A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having storage locations, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport confined to each storage level, the at least one autonomous transport being configured to transport the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to effect operation of the multilevel vertical conveyor system and at least one autonomous transport for assembling orders of uncontained case units of different types without moving bundles of the same uncontained case unit type throughout the storage and retrieval system.

Storage and retrieval system

An anti-theft system for an object having a wheel including a navigation system comprising a processor, the navigation system configured to receive a start navigation signal from an exit marker and a stop navigation signal from an entrance marker. The navigation system is operable to determine a relative position of the object with respect to a confinement boundary. The anti-theft system includes a brake system operable to provide a braking force to the wheel and responsive to a braking signal from the navigation system. The navigation system is operable to provide the braking signal to the brake system if the relative position satisfies a first predetermined condition, wherein the first predetermined condition occurs after the navigation system has received the start navigation signal.

Navigation systems and methods for wheeled objects

A method and system for automatically loading and unloading a transport is disclosed. A guidance system follows a travel path to a position near the transport and then a sensor profiles a transport so that a transport path is determined for an AGV to follow into the transport to place a load and for exiting the transport upon placement of the load.

Automatic transport loading system and method

A vehicle including one or more computers to interface with electronics of the vehicle to access status data for systems of the vehicle and to make input settings to one or more of the systems. The vehicle includes wireless communication circuitry for providing connection to the Internet and to one or more wireless devices when paired with the vehicle. An occupancy sensor of the vehicle is configured to interface with the one or more computers of the vehicle to identify occupancy of seats of the vehicle. A processor of the one or more computers of the vehicle is configured to execute instructions to receive data from a wireless device that is paired with the vehicle. The data is used to identify a seat in the vehicle that is associated with a passenger. The processor executes instructions to provide data to a user interface accessed by the wireless device to expose a plurality of systems of the vehicle. The plurality of systems include systems that relate to an environment zone in which the seat is located in the vehicle. The user interface further includes controls to enable input of settings to one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems to make changes to the one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems. The changes made relate to one or more of the plurality of systems that relate to the environment zone of the seat.

Vehicles and vehicle systems for providing access to vehicle controls, functions, environment and applications to guests/passengers via mobile devices

Methods, systems and cloud processing are provided for coordinating and processing user input provided to vehicles during use. One example is for processing voice inputs at a vehicle to identify a mood of a user and then modifying or customizing the vehicle response based on the detected mood, physical characteristic and/or physiological characteristic of the user. One example includes sending, to a cloud processing server, data from the vehicle. The vehicle includes an on-board computer for processing instructions for the vehicle and processing wireless communication to exchange data with the cloud processing server. The method then receives, at the vehicle, data for a user account to use the vehicle. The cloud processing server uses the user account to identify a user profile of a user. Then, receiving, from the cloud processing server, voice profiles for the user profile. Each voice profile is associated with a tone identifier or audio signature. The voice profiles for the user are learned from a plurality of voice inputs made to the vehicle by the user in one or more prior sessions of use of the vehicle. The method further includes receiving, by on-board computer, a voice input. For the voice input, processing, by on-board computer, the voice input to identify a voice profile that is correlated to the voice input and generating a vehicle response for the voice input. The vehicle response is moderated based on the tone identifier of the identified voice profile. In one example, the tone identifier is used to infer a mood of the user, and the moderation of the vehicle response assists in selecting a type of response by the vehicle and/or setting made to a vehicle system.

Methods and systems for communicating content to connected vehicle users based detected tone/mood in voice input

A method and apparatus for guiding a driverless vehicle along a path defined by a guide cable carrying a current in a horizontal road surface includes mounting a first coil, having a major coil axis, at +45 degrees relative to the horizontal on said vehicle, mounting a second coil, having a major coil axis, at -45 degrees relative to the horizontal on said vehicle such that the axes of said first and second coils intersect, sensing both the radial and circular field vectors of the electromagnetic field with each coil, comparing the magnitude of the radial vector with the magnitude of the circular vector for each coil whereby the lateral position of the intersection point of the axes of the coils is determined relative to the guide cable to indicate the lateral displacement of the vehicle relative to said path, and using the displacement information in the vehicle steering system.

Method and apparatus for guiding a driverless vehicle using a sensor tracking a cable emitting an electromagnetic field

A method and system for controlling the movement of one or more automatic guided vehicles includes a system controller, a number of non-wire automatic guided vehicles (AGV's) and location markers positioned on a floor. The system controller serves as a dispatcher and traffic controller for the system, providing, in one embodiment, two way wireless communication to each AGV in the system. Each AGV is equipped with a navigation and guidance system for controlling the AGV's movement along a predefined guidepath. Differential X, Y-coordinates from a path point database stored in the system controller are communicated to a given AGV which can then follow the predefined guidepath. Communicating just the differential X, Y-coordinates allows for improved control over systems utilizing a large number of AGV's.

Method and system for describing, generating and checking non-wire guidepaths for automatic guided vehicles

A guidance system for guiding an automated guided vehicle along a pathway is disclosed which includes rails for holding the AGV to the generally straight portions of the pathway and a non-rail guidance system for directing the AGV from the end of a first rail segment to the beginning of another. The rails provide the necessary level of control to allow an unmanned vehicle to move at high speeds while the non-rail guidance system eliminates the need for the rail switches that would otherwise be needed to shift a rail guided vehicle from one rail portion to another.

Guidance system for an automated guided-vehicle

Apparatus for determining the position of a mobile vehicle relative to a fixed location marker device which comprises a coil energized to emit a magnetic field composed of lines of magnetic flux extending radially and arcuately from the ends of the coil's longitudinal axis. A sensor unit mounted on the mobile vehicle comprises four identical sensing coils each responsive to the frequency of the magnetic field of the marker device and each having a major axis. These sensor coils are supported in two pairs with the major axes of the sensor coils of each pair disposed on either side of a common central plane and extending parallel thereto, this common central plane extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the marker device coil. Each pair of sensor coils is arranged in an X pattern in which their major axes cross each other medially and perpendicularly to define a center for the coil pair. The two pairs of coils are mounted with their centers spaced apart a fixed distance on a base line which the major axes of the coils cross at a 45 degree angle. Position signals from the sensor coils are processed to produce X and Y coordinate values indicating the relative position of the sensor unit to the marker device. The marker device may be inductively excited from an antenna on the mobile vehicle.

Vehicle position determining apparatus

The present invention involves an apparatus and a method for optically detecting and determining the angular position of a target. The apparatus comprises a pair of optic sensors arranged so that at least a portion of their sensing areas overlap. Their overlapping areas define the total sensing, or active sensing, area for the apparatus. Each of the optic sensors in the apparatus senses light, or other optically sensible transmission, either projected or reflected from a target positioned within the total sensing area and produces a signal relative to the amount of light sensed. The signals are then interpreted to determine the angular position of the target based on the relative signals from the optic sensors. The method of the present invention determines the angular position of a target within an area, defined by the overlapping sensing areas of a pair of optic sensors, by interpreting the relative signal intensities from the pair of optic sensors. Once the angular position is determined, the distance of the target from a line either perpendicular to or parallel to the center line of the sensor array can be calculated if the other quantity is known.

Alofs Cornell W

Papers

Method and apparatus for guiding a driverless vehicle using a sensor tracking a cable emitting an electromagnetic field

Method and system for describing, generating and checking non-wire guidepaths for automatic guided vehicles

Guidance system for an automated guided-vehicle

Vehicle position determining apparatus

Optic position sensor