Patents by Inventor Robert Hsiung

Robert Hsiung 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: 20240051754
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a lift includes at least one load handling device configured so as to reciprocate along a lift axis, the load handling device including a frame forming a payload section with a payload support surface having a common elevation configured to hold one or more pickfaces at the common elevation of the payload support surface, at least one transfer arm movably mounted to the frame, and a drive section connected to the load handling device and being configured to move the load handling device along the lift axis, wherein the one or more pickfaces carried in unison by the payload support surface of the at least one load handling device, define an order sequence of pickfaces on the at least one load handling device according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed cases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, William JOHNSON, JR., Edward A. MACDONALD, Larry M. SWEET
  • Patent number: 11893533
    Abstract: A product order fulfillment system includes multiple decks arrayed at different levels and defining multilevel decks, at least one autonomous transport vehicle on each of the decks, and configured for holding and transporting a pickface on each deck, at least one lift, traversing and connecting more than one level of the decks, and arranged for lifting and lowering the pickface from the decks, and at least one pickface transfer station on each deck interfacing between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift to effect transfer of the pickface between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift, the at least one lift defines a fulfillment stream of mixed case pickfaces outbound from the multilevel decks to a load fill, at least one stream of the fulfillment stream has an ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces wherein the ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces is based on another fulfilment stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 11787634
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a lift includes at least one load handling device configured so as to reciprocate along a lift axis, the load handling device including a frame forming a payload section with a payload support surface having a common elevation configured to hold one or more pickfaces at the common elevation of the payload support surface, at least one transfer arm movably mounted to the frame, and a drive section connected to the load handling device and being configured to move the load handling device along the lift axis, wherein the one or more pickfaces carried in unison by the payload support surface of the at least one load handling device, define an order sequence of pickfaces on the at least one load handling device according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, William Johnson, Jr., Edward A. Macdonald, Larry M. Sweet
  • Publication number: 20230242340
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Robert Sullivan, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 11634279
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes, at least one vertically reciprocating lift, and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one vertically reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one vertically reciprocating and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Edward A. MacDonald, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 11623822
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Kirill K. Pankratov, Robert Sullivan, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 11562321
    Abstract: A product order fulfillment system includes multiple decks arrayed at different levels and defining multilevel decks, at least one autonomous transport vehicle on each of the decks, and configured for holding and transporting a pickface on each deck, at least one lift, traversing and connecting more than one level of the decks, and arranged for lifting and lowering the pickface from the decks, and at least one pickface transfer station on each deck interfacing between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift to effect transfer of the pickface between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift, the at least one lift defines a fulfillment stream of mixed case pickfaces outbound from the multilevel decks to a load fill, at least one stream of the fulfillment stream has an ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces wherein the ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces is based on another fulfilment stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Larry M. Sweet
  • Publication number: 20220177225
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Robert Sullivan, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 11254502
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Kirill K. Pankratov, Robert Sullivan, Larry M. Sweet
  • Publication number: 20210292092
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a lift includes at least one load handling device configured so as to reciprocate along a lift axis, the load handling device including a frame forming a payload section with a payload support surface having a common elevation configured to hold one or more pickfaces at the common elevation of the payload support surface, at least one transfer arm movably mounted to the frame, and a drive section connected to the load handling device and being configured to move the load handling device along the lift axis, wherein the one or more pickfaces carried in unison by the payload support surface of the at least one load handling device, define an order sequence of pickfaces on the at least one load handling device according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed cases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, William JOHNSON, JR., Edward A. MACDONALD, Larry M. SWEET
  • Publication number: 20210229914
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes, at least one vertically reciprocating lift, and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one vertically reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one vertically reciprocating and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, Edward A. MACDONALD, Larry M. SWEET
  • Publication number: 20210147146
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Kirill K. Pankratov, Robert Sullivan, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 10974897
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes, at least one reciprocating lift, and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one reciprocating and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Edward A. Macdonald, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 10954066
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a lift includes at least one load handling device configured so as to reciprocate along a lift axis, the load handling device including a frame forming a payload section with a payload support surface having a common elevation configured to hold one or more pickfaces at the common elevation of the payload support surface, at least one transfer arm movably mounted to the frame, and a drive section connected to the load handling device and being configured to move the load handling device along the lift axis, wherein the one or more pickfaces carried in unison by the payload support surface of the at least one load handling device, define an order sequence of pickfaces on the at least one load handling device according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Symbolic LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, William Johnson, Jr., Edward A. MacDonald, Larry M. Sweet
  • Publication number: 20210073721
    Abstract: A product order fulfillment system includes multiple decks arrayed at different levels and defining multilevel decks, at least one autonomous transport vehicle on each of the decks, and configured for holding and transporting a pickface on each deck, at least one lift, traversing and connecting more than one level of the decks, and arranged for lifting and lowering the pickface from the decks, and at least one pickface transfer station on each deck interfacing between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift to effect transfer of the pickface between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift, the at least one lift defines a fulfillment stream of mixed case pickfaces outbound from the multilevel decks to a load fill, at least one stream of the fulfillment stream has an ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces wherein the ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces is based on another fulfilment stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, Larry M. SWEET
  • Patent number: 10850921
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Kirill K. Pankratov, Robert Sullivan, Larry M. Sweet
  • Patent number: 10839347
    Abstract: A product order fulfillment system includes multiple decks arrayed at different levels and defining multilevel decks, at least one autonomous transport vehicle on each of the decks, and configured for holding and transporting a pickface on each deck, at least one lift, traversing and connecting more than one level of the decks, and arranged for lifting and lowering the pickface from the decks, and at least one pickface transfer station on each deck interfacing between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift to effect transfer of the pickface between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift, the at least one lift defines a fulfillment stream of mixed case pickfaces outbound from the multilevel decks to a load fill, at least one stream of the fulfillment stream has an ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces wherein the ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces is based on another fulfilment stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Larry M. Sweet
  • Publication number: 20200143317
    Abstract: A product order fulfillment system includes multiple decks arrayed at different levels and defining multilevel decks, at least one autonomous transport vehicle on each of the decks, and configured for holding and transporting a pickface on each deck, at least one lift, traversing and connecting more than one level of the decks, and arranged for lifting and lowering the pickface from the decks, and at least one pickface transfer station on each deck interfacing between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift to effect transfer of the pickface between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift, the at least one lift defines a fulfillment stream of mixed case pickfaces outbound from the multilevel decks to a load fill, at least one stream of the fulfillment stream has an ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces wherein the ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces is based on another fulfilment stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, Larry M. SWEET
  • Patent number: 10521767
    Abstract: A product order fulfillment system includes multiple decks arrayed at different levels and defining multilevel decks, at least one autonomous transport vehicle on each of the decks, and configured for holding and transporting a pickface on each deck, at least one lift, traversing and connecting more than one level of the decks, and arranged for lifting and lowering the pickface from the decks, and at least one pickface transfer station on each deck interfacing between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift to effect transfer of the pickface between the transport vehicle and the at least one lift, the at least one lift defines a fulfillment stream of mixed case pickfaces outbound from the multilevel decks to a load fill, at least one stream of the fulfillment stream has an ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces wherein the ordered sequence of streaming pickfaces is based on another fulfillment stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Symbotic, LLC
    Inventors: Kirill K. Pankratov, Juergen D. Conrad, Robert Hsiung, Larry M. Sweet
  • Publication number: 20190256289
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment, a lift includes at least one load handling device configured so as to reciprocate along a lift axis, the load handling device including a frame forming a payload section with a payload support surface having a common elevation configured to hold one or more pickfaces at the common elevation of the payload support surface, at least one transfer arm movably mounted to the frame, and a drive section connected to the load handling device and being configured to move the load handling device along the lift axis, wherein the one or more pickfaces carried in unison by the payload support surface of the at least one load handling device, define an order sequence of pickfaces on the at least one load handling device according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed cases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Kirill K. PANKRATOV, Juergen D. CONRAD, Robert HSIUNG, William JOHNSON, Jr., Edward A. MACDONALD, Larry M. SWEET