How Warehouses Sort Items with Magnetic Levitation Shuttles
This patent describes a warehouse system that uses magnetic levitation shuttles to quickly sort individual items for customer orders, guided by a control system that directs shuttles based on item type and order needs.
Original patent title: “Systems and methods for high-speed warehouse order sortation”
This patent describes a warehouse system that uses magnetic levitation shuttles to quickly sort individual items for customer orders, guided by a control system that directs shuttles based on item type and order needs. Granted to Target Brands in 2024 with 22 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a warehouse system designed to sort items quickly for customer orders. It features a "conveyance system" with many "shuttles" that carry individual items (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). Workers at "manual decantation stations" load items onto these shuttles. The shuttles travel along pathways using "magnetic levitation," meaning they float above the surface without touching it, and each shuttle can move independently (Claim 1). A "control system" tells each shuttle where to go based on the item it carries and the order it belongs to (Claim 1). For example, if a shuttle carries an item for a specific order, the control system directs it to the correct "automated order sortation system" or even a "manual order sortation system" (ClaimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → 3, 4, 6). The system can also link two or more shuttles together, or "gang" them, to transport larger or heavier items (Claim 1).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover warehouse sorting systems that use wheels, belts, or other non-magnetic levitation methods for moving items.
- Does not cover systems where items are loaded onto shuttles entirely automatically without any human involvement at a decantation station.
- Does not cover systems where shuttles cannot travel independently or be linked together to carry larger items.
- Does not cover sorting systems that lack a central control system to direct shuttles based on item type and order requirements.
- Does not cover systems that only use a single type of sortation (e.g., only automated or only manual) without routing items to different types.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever bit is the combination of independent magnetic levitation shuttles that can also be "ganged together" for larger items, all precisely controlled to route items based on their type and destination order. This allows for flexible, high-speed, and space-efficient sorting that adapts to varying item sizes and order complexities.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Amazon fulfillment centers
Walmart distribution centers
Target's own warehouse operations
Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS)
E-commerce logistics hubs
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Efficient warehouse automation is crucial for modern retail and e-commerce, allowing companies to fulfill orders faster and at a lower cost. This patent offers a system to streamline the complex process of sorting individual items into specific customer orders. By using high-speed magnetic levitation and intelligent routing, it aims to significantly expedite order fulfillment and store replenishment processes, which directly impacts customer satisfaction and operational expenses for large retailers.
Filed
May 27, 2021
Granted
September 3, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Target Brands Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing and implementing advanced warehouse automation solutions to support its retail operations. Other major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and companies specializing in logistics technology such as Dematic and Swisslog are also heavily invested in similar high-speed sorting and conveyance systems. These companies continuously seek to optimize their supply chains through innovative automation.
Market impact
This type of technology directly impacts the speed and cost-efficiency of order fulfillment in the retail and e-commerce sectors. By enabling faster sorting and sequencing of items, it helps companies reduce labor costs, increase throughput, and meet growing customer expectations for rapid delivery. The adoption of such systems has become essential for large-scale retailers to maintain competitiveness and manage the immense volume of online orders.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a warehouse system designed to sort items quickly for customer orders. It features a "conveyance system" with many "shuttles" that carry individual items (Claim 1). Workers at "manual decantation stations" load items onto these shuttles. The shuttles travel along pathways using "magnetic levitation," meaning they float above the surface without touching it, and each shuttle can move independently (Claim 1). A "control system" tells each shuttle where to go based on the item it carries and the order it belongs to (Claim 1). For example, if a shuttle carries an item for a specific order, the control system directs it to the correct "automated order sortation system" or even a "manual order sortation system" (Claims 3, 4, 6). The system can also link two or more shuttles together, or "gang" them, to transport larger or heavier items (Claim 1).
The clever bit
The clever bit is the combination of independent magnetic levitation shuttles that can also be "ganged together" for larger items, all precisely controlled to route items based on their type and destination order. This allows for flexible, high-speed, and space-efficient sorting that adapts to varying item sizes and order complexities.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover warehouse sorting systems that use wheels, belts, or other non-magnetic levitation methods for moving items.
- Does not cover systems where items are loaded onto shuttles entirely automatically without any human involvement at a decantation station.
- Does not cover systems where shuttles cannot travel independently or be linked together to carry larger items.
- Does not cover sorting systems that lack a central control system to direct shuttles based on item type and order requirements.
- Does not cover systems that only use a single type of sortation (e.g., only automated or only manual) without routing items to different types.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$42K – $135K
Midpoint $84K · 14.8 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Mutarelli, G., Loza, C., & Pena, E. S. (2024). How Warehouses Sort Items with Magnetic Levitation Shuttles (U.S. Patent No. 12,077,385). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12077385/systems-and-methods-for-high-speed-warehouse-order-sortation
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Warehouses Sort Items with Magnetic Levitation Shuttles cover?
This patent describes a warehouse system that uses magnetic levitation shuttles to quickly sort individual items for customer orders, guided by a control system that directs shuttles based on item type and order needs.
Who owns patent US 12077385?
Target Brands owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on May 27, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 12077385 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Efficient warehouse automation is crucial for modern retail and e-commerce, allowing companies to fulfill orders faster and at a lower cost. This patent offers a system to streamline the complex process of sorting individual items into specific customer orders. By using high-speed magnetic levitation and intelligent routing, it aims to significantly expedite order fulfillment and store replenishment processes, which directly impacts customer satisfaction and operational expenses for large retailers.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover warehouse sorting systems that use wheels, belts, or other non-magnetic levitation methods for moving items.
Same assignee
More from Target Brands
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