Patents by Inventor Kevin Vliet

Kevin Vliet has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Warehousing and order fulfillment systems and methods
    Patent number: 11498765
    Abstract: Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to streamline order fulfillment. For example, according to some embodiments described herein, a method includes: causing a first mobile robot to engage with and transport a mobile storage unit to a robotic picking cell, causing a second mobile robot to engage with and transport an outbound container to the robotic picking cell, and causing the picking robot to transfer a sellable unit from the mobile storage unit to the outbound container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: David Sellner, Kevin Vliet, Arthur Valdez
  • Flexible mobile robot charging systems and methods
    Patent number: 11285838
    Abstract: Flexible mobile robot charging systems described herein can be automatically moved to the work areas of energy-depleted mobile robots to provide onboard battery recharging without requiring the mobile robots to spend time traveling to a fixed location battery recharging station located away from the work area or in a suboptimal location within the robotic work area. Accordingly, the efficiency and utilization of the mobile robots can be enhanced by eliminating non-value-added travel time of the mobile robots and the time and cost of setting up the battery recharging stations can be reduced using the mobile robot charging systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Vliet, Gregory Lisso
  • WAREHOUSING AND ORDER FULFILLMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20210188552
    Abstract: Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to streamline order fulfillment. For example, according to some embodiments described herein, a method includes: causing a first mobile robot to engage with and transport a mobile storage unit to a robotic picking cell, causing a second mobile robot to engage with and transport an outbound container to the robotic picking cell, and causing the picking robot to transfer a sellable unit from the mobile storage unit to the outbound container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: David Sellner, Kevin Vliet, Arthur Valdez
  • Warehousing and order fulfillment systems and methods
    Patent number: 10947045
    Abstract: Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to streamline order fulfillment. For example, according to some embodiments described herein, a method includes: causing a first mobile robot to engage with and transport a mobile storage unit to a robotic picking cell, causing a second mobile robot to engage with and transport an outbound container to the robotic picking cell, and causing the picking robot to transfer a sellable unit from the mobile storage unit to the outbound container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: David Sellner, Kevin Vliet, Arthur Valdez
  • FLEXIBLE MOBILE ROBOT CHARGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20200238848
    Abstract: Flexible mobile robot charging systems described herein can be automatically moved to the work areas of energy-depleted mobile robots to provide onboard battery recharging without requiring the mobile robots to spend time traveling to a fixed location battery recharging station located away from the work area or in a suboptimal location within the robotic work area. Accordingly, the efficiency and utilization of the mobile robots can be enhanced by eliminating non-value-added travel time of the mobile robots and the time and cost of setting up the battery recharging stations can be reduced using the mobile robot charging systems and methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Vliet, Gregory Lisso
  • WAREHOUSING AND ORDER FULFILLMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20190152703
    Abstract: Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to streamline order fulfillment. For example, according to some embodiments described herein, a method includes: causing a first mobile robot to engage with and transport a mobile storage unit to a robotic picking cell, causing a second mobile robot to engage with and transport an outbound container to the robotic picking cell, and causing the picking robot to transfer a sellable unit from the mobile storage unit to the outbound container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: David Sellner, Kevin Vliet, Arthur Valdez