Patents by Inventor Matthew J. Otto

Matthew J. Otto 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: 20200290805
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10710805
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10689193
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20200122924
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a picking attachment is secured to a fork carriage assembly and comprising an X-Y-Z-? positioner to engage and disengage a target tote such that movement of the picking attachment along a Z axis by the X-Y-Z-? positioner is independent of movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z? by the mast assembly and mast assembly control unit. The fork carriage assembly may comprise a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks, and an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10543983
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a picking attachment is secured to a fork carriage assembly and comprising an X-Y-Z-? positioner to engage and disengage a target tote such that movement of the picking attachment along a Z axis by the X-Y-Z-? positioner is independent of movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z? by the mast assembly and mast assembly control unit. The fork carriage assembly may comprise a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks, and an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20190367273
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a hand-held drive unit comprising a user interface and an operational command generator responsive to the user interface. The hand-held drive unit is configured to send operational commands generated in response to user input at the user interface to the vehicular controller(s) to control operational functions of the traction control unit, the braking system, the steering assembly, the mast assembly, the picking attachment, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10421609
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a hand-held drive unit comprising a user interface and an operational command generator responsive to the user interface. The hand-held drive unit is configured to send operational commands generated in response to user input at the user interface to the vehicular controller(s) to control operational functions of the traction control unit, the braking system, the steering assembly, the mast assembly, the picking attachment, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20190276234
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20190270588
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10351346
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20190092569
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a goods storage and retrieval system, comprising a multilevel warehouse racking system, a mobile storage cart, a cart home position, and a materials handling vehicle disposed on a vehicle transit surface and comprising a fork carriage assembly, a navigation subsystem, a cart engagement subsystem, and one or more vehicular controllers to use the navigation subsystem to navigate the materials handling vehicle along the vehicle transit surface to a localized engagement position where the cart home position is within a cart engagement field of view, and use the cart engagement subsystem to engage the mobile storage cart in the cart home position with the fork carriage assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Patent number: 10106321
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a goods storage and retrieval system, comprising a multilevel warehouse racking system, a mobile storage cart, a cart home position, and a materials handling vehicle disposed on a vehicle transit surface and comprising a fork carriage assembly, a navigation subsystem, a cart engagement subsystem, and one or more vehicular controllers to use the navigation subsystem to navigate the materials handling vehicle along the vehicle transit surface to a localized engagement position where the cart home position is within a cart engagement field of view, and use the cart engagement subsystem to engage the mobile storage cart in the cart home position with the fork carriage assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20180057328
    Abstract: A battery transfer apparatus for loading/unloading batteries from materials handling vehicles includes a mobile unit and a battery stand. The mobile unit is used to transport batteries into/out of materials handling vehicles and includes load handling structure comprising at least one roller, which is used to roll batteries into/out of materials handling vehicles. A top wall of the battery stand includes at least one opening and support structure of the battery stand engages a surface so as to support the battery stand thereon. The battery stand is engaged by the mobile unit during battery transfer operations by inserting the roller(s) up through the opening(s) in the top wall of the battery stand such that the roller(s) can engage the battery through the opening(s). The battery stand is capable of storing the battery while the battery is out of the materials handling vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Jess D. Gilland, Matthew J. Otto, Craig J. Rekow, Chad T. Sollmann, Gary L. Topp
  • Patent number: 9850114
    Abstract: A battery transfer apparatus for loading/unloading batteries from materials handling vehicles includes a mobile unit and a battery stand. The mobile unit is used to transport batteries into/out of materials handling vehicles and includes load handling structure comprising at least one roller, which is used to roll batteries into/out of materials handling vehicles. A top wall of the battery stand includes at least one opening and support structure of the battery stand engages a surface so as to support the battery stand thereon. The battery stand is engaged by the mobile unit during battery transfer operations by inserting the roller(s) up through the opening(s) in the top wall of the battery stand such that the roller(s) can engage the battery through the opening(s). The battery stand is capable of storing the battery while the battery is out of the materials handling vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Jess D. Gilland, Matthew J. Otto, Craig J. Rekow, Chad T. Sollmann, Gary L. Topp
  • Publication number: 20170334696
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a hand-held drive unit comprising a user interface and an operational command generator responsive to the user interface. The hand-held drive unit is configured to send operational commands generated in response to user input at the user interface to the vehicular controller(s) to control operational functions of the traction control unit, the braking system, the steering assembly, the mast assembly, the picking attachment, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20170334645
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a goods storage and retrieval system, comprising a multilevel warehouse racking system, a mobile storage cart, a cart home position, and a materials handling vehicle disposed on a vehicle transit surface and comprising a fork carriage assembly, a navigation subsystem, a cart engagement subsystem, and one or more vehicular controllers to use the navigation subsystem to navigate the materials handling vehicle along the vehicle transit surface to a localized engagement position where the cart home position is within a cart engagement field of view, and use the cart engagement subsystem to engage the mobile storage cart in the cart home position with the fork carriage assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20170334644
    Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a picking attachment is secured to a fork carriage assembly and comprising an X-Y-Z-? positioner to engage and disengage a target tote such that movement of the picking attachment along a Z axis by the X-Y-Z-? positioner is independent of movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z? by the mast assembly and mast assembly control unit. The fork carriage assembly may comprise a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks, and an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20170203920
    Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Otto, Gregory S. Garmann, Mark E. Addison
  • Publication number: 20120315117
    Abstract: A battery transfer apparatus for loading/unloading batteries from materials handling vehicles includes a mobile unit and a battery stand. The mobile unit is used to transport batteries into/out of materials handling vehicles and includes load handling structure comprising at least one roller, which is used to roll batteries into/out of materials handling vehicles. A top wall of the battery stand includes at least one opening and support structure of the battery stand engages a surface so as to support the battery stand thereon. The battery stand is engaged by the mobile unit during battery transfer operations by inserting the roller(s) up through the opening(s) in the top wall of the battery stand such that the roller(s) can engage the battery through the opening(s). The battery stand is capable of storing the battery while the battery is out of the materials handling vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: CROWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jess D. Gilland, Matthew J. Otto, Craig J. Rekow, Chad T. Sollmann, Gary L. Topp
  • Patent number: D746013
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Craig J. Rekow, Trisha M. Luthman, Roger J. Quinlan, Matthew J. Otto, Jason L. Seitz