Patent Application
20220297869
An environment in which inventories of objects are managed, such as products for purchase in a retail environment or wholesale environment, may be complex and fluid. Such an environment may include a retail facility, a warehouse facility, and/or a transportation environment, among other examples. Organizations that manage the environment may maintain a wide variety of products disposed on support structures (e.g., shelves or other types of platforms), which bear labels containing product information (e.g., prices, barcodes, and/or identification information). The modification of products within the retail facility, the selection of products on the shelves, and/or the formatting of the labels, may change over time. Such changes require previous labels to be replaced with new labels. Therefore, there is a need to generate and/or create labels that can be used to replace old labels.
In some implementations, a method for applying an adhesive to a label includes detecting that the label has been received within an adhesive application zone of the robotic device; removing, via a first mechanism, a portion of the label from the adhesive application zone; conveying, via a second mechanism, an adhesive, of an adhesive-carrying tape, to the adhesive application zone; positioning, via the first mechanism, the portion of the label within the adhesive application zone after the adhesive is positioned within the adhesive application zone; pressing, via a third mechanism, the portion of the label to the adhesive to apply the adhesive to the label; and configuring the label to be adhered to a receiving surface via the adhesive.
In some implementations, a controller of a robotic device includes one or more memories; and one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to: detect that a label has been output from a printing device of the robotic device; cause a first mechanism to grasp the label; cause a second mechanism to move an adhesive, of an adhesive-carrying tape, into an adhesive application zone; cause the first mechanism to position the label within the adhesive application zone; cause a third mechanism to apply pressure between the label and adhesive to adhere the adhesive to the label; and cause the first mechanism to remove the label from the adhesive application zone to transfer the adhesive to the label in order to form an adhesive label.
In some implementations, a robotic device includes a printing device; a grasping instrument; a positioning instrument mechanically coupled to the grasping instrument; a conveyor instrument; a stamping instrument; and a controller configured to: detect that the printing device printed a label; cause the grasping instrument to grasp the label; cause the conveyor instrument to convey an adhesive on an adhesive-carrying tape to an adhesive application zone; cause the positioning instrument to position the label within the adhesive application zone after the adhesive is positioned within the adhesive application zone; cause the stamping instrument to press the label to the adhesive to form an adhesive label from the label and the adhesive; and cause the positioning instrument to configure the adhesive label for application to a receiving surface.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate implementations of concepts disclosed herein, and explain various principles and advantages of those implementations.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of implementations described herein.
The apparatus and method elements have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the implementations described herein so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
The following detailed description of example implementations refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.
In some instances, an adhesive is attached to a material (e.g., paper, plastic, metal, or another type of material) to permit the material to be attached to another object (e.g., a receiving structure) or to permit the material to hold or support another object via the adhesive. For example, in a retail or other similar environment, an adhesive may be attached to a label to permit the label to be disposed on a receiving structure, such as a shelf holding a product. In such a case, the label may include and/or indicate product information associated with the product. In some cases, a new label (e.g., a replacement label for the product or the shelf) is to be printed and/or created on or within a mobile (and/or navigable) device (e.g., an autonomous robotic device and/or a semi-autonomous robotic device) that is configured to replace and/or overlay an existing label associated with the product (e.g., to indicate a price change for the product, a new identifier of the product, that a different product is on the shelf, etc.). Accordingly, there is a need for an adhesive to be applied to a printed label within a mobile device to form an adhesive label.
Some implementations described herein provide a robotic device that is configured to apply an adhesive to a printed label to permit the robotic device to apply the printed label to a receiving structure. The adhesive may include a pressure-sensitive hot melt adhesive (e.g., GLUE DOTS® or another similar adhesive) that is maintained on an adhesive-carrying tape installed on the robotic device (e.g., on a conveyor of the robotic device, as described herein). The robotic device may include multiple mechanisms for handling a label (e.g., a newly printed label from a printing device of the robotic device), positioning the adhesive to be applied to the label (e.g., transferred from the adhesive-carrying tape to the label), pressing the label to the adhesive to apply the adhesive to the label and form an adhesive label, and configuring the adhesive label for application on a receiving structure.
In this way, the robotic device can permit on-demand and/or dynamic labelling for a receiving structure by enabling local creation of a label on the robotic device and/or automated application of an adhesive to the label to permit the label to be adhered to a receiving structure. In some instances, the robotic device may be configured to print and/or form an adhesive label when the robotic device is within a threshold distance of the receiving structure (e.g., in a same facility, in a same area of a facility, and/or within a distance defined by a length of a robotic arm of the robotic device). Accordingly, the robotic device may conserve computing resources (e.g. processor resources and/or memory resources) and/or power resources (e.g., battery power and/or fuel) that would otherwise be required to travel or navigate to a stationary printer and/or a stationary machine device that is configured to apply an adhesive to a label to obtain an adhesive label for the receiving structure.
In
As shown in
In some implementations, based on receiving the label information, the robotic device may navigate to the receiving surface and/or position the robotic device at a location that permits the robotic device to apply an adhesive label to the receiving surface. The robotic device may move into position based on position information (e.g., aisle, shelf, and/or bin information) and/or instructions from the label management platform within the label information. Accordingly, based on processing the label information and/or identifying an aisle, shelf, and/or bin location of the label, the controller may maneuver the robotic device into a position that permits the robotic arm to access the receiving surface.
As further shown in
As further shown in
In some implementations, after grasping the label, the controller may cause the label handler to move the label into a position that permits the adhesive to be received within the adhesive application zone without interference from the label (e.g., based on the label obstructing a path of an adhesive-carrying tape that is supplied with the adhesive). For example, the controller may cause a positioning instrument of the label handler to remove the label from the adhesive application zone by lifting the grasping instrument. The positioning instrument may remove the label by lifting the grasping instrument. For example, the positioning instrument may rotate a lifting arm (e.g., using a servo motor or other type of electric motor) by rotating a lifting arm of the positioning instrument to a particular angle relative to a surface of the adhesive application zone (e.g., a 15 degree angle or other angle within a threshold range that removes the label from the adhesive application zone so that the label does not interfere with an adhesive-carrying tape that includes an adhesive to be applied to the label).
In some implementations, based on grasping the label toward an end (or edge) of the label, the label handler may remove a portion of the label from the adhesive application zone (e.g., a portion toward the end of the label that was grasped and/or a portion under which the adhesive is to be conveyed into the adhesive application zone). As shown, the label handler may grasp the label at an end that is toward the printing device to permit the adhesive application zone to be supplied with an adhesive on an adhesive-carrying tape in an area of the adhesive application zone that is toward the printing device.
As further shown in
The adhesive is attached to the adhesive-carrying tape as individual units. For example, the adhesive may include one or more adhesive units of a pressure-sensitive hot melt adhesive (e.g., one or more GLUE DOTS® or other similar adhesives). In some implementations, the robotic device conveys a fixed length (e.g., a length that is based on a distance between one or more adhesive units that are longitudinally aligned along the adhesive-carrying tape) of the adhesive-carrying tape through the adhesive application zone to move the adhesive into the adhesive application zone. Additionally, or alternatively, the length of the adhesive-carrying tape that the controller moves through the adhesive application zone may be based on a size of the label and/or an arrangement of the adhesive units on the adhesive-carrying tape. For example, more adhesive units may be adhered to relatively larger labels (e.g., to permit the larger label to receive stronger adhesive properties) than to relatively smaller labels (e.g., which do not require as strong of adhesive properties as the larger label, thereby permitting the robotic device to conserve adhesive units and/or resources of the robotic device that would otherwise be wasted by applying unnecessary adhesive units to the label). The controller may use a sensor to verify that a desired amount of adhesive (e.g., a desired quantity of adhesive units) are in the adhesive application zone before causing the adhesive conveyor to stop conveying the adhesive-carrying tape through the adhesive application zone.
As further shown in
As further shown in
In some implementations, the adhesive applicator may be mounted on or within the robotic device toward the printing device (e.g., on a side of the adhesive application zone that is toward, adjacent, or nearest the printing device). In this way, the adhesive application may apply pressure on a portion of the label that is toward the printing device and/or that was previously lifted from the adhesive application zone to permit the adhesive application zone to be supplied with the adhesive.
As further shown in
In this way, the robotic device may form an adhesive label from a combination of the label and the adhesive. In some implementations, the robotic device may configure the adhesive label for application by causing the positioning instrument to move (e.g., lift) the adhesive label into a position that is accessible to the robotic arm and to permit the robotic arm to apply the adhesive label to the receiving surface. In some implementations, after the adhesive is applied to the label (e.g., after the label is peeled from the adhesive-carrying tape to form the adhesive label), the controller may cause the label handler to return to a default position to receive another label that is to receive other units of the adhesive from the adhesive-carrying tape, as described herein.
As further shown in
In this way, the robotic device may be configured to locally create an adhesive label that can be formed from a locally printed label and an adhesive. Therefore, the robotic device may include an adhesive label application system that permits the adhesive to applied to locally printed labels and conserves resources that would have otherwise been consumed retrieving a printed label and/or an adhesive label from a stationary printer and/or a machine that supplies adhesive labels.
As indicated above,
The arrangement 200 includes a grasping instrument 208 (e.g., the grasping instrument of a label handler described elsewhere herein). The grasping instrument 208 may be configured to grasp a label as the label is printed and/or after the label is printed and provided to an adhesive application zone 210 (e.g., an adhesive application zone described elsewhere herein) of the arrangement 200. The grasping instrument 208 may be communicatively coupled to a positioning instrument 212 (e.g., the positioning instrument of the label handler described elsewhere herein) that is configured to move (as shown by reference arrows 214) the grasping instrument 208 (and correspondingly a label grasped by the grasping instrument 208).
The arrangement 200 includes one or more conveyor instruments 216. The conveyor instrument 216 is configured to cause an adhesive-carrying tape installed on the conveyor instrument 216 to move as shown by reference arrows 218). The conveyor instrument 216, as shown, when outfitted with an adhesive-carrying tape supplied with an adhesive, may move the adhesive across or through the adhesive application zone 210, as described elsewhere herein.
The arrangement 200 includes a stamping instrument 220 (e.g., a stamping instrument of an adhesive applicator described elsewhere herein). The stamping instrument 220 is configured to move (as shown by reference arrows 222) to apply pressure to a label and/or an adhesive and/or release pressure from the label and/or adhesive to permit an adhesive label to be formed.
In some implementations, after the stamping instrument 220 applies pressure to the label and the adhesive, the positioning instrument may move (e.g., toward the upward arrow) to peel the adhesive from an adhesive-carrying tape that supplied the adhesive to the adhesive application zone 210.
Accordingly, the arrangement 200 may be configured within a robotic device (e.g., in combination with a printing device) to create an adhesive label (e.g., formed by a combination of the label and the adhesive). In this way, the adhesive label application system is configured to effectively adhere the adhesive to the label within a relatively condensed space (e.g., within a robot that is small enough to fit between aisles of a retail facility, warehouse facility, or the like).
As indicated above,
The robotic device 310 includes one or more devices and/or mechanisms for creating and/or applying an adhesive label to a receiving structure. The controller 340 may include one or more devices (e.g., one or more processors, one or more memories, and/or the like) that are capable of controlling one or more components of the robotic device 310, as described elsewhere herein. Accordingly, the controller 340 may include and/or control the adhesive label application system 350 (e.g., to create an adhesive label), the robotic arm 360 (e.g., to apply the adhesive label to a receiving structure), and/or the mobility system 370 (e.g., to maneuver the robotic device 310 to a location of the receiving structure), as described herein.
The printing device 352 may include any suitable type of printer for printing a label, as described herein. For example, the printing device may include a laser printer and/or an inkjet printer, among other examples. The label handler 354 may include one or more mechanisms (e.g., one or more motorized mechanisms and/or one or more hydraulic mechanisms) for handling (e.g., holding and/or positioning) a label. For example, the label handler 354 may include the grasping instrument and/or positioning instrument described in connection with
The robotic arm 360 includes one or more mechanisms for obtaining and/or transferring the adhesive label to a receiving structure, as described herein. The mobility system 370 includes one or more devices, components, and/or mechanisms for physically maneuvering the robotic device 310 to a location (e.g., a location of the receiving structure) and/or into a particular position (e.g., a position that permits the robotic arm 360 to reach the receiving structure and/or apply the adhesive label to the receiving structure). The sensor system 380 includes one or more sensors that provide sensor data to the controller 340 to permit the controller 340 to control the robotic device 310 according to the sensor data. For example, the sensor system 380 may include a camera, a location sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a local positioning system (LPS) device (e.g., that uses triangulation, multi-lateration, etc.), and/or the like), a gyroscope (e.g., a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope or a similar type of device), an accelerometer, a speed sensor, a motion sensor, an infrared sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and/or the like.
The label management system 320, includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and/or providing information associated with an adhesive label that permits the robotic device to form the adhesive label and/or apply the adhesive label to a receiving structure, as described elsewhere herein. The label management system 320 may include a communication device and/or a computing device. For example, the label management system 320 may include a server, such as an application server, a client server, a web server, a database server, a host server, a proxy server, a virtual server (e.g., executing on computing hardware), or a server in a cloud computing system. In some implementations, the label management system 320 includes computing hardware used in a cloud computing environment.
The network 330 includes one or more wired and/or wireless networks. For example, the network 330 may include a wireless wide area network (e.g., a cellular network or a public land mobile network), a local area network (e.g., a wired local area network or a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network), a personal area network (e.g., a Bluetooth network), a near-field communication network, a telephone network, a private network, the Internet, and/or a combination of these or other types of networks. The network 330 enables communication among the devices of environment 300.
The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in
Bus 410 includes a component that enables wired and/or wireless communication among the components of device 400. Processor 420 includes a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a field-programmable gate array, an application-specific integrated circuit, and/or another type of processing component. Processor 420 is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. In some implementations, processor 420 includes one or more processors capable of being programmed to perform a function. Memory 430 includes a random access memory, a read only memory, and/or another type of memory (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and/or an optical memory).
Storage component 440 stores information and/or software related to the operation of device 400. For example, storage component 440 may include a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, a solid state disk drive, a compact disc, a digital versatile disc, and/or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium. Input component 450 enables device 400 to receive input, such as user input and/or sensed inputs. For example, input component 450 may include a touch screen, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a microphone, a switch, a sensor, a global positioning system component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or an actuator. Output component 460 enables device 400 to provide output, such as via a display, a speaker, and/or one or more light-emitting diodes. Communication component 470 enables device 400 to communicate with other devices, such as via a wired connection and/or a wireless connection. For example, communication component 470 may include a receiver, a transmitter, a transceiver, a modem, a network interface card, and/or an antenna.
Device 400 may perform one or more processes described herein. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 430 and/or storage component 440) may store a set of instructions (e.g., one or more instructions, code, software code, and/or program code) for execution by processor 420. Processor 420 may execute the set of instructions to perform one or more processes described herein. In some implementations, execution of the set of instructions, by one or more processors 420, causes the one or more processors 420 and/or the device 400 to perform one or more processes described herein. In some implementations, hardwired circuitry may be used instead of or in combination with the instructions to perform one or more processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
The number and arrangement of components shown in
As shown in
In some implementations, detecting that the label has been received within the adhesive application zone may include receiving an indication from a sensor that the label is within the adhesive application zone and/or receiving an indication from a printing device that the printing device provided the label to the adhesive application zone. Prior to detecting that the label has been received, the robotic device may print the label via a printing device of the robotic device. The printing device may be configured to provide the label to the adhesive application zone.
As further shown in
In some implementations, removing the label from the adhesive application zone may include the robotic device causing, based on detecting that the label is in the adhesive application zone, a grasping instrument of the first mechanism to grasp the label within the adhesive application zone and/or causing a positioning instrument of the first mechanism to lift the grasping instrument from the adhesive application zone.
As further shown in
In some implementations, conveying the adhesive to the adhesive application zone may include the robotic device causing a conveyor instrument of the second mechanism to move the adhesive-carrying tape across the adhesive application zone until the adhesive is within the adhesive application zone.
As further shown in
As further shown in
In some implementations, pressing the portion of the label toward the adhesive may include the robotic device causing a stamping instrument of the third mechanism to apply pressure, on a content side of the label, toward the adhesive. The stamping instrument applies the pressure while the adhesive is on the adhesive-carrying tape. The adhesive may be on a backside of the label that is opposite the content side.
As further shown in
In some implementations, configuring the label to be applied to the receiving surface includes the robotic device releasing pressure, applied by the third mechanism, from the portion of the label, and separating, via the first mechanism, the label away from the adhesive-carrying tape to cause the label to release the adhesive from the adhesive-carrying tape. After the label causes the adhesive to be released from the adhesive-carrying tape, an adhesive label may be formed by a combination of the label and the adhesive.
In some implementations, the robotic device may grasp, via a fourth mechanism, the adhesive label and determine, using a camera of the robotic device, a location of the receiving surface. The robotic device may maneuver, via the fourth mechanism, the adhesive label toward the location of the receiving surface and press, via the fourth mechanism, the adhesive label to the receiving surface. The fourth mechanism may correspond to a robotic arm described elsewhere herein.
Although
In the foregoing disclosure, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present disclosure. Additionally, the described embodiments/examples/implementations should not be interpreted as mutually exclusive, and should instead be understood as potentially combinable if such combinations are permissive in any way. In other words, any feature disclosed in any of the aforementioned examples or implementations may be included in any of the other aforementioned examples or implementations.
As used herein, the term “component” and/or “mechanism” is/or intended to be broadly construed as hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware and software. As used herein, each of the terms “tangible machine-readable medium,” “non-transitory machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage device” is expressly defined as a storage medium (e.g., a platter of a hard disk drive, a digital versatile disc, a compact disc, flash memory, read-only memory, random-access memory, or the like) on which machine-readable instructions (e.g., code in the form of, for example, software and/or firmware) can be stored. The instructions may be stored for any suitable duration of time, such as permanently, for an extended period of time (e.g., while a program associated with the instructions is executing), or for a short period of time (e.g., while the instructions are cached, during a buffering process, or the like). Further, as used herein, each of the terms “tangible machine-readable medium,” “non-transitory machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage device” is expressly defined to exclude propagating signals. That is, as used in any claim herein, a “tangible machine-readable medium,” a “non-transitory machine-readable medium,” and a “machine-readable storage device,” or the like, should not be interpreted as being implemented as a propagating signal.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The claimed invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover, as used herein, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, or the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element.
The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Further, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items referenced in connection with the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “the one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the term “set” is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, or a combination of related and unrelated items), and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be inclusive when used in a series and may be used interchangeably with “and/or,” unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., if used in combination with “either” or “only one of”). The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
It will be apparent that systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and/or methods is not limiting of the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and/or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code—it being understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and/or methods based on the description herein.
Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of various implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set. As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiple of the same item.
The abstract of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
