Patents by Inventor Christopher Frank Eckman

Christopher Frank Eckman 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).

  • Publication number: 20210133666
    Abstract: In one implementation, a system for automatically profiling pallets includes a frame defining an opening that is sized and shaped for a pallet to pass through, and cameras mounted to the frame, the cameras being configured to capture images of a pallet as it passes through the frame. The system further includes a profiling computer system that is configured to receive the images captured by the cameras and to automatically profile the pallet based, at least in part, on analysis of the images. Automatically profiling the pallet includes generating a point cloud representing the pallet based on the images, determining a size of the pallet based on the point cloud generated from images of the pallet, identifying contents of the pallet based on the images, and providing pallet information identifying, at least, the size and contents of the pallet to a warehouse management system in association with the pallet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher Frank Eckman, Aalam Shaikh, Chris McMurrough, James Staud, Caitlin Voegele, Tony Taurone, Daniel Thomas Wintz, Maxwell Micali, Charles Inokon, Michael Buenger, Elliott Gerard Wolf
  • Patent number: 10984378
    Abstract: In one implementation, a system for automatically profiling pallets includes a frame defining an opening that is sized and shaped for a pallet to pass through, and cameras mounted to the frame, the cameras being configured to capture images of a pallet as it passes through the frame. The system further includes a profiling computer system that is configured to receive the images captured by the cameras and to automatically profile the pallet based, at least in part, on analysis of the images. Automatically profiling the pallet includes generating a point cloud representing the pallet based on the images, determining a size of the pallet based on the point cloud generated from images of the pallet, identifying contents of the pallet based on the images, and providing pallet information identifying, at least, the size and contents of the pallet to a warehouse management system in association with the pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignees: Lineage Logistics, LLC, Cloud 9 Perception, LP
    Inventors: Christopher Frank Eckman, Aalam Shaikh, Chris McMurrough, James Staud, Caitlin Voegele, Tony Taurone, Daniel Thomas Wintz, Maxwell Micali, Charles Inokon, Michael Buenger, Elliott Gerard Wolf
  • Publication number: 20210061562
    Abstract: This document generally describes warehousing systems that can, in certain instances, improve the efficiency of warehousing operations and improve utilization of available space in a warehousing facility. The warehousing system may be implemented in an automated warehouse, such as an automated cold-storage facility, that uses programmable equipment to automate tasks associated with warehousing operations, such as transporting inbound storage items to specified storage positions of storage racks in the warehouse and removing outbound storage items from storage so that they may be loaded onto trucks for delivery away from the warehouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Elliott Gerard Wolf, Christopher Frank Eckman, Brian Gutschow
  • Publication number: 20210055578
    Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for heating a lens to mitigate fogging. The methods can include identifying a temperature of the lens, identifying an ambient temperature of an environment of the lens, determining whether the lens is susceptible to fogging based at least on the temperature of the lens and the ambient temperature of the environment of the lens, and in response to determining that the lens is susceptible to fogging, causing a heating element to apply heat to the lens to mitigate fogging of the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Patent number: 10913606
    Abstract: An automated warehouse system can include automated pallet movers, a physical space in which the automated pallet movers operate, and a control system to provide commands to each of the automated pallet movers for operating in the physical space. The commands can include a pallet transportation command including a pallet identifier of a pallet to be transported by the automated pallet mover in the physical space, and a destination location to which the pallet is to be transported by the automated pallet mover. The commands can also include a control algorithm command that specifies a control algorithm for moving through the physical space. The automated pallet mover can be configured to transport the pallet to the destination location according to a route resulting from performance of the control algorithm, while other automated pallet movers concurrently transport other pallets to other destination locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Lineage Logistics, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Frank Eckman, Daniël Walet, Frank Baijens
  • Patent number: 10809727
    Abstract: A layer pick system optimizes usage of a layer picker gantry or robotic arm by arranging and/or displacing the gantry or arm in optimal locations with respect to one or more groups of pallets, and/or by grouping pallets by their attributes and arranging the same group of pallets close to each other. In some implementations, a plurality of pallets is categorized into multiple groups by different velocities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Lineage Logistics, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Frank Eckman, Daniël Walet, Elliott Gerard Wolf, Frank Baijens, Sudarsan Thattai
  • Publication number: 20200319648
    Abstract: A layer pick system optimizes usage of a layer picker gantry or robotic arm by arranging and/or displacing the gantry or arm in optimal locations with respect to one or more groups of pallets, and/or by grouping pallets by their attributes and arranging the same group of pallets close to each other. In some implementations, a plurality of pallets is categorized into multiple groups by different velocities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Publication number: 20200317449
    Abstract: An automated warehouse system can include automated pallet movers, a physical space in which the automated pallet movers operate, and a control system to provide commands to each of the automated pallet movers for operating in the physical space. The commands can include a pallet transportation command including a pallet identifier of a pallet to be transported by the automated pallet mover in the physical space, and a destination location to which the pallet is to be transported by the automated pallet mover. The commands can also include a control algorithm command that specifies a control algorithm for moving through the physical space. The automated pallet mover can be configured to transport the pallet to the destination location according to a route resulting from performance of the control algorithm, while other automated pallet movers concurrently transport other pallets to other destination locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Frank Baijens, Daniel Walet, Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Patent number: 10768450
    Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for heating a lens to mitigate fogging. The methods can include identifying a temperature of the lens, identifying an ambient temperature of an environment of the lens, determining whether the lens is susceptible to fogging based at least on the temperature of the lens and the ambient temperature of the environment of the lens, and in response to determining that the lens is susceptible to fogging, causing a heating element to apply heat to the lens to mitigate fogging of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Lineage Logistics, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Publication number: 20200218912
    Abstract: This specification generally discloses technology for tracking vehicle positions in a warehouse environment. A system receives stereoscopic image data from a camera on a forklift, in some implementations. The system recognizes an object that is represented in the stereoscopic image data, identifies a representation of the recognized object in a spatial model that identifies, for each of a plurality of objects in an environment, a corresponding location of the object in the environment, determines the location of the recognized object in the environment, determines a relative position between the forklift and the recognized object, based on a portion of the received stereoscopic image data that represents the recognized object, and determines a location of the forklift in the environment, based on the determined location of the recognized object in the environment, and the determined relative position between the forklift and the recognized object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Patent number: 10528828
    Abstract: This specification generally discloses technology for tracking vehicle positions in a warehouse environment. A system receives stereoscopic image data from a camera on a forklift, in some implementations. The system recognizes an object that is represented in the stereoscopic image data, identifies a representation of the recognized object in a spatial model that identifies, for each of a plurality of objects in an environment, a corresponding location of the object in the environment, determines the location of the recognized object in the environment, determines a relative position between the forklift and the recognized object, based on a portion of the received stereoscopic image data that represents the recognized object, and determines a location of the forklift in the environment, based on the determined location of the recognized object in the environment, and the determined relative position between the forklift and the recognized object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Lineage Logistics, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Publication number: 20190370567
    Abstract: This specification generally discloses technology for tracking vehicle positions in a warehouse environment. A system receives stereoscopic image data from a camera on a forklift, in some implementations. The system recognizes an object that is represented in the stereoscopic image data, identifies a representation of the recognized object in a spatial model that identifies, for each of a plurality of objects in an environment, a corresponding location of the object in the environment, determines the location of the recognized object in the environment, determines a relative position between the forklift and the recognized object, based on a portion of the received stereoscopic image data that represents the recognized object, and determines a location of the forklift in the environment, based on the determined location of the recognized object in the environment, and the determined relative position between the forklift and the recognized object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Publication number: 20190213530
    Abstract: A system for optimizing storage racks in a warehouse that includes a plurality of storage racks that each include one or more horizontal bars that are adjustable along a plurality of elevations on the storage racks, placement of the one or more horizontal bars defining a plurality of rack openings within each storage racks; a historical inventory database that is programmed to store historical inventory data for the warehouse, the historical inventory data identifying pallets stored in the warehouse and times at which the pallets were stored; and a computer system including one or more processors that are programmed to determine a pallet distribution profile for the warehouse, to determine a plurality of rack types and quantity of rack types for the warehouse, and to designate each of the plurality of storage racks as one of the plurality of rack types to generate a rack arrangement for the warehouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Elliott Gerard Wolf, Christopher Frank Eckman, Alexander James Woolf
  • Patent number: 10242273
    Abstract: This specification generally discloses technology for tracking vehicle positions in a warehouse environment. A system receives stereoscopic image data from a camera on a forklift, in some implementations. The system recognizes an object that is represented in the stereoscopic image data, identifies a representation of the recognized object in a spatial model that identifies, for each of a plurality of objects in an environment, a corresponding location of the object in the environment, determines the location of the recognized object in the environment, determines a relative position between the forklift and the recognized object, based on a portion of the received stereoscopic image data that represents the recognized object, and determines a location of the forklift in the environment, based on the determined location of the recognized object in the environment, and the determined relative position between the forklift and the recognized object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Lineage Logistics, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Frank Eckman
  • Patent number: 10019693
    Abstract: A system for optimizing storage racks in a warehouse that includes a plurality of storage racks that each include one or more horizontal bars that are adjustable along a plurality of elevations on the storage racks, placement of the one or more horizontal bars defining a plurality of rack openings within each storage racks; a historical inventory database that is programmed to store historical inventory data for the warehouse, the historical inventory data identifying pallets stored in the warehouse and times at which the pallets were stored; and a computer system including one or more processors that are programmed to determine a pallet distribution profile for the warehouse, to determine a plurality of rack types and quantity of rack types for the warehouse, and to designate each of the plurality of storage racks as one of the plurality of rack types to generate a rack arrangement for the warehouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Lineage Logistics, LLC
    Inventors: Elliott Gerard Wolf, Christopher Frank Eckman, Alexander James Woolf
  • Publication number: 20170091704
    Abstract: A system for optimizing storage racks in a warehouse that includes a plurality of storage racks that each include one or more horizontal bars that are adjustable along a plurality of elevations on the storage racks, placement of the one or more horizontal bars defining a plurality of rack openings within each storage racks; a historical inventory database that is programmed to store historical inventory data for the warehouse, the historical inventory data identifying pallets stored in the warehouse and times at which the pallets were stored; and a computer system including one or more processors that are programmed to determine a pallet distribution profile for the warehouse, to determine a plurality of rack types and quantity of rack types for the warehouse, and to designate each of the plurality of storage racks as one of the plurality of rack types to generate a rack arrangement for the warehouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Elliott Gerard Wolf, Christopher Frank Eckman, Alexander James Woolf