AUTOMATED STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM HAVING DETECTOR FOR DETECTING ITEMS EXTENDING BEYOND A DIMENSIONAL THRESHOLD - Patent application

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sorting items into or retrieving items from multiple destination areas is provided. In one embodiment, items are loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled transport vehicles (200). The transport vehicles follow a route to a destination area, which is located along the route. Along the route, the transport vehicles are scanned to determine whether an item on the transport vehicle extends beyond a dimensional constraint. If an item on the transport vehicle is determined to extend beyond a predetermined threshold, the transport vehicle is controlled to stop or redirect. Upon arrival at the appropriate destination area, the item is transported between the transport vehicle and the destination area.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 370,912, filed Aug. 4, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a material handling system for transporting one or more objects from a first location to a second location, and more particularly to a material handling system that is subject to one or more dimensional constraints along the transport path. [Background technology]

[0003] Sorting and retrieving items to fulfill customer orders can be tedious and time consuming. Many large organizations have vast storage areas in which a myriad of different items are stored and retrieved. Manually sorting and retrieving items from hundreds or thousands of storage areas is labor intensive. In many areas, automated picking is being developed to reduce labor costs and improve customer service by decreasing the time required to fulfill customer orders. However, known automated material handling systems are either prohibitively expensive or contain limitations that reduce their effectiveness. Thus, there is a need to automatically sort and / or acquire items in a variety of material handling applications.

[0004] As an example, some automated systems utilize transport systems that include multiple independently operating vehicles. Problems arise in such conveying systems when the items being conveyed by the vehicle hang over the edge of the vehicle or extend above a certain height.

[0005] Additionally, the automated system may include a pick-up station for workers to retrieve items from the vehicle. If the vehicle is moved away from the collection site while the work vehicle is retrieving items, the items may be damaged and the operator may be injured. It is therefore desirable to prevent the vehicle from being moved away from the collection site while the operator is collecting items. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above, the material handling system of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for handling items. The material handling system includes a number of storage locations or destination areas and a number of transport vehicles that transport items to or retrieve items from the destination areas. The delivery vehicle follows a route to a destination area.

[0007] The present invention provides a material handling system having a plurality of destination areas, a plurality of vehicles, a central controller, and means for detecting whether an item on any of the plurality of vehicles extends beyond a predetermined dimensional threshold. According to one embodiment, the dimensional threshold may be a height above the vehicle.

[0008] The vehicle may be for transporting an item to a destination area or for retrieving an item from the destination area.

[0009] The vehicle may travel along a route.

[0010] The central controller may be capable of controlling the movement of a plurality of vehicles.

[0011] The means for detecting may be positioned adjacent a path traveled by the vehicle.

[0012] The detecting means may be capable of generating a depth data set indicative of a three-dimensional representation (a three-dimensional image) of the target area.

[0013] In response to the means for detecting determining that the item protrudes beyond a dimensional threshold, the central controller may control operation of the vehicle.

[0014] According to another aspect, the present invention provides a material handling system having a plurality of destination areas, a plurality of vehicles, and a detection assembly that detects whether an item extends beyond a predetermined dimensional threshold.

[0015] The detection assembly may be positioned adjacent to a path traveled by a vehicle.

[0016] The detection assembly may include an emitter that projects a light source onto one of the vehicles when the vehicle is in position along the route.

[0017] The detection assembly may also include an imaging element configured to detect the light projected onto the vehicle.

[0018] The material handling system may also include an image processor configured to receive image data from the detection assembly and determine a height to which an element on the vehicle protrudes above the vehicle.

[0019] The material handling system may be configured to alter movement of the vehicle in response to the image processor determining that an item protrudes beyond a predetermined dimensional threshold.

[0020] According to yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for storing or retrieving an item. The method includes controlling movement of a vehicle to deliver an item to a destination area or to retrieve an item from a destination area. The method also includes detecting whether an item on any of the plurality of vehicles extends beyond a predetermined dimensional threshold. According to one embodiment, the dimension threshold may be a height above the vehicle.

[0021] Detecting the extension of the item may include generating a depth data set indicative of a three-dimensional representation of the target area.

[0022] Controlling movement of the vehicle may include controlling the vehicle in response to detecting an item protruding beyond a predetermined dimensional threshold. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] The foregoing summary, as well as detailed description of the present embodiments, is best understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sorting acquisition device.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a collection station of the sorting and acquisition device shown in FIG.

[0026] FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of a portion of the collection site shown in FIG.

[0027] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the collection site shown in FIG.

[0028] FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the collection site shown in FIG.

[0029] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a detection assembly for detecting items extending beyond a predefined boundary in accordance with one or more embodiments, the detection assembly being usable with a sorting acquisition device such as that shown in FIG.

[0030] FIG. 7A is a perspective view illustrating the determination of a base surface and a reference surface in three-dimensional space after determining the location of a reference point on an item-supporting surface of a conveyor, according to an embodiment consistent with the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 7B is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operation of a material handling system based on whether an over-height condition (or other dimensional constraint violation) is detected, according to one or more embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 7C is a height detection analysis of a transport vehicle at the collection site shown in FIG.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a side view of a track system for use with the sorting acquisition device shown in FIG. 1 according to one or more embodiments.

[0034] FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the track of the track system shown in FIG.

[0035] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the wheels of a transport vehicle shown in relation to the tracks of the track system of FIGS.

[0036] FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a haulage vehicle that can form part of the sorting acquisition device shown in FIG.

[0037] FIG. 12 is an enlarged, partially exploded perspective view of the collection site shown in FIG.

[0038] FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of an over-height detector of the sorting and acquisition device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1, a material handling apparatus adapted to store and / or retrieve items is indicated generally at 10 . The material handling apparatus 10 includes a conveyor network for transporting items along a transport path between a first location and a second location. In some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, the first location is a storage location selectable from among a plurality of storage locations 100 and the second location is an object transport station 310 (harvesting station). At object transport 310 items can be picked, sorted, and / or transferred into or out of containers (totes) 15. The conveyor network moves the items (or totes 15 containing the items) along a transport path. A conveyor network according to one or more embodiments may include one or more belt conveyors, one or more roller conveyors, and / or one or more object transport devices or vehicles. They are used to grasp, support, and / or move items or totes 15 along at least a portion of the transport path (and optionally into and out of the transport path). At one or more locations along the transport path, there may be dimensional constraints, such as maximum height and / or width clearance. Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure relate to material handling systems and methods that determine whether one or more dimensional constraints have been satisfied and that initiate appropriate action when, for example, an item or stack of items violates a dimensional constraint.

[0040] In some embodiments, the conveyor network includes a plurality of transport vehicles or cars 200 . The freight cars 200 are independently movable relative to one another, with each freight car 200 configured to transport items to and / or retrieve items from any of a plurality of storage locations 100 adjacent the transport route. Any of the rail cars 200 may then transport one or more acquired items to an object transport station 310 for transport of those items from the rail cars 200 to an intermediate or final destination. After transporting the items, the rail car 200 may return to the storage area to haul away any items that have not been transferred. Car 200 may then proceed to another storage area to retrieve the next item it is scheduled to retrieve. In other embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, other elements of a conveyor network may move conveyed items to or from a storage location along at least a portion of the transport path. Another element of the conveyor network may be a belt conveyor, roller conveyor, or other structure used to grasp and / or support an item or a tote containing an item. Where the conveyor network includes vehicles 200, portions of the transport path may be trackless. Alternatively, all or part of the transport path may include a track 110 that guides the vehicle 200 . For example, the trajectory 110 may include a horizontal trajectory section 135 and a vertical trajectory section 130 that together form a vertical loop as shown in FIGS. However, it should be understood that the configuration of the track 110 may vary depending on the application, and as described above, the system may guide the vehicle 200 without the need for a track 110. For example, the vehicles 200 may move along a ground surface and the system may independently control the direction of movement of each vehicle 200 along the ground surface and steer each vehicle 200 along a specified path.

[0041] The track 110 shown in Figures 8-12 includes a horizontal upper rail 135 and a horizontal lower rail 140 that functions as a return section. A number of parallel vertical track sections 130 extend between the upper rail 135 and the return section of the lower rail 140 . In this example, storage areas 100 are arranged in rows between multiple vertical track segments 130 .

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, output station 310 includes a harvesting station with a curved track 315 . The curved track 315 curves outward from the row of totes 15 to allow workers easy access to the totes 15 being carried by the rail cars 200 . After leaving the harvesting station 310 , the rail cars 200 travel upward along two sets of vertical track sections 130 and then horizontally along two upper rails 135 . The rail car 200 moves along the upper rail 135 until it reaches the appropriate row containing the storage area for the item that the rail car 200 is carrying. Referring to FIG. 9, the track 110 may include gates 180 that direct rail cars 200 onto the vertical track section 130 where the rail cars 200 may stop in an appropriate storage area. The rail car 200 may then discharge the items into a storage area.

[0043] After discharging the item, the rail car 200 may travel to a second storage location to pick up the next item to take to the collection station 310. After acquiring the item, the rail car 200 may travel down the vertical track section 130 of the queue to reach the lower rail 140 . Gate 180 may send car 200 along lower rail 140, which may then follow it back to collection site 310 to haul other items.

[0044] The rail cars 200 are semi-autonomous vehicles that may each include an on-board power source and an on-board motor for movement along the track 110 . Rail car 200 may also include a loading / unloading mechanism 210 for loading items onto and unloading items from rail car 200 .

[0045] Because the material handling system 10 includes multiple rail cars 200, the positions of the rail cars 200 are controlled to prevent collisions between the rail cars 200. In one embodiment, the material handling system 10 uses a central controller 450 that tracks the position of each rail car 200 and provides control signals to each rail car 200 to control the progression of the rail cars 200 along the track. The central controller 450 may also control the operation of various elements along the track, such as the gates 180 . Alternatively, the rail car 200 may operate the gate.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, a material handling system 10 may include a destination area or row of storage locations 100 for receiving items. The storage locations 100 may be arranged in rows. Additionally, material handling system 10 may include a track 110 that guides rail cars 200 to storage bay 100 . In the following description, material handling system 10 is described as transporting and / or retrieving items to and from storage area 100 . An item may be configured such that the item is stored solely in storage location 100 . However, in a typical operating environment, items are stored in or on a storage mechanism such as a container or platform. For example, items may be stored in containers called totes 15 . Tote 15 may be like an open carton or box, allowing an operator at collection station 310 to easily reach into tote 15 to retrieve an item. Although the material handling system 10 is described as using totes 15, it should be understood that any of a variety of storage mechanisms may be used, such as pallets or similar platforms.

[0047] Storage location 100 may be in any of a variety of configurations. For example, the simplest configuration is a shelf that supports items or a container that holds items. Similarly, the storage location 100 may include one or more brackets that support a storage mechanism on the storage location 100 in conjunction with the storage mechanism. For example, in this example, storage location 100 includes a bracket similar to a shelf bracket that supports one of totes 15 .

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1, at least one output station 310 , referred to as a collection station, is provided adjacent to the storage location 100 . Rail car 200 retrieves tote 15 from storage location 100 and transports the tote 15 to collection site 310 . At the collection station 310, an operator can retrieve one or more items from a tote 15. After the operator has retrieved the items, the car 200 removes the tote 15 from the collection site 310 and returns it to any storage location.

[0049] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the track 110 includes a forward track 115 and an aft track 120 . The front track 115 and the rear track 120 are parallel tracks that cooperatively guide the freight cars 200 along the track 110 . As shown in FIG. 11, each freight car 200 includes four wheels 220: two front wheels and two rear wheels. The front wheels ride on front tracks 115 and the rear wheels ride on rear tracks 120 . Front track 115 and rear track 120 are similarly constructed opposing tracks that support the front and rear wheels of freight car 200 . Thus, a description of either the forward track 115 or the aft track 120 also applies to the opposing forward track 115 or aft track 120.

[0050] With reference to FIG. 10, the track 110 will now be described in greater detail. However, as mentioned above, it should be understood that the trajectory 110 shown is only one that may be used with the system. The exact configuration may vary depending on the application, and, as noted above, the material handling system 10 need not include a track.

[0051] The track 110 may include an outer wall 152 and an inner wall 154 spaced parallel from the outer wall 152 . Additionally, the track 110 may include a rear wall 160 extending between the inner wall 154 and the outer wall 160 . As can be seen in FIG. 10, outer wall 152, inner wall 154 and rear wall 160 form a groove. The wheels 220 of the freight cars 200 ride in this groove.

[0052] 9 and 10, the track 110 may include a drive surface 156 and a guide surface 158. The drive surface 156 positively engages the rail car 200 to move the rail car 200 along the track. The guide surface 158 guides the rail car 200 to maintain operative engagement between the rail car 200 and the drive surface 156 . In this example, drive surface 156 is formed with a series of teeth forming a rack that engages the wheels of freight car 200, as described below. The guide surface 158 is a generally flat surface adjacent to the rack 156 . The rack 156 extends approximately halfway along the track 110 and the guide surface 158 extends the other half of the track 110 . As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a rack 156 may be formed on an inner wall 154 of the track 110 . The opposing outer wall 152 may be a generally planar surface parallel to the guide surface 158 of the inner wall 154 .

[0053] As mentioned above, the track 110 may include a number of vertical track sections 130 extending between a horizontal upper rail 135 and a horizontal lower rail 140 . An intersection 170 may be formed at each segment where any vertical track segment 130 of the track 110 intersects with any horizontal track segment 135 . Each intersection 170 may include a curved inner branch 172 and a generally straight outer branch 176 . The portions where the vertical track section 130 intersects with the lower rail 140 include similar intersections, but these intersections are reversed.

[0054] Each intersection 170 may include a pivotable gate 180 having a smoothly curved inner race 182 and a flat outer race 184 with teeth that correspond to the teeth on the drive surface 156 of the track 110 . The gate 180 may pivot between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the gate 180 is closed and the straight outer race 184 of the gate is aligned with the straight outer branch 176 of the intersection 170 . In the second position, the gate 180 is open and the curved inner race 182 of the gate 180 is aligned with the curved inner branch 172 of the intersection 170 .

[0055] Thus, in the closed position, the gate 180 pivots downward so that the outer race 184 of the gate 180 is flush with the drive surface 156 . In this position, gate 180 prevents car 200 from turning downward around the curve and car 200 proceeds straight through intersection 170 . In contrast, when the gate 180 is pivoted to an open position, as shown in FIG. 9, the gate 180 prevents the freight car 200 from traveling straight through the intersection 170 . Instead, the curved inner race 182 of the gate 180 aligns with the curved surface of the inner branch 172 and the freight car 200 turns at the intersection 170 . In other words, when gate 180 is closed, freight car 200 travels straight through intersection 170 along upper rail 135 or lower rail 140 depending on the location of intersection 170 . When gate 180 is open, depending on the position of intersection 170, gate 180 directs freight cars 200 from the vertical rails to the horizontal rails or from the horizontal rails to the vertical rails.

[0056] In the above description, gates 180 allow either car 200 to continue in the same direction (eg, horizontally) or to turn in one direction (eg, vertically). However, in some applications, the system may include more than two horizontal rails intersecting the vertical columns. In such a configuration, it may be desirable to include different rails that allow the freight car 200 to turn in multiple directions. For example, if the car 200 is traveling down a row, the gate 180 may allow the car 200 to turn left or right along a horizontal rail, or to continue straight along a vertical row. Additionally, in some instances, the freight car 200 may move upward.

[0057] Gate 180 may be controlled by a signal received from a central controller 450 . In particular, each gate 180 may be connected to an actuator that moves the gate 180 from an open position to a closed position, or vice versa. The gate 180 can be moved by any of a variety of controllable elements. For example, the actuator may be a solenoid with a linearly movable piston.

[0058] Alternatively, the gate 180 may be controlled by an actuator on the rail car 200 . For example, gate 180 may include a passive actuator that is responsive to an actuator on rail car 200 . When the actuator of the rail car 200 engages the actuator of the gate 180, the gate 180 may move from a first position to a second position.

[0059] In the above description, material handling system 10 has been described as including multiple storage areas 100. However, the material handling system 10 may include various types of destinations other than just storage locations. For example, in some applications, the destination may be an output device that delivers the item to another location. According to one example output device, material handling system 10 may include one or more output conveyors that transport items from a storage location to a different material handling or processing system. For example, an output conveyor may carry items to a processing center. Thus, if an item is to be transported to a processing center, the car 200 moves along the track to an output conveyor. Upon reaching the output conveyor, the car 200 stops and transfers the items to the output conveyor. Additionally, the material handling system may be configured to include multiple output devices, such as output conveyors.

[0060] In some embodiments, the material handling system may include multiple output conveyors in addition to the storage locations. In other embodiments, the material handling system may only include multiple output devices, such as conveyors, and is configured to sort items to the various output devices. <Transport vehicle>

[0061] With reference to FIG. 11, the details of the transport vehicle 200 will now be described in greater detail. Each haul vehicle 200 is a semi-autonomous freight car that may be equipped with an on-board drive system that includes an on-board power source. Each rail car 200 may also include mechanisms 210 for loading and unloading items for transportation. Optionally, each freight car 200 also includes a gate actuator 230 that selectively actuates the gate 180 to selectively turn the vehicle 200 .

[0062] Rail car 200 may include any of a variety of mechanisms for loading items onto rail car 200 and unloading items from rail car 200 into any receptacle. Additionally, the loading / unloading mechanism 210 may be specially tailored for a particular application. In this example, the loading / unloading mechanism 210 may include a movable element configured to engage an item stored in the storage location 100 and pull the item into the rail car 200. In this example, rail car 200 includes a movable element configured to move toward totes 15 in storage location 100 . After engaging the tote 15 , the movable element moves away from the storage location 100 , thereby pulling the tote 15 into the rail car 200 .

[0063] Referring to FIG. 11, in this example, the loading / unloading mechanism 210 may include a movable rod or bar 212 . The bar 212 may extend across the width of the rail car 200 and be connected at both ends to a drive chain 214 that extends along the sides of the rail car 200 . A motor may drive the drive chain 214 to selectively move the drive chain 214 toward or away from the storage location 100 . For example, when freight car 200 approaches storage location 100 to retrieve tote 15 , drive chain 214 may drive rod 212 toward storage location 100 thereby engaging bar 212 with a groove or notch in the bottom of tote 15 . The drive chain 214 then reverses, thereby moving the bar 212 out of the storage location 100 . The bar 212 engages a notch in the tote 15 so that as the bar 212 moves away from the storage location 100, the tote 15 is pulled into the rail car. This allows the loading / unloading mechanism 210 to retrieve the item from the storage location 100 . Similarly, to store an item in the storage location 100 , the drive chain 214 of the loading / unloading mechanism 210 drives the bar 212 towards the storage location until the item is located in the storage location 100 . The rail car 200 then moves downward to disengage the bar 212 from the tote 15 , thereby releasing the tote 15 .

[0064] In addition, because the material handling system 10 includes a row of storage locations 100 adjacent to the front side of the track 110 and a similar row of storage locations 100 adjacent to the rear side of the track 110, the loading / unloading mechanism 210 is operable to retrieve and store items in both the front row and the rear row. In particular, as shown in FIG. 11, the loading / unloading mechanism 210 includes two bars 212 spaced apart from each other. One bar 212 can engage with totes 15 in a row at the front of the storage location 100 and the other bar 212 can engage with totes 15 in a row at the rear.

[0065] The rail car 200 may include four wheels 220 that are used to transport the rail car 200 along the track 110 . The wheels 220 may be mounted on two parallel spaced axles 215 such that two wheels are located along the front end of the freight car 200 and two wheels are located along the rear end of the freight car 200.

[0066] The rail car 200 may include a drive motor that drives the wheels 220 . More specifically, the drive motor is operatively coupled to rotate the shaft 215, thereby rotating the wheel gear 222. The drive systems of the rail cars 200 may be configured to synchronously drive the rail cars 200 along the track. In this example, the drive system is configured such that each gear 222 is driven in a synchronous manner.

[0067] The drive motor may include a sensor that can detect the rotation of the motor to determine the distance traveled by the rail car 200 . The gears 222 are directly connected to shafts 215 which are in turn synchronously coupled to drive motors so that the distance that the freight cars 200 move forward can be precisely controlled to correspond to the distance moved by the drive motors. Thus, the distance traveled by the freight car 200 along the determined route depends on the distance the drive motor of the freight car 200 has rotated during that time. To detect rotation of the drive motor, the drive motor may include a sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the motor.

[0068] Rail car 200 may also be powered by an external power source, such as contacts along the rails that provide the power necessary to drive rail car 200 . However, in this example, the freight car 200 includes an on-board power supply that provides the necessary power for both the drive motor and the drive motor that drives the loading / unloading mechanism 210 . Moreover, in this example, the on-board power source is rechargeable. The on-board power supply may include a power source such as a rechargeable battery, but in this example the on-board power supply is comprised of one or more electric double layer capacitors. The supercapacitor can accept very high amperage to recharge the supercapacitor. By using high currents, the supercapacitor can be recharged in a very short time, such as a few seconds or less.

[0069] The freight car 200 includes one or more contacts for recharging the on-board power source. In this example, rail car 200 includes a number of brushes, such as copper brushes, that are spring loaded so as to be biased outward. The brushes work in conjunction with a charging rail to recharge the vehicle's on-board power source.

[0070] Each rail car 200 may include a loading sensor that detects when an item is loaded onto the rail car 200 . The loading sensor ensures that items are properly placed on the rail car 200. For example, the loading sensor may include a force detector to detect a change in weight or an infrared sensor to detect the presence of an item.

[0071] As will be described in more detail below, rail car 200 further includes a processor that controls operation of rail car 200 in response to signals received from central controller 450 . In addition, the rail cars 200 include wireless transceivers that allow the rail cars 200 to communicate continuously with the central controller 450 as the rail cars 200 move along the track 110 . Alternatively, in some applications it may be desirable to provide multiple sensors or markers along the track 110 . The freight car 200 may include a reader that senses sensor signals and / or indicators, and a central processor that controls operation of the car 200 in response to the sensors or indicators. <Collection site>

[0072] As described above, the material handling system 10 is configured such that the rail cars 200 retrieve items from the storage location 100 and transport the items to the extraction site 310 . 1, 3, 8 and 12, collection site 310 will now be described in greater detail.

[0073] The material handling system 10 is used to obtain the items needed to fulfill an order. The orders may be internal orders, such as parts needed for manufacturing processes in different departments, or they may be customer orders that are fulfilled and shipped to a customer. In either case, the material handling system 10 automatically retrieves the items from the storage location 100 and transports the items to the pick station 310 so that an operator can pick the desired number of items from the tote 15 . After an item is picked from a tote 15, the car 200 moves forward and advances the next item required for the order. The material handling system 10 continues to operate in this manner allowing the operator to pick all items required for the order.

[0074] In this example, collection station 310 is located at one end of a row of storage locations 100 . However, it may be desirable to place multiple collection stations 310 along the track 110. For example, a second collection station may be located at the other end of the row of storage locations 100 . Alternatively, multiple collection stations can be provided at one end.

[0075] In this example, the collection station 310 is configured such that the cars 200 move upwards and present their contents to an operator, thereby allowing the operator to easily retrieve items from the totes 15. With reference to FIG. 1, at collection station 310, track 110 includes a curved section 315 that curves upward and away from the operator. This causes the freight car 200 to move upward and stop at a height that allows the operator to easily remove items from the tote 15. After the operator removes the items from the tote 15 , the car 200 moves laterally away from the operator and vertically towards the horizontal upper rail 135 .

[0076] The material handling system 10 can be configured to allow the rail cars 200 to tilt at the pick point 310 to facilitate an operator obtaining items from the totes 15 . For example, as the rail car 200 approaches a harvest site, the controller 450 can control the rail car 200 so that the rear wheels continue to move after the front wheels have stopped. This causes the rear end of the freight car 200 (from the operator's point of view) to lift. After the operator picks an item from the tote 15 , the front wheels (relative to the operator) move first to level the car 200 . After reaching level, the four wheels are driven synchronously.

[0077] Although it is possible to tilt freight car 200 by controlling the movement of freight car 200, if the wheels of freight car 200 are tightly meshed with the drive elements of track 110, such as toothed wheels 220 that mesh with the teeth of track 110 as described above, wheels 220 may become stuck if the rear wheels are driven at a different speed than the front wheels. Thus, the track system may be modified so that the track 110 is movable to tilt the tote 15 towards the operator.

[0078] 8 and 12, the track system at extraction site 310 will now be described in greater detail. At the end of the row of storage locations, the track curves outward from the vertical row of the system to form a curved track 315 for the collection station 310. The track sections of the extraction site 310 include parallel front track sections 318 a , 318 b that support and guide the front axles 215 of the rail cars 200 and parallel rear track sections 320 a , 320 b that support and guide the rear axles 215 of the rail cars 200 . The forward track sections 318a, 318b extend vertically upward and then curve back into the vertical row of storage locations. The rear track segments 320a, 320b are generally parallel to the forward track segments 318a, 318b and curve in a generally similar manner as the forward track segments 318a, 318b. The front track sections 318a, 318b and the rear track sections 320a, 320b thereby guide the freight car 200 such that the freight car 200 maintains a substantially horizontal orientation as it travels along the curved track 315.

[0079] In this example, rear track sections 320a, 320b are configured to allow the rear axles of rail car 200 to be elevated when rail car 200 is stopped at harvesting station 310. By raising the rear axle of the rail car 200, the totes 15 in the rail car 200 are tilted so that the contents of the totes 15 are presented to the operator to facilitate the picking operation.

[0080] The track 110 of the extraction station 310, configured as described above, allows the rail cars 200 to tilt at the extraction station 310 in the following manner. Upon entering the collection station 310, the rail car 200 is driven partway up the vertical track sections 318a, 318b and 320a, 320b. When the rail car 200 reaches a predetermined vertical position along 318 a , 318 b and 320 a , 320 b , the central controller 450 controls the rail car 200 to stop the rail car 200 at a predetermined elevation above the extraction site 310 . When stopped at the collection station 310, the rail car 200 is generally or substantially horizontal. In this example, the freight car 200 rises vertically until the rear wheels 220 of the freight car 200 engage the lower section of the moveable track 324 and then stops with the wheels 220 of the freight car 200 engaged with the lower section of the moveable track 324. When the rail car 200 stops at the collection site 310, the rear wheels of the rail car 200 move upwardly on the movable track 324, thereby lifting the rear ends of the totes 15 of the rail car 200 upward. This tilts the tote 15 relative to the horizontal, presenting the contents of the tote 15 to an operator at the collection site 310 and allowing the operator to easily remove items from the tote 15. Once the operator provides a signal to the material handling system 10 indicating that the appropriate items have been removed from the tote 15, the material handling system 10 controls the track to lower the rail car 200 to a substantially horizontal position.

[0081] Harvest station 310 may include multiple components to improve the efficiency of harvest station 310. For example, collection station 310 may include a monitor that displays information to assist the operator. As the car 200 approaches the pick-up point 310, the material handling system 10 may display information such as the number of items that need to be picked from the tote 15 for the order. Additionally, because an operator may be picking up items for multiple orders, the material handling system 10 may display the orders for which the items are to be picked, in addition to the number of items that need to be picked for each order. Additionally, material handling system 10 may also display information such as the number of items that should remain in tote 15 after an operator has retrieved the appropriate number of items from tote 15 .

[0082] The material handling system 10 may include a sensor that detects when an item has been removed from the tote 15 so that the car 200 can automatically advance away from the pick station 310 after an operator has picked the item. Similarly, material handling system 10 may include a manually actuated member, such as a button, that can be activated after an operator has picked the appropriate number of items from tote 15 . After the operator activates the button, the material handling system 10 moves the tote 15 away from the pick station 310 .

[0083] In the above description, the material handling system 10 has been described as being used to obtain a discrete number of items used to fulfill a single order. The operator collects items from one or more totes 15 presented to the operator and consolidates the items, such as by placing the items in a container for shipping. Alternatively, instead of bundling multiple items, the material handling system 10 may include one or more buffer conveyors that transport items out of the system. The operator places the picked items in the proper sequence on a buffer conveyor, which carries them away from the material handling system 10. <Excessive height detection>

[0084] As mentioned above, the material handling system 10 includes multiple destinations 100 for receiving items. The destination 100 may have certain characteristics, such as height, width and depth. The characteristics do not have to be the same at each destination. In this example, however, the characteristics are known for each destination 100 . For example, the elevation of the destination may be known. Thus, if an item is delivered to a location and the height of the item extends beyond the height of the destination 100, the vehicle 200 may have trouble delivering the item to the destination 100 or the item may collide with an edge or wall of the destination 100, thereby damaging the overhanging item or part of the material handling system 10. For example, the material handling system 10 may store items in a tote 15 or a container, and the destination 100 may be configured to accommodate the tote 15 . The overall storage density of the material handling system 10 is improved by minimizing the difference between the size of the destination 100 and the size of the tote 15 . Thus, the gap between the side of destination 100 and the side of tote 15 may be minimized. Therefore, it is desirable to ensure that items within the tote 15 do not spill outside the tote 15 .

[0085] In view of the above, the material handling system 10 may include a detection assembly 500 that detects items extending beyond a predetermined boundary relative to the vehicle 200. The detection assembly 500 may be positioned at any of a variety of locations along the path of the vehicle 200. In this example, detection assembly 500 is positioned at collection site 310 to monitor items that may extend beyond the boundary while vehicle 200 is at collection site 310 . In the following description, the detection assembly 500 is described as detecting items extending beyond a predetermined height above the vehicle 200. However, it should be understood that the material handling system 10 may be configured to detect items extending beyond the boundary to any side of the vehicle 200 (right side, left side, front, rear). Thus, the following description is not intended to be limited to detecting oversized items.

[0086] As mentioned above, the material handling system 10 includes a front track 115 and a rear track 120 spaced apart with a passage between the two tracks. A vehicle 200 moves along a track 110 within the passageway. A collection station 310 may be located at the end of the passageway as shown in FIG. In such a configuration, the detection assembly 500 may be positioned within the aisle and directed toward the path along which the vehicle 200 travels. In particular, the detection assembly 500 may overhang the collection station 310 between the forward track 115 and the rearward track 120 .

[0087] In some embodiments, the detection assembly 500 may be fixed at a predetermined height above the collection station 310 . In such an embodiment, the vehicle 200 may stop at a substantially constant location at the collection station 310 such that when the vehicle 200 stops at the collection station 310, the distance from the detection assembly 500 to the vehicle 200 is substantially constant. The detection assembly 500 detects whether the distance from the detection assembly 500 to any item on the vehicle 200 is less than a predetermined threshold. If the detection assembly 500 detects that this distance is less than the threshold, the material handling system 10 declares an over-height error. In response to this over-height error, material handling system 10 may provide a signal (visual or audible, or both) to the operator. The operator may then manipulate one or more items on the vehicle 200 to clear the over-height error.

[0088] In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle 200 may stop at various locations relative to the collection site 310 so that the location of the sensors of the detection assembly 500 is not a significant basis for determining an over-height error. For example, the vehicle 200 may stop at various locations (and distances and angular orientations) relative to the position of the detection assembly 500 . In some embodiments, the detectors of the detection assembly 500 may obtain relative distance data from which a determination can be made as to whether and / or to what extent a surface portion of an item extends beyond a reference plane. In some embodiments, the reference surface may be coplanar with the item support surface of the vehicle 200, while in other embodiments the reference surface may be offset from the item support surface by a selectable or predetermined distance.

[0089] The detection assembly 500 includes a detector 510 that is mounted on a mounting arm 530 . The mounting arm 530 can be a fixed arm, but in this example the mounting arm 530 is an articulated arm having a first arm 532 and a second arm 534 . A first end of the first arm 532 is pivotally connected to a wall of the material handling system 10 adjacent the harvesting station 310 . The first arm 532 pivots about a vertical axis to allow the arm to pivot into the path between the front track 115 and the rear track 120 . Additionally, the pivot axis of the first arm 532 may be located outside of the path between the front track 115 and the rear track 120 such that the first arm 532 is pivotable out of the path. A first end of the second arm 534 is pivotally connected to a second end of the first arm 532 such that the second arm 534 can pivot horizontally relative to the first arm 532 . Alternatively, the second arm 534 may be pivotable vertically relative to the first arm 532 . The detector 510 is attached to a second end of the second arm 534 . The detector 510 may be fixedly connected to the second arm 534 , however, in this example, the detector 510 is pivotally connected to the second arm 534 . By pivoting the detector 510, the angle of the detector 510 relative to the vehicle 200 can be adjusted. Similarly, a universal connection may be provided to allow the angle of the detector 510 relative to the vehicle 200 to be adjusted in more than one axis. For example, the detector 510 may be connected to the second arm 534 via a universal connection, or the first arm 532 or the second arm 534 may include a universal connection.

[0090] The detector 510 may be any of a variety of detector elements designed to sense the distance between the detector 510 and an object, referred to as distance measuring technology or three-dimensional surface measuring technology. For example, in a time-of-flight system, an emission source projects modulated light (eg, infrared light) onto an object whose position is to be measured. The detector 510, which operates in a time-of-flight mode, includes hardware that is sensitive to the reflected modulated light. The phase difference between the projected and reflected light is measured and converted to an estimated distance. The theory of operation is explained in detail in a report available from Texas Instruments at http: / / www.ti.com.cn / cn / lit / wp / sloa190b / sloa190b.pdf. Therefore, the description is omitted as it is not necessary for understanding the present disclosure. In a three-dimensional scanning technique known as "triangulation," the distance and angle between the imager and a projected light source (eg, a laser or light emitting diode) forms the base of a triangle. The angle of the light incident on the surface returning to the imager completes a triangle whose three-dimensional coordinates can be calculated. By applying this principle of iteratively deriving multiple triangles, a 3D image is generated, which is a 3D representation of the object.

[0091] Structured light 3D sensing devices operate according to yet another theory of operation. The 3D sensing device projects a pattern (or a series of patterns) of light onto the three-dimensional object being measured. One or more cameras are positioned at a known distance and angle from the projection system. The camera and associated hardware and software use the distortion of the light pattern (and known distances / angles) to calculate a set of 3D surface points. Finally, in a stereo vision system, two or more cameras are placed at a known distance and angle from each other. The hardware and software compute a set of 3D points by exploiting the disparity between images (of the same scene / object) taken from different cameras.

[0092] As described further below, some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure are based on projected light. However, the system may also incorporate other distance measurement technologies, such as emitting ultrasound or microwaves. For example, if the system incorporates ultrasonic detection technology, the transmitter may transmit ultrasonic pulses. If an object is within the path of the ultrasonic pulse, some or all of the ultrasonic pulse is reflected back and detected by a detector. By measuring the difference between the time the ultrasonic pulse is emitted and the time the reflected ultrasonic pulse is detected, the distance to an object in the path can be determined.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 13, the detector 510 includes an emitter 512 and a sensor 514 . Emitter 512 may be a light source that projects a light pattern 520, such as a structured light pattern. The sensor 514 may be an imaging element, such as a CMOS or other imaging element. The sensor 514 obtains image data by detecting the projected light pattern 520 . The processor detects differences between the projected light pattern 520 and the detected light pattern 520 by analyzing the image data. A pixel-by-pixel analysis may be performed to evaluate a depth measurement for each pixel. The detector 510 may also include a second detector 518 in the form of a camera or video element. For example, the second camera may be configured as a grayscale or RGB CMOS photosensor array.

[0094] Alternatively, emitter 512 may emit a single pulse of light and sensor 514 may be an image sensor that detects the reflected pulse of light. A processor processes the image data on a pixel-by-pixel basis and estimates for each pixel the time between when the light pulse is emitted and when the reflected light pulse is detected. Thus, by analyzing the image data on a pixel-by-pixel basis, the processor evaluates a depth measurement for each pixel.

[0095] As can be seen from the above, emitter 512 and sensor 514 may obtain data indicative of the distance between emitter 512 and objects on vehicle 200 using any of a variety of distance measurement techniques. The material handling system 10 can use the data to determine whether the object extends beyond a height or width threshold relative to the vehicle 200. In particular, the material handling system 10 can determine whether the object extends beyond a height threshold above the vehicle 200.

[0096] In one embodiment, the detector 510 can detect the height to which an object extends above the vehicle 200 as follows. The material handling system 10 tracks the position of each vehicle 200 as it moves along any of the various routes. Since the position of each vehicle 200 at a particular time is known, the distance from the detector 510 to adjacent vehicles 200 is known. Thus, the central controller 450 may control the detector 510 to obtain depth data at specific times relative to the known position of the vehicle 200 relative to the detector 510 . For example, at a particular time, the position of the vehicle 200 may be a predetermined distance (eg, 36 inches or 1 meter) from the detector 510. Once the vehicle 200 is at a predetermined distance, the detector 510 scans the vehicle 200 to determine depth data for each item that the detector 510 scans. If the depth of any item extends from the vehicle 200 beyond a predetermined threshold, the material handling system 10 flags that vehicle 200 and controls the vehicle 200 accordingly. For example, the material handling system 10 may control the vehicle 200 to a particular location to remove or reload items from the vehicle 200 so that the items do not extend to a height above the vehicle 200. Alternatively, the material handling system 10 may stop the vehicle 200 so that the vehicle 200 does not proceed along its path until the overheight item is corrected by removing or reloading the item.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 2, in this example, detector 510 is positioned adjacent to collection station 310 , and detector 510 scans vehicle 200 at collection station 310 . Specifically, detector 510 is mounted such that emitter 512 projects a light pattern 520 onto vehicle 200 . The sensor 514 detects the light pattern 520 reflected from the vehicle 200 and its contents to obtain image data indicative of the distance between the sensor 514 and the vehicle 200 and items on the vehicle 200 . In particular, the material handling system 10 includes an image processor in the form of a microprocessor that processes image data from the over-height detector 510 to determine the presence of items extending vertically above a plane relative to the vehicle 200. For example, the material handling system 10 may analyze the image data to detect objects extending above a plane that is parallel to and spaced above the top of the vehicle 200.

[0098] In one example, the material handling system 10 may process data from the detector 510 to detect items protruding above a plane at a predetermined height above the top of the vehicle 200. The predetermined height is variable depending on the configuration of various characteristics of the material handling system 10, such as the height of each storage location. For example, the predetermined height may be approximately 12 inches.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 5, the material handling system 10 may be configured to determine the plane of the top of the vehicle 200 by detecting a reference feature on the vehicle 200 . As mentioned above, the detector 510 may be in a fixed position relative to the collection station 310 and the material handling system 10 may control the movement of the vehicle 200 such that the position and orientation of the top of the vehicle 200 is known. This data may be used to determine whether an item protrudes beyond a predetermined height relative to the vehicle 200. Alternatively, the vehicle 200 may include multiple fiducial markers 240 . The fiducial markers 240 are configured such that the material handling system 10 is identifiable based on one or more physical characteristics of the fiducial markers 240 . For example, the height, width, length and / or location of fiducial marker 240 may enable it to be readily distinguished from other features of vehicle 200 and items on vehicle 200 . Similarly, the over-height detector 510 may include color or grayscale imaging elements and the material handling system 10 may process the image data to identify the reference points based on the color or shape of the fiducial markers 240 . Alternatively, fiducial marker 240 may be an element of vehicle 200 or an element of a container on vehicle 200, which elements are identifiable by analyzing the depth data or by analyzing the two-dimensional optical image data. For example, the containers on the vehicle 200 are standardized and the top rim of the container is distinguishable from the surrounding items. The material handling system 10 can then detect three points on the rim of the container, thereby identifying a surface that is parallel to the top surface of the vehicle 200.

[0100] In this example, each vehicle 200 may include three fiducial markers 240 . Fiducial markers 240 are positioned in spaced relation to one another on or near the top surface of vehicle 200 . By processing the depth data from the detector 510 to identify the three fiducial markers 240, the material handling system 10 identifies three known reference points. These three reference points define a reference plane (i.e., the reference plane is defined as the plane that contains all three reference points). The material handling system 10 can then process the depth data from the detector 510 to identify any data points that are located above a particular height above a reference surface. Alternatively, a plane parallel to the reference plane (ie, a plane that is parallel to the reference plane or spaced above it by a predetermined distance) may be defined. This predetermined distance corresponds to the maximum height that an item may extend above the reference surface. Any depth data that is above this parallel plane indicates that the item is an over-height item and should be repositioned or reoriented on the vehicle 200 so that the item's height is below the desired height threshold.

[0101] As shown in FIGS. 3, 8 and described above, the vehicle 200 may be tilted at the harvesting station 310 such that the front end 202 of the vehicle 200 is lower than the rear end 204 of the vehicle 200 . Specifically, the vertical position of the front end 202 is lower than the vertical position of the rear end. In this manner, vehicle 200 tilts forward so that contents within containers on vehicle 200 are presented to an operator at collection station 310. When vehicle 200 is tilted at collection station 310, the top surface of vehicle 200 is oriented at an angle relative to the horizontal. Therefore, it is desirable to analyze the overshoot with respect to the angle of the vehicle 200, rather than with respect to the horizontal. To this end, the material handling system 10 may identify a plane that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the vehicle 200 as described above. Excess height analysis then identifies items that protrude more than a predetermined height above the reference surface. The reference plane may be at an angle to the horizontal, so that the predetermined height is measured in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane.

[0102] Configured as described above, material handling system 10 may use data from over-height detector 510 to control operation of vehicle 200 as follows. The over-height detection assembly 500 may be mounted along the path followed by the vehicle 200 . The over-height detector 510 captures image data of the vehicle 200 when the vehicle 200 is at a position along the route. The image processor processes the image data from the over-height detector 510 to determine whether any items on the vehicle 200 extend beyond a predetermined threshold. For example, the image processor may process the image data to determine whether an item protrudes above the vehicle 200 higher than a predetermined allowable height.

[0103] In this example, a height exceedance detector 510 is located at the collection station 310 such that the height exceedance detector 510 captures image data for each vehicle 200 as the vehicle 200 stops at the collection station 310 . In particular, the vehicle 200 is tilted relative to the horizontal and stops at the collection station 310 so that the contents of the vehicle 200 are presented to the operator. The over-height detector 510 scans or images the vehicle 200 to obtain a number of data points or pixels. Each pixel indicates the distance from the over-height detector 510 to the vehicle 200 and / or its contents. Using pixels in this manner, a three-dimensional distance between the vehicle 200 and its carrying object can be generated.

[0104] An image processor processes the image data to identify known reference points on the vehicle 200 or on items that the vehicle 200 is carrying. In this example, the image processor processes the image data to identify three reference points 240 . The image processor may scan through the image dataset to identify fiducial markers 240 that serve as reference points based on various physical characteristics of the reference points 240 . However, because the vehicle 200 stops at a substantially fixed location at the collection station 310 , the position of the reference point 240 of the vehicle 200 is generally located in a substantially fixed location relative to the over-height detector 510 . Thus, using the template, the image processor may process a subset of the image data that corresponds to a particular region of the image by attempting to identify reference points 240 . The image processor may only process image data points for a small subset of the entire image in this manner to identify reference points 240 . If the image processor is unable to identify the three fiducial points 240 using the template-based data subset, the image processor may analyze the entire image data set to identify the fiducial points 240 .

[0105] As described above, the material handling system 10 may identify three points of interest that define a plane that either corresponds to the support surface of the vehicle 200 or is a known distance away from the support surface of the vehicle 200. However, it may be advantageous to use an RGB or grayscale imaging scheme 518 to identify points of interest. Specifically, as previously discussed, the over-height detector 510 may include an RGB imaging element, such as a CCD or CMOS image sensor 518 . The reference points 240 on the vehicle 200 may be configured to have a particular shape, configuration and / or color. Thus, the material handling system 10 may analyze image data corresponding to a color or grayscale image of the vehicle 200 . The image data is analyzed to identify portions having characteristics that correspond to known characteristics of the fiducials 240 . Analysis of the image to identify the fiducial points 240 may be performed by one of several processes. For example, the positions of the vehicles 200 at the collection site 310 may vary, but the positions of the vehicles 200 may be similar enough that the material handling system 10 can first analyze the specific locations where the reference points 240 are expected to appear within the image data. Alternatively, the material handling system 10 may simply process the entire image to identify portions of the image data that have characteristics that match known characteristics of the reference points 240 .

[0106] After identifying the reference points 240 in the color or grayscale image data, the identified data points are associated with corresponding points in the depth image data. Specifically, the two-dimensional image data points are correlated with the three-dimensional or depth image data to identify the location of the identified reference point 240 . In particular, image data, either color or grayscale, can be aligned, registered, or mapped to depth data. Similarly, the material handling system 10 may fuse color or grayscale images with depth image data. In either case, once the reference points 240 are identified in the RGB or grayscale data, the material handling system 10 can identify the corresponding depth image data. Once the reference point 240 is identified, the image processor may identify a plane that intersects all three points. This reference plane is then used to identify whether the item extends beyond a predetermined height above the vehicle 200. If the image processor determines that the item extends beyond the height threshold, the image processor sends a signal to the central controller 450 indicating an excessive height error. The material handling system 10 then provides a signal to the operator indicating that an over-height error exists. For example, the material handling system 10 may provide audible and / or visual warnings to the operator. Additionally, the material handling system 10 may present a visual alert on a display screen at the collection station 310 . A visual warning may also indicate to the operator which item on the vehicle 200 caused the over-height error.

[0107] In addition to providing an alert or warning to the operator, the material handling system 10 may also supervise the operator of the vehicle 200 in response to an over-height error. For example, in response to receiving a height exceeding error signal from the image processor, the central controller 450 may control the vehicle 200 at the collection station 310 to cause the vehicle 200 to remain at the collection station until the height exceeding error is corrected. In particular, as described above, when the operator presses a button indicating that the operator has removed the items from the vehicle 200 and / or has finished directing the items to the vehicle 200, the material handling system 10 may advance the vehicle 200 at the collection site 310. However, if an over-height error is detected, the material handling system 10 may ensure that the vehicle 200 does not move forward from the harvest site 310 even if the operator presses the forward button.

[0108] It should be appreciated that the over-height detector 510 continues to acquire image / depth data of the vehicle 200 while the vehicle 200 remains at the collection station 310 . For example, the over-height detector 510 may scan the vehicle 200 at a rate of more than one frame per second. In some embodiments, the over-height detector 510 may acquire data at a rate of about 15 to about 60 frames per second, although sensors acquiring image samples at rates greater than 60 frames per second or less than 15 frames per second are also consistent with this disclosure. In an embodiment, the over-height detector 510 acquires data at a rate of about 30 frames per second.

[0109] In the preceding discussion, the over-height detector 510 is described with respect to detecting whether an item on the vehicle 200 extends beyond a predetermined dimensional threshold. However, it should be understood that the material handling system 10 can be utilized to identify a variety of situations in which an error may occur due to an item on the vehicle 200. It should therefore be understood that the above-described over-height detector 510 is applicable to a variety of applications, including processing depth image data to determine whether an item on the vehicle 200 should be flagged as possibly causing an error during processing.

[0110] In an embodiment consistent with Figures 7A-7C, an image sensor such as a Kinect image sensing system, generally designated 742, available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, is used to determine the position of the base surface in three-dimensional space. The Kinect system is operable to capture three-dimensional images of objects from a distance of about 0.5 m to about 4.5 m using time-of-flight motion theory. Optionally, the same imaging system may be capable of acquiring color images of the same object.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 7A, a base surface, designated 740 , is within the field of view of a sensor 742 and is coplanar with an item support surface 750 of the material handling device 10 . By way of example, the item support surface 750 may be a surface of a vehicle 200 located at or near the same point along the transport path of the material handling device 10 . In one embodiment, the item support surface 750 is defined by a vehicle 200 located at or near an object transport depot, such as the collection depot 310 described above. Each vehicle 200 may be parked at a variable position relative to the sensor 742 such that the distance and angular orientation of the base surface 740 may vary relative to the sensor 742 from one dimensional inspection operation to the next. To account for this variability in relative positions, the position and orientation of base surface 740 in free space is determined prior to evaluating compliance with each dimensional constraint. In other words, when the material handling system 10 scans the vehicles 200 to determine whether the payload carried by the vehicles 200 is dimensionally compatible, the material handling system 10 first determines the base surface 740 for each vehicle 200. After determining the base surface 740, the material handling system 10 determines whether the load is dimensionally compatible.

[0112] To derive the position of the base plane 740 by calculation, three or more reference markings, such as markings 752, 754, and 756 shown in FIG. 7A, may be defined on the same plane on each vehicle 200 of the apparatus. In some embodiments, fiducial markings 752 , 754 , and 756 may be flush with the item support surface of the corresponding vehicle 200 . In other embodiments, fiducial markings 752, 754, and 756 may be in parallel planes that are offset (eg, a known distance above or below the item support surface of the corresponding vehicle 200). In one embodiment, fiducial markings 752 , 754 , and 756 are attached, secured, or otherwise applied to appropriate portions of vehicle 200 . As mentioned above, image sensors such as the aforementioned Kinect depth-sensing camera are capable of producing both time-of-flight 3D and color images of the same object. The locations of fiducial markings 752, 754, and 756 may be simplified by combining (fusing) the color image with the three-dimensional image.

[0113] In the absence of a color image, the location of the base surface 740 may alternatively be determined by analyzing a three-dimensional image to detect the presence and orientation of three or more dimensional characteristics (structuring elements) of a known geometric shape within the image. While such analysis may be somewhat more complex and not as accurate as that obtained from fusion of color and three-dimensional images, it is nevertheless an alternative approach that may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0114] In embodiments in which the apparatus includes one or more belt or roller conveyors and it is desirable to determine whether a group of one or more articles placed on the item support surface of the conveyor adheres to a dimension, three or more fiducial markings 752, 754, and 756 (or three-dimensional characteristics of known geometric shapes) may be positioned along either side of the conveyor surface that is flush with (or at a known height relative to) the item support surface of the conveyor. In contrast to systems that require an item to be precisely positioned on a transport path relative to a fixed measurement system (e.g., an array of emitters forming a "light plane"), embodiments consistent with the present disclosure can determine whether an item adheres to one or more dimensional constraints even when the item's position varies. A 3D image sensor requires only two things: an unobstructed view of the item being inspected, and being close enough to that item to produce an image with sufficient resolution (pixel density) for detection of the features being addressed.

[0115] Once the position of the base surface 740 is determined, the position of the reference surface 760 can be determined. The reference surface 760 may represent a dimensional constraint boundary. In other words, the reference surface 760 may represent a threshold or limit value. Thus, when the material handling system 10 detects an item that protrudes beyond the reference plane 760, the material handling system 10 may declare an error or issue a warning to the operator. Similarly, in response to detecting an item protruding beyond the reference plane 760, the material handling system 10 may control the operation of the vehicle 200 or other elements.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 7A, the reference surface 760 is parallel to the base surface 740 and spaced a distance h from the base surface 740. The distance h may correspond to a dimensional constraint. In some embodiments, dimension h corresponds to a height dimension and is determined by referencing the height of the top of a tote 15 (FIG. 3) that contains a group of one or more items. A tolerance may be applied to dimension h to account for variations in precision and / or to account for clearance between an edge (e.g., top) of the tote 15 or item and, for example, the intended storage space.

[0117] Within the reference plane 760, a reduced area analysis window 770 may be defined. Limiting the analysis of dimensional constraints to window 770 eliminates areas that may be irrelevant to the study. For example, in the case of a tote 15 containing a group of one or more items and supported by a vehicle 200 at a collection station 310, pixels corresponding to the side walls of the collection station 310 and / or pixels corresponding to a collector within the boundaries of the base surface 740 are irrelevant and only complicate the analysis.

[0118] FIG. 7B illustrates a method 700 for performing a height exceedance analysis, according to an embodiment consistent with the present disclosure. The method 700 begins at start block 702 and proceeds to step 704 . In step 704, a depth image and, optionally, a color image of a group of one or more items is obtained using a three-dimensional image and, optionally, a color-sensitive sensor such as over-height detector 510 or sensor 742. In step 706 , the depth image, and optionally the color image, are processed to establish three or more base points in the 3D point cloud generated from the images acquired in step 704 . From step 706, the method 700 proceeds to step 708. In step 708, the location of the base surface 740 in three-dimensional space is determined by referencing three or more known reference points from the acquired image data. The reference points include the centroids of three reference marks that are flush with (or at a known height relative to) the surface that supports the group of one or more items. This surface may be the support surface of the vehicle 200 of the material handling device 10 .

[0119] From step 708, the method 700 proceeds to step 710, where the position of the reference surface 760 is determined based on the position and orientation of the base surface 740. The same fiducial marks may be used to calculate the boundaries of columns of points (pixel addresses) in base surface 740 (FIG. 7A). From such a column, the pixel addresses forming the corresponding column in the analysis window 770 can be determined in a number of ways. For example, knowing the dimensional constraint h (including any applicable offsets and tolerance factors as described above), each point (i.e., pixel address) within the column corresponding to the analysis window 770 can be derived by extending three or more lines of length h from the corner points of the boundary column perpendicular to the base surface 740. Knowing the boundaries of the analysis window and its offset from the base plane 740, the address of each pixel within the analysis window can be derived in the conventional manner. The method 700 proceeds to step 712 .

[0120] In step 712, the method 700 initializes a counter n. Here, n is one of m pixel addresses (points) within the cloud of points bounded by the analysis window 770 (FIG. 7A). The method 700 proceeds to decision block 716 where a determination is made as to whether the current point n is closer to the camera sensor 742 (FIG. 7A) than the reference plane 760. If so, the method 700 proceeds to step 718 where the row and column location of point n is added to a list of pixel addresses of over-height candidates. From step 718 (or from step 716 if point n is not closer to the camera than the reference plane), the method 700 proceeds to step 719 to determine whether the current address pointed to by pixel address counter n is equal to the mth address of the analysis window. If the address of the current point n is not equal to the mth address, the method 700 returns to step 714, increments the counter value of n by 1, and the evaluation is repeated for the next pixel address.

[0121] If the current point n is the mth address, the method 700 proceeds to step 720 where "noise" pixels are removed from the list of over-height pixel candidates. As an example, reflections and other specular phenomena may result in local pixel errors that may be ignored during analysis. Similarly, groups of pixel candidates with few over-height pixel candidates or that are too small or too widely dispersed to represent an item may be ignored from the evaluation process consistent with this disclosure. After removing such irrelevant pixel candidates in step 720 , the method 700 proceeds to step 722 . In step 722, the numerical value of the remaining candidate over-height pixels may be compared to a predetermined threshold. The threshold may be selected based on which items make up the groups that the method 700 evaluates. If the threshold is exceeded as determined in step 722 , the method 700 proceeds to step 724 . At step 724, the item group status is set to "over height" and the method 700 proceeds to step 726 where corrective action is initiated and / or implemented.

[0122] A variety of responses to an over-height condition are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, a visual and / or audio alert may be generated. In response to such an alert, for example, an operator at the harvesting station 310 may inspect a group of one or more items being processed and reposition the items to correct the over-height condition. Following such relocation at step 724, method 700 resumes such that steps 702 through 722 are repeated. Additionally or alternatively, an alternate storage or retrieval location (specially sized and configured to accommodate oversized totes or items that reach height thresholds exceeding dimensional constraints that apply to a "normal" group of one or more items) may be redirected to a different destination for the items. In other words, the material handling system 10 may control the vehicle 200 by directing the vehicle 200 to an alternative location or destination that is configured to accept the vehicle 200 having a load (i.e., totes and / or items) having one or more dimensions that exceed a predetermined threshold. After corrective action at step 724, method 700 proceeds to step 730, where the group of one or more items is advanced along a transport path (which may be, for example, either the original transport path with the dimensional constraints imposed or, if selected, an alternate transport path with relaxed dimensional constraints). From step 730, the method 700 proceeds to step 732 where a determination is made as to whether there are additional groups of one or more items that are subject to dimensional compliance evaluation. If there is such a group, method 700 proceeds to step 734, where the next group of one or more items is brought into the field of view of the structured light 3D camera sensor, after which method 700 begins again at step 704. If there are no such groups, the method 700 proceeds to step 736 and ends.

[0123] FIG. 7C illustrates an image generated by height detection analysis of the haul vehicle 200 at the harvest site shown in FIG. 2, according to the method 700 of FIG. 7B.

[0124] In the preceding discussion, the detector assembly 500 has been described as providing the material handling system 10 with the ability to determine whether an item extends from the vehicle 200 beyond a threshold value. Additionally or alternatively, detector assembly 500 may be capable of detecting whether an item extends into the path of vehicle 200 such that vehicle 200 may collide with the item. For example, the detector assembly 500 may detect whether an operator is within the path of the vehicle 200 . If the detector assembly detects an operator in the path of the vehicle 200, the material handling system 10 may stop the vehicle 200 to ensure that the vehicle 200 does not collide with the operator and injure the operator. In this manner, the detection assembly 500 may act as a safety mechanism to prevent collisions.

[0125] One use of the detection assembly 500 as a safety feature would be in a configuration where the detection assembly 500 is mounted adjacent to the collection site 310 as shown in FIGS. In such a configuration, the detection assembly 500 can operate both as an over-height detector 510 and as a safety mechanism. Specifically, as detection assembly 500 scans collection site 310 to obtain depth data, it detects over-height items, as described above. At the same time, if the operator has their hands on a tote 15 in the vehicle 200, the operator's hands may exceed the height threshold for oversized items. Thus, even if the items on the vehicle 200 are of the correct height, the operator's hands will be considered an over-height item and will cause an over-height error. Thus, the vehicle 200 will not move forward until the operator's hands are removed from the tote 15 and out of the path of the vehicle 200. Similarly, if the operator leans into the path of vehicle 200, the part of the operator that is in the path of vehicle 200 will cause an error that will prevent vehicle 200 from moving forward until the operator moves out of the path of vehicle 200.

[0126] After the operator removes the appropriate items from one of the cars 200, the car 200 is moved out of the collection point 310 if an over-height error has not been declared. When the rail car 200 moves out of the yard 310, the material handling system 10 determines which storage location 100 the rail car 200 should return the item it is currently carrying and which item the rail car 200 should retrieve next.

[0127] Once the central controller 450 has determined the appropriate storage location 100 for the item, the route of the rail car 200 may be determined. In particular, the central controller 450 may determine the route of the rail cars 200 and communicate to the rail cars 200 information regarding the storage locations 100 to which items are to be delivered. The central controller 450 then controls the operation of the rail cars 200 and directs the rail cars 200 to the storage locations 100 to which the items are to be delivered. When the car 200 arrives at the appropriate storage location 100 , the car 200 stops at the storage location 100 and the totes 15 are moved to the appropriate storage location 100 .

[0128] One advantage of the above-described system is that the orientation of the freight car 200 does not substantially change as the freight car 200 transitions from horizontal movement (along either the upper or lower rail) to vertical movement (down either row). In particular, when the freight car 200 is moving horizontally, the two front toothed wheels mate with the horizontal upper rail 135 or the horizontal lower rail 140 of the front track 115, and the two rear toothed wheels mate with the corresponding upper rail 135 or lower rail 140 of the rear track 120. As the freight car 200 passes through the gate and enters the queue, its two front toothed wheels engage a pair of vertical sections 130 of the front track 115 and its two rear toothed wheels engage corresponding vertical sections 130 of the rear track 120. Note that the orientation of the freight car 200 relative to the horizontal direction does not change, meaning that the car 200 moves along the track. Although rail cars 200 may be tilted relative to the horizontal at harvest site 310, they may maintain a substantially constant orientation relative to the horizontal as they travel along track 110.

[0129] When the freight car 200 moves from a horizontal rail to a vertical row or from a vertical row to a horizontal rail, the track 110 positions all four toothed wheels at the same height. This ensures that the freight cars 200 do not warp or tilt as they move along the track 110 and transition between horizontal and vertical motion. Additionally, it may be desirable to configure rail car 200 with a single axle. In such a configuration, the rail cars 200 are oriented in a substantially vertical direction rather than the substantially horizontal direction described above. In a single axle configuration, the weight of the car 200 maintains the orientation of the car 200. However, when single axle rail cars 200 are used, the orientation of the storage bays 100 is reconfigured to accommodate the vertical orientation of the rail cars 200 .

[0130] In the above discussion, the transport of items has been described in relation to a row of storage locations 100 located at the front of the sortation station. However, the number of storage locations 100 in the material handling system can be doubled by adding a rear row of storage locations 100 on the rear side of the sortation station. In this manner, the freight car 200 can be moved to a storage location 100 at the front of the sorting station to transport items to that storage location 100, and the loading / unloading mechanism 210 can be driven to unload the items into the front storage location 100. Alternatively, the freight car 200 can transport items to a storage location 100 at the rear of the sortation station by moving to that storage location 100 and then driving the loading / unloading mechanism 210 rearward to unload the items into the rear storage location 100.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept of the invention. For example, in the above description, the material handling system 10 uses wireless communications between the cars 200 and the central controller 450 . In an alternative embodiment, communication lines may be installed on the track and the freight cars 200 may communicate with the central controller 450 over a hardwired communication link.

[0132] It is to be understood therefore that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but includes all modifications and variations encompassed within the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. a plurality of vehicles for transporting items to a plurality of destination areas or for retrieving items from the plurality of destination areas, each vehicle moving vertically and horizontally along a respective path for transporting a container to a destination area; a central control device for controlling the movement of the plurality of vehicles; a detector for detecting whether an item in a container on the vehicle exceeds a dimensional threshold that applies to a route leading to a selected destination area, the detector is positionable adjacent the path along which the vehicle travels; the detector is capable of acquiring a plurality of depth data sets; wherein each depth data set indicates a distance from the detector to an interior of the container and / or a payload in the container, and the plurality of depth data sets can be used to generate a three-dimensional image of a target area comprising the container and the payload in the container; the detector determining that an item in the container exceeds a dimensional threshold by defining a reference plane including three known depth data points and using the reference plane to identify depth data indicative of an oversized item protruding beyond a predetermined threshold; A material handling system, wherein the central controller controls operation of the vehicle in response to the detector determining that an item exceeds the dimensional threshold.

2. 2. The material handling system of claim 1, wherein in response to the detector determining that an item exceeds the dimensional threshold, the central controller causes the vehicle to stop advancing until the item no longer exceeds the dimensional threshold.

3. 2. The material handling system of claim 1, wherein the central controller selects an alternate destination area in response to detecting the oversized item or container and controls the vehicles to transport the oversized item or container to the alternate destination area.

4. 3. The material handling system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the detector includes an emitter that projects light onto the container when one of the vehicles is at a position along the path, and an imaging element configured to detect the light projected onto the container.

5. 1. A method of handling materials by operating a plurality of vehicles to store items at and / or retrieve items from a plurality of destination areas, comprising: controlling movement of the vehicles to deliver an item to or retrieve an item from the destination area, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is controlled to travel both vertically and horizontally along a selected path to reach the destination area; detecting whether an item in a container on said vehicle exceeds a dimensional threshold for said container and the route traveled by said vehicle to reach a destination area; the detecting step includes operating detectors adjacently positioned along the path traveled by the vehicle to obtain a plurality of depth data sets; each depth data set indicating a distance from said detector to said container and / or a conveyance of said container; the plurality of depth data sets can be used to generate a three-dimensional image of a target area comprising the container and the contents of the container; the vehicle is controlled in response to detecting an item exceeding the dimensional threshold; the detecting step comprises identifying three known reference points that identify a reference plane; 11. A method of handling materials, wherein the detecting step comprises using the reference surface to identify depth data points indicative of items extending above the reference surface.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the dimensional threshold is a height above the reference surface.

7. 7. A method of handling materials as claimed in any one of claims 5 or 6, further comprising, in response to detecting an item as exceeding the dimensional threshold, causing the vehicle to stop along the path until the item no longer exceeds the dimensional threshold.

8. 8. A method for handling materials as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the step of detecting includes identifying three reference points defining a plane generally parallel to an upper surface of the vehicle.

9. 6. A method for handling materials as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the steps of: selecting an alternative destination area in response to detecting an oversized item or container; and controlling a vehicle to transport the oversized container or item to the alternative destination area.

10. 9. A method for handling materials as described in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the detecting step includes the steps of: operating an emitter to project light onto the container when one of the vehicles is at a position along the path; and operating an imaging element to detect the light projected onto the container by operating an imaging element.

Images