OF TUBULAR TRACK SYSTEMS

CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/389,374 filed on July 15, 2022, the content of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of material or goods handling, safety is of the utmost importance: moving massive goods comes with an inherent risk of physical injury to human operators. Towards that end, many of the regulatory efforts in the industries of supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing focus on the safety of workers dealing with material handling.

[0003] Currently, one major issue with material handling such as goods transportation presents safety risks: material flow intersects human operator traffic with little or no protection in between the two. Forklifts carrying dangerously heavy goods operate in the same hallways as human workers walk. Conveyor belts move large surfaces at high speeds at waist height around human workers. Even new material handler technology such as autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) require expensive sensor arrays and complex algorithms to avoid running into humans and other objects in the same routes used by multiple sources of traffic. Additionally, current network delivery systems may use conveyor belts or rails which lack the flexibility to be expanded to accommodate different distance ranges or environments. For example, conveyors may not be able to facilitate inter-building package movement due to weather concerns and may only be utilized for short distance package delivery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A need exists for systems for transporting items or goods with improved throughput and safety. The present disclosure addresses the above needs by providing transportation systems and methods for transporting items between two or more specific locations along a path, network, or the like. The transportation network or transportation system herein may allow for bidirectional transportation with reduced footprint and improved flexibility to adapt to different ranges of distance. By having bidirectional traffic in a single tubular conduit, costs of tubular infrastructure may be advantageously reduced without comprising transportation throughput. [0005] The transportation system herein may comprise a network of tubular track systems. In particular, the tubular track systems may comprise a single tubular conduit allowing for bidirectional transportation. In some cases, the single tubular conduit may comprise tiered tracks such as at least two sets of rails arranged vertically in a compact configuration with one direction for delivery traffic and the other direction (e.g., opposite direction) for return carriers.

[0006] The network of tubular track system herein can be applied in various distance ranges for transporting materials, goods, packages and any other payload. Unlike a traditional delivery or package dispending system that is applicable to short distances, because of the flexibility and reduced footprint, the tubular track system herein can be applied to various distances (e.g., long distance, semi-long distance) such as a distance range of at least 20meter (m), 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m, 80m, 90m, 100m, 150m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 600m, 700m, 800m, 900m, 1km, 2km, 3km, 4km, 5km, any number between the integers, below 20m or greater than 5km. Additionally, the network of tubular track system herein can be installed underground, aboveground or a combination of both which beneficially allows for material delivery without limitation by weather, aboveground traffic or other environment conditions. Having material handling contained within a tubular conduit also provides increased level of safety for human workers, offering a protective barrier between objects in motion and human operators.

[0007] The present disclosure provides systems and methods of transporting items between two or more locations. The transportation system may comprise a network of tubular structures having substantially a circular cross section, with multiple parallel internal rails to constrain the movement of autonomous carts. The tubular structure and the tiered parallel rails may be designed to have a compact configuration such that a reduced dimension of the network of tubular structures may be achieved without compromising traffic volume. A tubular structure along with the tiered-rails may be referred to as a track. The tubular structure may have any other suitable cross-sectional geometries, dimensions or shapes according to different requirements or user applications.

[0008] The present disclosure also provides one or more methods for transitioning carts between different pairs of parallel rails or routing carts between various branches of the network, one or more systems for network management and optimization, telemetry data collection, and navigational control, one or more methods of loading items onto and unloading items off of carts, and one or more carts. [0009] A cart or shuttle may be fully autonomous moving between nodes of the network. A cart may be empty or loaded with one or more items and self-propelled to travel along the multiple rails located on the interior of the tubular conduit between two or more nodes (e.g., destinations for loading or unloading) in the network. In various embodiments, the multiple sets of rails may be arranged into a tiered configuration with at least two sets of rails stacked one above the other and parallel to one another within a single tubular structure. As an example, the multiple sets of rails may be arranged at different vertical levels such that a first set of rails at a first level (e.g., upper level) may allow loaded shuttles to transport items (e.g., packages, materials, etc.) and a second set of rails at a lower level may allow empty shuttle to travel within the network. A shuttle may switch between the tiered tracks at one or more vertical intersections in an autonomous fashion.

[0010] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a network of tubular track system for transporting items is provided. The network of tubular track system comprises: a first track comprising i) a tubular conduit and ii) an upper rails and lower rails arranged vertically inside of the tubular conduit; one or more nodes connected by the first track; and a self-propelled cart configured to travel along the first track between the one or more nodes and transition between the upper rails and lower rails at the one or more nodes.

[0011] In some embodiments, the self-propelled cart travels along the upper rails in a first direction and the lower rails in an opposite direction autonomously. In some cases, a configuration of the upper rails and lower rails has a headspace above the upper rails allowing the self-propelled cart to pass through with a payload. In some cases, a configuration of the upper rails and lower rails has a clearance space between the upper rails and the lower rails allowing the self-propelled cart to pass through without a payload. In some instances, the upper rails have a width greater than a width of the lower rails. In some examples, the self-propelled cart comprises a mechanism to automatically adjust a width of a wheel track of the self-propelled cart to adapt to the width of the upper rails and the lower rails. In some examples, the node comprises a vertical transition mechanism to transition the self-propelled cart between the upper rails and the lower rails.

[0012] In some cases, a configuration of the upper rails and lower rails has a clearance space between the upper rails and the lower rails allowing the self-propelled cart to pass through with a payload.

[0013] In some embodiments, the network of tubular tack system further comprises an intersection point connected by a second track. In some cases, the second track comprises upper rails and lower rails having a configuration different from a configuration of the first track. In some instances, the configuration of the second track allows the self-propelled cart to pass through with a payload on both the upper rails and the lower rails.

[0014] In some embodiments, the self-propelled cart is controlled to travel along the first track and the second track autonomously based at least in part on a real-time traffic status or the network of tubular track system. In some cases, the self-propelled cart is controlled to enter the intersection point or the one or more nodes based at least in part on sensor data.

[0015] In a related yet separate aspect, a method is provided for transporting items. The method comprises: providing a first track comprising i) a tubular conduit and ii) upper rails and lower rails arranged vertically inside of the tubular conduit; providing one or more nodes connected by the first track; and controlling a self-propelled cart to travel along the first track between the one or more nodes and transition between the upper rails and lower rails at the one or more nodes.

[0016] In some embodiments, the self-propelled cart is controlled to travel along the upper rails in a first direction and the lower rails in an opposite direction. In some embodiments, a configuration of the upper rails and lower rails has a headspace above the upper rails allowing the self-propelled cart to pass through with a payload.

[0017] In some embodiments, a configuration of the upper rails and lower rails has a clearance space between the upper rails and the lower rails allowing the self-propelled cart to pass through without a payload. In some cases, the upper rails have a width greater than a width of the lower rails. In some instances, the self-propelled cart comprises a mechanism to automatically adjust a width of a wheel track of the self-propelled cart to adapt to the width of the upper rails and the lower rails. In some instances, the node comprises a vertical transition mechanism to transition the self-propelled cart between the upper rails and the lower rails. In some embodiments, the network of tubular track system is located underground.

[0018] In some embodiments, a configuration of the upper rails and lower rails has a clearance space between the upper rails and the lower rails allowing the self-propelled cart to pass through with a payload.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing an intersection point connected by a second track. In some cases, the second track comprises upper rails and lower rails having a configuration different from a configuration of the first track. In some instances, the configuration of the second track allows the self-propelled cart to pass through with a payload on both the upper rails and the lower rails. In some examples, the self- propelled cart is controlled to travel along the first track and the second track autonomously based at least in part on a real-time traffic status or the network of tubular track system. For instance, the self-propelled cart is controlled to enter the intersection point or the one or more nodes based at least in part on sensor data.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present disclosure. As will be realized, the present disclosure may be capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0021] All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an example of a tubular network for transporting items between various nodes within the tubular network in accordance with various embodiments herein.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an off-set overhead view of an exemplary two node tubular network.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary node for loading or unloading items onto or off of a cart.

[0026] FIG. 4A shows an example of a loading or unloading node.

[0027] FIG. 4B shows an example of a cart switching from a wider set of rails to a narrow set of rails. [0028] FIG. 4C illustrates an example of a cart narrowing its wheel track width at a node.

[0029] FIG. 5 depicts an off-set overhead view of a loading/unloading node with an unloaded cart positioned on the upper set of rails.

[0030] FIG. 6A depicts an off-set overhead view of one example of a cart.

[0031] FIG. 6B depicts a bottom view of the control and propulsion system of one example of a cart.

[0032] FIG. 7 schematically shows an exemplary logic flow diagram representing a control logic that can manage traversal of carts through the tubular network in an autonomous fashion.

[0033] FIG. 8 schematically shows a three-tiered system of autonomy.

[0034] FIG. 9 depicts an off-set overhead view of an embodiment of a track comprising a tubular conduit and rail system.

[0035] FIG. 10 depicts a front view of two exemplary carts riding on two-tiered tracks.

[0036] FIG. 11 illustrates different exemplary configurations of rails within a tubular conduit.

[0037] FIGs. 12 and 13 show an example of rack-gear mechanism used by the node to transition the cart between the tiered tracks.

[0038] FIG. 14 shows an example of a wheel assembly comprising wheels, motor and slide allowing for adjustment of a cart’s wheel track width.

[0039] FIG. 15 shows an example of an autonomous cart.

[0040] FIG. 16 shows examples of a wheel assemblies of extending and retracting to adjust a cart’s wheel track width.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] While preferable embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention.

[0042] The transportation network or transportation system herein may allow for bidirectional transportation with reduced footprint and improved flexibility to adapt to different ranges of distance. By having bidirectional traffic in a single tubular conduit, costs of tubular infrastructure may be advantageously reduced without comprising transportation throughput. The transportation system herein may comprise a network of tubular track systems. In particular, the tubular track systems may comprise a single tubular conduit allowing for bidirectional transportation. The single tubular conduit may comprise tiered tracks such as at least two sets of rails arranged vertically in a compact configuration with one direction for delivery traffic and the other direction for return carriers. The tubular structure along with the tiered-rails enclosed therein may be referred to as a track.

[0043] The network of tubular track system herein can be applied in various distance ranges for transporting materials, goods, packages and any other payload. Unlike a traditional delivery or package dispending system that is applicable to short distance, because of the flexibility and reduced footprint, the tubular track system herein can be applied to various distances (e.g., long distance, semi-long distance) such as a distance range of at least 20meter (m), 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m, 80m, 90m, 100m, 150m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 600m, 700m, 800m, 900m, 1km, 2km, 3km, 4km, 5km , any number between the integers, below 20m or greater than 5km. Additionally, the network of tubular track system herein can be installed underground, aboveground or a combination of both which beneficially allows for material delivery without limitation by weather, aboveground traffic or other environment conditions. Having material handling contained within a tubular conduit also provides increased level of safety for human workers, offering a protective barrier between objects in motion and human operators.

[0044] The present disclosure provides systems and methods of transporting items between two or more locations. The transportation system may comprise a network of tubular structures having substantially a circular cross section, with multiple parallel internal rails to constrain the movement of autonomous carts. The tubular structure and the tiered parallel rails/tracks may be designed to have a compact configuration such that a reduced dimension of the network of tubular structures may be achieved without compromising traffic volume. The tubular structure may have any other suitable cross-sectional geometries, dimensions or shapes according to different requirements or user applications.

[0045] The present disclosure also provides one or more methods for transitioning carts between different pairs of parallel rails or routing carts between various branches of the network, one or more systems for network management and optimization, telemetry data collection, and navigational control, one or more methods of loading items onto and unloading items off of carts, and one or more carts.

[0046] A cart or shuttle may be fully autonomously moving between nodes of the network. A cart may be empty or loaded with one or more items and self-propelled to travel along the multiple rails located on the interior of the tubular conduit between two or more nodes (e.g., destinations for loading or unloading) in the network. In various embodiments, the multiple sets of rails may be arranged into a tiered configuration with at least two sets of rails stacked one above the other and parallel to one another within a single tubular structure. As an example, the multiple tracks may be arranged at different levels such that a first set of rails at a first level (e.g., upper level) may allow loaded shuttles to transport items (e.g., packages, materials, etc.) and a second set of rails at a lower level may allow empty shuttles to travel within the network. A shuttle may switch between the tiered tracks at one or more vertical intersections in an autonomous fashion.

[0047] The figures herein depict a prototype and, as such, contain various functional elements suitable for operation, this depiction is not meant to limit the shape, size or length of the track system, the size, quantity, or type of carts, nor the quantity, position, or function of features for repositioning or enabling the routing of carts between different tracks or branches of the tubular network.

[0048] In some embodiments, a network of tubular track system may comprise a plurality of nodes connected by a tubular network, and a plurality of sets of rails (e.g., two or more tracks) arranged at different levels within a single tubular structure of the tubular network. The vertically arranged parallel sets of rails may beneficially allow for directional traffic within a single tubular conduit. The tiered tracks may have a compact configuration so that loaded carts may travel along a first set of rails at a first traffic direction and an empty cart may travel along a second set of rails at a second traffic direction. Details about the configuration of the tiered tracks are described later herein. A node may be a point in the tubular network comprising a mechanism allowing a cart or shuttle to be automatically loaded or unloaded with items transported through the network and/or allowing a cart to switch between the plurality of sets of rails at the different levels. Details about the mechanism at a node will be described later herein.

[0049] The single tubular conduit may permit bidirectional traffic via the tiered tracks. As mentioned above, the tubular network herein may be applied for long distance transportation. In some embodiments, a tubular network may comprise a plurality of nodes, one or more access points for inspection or maintenance, one or more routing features, and tubular structures with tracks enclosed therein that connect the plurality of nodes.

[0050] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary tubular network 100 for transporting items between a plurality of nodes within the network. In some embodiments, a tubular network may comprise one or more access points (1) for inspection or maintenance, one or more nodes (2) for loading or unloading a cart or shuttle, and one or more branches (3 A, 3B, 3C) routed to avoid obstacles (4). The one or more branches may provide flexibility for the tubular network 100 to be adapted to any existing infrastructure (e.g., obstacle 4) underground.

[0051] The tubular network 100 may comprise one or more nodes at one or more loading or unloading points at specific locations (e.g., different buildings, different locations within same building, etc.). The location of the one or more nodes may be selected to optimize access, or for various other considerations. For example, the one or more nodes may be located at pickup or delivery/drop-off locations to load/unload a cart. The one or more nodes can be located at any location in the network. A node may be an intermediate point (e.g., connected to two or more branches or segments) or at an end point (e.g., connected to one branch or segment). A cart or shuttle may be permitted to enter at any node and at any level of the tracks.

[0052] The one or more nodes for loading or unloading carts may comprise mechanisms to automate the loading/unloading operations. The one or more nodes may further comprise mechanisms for transitioning a cart vertically between different sets of rails at the different levels within a single branch of the tubular network.

[0053] In some embodiments, the tubular network may comprise one or more junctions with routing features. For instance, a branch of the tubular network may be intersected with another branch or transitioned into two or more branches at one or more junctions/intersections. For example, a cart may be oriented at T junctions (5 A, 5B), Y junctions (6) or any other configuration of junction with one or more routing features at the junction. For example, a T junction may utilize a turntable like apparatus to rotate a cart 90 degrees to transition between branches at a T junction. Any suitable routing apparatus can be used to reorient a cart by any degree into any direction. The routing apparatus at each junction may or may not be the same. In some cases, at an intersection point, rails at different vertical levels may allow loaded carts to pass through simultaneously. The tracks connecting the intersection point may or may not be the same as the tracks connecting a node. For example, as described later herein, the tracks connecting an intersection point may have a rails configuration allowing loaded carts to pass through at different vertical levels simultaneously while the tracks connecting a node may allow a loaded cart to travel on upper rails and an empty cart travel on lower rails.

[0054] It should be noted that the tubular network shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration purpose only and not intended to be limiting. For example, the tubular network may comprise any other structures or components such as cart charging stations, maintenance stations, on site tubular network production facilities, interfaces with other infrastructure or automation, elevation changes throughout the tubular network, transitioning structures into or out of structures, subterranean portions of the tubular network or other features and topology specific to a given instantiation of the network.

[0055] In some embodiments, the tubular network may comprise a tubular structure housing or enclosing multiple-tiered tracks. In some cases, the tubular structure may be a tubular conduit having a substantially circular-cross section. The tubular structure along with the multiple-tiered tracks enclosed therein may form a segment connecting one or more nodes.

[0056] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary tubular network comprising a segment connecting two nodes (7). As described elsewhere herein, a node may comprise a mechanism for loading/unloading a cart. In various embodiments, a loading and unloading (9) feature or mechanism may be integrated into the node. The tubular network may comprise one or more segments of tubular conduit (10) connecting nodes. A segment of tubular conduit may house one or more tiered tracks or sets of rails (11). A tubular structure along with the tiered-rails may be referred to as a track. A set of rails may engage wheels of a cart. In some cases, a plurality of nodes in a network may be connected by one or more segments allowing carts to traverse the rails between them. In some cases, one or more segments of tubular conduit housing one or more sets of rails may be connected together end-to-end such as to expand a length of a branch. In some cases, one or more segments of the tubular conduit may be connected at each terminal end to a node. A node may be connected to at least one tubular conduit or segment. A node may be connected to two or more segments (e.g., a node at a junction or an intermediate node located in the middle of a branch). As illustrated in the example, one or more carts (8) are at the node and engaged on a set of (e.g., the upper set of) parallel rails.

[0057] The tubular conduit may beneficially allow the tubular network to be installed in any environment, underground, aboveground or a combination of both. In some cases, the tubular conduit may be designed to have a dimension, shape or size (e.g., diameter, segment length, cross-section shape, etc.) to enclose and support the multiple-tiered tracks. For instance, the tubular conduit may comprise a structure formed of material and with mechanical properties (e.g., bending strength) that allow for the tubular conduit to be durable, suitable for aboveground and underground applications, and resistant to cycle fatigue. The tubular structure may be formed of any suitable materials. For example, the tubular structure may be formed of materials such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) modified polypropylene (MPP), or corrugated high density polyethylene (HDPE) allowing it to be buried underground. The material may or may not be plastic. In some cases, the tubular structure can be formed of a combination of different material (e.g., layered) according to the strength, load or other requirement.

[0058] The tubular segment and the multiple-tiered tracks enclosed therein may have a compact configuration allowing for bidirectional traffic. In some embodiments, multiple sets of rails may be arranged at different levels vertically and parallel with each other within a single tubular conduit.

[0059] FIG. 9 depicts an off-set overhead view of an embodiment of a track comprising a tubular conduit and rail system. The track (28) may comprise a circular or other cross- sectional geometry of thermoplastic or other suitable material (29) and one or more sets of parallel rails (11). The rails are aligned both horizontally and vertically to mate at the end of the track with the corresponding rails in a node. The tubular conduit (29) can have any suitable dimension or structure to provide required durability, desired mechanical properties or space requirement to pass through varied number of rails. In some cases, tracks or the sets of rails may pass through a plastic tube, through concrete pipe or other concrete structures such as manholes.

[0060] A branch may be formed of one or more segments that may vary. For example, when transitioning from underground to inside a building, material, dimension of the tube may change. In some cases, at least one segment may comprise a tubular structure and at least one segment may not comprise a tubular structure (e.g., leaving the tracks mounted to supports only without being enclosed by a tubular structure).

[0061] The cross-sectional shape or dimension of segments in a tubular network may or may not be the same. In some cases, the diameter of the tube and/or cross-sectional geometry may vary at different branches or segments. For instance, the size or dimension of the tubular conduit may increase at intersections to merge all traffic into a single plane for a length of segment, then having traffic separate with enough clearance for a payload to be carried on both the top and bottom tracks for a length of segment (similar to a highway overpass).

[0062] FIG. 10 depicts a front view of two exemplary carts (8) riding on two-tiered tracks. As shown in the example, one cart is riding on the lower set of rails (30) and one cart is riding on the upper set of rails (31) in a segment of track (28). Clearance (32) is provided between the carts on the upper and lower rails to allow an unloaded cart on the lower rails to pass unencumbered under a cart on the upper rails. The tubular structure may comprise structures to support the sets of rails at selected locations. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a bracket 1101 may be located within an interior of the tubular conduit to support the rail. In some cases, the rail may be removably connected to the bracket (e.g., snap-fit) such that the location of the rail may be adjusted according to various configuration requirements.

[0063] In some cases, the bidirectional multi-tiered track may transport loaded carts along the upper set of rails and transport empty carts along the bottom lower set of rails such as shown in FIG. 10. The width of the two sets of rails may be different in this configuration with the upper set of rails wider than that of the lower set of rails. The tubular conduit can have any shape or dimension in the cross-section so long as the clearance between the upper and lower rails and the overhead space above the upper set of rails meet the requirement to fit the size of the payload and the cart (e.g., widths of the rails fit the cart). For example, a cart (8) may have a minimum and maximum wheel track width that the horizontal rail spacing is required to fall into. The clearance (32) is required to meet the minimum vertical dimension of various carts to ensure carts on the lower rail can pass underneath carts on the upper rail.

[0064] The tubular network may have various different track segments and configurations of the rails. FIG. 11 illustrates different exemplary configurations of rails within a tubular conduit. In a first exemplary configuration 1110 of a track, loaded carts 1114, 1116 may be permitted to travel on both the upper rails 1111 and lower rails 1112, allowing for items to flow simultaneously in both directions. The upper rails 1111 and lower rails 1113 may be supported at selected locations of the tubular conduit such that the clearance between the upper rails 1111 and the lower rails 1112 may allow a cart 1116 loaded with a payload (e.g., package) 1115 to pass through. The cart 1114 loaded with a payload (e.g., package) 1113 on the upper rails may be permitted to pass through the tubular conduit with sufficient headspace. In the first configuration, at least one of the two sets of rails is located at the lower half of the tubular conduit. [0065] In some cases, the empty cart may travel on the upper set of rails whereas the loaded cart may travel on the lower set of rails. In the second exemplary configuration 1120, having an empty cart on an overhead set of rails 1121 may beneficially allow larger payloads with items flowing in one direction along the lower set of rails 1122. In the second configuration, the lower set of rails 1122 is located at the lower half of the tubular conduit and the upper set of rails is located at the upper half of the tubular conduit.

[0066] In another exemplary configuration 1130, both sets of rails 1131, 1132 are located at the lower half of the tubular conduit. For example, a loaded cart travels on a set of rails 1131 in the lower half of the tubular conduit with clearance below it for an empty cart riding on a lower set of rails 1132.

[0067] A single tubular network or a branch may have a combination of various configurations. For instance, a first configuration 1110 may be used to facilitate an intersection where turning radius is a concern but there is some vertical head room, and a second configuration 1120 may be used when a payload with larger size is loaded to a cart. A branch may comprise multiple segments having the different configurations as described above to provide flexibility for transporting payloads with various sizes and adapting to varied traffic throughput at different locations of the network.

[0068] As described above, one or more nodes for loading or unloading carts may comprise mechanisms to automate the loading/unloading operations. The one or more nodes may further comprise mechanisms for transitioning a cart vertically between different sets of rails at the different levels within a single branch of the tubular network. As an example, when an empty cart/shuttle arrives at a node of a pickup point, the cart may switch from the rails for empty carts (e.g., lower rails) to the rails for the loading cart (e.g., upper rails), and then it picks up the package.

[0069] FIG. 3 depicts a front view of an exemplary node for loading or unloading items onto or off of a cart. The node may comprise loading/unloading mechanisms to load/unload a payload on or off a cart in an automated fashion. In various embodiments, the loading/unloading mechanism (9) may be integrated into a node (7).

[0070] In the illustrated example, two sets of parallel rails (11) are provided at the node. The upper rails have a width greater than that of the lower rails (similar to the configuration of FIG. 10 that the two sets of rails are located at the lower half of the tube) and both sets of rails are aligned in width and height to the matching rails within the tubular conduit. For example, payload may be load to the carts traveling on the upper rails going from A to B, while empty carts may ride on the lower rails going from B to A.

[0071] The cart or shuttle may be capable of adjusting width of its wheel track width. The term “wheel track width” or “track width” as utilized herein generally refers to a distance between a pair of wheels (e.g., a distance between the centerline of two wheels on the same axle). For example, a cart may actuate its wheels out to bridge the larger upper rail width or reduce the wheels width to engage with the lower rails.

[0072] Horizontal transition areas (12) allow all wheels of a cart (e.g., four wheels) to move from a wider wheelbase (e.g., greater track width) to a narrower wheelbase (e.g., e.g., smaller track width) without falling. As described above, the node may also comprise a mechanism allowing a cart to be elevated or lowered thereby transitioning between the two sets of rails. The mechanism may comprise fixed structures to guide the wheels. For example, a vertical transition apparatus (13) may guide the wheels of the cart and allow it to transition between the upper and lower rails. Alignment bumpers (14) ensure proper alignment of the wheels in certain configurations when on the lower rails.

[0073] In some cases, the mechanism for transitioning between the upper/lower rails may comprise rack gears. FIGs. 12 and 13 show an example of rack-gear mechanism 1201 used by the node to transition the cart between the tiered tracks. The motor-wheel-rack engagement as illustrated in FIG. 13 shows the wheels 1301 of the cart engaged with the rack-gear mechanism to climb up or descend between the two sets of rails. It should be noted that any other suitable mechanism may be utilized to move the cart vertically between the two sets of rails.

[0074] The node may have “fingers” that the payload (e.g., package) rests on. The fingers of the loading/unloading mechanism may or may not be uniformly spaced. The cart may have fins that line up with the gaps between the node’s fingers. In the depicted embodiment of a loading or unloading node (7) illustrated in FIG. 4A, when a loaded cart (15) arrives on the upper set of rails, fins on the cart (16) supporting the item (17) leave enough clearance between the item and the chassis of the cart for the protruding fingers of the loading/unloading mechanism (9) to mesh with the fins, under the item, in an interleaved pattern.

[0075] In some cases, the payload may be secured on a cart via the fin features of the cart. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the fin features 1500 of the cart may have a high friction, low durometer rubber like coating to increase retention. The fin features may also have a lip 1501 built into the front/back of the fin to further secure the payload. In some cases, other retention mechanisms such as clamps or locks may be included to hold a payload to the cart.

[0076] When a loaded cart arrives at a node, the cart may transition vertically from the upper set of rails to the lower set of rails. FIG. 4B shows an example of a cart switching from a wider set of rails to a narrow set of rails. For example, the cart (15) may transition vertically from an upper set of rails to lower set of rails (e.g., with smaller width) by narrowing its wheel track width to align with the vertical transition apparatus (13) and traverse from the upper set of rails to the lower set of rails, allowing the item (17) to remain on the protruding fingers of the loading/unloading mechanism (9).

[0077] FIG. 4C illustrates that after the cart (15) completes its transition between the upper and lower sets of rails, it may further narrow its wheel track width to provide clearance (18) between the wheels and the vertical transition apparatus which allows the cart to propel itself unencumbered along the lower set of rails out of the node and into the network.

[0078] FIG. 5 depicts an off-set overhead view of a loading/unloading node (7) with an unloaded cart (15) positioned on the upper set of rails. This view illustrates the protruding fingers from the loading/unloading mechanism (9) meshed with the fins on the cart (16).

[0079] In various embodiments the loading process is the reverse of the unloading process. Once the shuttle has transitioned to the upper rails and transferred a waiting item from the fingers to the fins it may proceed autonomously, or after receiving a command to do so, into the tubular network. The loading/unloading operation at a node may be fully autonomous. For example, in the event that a shuttle arrives at the upper rails after transitioning from the lower rails in the node and it does not detect the presence of an item, it may wait to be loaded before proceeding into the network. As an example, the processor onboard of the shuttle may receive sensor data. The sensor data may be processed to determine presence of an item located on the upper rails.

[0080] In some embodiments, the wheel track or track width adjustment and/or the transition of the cart between the lower rails and upper rails may be autonomous. For instance, upon determining the presence of the item based on the sensor data as described above, a command may be generated to actuate the motors of the cart to transition from the lower rails to the upper rails (e.g., via the gear track mechanism), and once the cart is detected to reach the horizontal transition areas (e.g., Horizontal transition areas (12)), a controller may generate a command to the motors for adjusting the width of its wheel track width as described elsewhere herein. [0081] The system may be capable of detecting presence of a payload. For instance, the system may comprise sensors for detecting the presence of a payload. The sensor may be located at the node, located at the cart or a combination of both. For example, optical sensors such as cameras may be provided at the node and a computer vision system may process the image data to determine the presence of an item waiting for pickup. In some cases, the sensor may be a proximity sensor or weight sensor located at the cart and the sensor data may be processed to determine if an item is waiting for pickup.

[0082] The cart or shuttle may be fully autonomous and self-propelled. The cart may be capable of adjusting the width of its wheel track width. This may beneficially allow the cart to engage with rails with varied width. For example, the cart may adjust its wheel track width to engage with rails at different vertical levels and/or rails with variable width along a branch of the network that may or may not be at the same vertical level.

[0083] FIG. 6A depicts an off-set overhead view of one example of a cart. In various embodiments a cart (15) may comprise in part a cart body (19), multiple fins for supporting items in the cargo area (16), an electronic control, communication, and telemetry data collection module (20), multiple wheels (21), and multiple mechanisms for supporting the wheels at various wheel track widths (22).

[0084] FIG. 6B depicts a bottom view of the control and propulsion system of one example of a cart. In various embodiments the propulsion and control system may comprise in part an electronic control, communication, and telemetry data collection module (20), multiple wheels (21), multiple mechanisms for supporting the wheels at various wheel track widths (22), multiple mechanisms for actuating the wheels in and out causing the wheel track width to change (23), one or more motors (24) to control each actuation mechanism, multiple motors to drive the wheels (25), multiple electronic speed controllers to control the motors driving the wheels (26) and a battery (27).

[0085] A wheel assembly of the cart may be capable of adjusting a wheel track width automatically. FIG. 14 shows an example of a wheel assembly comprising wheels, motor and slide allowing for adjustment of a width of the wheel track. For example, the motor (with an integrated controller) may move a set of wheels in and out (e.g., translating along the slider) to adjust to the widths of the two upper and lower rails or other variable widths of rails. In some cases, the track width adjustment may be autonomous. For instance, upon detecting the cart is at the horizontal transition area (after the cart is elevated from the lower rails to the upper rails) such as with aid of the sensors onboard the cart and/or disposed at the node, a control command may be generated to actuate the motors to move the wheels out. In another example, when the cart is instructed to transition from the upper rails to the lower rails, a control command may be generated to actuate the motors to retract the wheels on the same axle so the wheels are engaged with the rack-gear mechanism. FIG. 16 shows examples of the wheel assemblies of extending 1603 and retracting 1601 by turning the motor clockwise/counterclockwise to adjust width of the wheel track.

[0086] The cart may comprise various sensors and systems for determining a global and/or relevant location of the cart, orientation and motion (e.g., speed, acceleration) of the cart, payload status and statistics and collection and communication of other telemetry and odometry data.

[0087] In some cases, the cart may have collision avoidance features based on the sensor data. In some cases, the collision avoidance feature may be based on proximity sensors or distance sensors. For example, light-based range finding sensors (Time of Flight sensors) may be utilized to detect the distance to objects in front of and behind the cart. When the tubular network is installed underground, global positioning system (GPS) signal may not be reliable. The system herein may utilize motor position feedback to perform odometry for position estimation and an inertial measurement unit (e.g., 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis magnetometer) for orientation and motion measurement.

[0088] FIG. 7 schematically shows an exemplary logic flow diagram representing the control logic that may manage traversal of carts through the tubular network in an autonomous fashion. In various embodiments one or more carts may use this control logic to navigate the tubular network autonomously. This control logic may run on a continuous loop with various internal and external data inputs such as cellular radio, GPS, telemetry data from onboard or external sensors or radio frequency broadcasts from other carts or control systems. A distributed communication network throughout a physical tubular network may enable carts to “phone home” in order to retrieve updated information regarding the network’s current state and current or future demand estimates. This information may be used by a cart to optimize its route through the network. In some cases, GPS is not reliably available underground, position of the cart may be estimated or inferred from other sources such as odometry and RFID or visual based (e.g., QR code) position identifiers.

[0089] The sensors to be used in the system may depend on the deployment environment. For instance, real-time locating system (RTLS) including a plurality RTLS reference point (e.g., either transmitters or receivers), deployed throughout the tubular network and a tag device attached to the cart may be utilized to determine a location of the cart. For instance, the tag device may be BLE compatible so as to determine a cart’s relative physical location to a beacon. In another example, instead of or in addition to Beacons, proximity sensors such as radio or RFID beacons, Global Positioning System (GPS) beacons, wireless location beacons, or other reference features may be provided within an indoor area, aboveground or underground.

[0090] FIG. 8 schematically shows a three-tiered system of autonomy. The first tier is the cart onboard systems. For instance, the autonomous navigation of a network may be conducted by a processor onboard the cart. In some cases, when the cart is within proximity of a node or intersection, the cart may wait for updates before proceeding/entering into a node for pickup or drop-off. As an example, the updates may include an “all clear” message transmitted from the intersection/node. For instance, when the cart is detected to be within a pre-determined proximity of a node or an intersection point, a speed of the cart may be reduced until an “all clear” message is received.

[0091] The system may provide autonomous systems and capabilities of each individual cart and its ability to route-plan, navigate, load, unload and avoid collisions autonomously. In some cases, the route planning is carried out by a processor onboard the cart. For example, the processor may receive inputs from one or more nodes and a remote optimization server. In some cases, a cart may be pushed an updated map of the tubular network indicative of realtime traffic in the network. For example, a map including a high traffic or out-of-service portion of the network may be pushed to the processor onboard of the cart. The processor may then recalculate or update the route planning based on the real-time traffic or network information. The control algorithm or other functions (e.g., route planning, collision avoidance, etc.) may be running locally on the carts, with periodic information updates from the nodes and/or a cloud-based routing optimization system.

[0092] The second tier is the distributed communication network, which represents points throughout the network where information is shared between the carts and external systems. This information may be stored locally within the second-tier hardware and redistributed to other carts that subsequently connect to a given access point. The information may also be passed to a remote system external to the tubular network for processing. In some cases, the hardware for the second tier such as processors, transceivers may be located at selected points in a network such as intersections and nodes. The intersections and nodes may comprise communication devices such as wireless transceiver which enable communication with the carts. The communication device and the processors may be wired to both power and a data connection. In some cases, the communication system may leverage wireless wide access network connections such as 5G to communicate back to servers located off-site (cloud based or otherwise). The third tier is the remote optimization system, which represents the artificial intelligence enabled optimization engine which monitors and attempts to predict network demand in order to provide, via the tier two systems, the carts with optimized routing and load balancing intelligence.

[0093] In some cases, the autonomous control system employed by the tubular network and the autonomous shuttles may employ an edge intelligence paradigm that data processing and prediction/inference is performed at the edge or edge gateway (e.g., edge computer at the nodes, intersection, carts) while the predictive models (e.g., models for collision avoidance, route planning, etc.) may be built, developed and trained on the remote server residing on a cloud. For instance, sensor data streams may be sent to the on-site edge computing device onboard the cart or located at the nodes/intersection in real-time for managing on-site operations (e.g., unloading/loading, collision avoidance, etc.), whereas a message package comprising batch data may be sent to a remote management console or the cloud at a lower frequency for post-event analysis. As an example, a status (e.g., traffic status or occupancy) at an intersection point may be predicted based on the sensor data and a cart may be commanded to adjust its speed or movement based on the detected status of the intersection point and its current location.

[0094] The various functions performed by the edge or edge device such as data processing, making inference using a trained model and the like may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, embedded hardware, standalone hardware, application specifichardware, or any combination of these. The edge computing system, edge computing server, and techniques described herein may be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These systems, devices, and techniques may include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, or code) may include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and may be implemented in a high-level procedural and/or object- oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product, apparatus, and/or device (such as magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, or Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

[0095] Direct communications may be provided between two or more of the above components (e.g., carts, nodes, intersections, remote server). For example, the network may be based on a combination of WiFi Mesh and Beacon or a combination of WiFi and BLE Beacon. However, other communication techniques can also be used. The direct communications may occur without requiring any intermediary device or network. Indirect communications may be provided between two or more of the above components. The indirect communications may occur with aid of one or more intermediary device or network. For instance, indirect communications may utilize a telecommunications network. Indirect communications may be performed with aid of one or more router, communication tower, satellite, or any other intermediary device or network. Examples of types of communications may include, but are not limited to: communications via the Internet, Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies, networks based on mobile data protocols such as General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), GSM, Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), 3G, 4G, 5G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocols, Infra-Red (IR) communication technologies, and/or Wi-Fi, and may be wireless, wired, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the network may be implemented using cell and/or pager networks, satellite, licensed radio, or a combination of licensed and unlicensed radio. The network may be wireless, wired, or a combination thereof.

[0096] In some cases, the network architecture may comprise a local network that is within the tubular network. The local network may employ a topology or configuration capable of operating in challenging environments where obstructions or distance prevent wireless communication from a device to a hub. For example, the local network may employ industrial grade WiFi Mesh technology providing stronger and more reliable Wi-Fi signals. Alternatively or in addition to, the local network may be a mesh network where devices communicate with each other without a centralized device, such as a hub, switch or router.

[0097] As used herein A and/or B encompasses one or more of A or B, and combinations thereof such as A and B. It will be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” “third” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element, component, region or section from another element, component, region or section. Thus, a first element, component, region or section discussed herein could be termed a second element, component, region or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

[0098] The terminology used herein may be for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and may be not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

[0099] Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to other elements as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the element in one of the figures may be turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on the “upper” side of the other elements. The exemplary term “lower” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending upon the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the element in one of the figures were turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The exemplary terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below.

[0100] Reference throughout this specification to “some embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in some embodiments,” or “in an embodiment,” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. [0101] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. Numerous different combinations of embodiments described herein are possible, and such combinations are considered part of the present disclosure. In addition, all features discussed in connection with any one embodiment herein can be readily adapted for use in other embodiments herein. It may be intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.