed as meaning "at least one" or "one or more"). The same holds true for the use of definite articles used as a preamble to the claim description. Additionally, even if a specific number is explicitly recited at the beginning of a claim scope description, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a recitation should typically be construed as meaning at least the recited number (e.g., a simple recitation of "two recitations" without other modifiers typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).Furthermore, when a rule similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, generally, such a configuration is generally intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the rule (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes a system having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). When a rule similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, generally, such a configuration is generally intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the rule (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes a system having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Furthermore, it should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that any word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms in the specification, claims, or drawings is intended to cover the possibility of including one of the terms, any of the terms, or both. For example, the phrase "A or B" is understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0104] Many of the present disclosure and its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, structure, and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed spirit or losing all of its substantial advantages. The described form is merely illustrative, and the following claims are intended to cover and include such changes. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A luggage carrier, comprising: a storage section including a plurality of storage areas configured to receive packages; an external conveyor having a first end and a second end, the external conveyor configured to convey the load from the first end to the second end and to pivot about a pivotable connection to change an angle of the first end of the external conveyor relative to a ground surface; a lateral sorter configured to receive the load from a second end of the external conveyor and adjust lateral positions of the load to laterally sort the load among the plurality of storage areas; a vertical sorter configured to adjust a vertical position of the parcel by adjusting a vertical position of the lateral sorter to vertically sort the parcel among the plurality of storage areas; a controller communicatively coupled to the external conveyor, the lateral sorter, and the vertical sorter, the controller including one or more processors and memories; the lateral sorter includes a sub-conveyor connected to a horizontal stage, the horizontal stage configured to horizontally move the sub-conveyor in a lateral direction; The one or more processors are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory, the set of program instructions causing the one or more processors to: receiving a package identifier associated with the package; in response to receiving the package identifier, directing the external conveyor to convey the package from the first end to the second end; instructing the vertical sorter to adjust the vertical position of the package; directing the lateral sorter to adjust the lateral position of the load; The load carrier is configured to:

2. 2. The load carrier of claim 1, wherein the horizontal stage is connected to the vertical sorter, the vertical sorter configured to position the sub-conveyors vertically by the horizontal stage.

3. 2. The load carrier of claim 1, further comprising a frame coupled to the storage section, the pivotable connection being located between the external conveyor and the frame, and the second end of the external conveyor being maintained at a fixed height by the pivotable connection being located between the external conveyor and the frame.

4. a plurality of storage area conveyors spanning the length of the plurality of storage areas configured to transport the load from a front of the plurality of storage areas to a rear of the plurality of storage areas; 2. The load carrier of claim 1, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of storage area conveyors, and the set of program instructions is further configured to cause the one or more processors to engage the plurality of storage area conveyors.

5. the lateral sorter is configured to receive the packages from the plurality of storage areas by a plurality of storage area conveyors; and 5. The load carrier of claim 4, wherein the lateral sorter is configured to adjust a lateral position of the load to transport the load from the second end of the external conveyor to the first end of the external conveyor to unload the load from the load carrier.

6. 10. The load carrier of claim 1, wherein the load identifier is received from at least one of an RFID tag and a bar code.

7. the controller is adapted to engage the vertical sorter to adjust a vertical position of the package based on the package identifier; and The load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to engage the lateral sorter to adjust a lateral position of the load based on the load identifier.

8. 8. The luggage carrier of claim 7, wherein the luggage identifier is associated with at least one of a weight of the luggage, one or more dimensions of the luggage, a destination of the luggage, a flight of the luggage, and an owner of the luggage.

9. 2. The load carrier of claim 1, wherein the lateral sorter includes a plurality of directional conveyors configured to adjust at least one of a lateral position of the load and an orientation of the load, and the orientation of the load is adjusted by varying a speed of one or more of the plurality of directional conveyors.

10. The load carrying device of claim 1 , further comprising a propulsion unit configured to move the load carrying device by means of one or more wheels.

11. 11. The load carrying device of claim 10, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the propulsion unit, and the set of program instructions is further configured to engage the one or more processors with the propulsion unit to autonomously control the load carrying device.

12. 12. The load carrying device of claim 11, wherein the set of program instructions autonomously controls the load carrying device based on at least one of global positioning data and one or more vehicle sensors.

13. A rear opening is provided at a rear end of the plurality of storage areas, The load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage areas are configured for loading and unloading through the rear opening.

14. 2. The load carrier of claim 1, wherein the external conveyor is configured to transport the load from the first end to the second end by at least one of a conveyor belt, a power roller conveyor, an omnidirectional conveyor, and a chain conveyor.

15. 2. The load carrying device of claim 1, wherein the external conveyor is configured to pivot about the pivotable connection by at least one of a rotary actuator, a linear actuator, a hydraulic lift, a pneumatic lift, and a cable winch.

16. The load carrier of claim 1 , wherein the external conveyor is configured to pivot into a transport configuration.

17. 17. The load carrier of claim 16, wherein the external conveyor comprises a telescoping external conveyor, the external conveyor being configured into the transport configuration by pivoting about the pivotable connection and by telescoping.

18. A luggage carrier, comprising: a server including a database of a plurality of baggage identifiers including associated flights and baggage weights; a luggage carrier; The luggage carrier is Multiple wheels and a propulsion unit configured to selectively engage the plurality of wheels to move the load carrying device; and a storage section including a plurality of storage areas configured to receive packages; an external conveyor having a first end and a second end, the external conveyor configured to convey the load from the first end to the second end and to pivot about a pivotable connection to change an angle of the first end of the external conveyor relative to a ground surface; a lateral sorter configured to receive the load from a second end of the external conveyor and adjust lateral positions of the load to laterally sort the load among the plurality of storage areas; a vertical sorter configured to adjust a vertical position of the parcel by adjusting a vertical position of the lateral sorter to vertically sort the parcel among the plurality of storage areas; a controller including one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled to the server via a network connection; the lateral sorter includes a sub-conveyor connected to a horizontal stage, the horizontal stage configured to horizontally move the sub-conveyor in a lateral direction; The one or more processors are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory, the set of program instructions causing the one or more processors to: receiving a package identifier associated with the package; providing said package identifier to said server over a network connection; receiving a flight associated with the baggage identifier and a weight of the baggage; autonomously sorting the parcels into the plurality of storage areas; autonomously driving the load carrier; and The load carrier is configured to:

19. A luggage carrier, comprising: a storage section including a plurality of storage areas configured to receive packages; an external conveyor having a first end and a second end, the external conveyor configured to convey the load from the first end to the second end and to pivot about a pivotable connection to change an angle of the first end of the external conveyor relative to a ground surface; a lateral sorter configured to receive the load from a second end of the external conveyor and adjust lateral positions of the load to laterally sort the load among the plurality of storage areas; a vertical sorter configured to adjust a vertical position of the parcel by adjusting a vertical position of the lateral sorter to vertically sort the parcel among the plurality of storage areas; a controller communicatively coupled to the external conveyor, the lateral sorter, and the vertical sorter, the controller including one or more processors and memories; The external conveyor comprises a telescoping external conveyor; the pivotable connection is located between the lateral sorter and the storage section, the longitudinal sorter being further connected to the external conveyor for adjusting the height of the first end and the height of the second end of the external conveyor; The one or more processors are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory, the set of program instructions causing the one or more processors to: receiving a package identifier associated with the package; in response to receiving the package identifier, directing the external conveyor to convey the package from the first end to the second end; instructing the vertical sorter to adjust the vertical position of the package; directing the lateral sorter to adjust the lateral position of the load; configured to execute a load carrier, wherein when the height of the second end of the external conveyor is adjusted by the vertical sorter, the controller is configured to cause the first end of the external conveyor to be at a fixed height by extending or retracting the external conveyor and pivoting the external conveyor about the pivotable connection.

20. 20. The load carrier of claim 19, wherein the external conveyor is configured to pivot into a transport configuration, the external conveyor being configured into the transport configuration by pivoting about the pivotable connection and by telescoping.

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