Patents by Inventor Stephen C. Toebes

Stephen C. Toebes 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).

  • Patent number: 11273981
    Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle including a transfer arm including at least one finger and a movable finger support member, at least one sensor configured to detect movement of the at least one finger, the at least one sensor having a registration member and a detection member where one of the registration member and detection member is mounted to each of the at least one finger so as to be movable with a respective one of the at least one finger and the other one of the registration member and detection member is stationary relative to the at least one finger, and a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, the controller being configured to determine a position of the at least one finger along the second direction based on a proximity of the registration member relative to the detection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Symbolic LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 11254501
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 11124361
    Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, 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 located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC LLC
    Inventors: John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
  • Patent number: 11078017
    Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle is provided. The autonomous transport vehicle includes a payload bed and a transfer arm configured to extend along a first axis to transfer a pickface to and from the payload bed, the transfer arm including fingers that are independently movable along a second axis, substantially perpendicular to the first axis for picking and placing the pickface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Stephen C. Toebes, Robert Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20210114816
    Abstract: A pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units and having an in-feed conveyor and a picking device, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the pickface builder including a frame, a pusher member movably coupled to the frame, and a snugger member movably coupled to the frame, wherein the pickface builder is configured to receive goods units from the in-feed conveyor and the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the in-feed conveyor and configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit and having a predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Robert SULLIVAN, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10875722
    Abstract: A pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units and having an in-feed conveyor and a picking device, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the pickface builder including a frame, a pusher member movably coupled to the frame, and a snugger member movably coupled to the frame, wherein the pickface builder is configured to receive goods units from the in-feed conveyor and the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the in-feed conveyor and configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit and having a predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Publication number: 20200399064
    Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes, Foster Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
  • Publication number: 20200339351
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including a storage structure with storage racks having a seating surface configured to support case units where a position of each case unit is nondeterministic for each storage location on the storage racks, each case unit has a predetermined storage position and a controller is configured to determine the predetermined storage position, a picking aisle configured to provide access to the case units within the storage structure, and a seismic disturbance restorative system including seismic disturbance motions sensors disposed on the storage racks, a seismic disturbance control module in communication with the seismic disturbance sensors and configured to identify a seismic disturbance, and an automated case mapper configured to traverse the picking aisle, the automated case mapper being in communication with and initialized by the seismic disturbance control module to identify a seated position of at least one case unit within the storage structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: ROBERT SULLIVAN, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Publication number: 20200331699
    Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a storage structure having storage shelves, each storage shelf having slats for supporting stored items where the slats are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, an autonomous transport vehicle including at least one sensor configured to sense each of the slats and output a signal indicating when a slat is sensed, and a controller for verifying a location of the autonomous transport vehicle within the storage structure based on at least the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Michael Cyrulik, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Publication number: 20200307912
    Abstract: An autonomous rover including a frame having a first end and a second end longitudinally spaced from the first end and forming a payload bay, the payload bay being sized to support a pickface, a common active registration surface configured to engage the pickface, and a drive section connected to the common active registration surface, the drive section being configured to variably position the common active registration surface relative to at least one storage shelf of an automated storage and retrieval system to effect placement of the pickface on the storage shelf so that pickfaces are substantially continuously arranged along the at least one storage shelf with a predetermined storage spacing between the pickfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Forrest Buzan, Michael Cyrulik, Aria Reynolds, Jason S. Sirois, Larry Sweet, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Timothy Perrault, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Publication number: 20200307909
    Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle including a transfer arm including at least one finger and a movable finger support member, at least one sensor configured to detect movement of the at least one finger, the at least one sensor having a registration member and a detection member where one of the registration member and detection member is mounted to each of the at least one finger so as to be movable with a respective one of the at least one finger and the other one of the registration member and detection member is stationary relative to the at least one finger, and a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, the controller being configured to determine a position of the at least one finger along the second direction based on a proximity of the registration member relative to the detection member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10759600
    Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Symbotic LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes, Foster Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
  • Patent number: 10710804
    Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system including a storage structure with storage racks having a seating surface configured to support case units where a position of each case unit is non-deterministic for each storage location on the storage racks, each case unit has a predetermined storage position and a controller is configured to determine the predetermined storage position, a picking aisle configured to provide access to the case units within the storage structure, and a seismic disturbance restorative system including seismic disturbance motions sensors disposed on the storage racks, a seismic disturbance control module in communication with the seismic disturbance sensors and configured to identify a seismic disturbance, and an automated case mapper configured to traverse the picking aisle, the automated case mapper being in communication with and initialized by the seismic disturbance control module to identify a seated position of at least one case unit within the storage structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Symbotic, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10703567
    Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: NEXTSHIFT ROBOTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Charles Grinnell, Joe Jones, John Kawola, Mary Ellen Sparrow, Stephen C. Toebes, Clara Vu, Matthew Aprea
  • Patent number: 10696479
    Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a storage structure having storage shelves, each storage shelf having slats for supporting stored items where the slats are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, an autonomous transport vehicle including at least one sensor configured to sense each of the slats and output a signal indicating when a slat is sensed, and a controller for verifying a location of the autonomous transport vehicle within the storage structure based on at least the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Michael Cyrulik, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10683169
    Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle including a transfer arm including at least one finger and a movable finger support member, at least one sensor configured to detect movement of the at least one finger, the at least one sensor having a registration member and a detection member where one of the registration member and detection member is mounted to each of the at least one finger so as to be movable with a respective one of the at least one finger and the other one of the registration member and detection member is stationary relative to the at least one finger, and a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, the controller being configured to determine a position of the at least one finger along the second direction based on a proximity of the registration member relative to the detection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Symbotic, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10683170
    Abstract: An autonomous rover including a frame having a first end and a second end longitudinally spaced from the first end and forming a payload bay, the payload bay being sized to support a pickface, a common active registration surface configured to engage the pickface, and a drive section connected to the common active registration surface, the drive section being configured to variably position the common active registration surface relative to at least one storage shelf of an automated storage and retrieval system to effect placement of the pickface on the storage shelf so that pickfaces are substantially continuously arranged along the at least one storage shelf with a predetermined storage spacing between the pickfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC, LLC
    Inventors: Forrest Buzan, Michael Cyrulik, Aria Reynolds, Jason S. Sirois, Larry Sweet, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Timothy Perrault, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Publication number: 20200062504
    Abstract: An autonomous rover including a frame having a first end and a second end longitudinally spaced from the first end and forming a payload bay, the payload bay being sized to support a pickface, a common active registration surface configured to engage the pickface, and a drive section connected to the common active registration surface, the drive section being configured to variably position the common active registration surface relative to at least one storage shelf of an automated storage and retrieval system to effect placement of the pickface on the storage shelf so that pickfaces are substantially continuously arranged along the at least one storage shelf with a predetermined storage spacing between the pickfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Forrest Buzan, Michael Cyrulik, Aria Reynolds, Jason S. Sirois, Larry Sweet, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Timothy Perrault, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10556743
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Sullivan, John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes
  • Patent number: 10457484
    Abstract: An autonomous rover including a frame having a first end and a second end longitudinally spaced from the first end and forming a payload bay, the payload bay being sized to support a pickface, a common active registration surface configured to engage the pickface, and a drive section connected to the common active registration surface, the drive section being configured to variably position the common active registration surface relative to at least one storage shelf of an automated storage and retrieval system to effect placement of the pickface on the storage shelf so that pickfaces are substantially continuously arranged along the at least one storage shelf with a predetermined storage spacing between the pickfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SYMBOTIC, LLC
    Inventors: Forrest Buzan, Michael Cyrulik, Aria Reynolds, Jason S. Sirois, Larry Sweet, Edward A. MacDonald, Taylor A. Apgar, Timothy Perrault, Stephen C. Toebes