Material handling apparatus for delivering or retrieving items
First Claim
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1. A material handling system, comprising:
- a plurality of destination areas;
a plurality of delivery vehicles for delivering items, wherein each vehicle comprises;
a plurality of rotatable drive elements;
a motor operable to drive the drive elements; and
a sensor operable to detect rotation of the motor;
a track for guiding the delivery vehicles vertically and horizontally, wherein the destination areas are positioned along the track so that items can be transferred between the delivery vehicles and the destination areas, wherein during operation, one or more of the delivery vehicles are located on the track;
a traffic controller for controlling the operation of the vehicles as the vehicles deliver items to the bins, wherein the traffic controller receives signals from each vehicle indicative of the rotation detected by the sensor for the respective vehicle and wherein the traffic controller monitors the vehicles based on the received signals from the sensors and calculates a safe distance for each vehicle and communicates the safe distance to the vehicles, wherein the safe distance for a vehicle corresponds to the amount that the motor can advance without interfering with another vehicle on the track;
wherein the delivery vehicles receive the safe distance signals from the traffic controller and advance along the track an amount corresponding to the safe distance; and
wherein the traffic controller iteratively calculates safe distances for each vehicle as the vehicles move along the track and the vehicles advance along the track no further than a distance correlating to the safe distance until receiving a subsequent safe distance signal from the traffic controller.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for sorting or retrieving items to/from a plurality of destinations areas. The items are loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles. The delivery vehicles follow a track that guides the delivery vehicles to/from the destination areas, which are positioned along the track. Once at the appropriate destination area, an item is transferred between the delivery vehicle and the destination area.
53 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A material handling system, comprising:
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a plurality of destination areas; a plurality of delivery vehicles for delivering items, wherein each vehicle comprises; a plurality of rotatable drive elements; a motor operable to drive the drive elements; and a sensor operable to detect rotation of the motor; a track for guiding the delivery vehicles vertically and horizontally, wherein the destination areas are positioned along the track so that items can be transferred between the delivery vehicles and the destination areas, wherein during operation, one or more of the delivery vehicles are located on the track; a traffic controller for controlling the operation of the vehicles as the vehicles deliver items to the bins, wherein the traffic controller receives signals from each vehicle indicative of the rotation detected by the sensor for the respective vehicle and wherein the traffic controller monitors the vehicles based on the received signals from the sensors and calculates a safe distance for each vehicle and communicates the safe distance to the vehicles, wherein the safe distance for a vehicle corresponds to the amount that the motor can advance without interfering with another vehicle on the track; wherein the delivery vehicles receive the safe distance signals from the traffic controller and advance along the track an amount corresponding to the safe distance; and wherein the traffic controller iteratively calculates safe distances for each vehicle as the vehicles move along the track and the vehicles advance along the track no further than a distance correlating to the safe distance until receiving a subsequent safe distance signal from the traffic controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method system for transferring items between delivery vehicles and a plurality of destination areas positioned along a track having horizontal and vertical sections, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a route for the one of the vehicles to travel along the track to one of the destination areas; driving the one vehicle along the route to the one destination area, wherein the step of driving the one vehicle comprises the steps of; monitoring the vehicles on the track; determining a safe distance for the one vehicle based on the positions of the vehicles on the track, wherein the safe distance is the amount that a motor of the one vehicle can rotate to drive the one vehicle along the calculated route without interfering with another vehicle on the track; communicating the safe distance with the vehicle; rotating the motor of the vehicle the safe distance to advance the vehicle along the route no further than a distance corresponding to the safe distance; and as the vehicles move along the track, iteratively performing the steps of determining the safe distance, communicating the safe distance, and rotating the motor of the vehicle to advance the vehicle; and transferring an item between the one vehicle and the one destination area. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A vehicle operable in a material handling system having a plurality of destination areas, a track for guiding the delivery vehicle vertically and horizontally to the destination areas and a traffic controller for controlling the operation of a plurality of the vehicles to prevent collisions between the vehicles, wherein the vehicle comprises:
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a plurality of rotatable drive elements; a motor operable to drive the drive elements; a sensor operable to detect rotation of the motor; a transfer mechanism for transferring an item between the delivery vehicle and one of the destination areas; and a wireless communication assembly for communicating signals to the traffic controller regarding the rotation of the motor detected by the sensor and for receiving signals from the traffic controller regarding the amount that the motor may rotate without interfering with another vehicle; wherein the motor is controlled in response to the signals received by the traffic controller so that the motor only rotates the amount specified by the signals received from the traffic controller; wherein the vehicle is configured to continuously communicate signals with the traffic controller regarding the detected rotation of the motor and to continuously receive signals from the traffic controller which iteratively calculates safe distances for the vehicle as the vehicle move along the track. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. For use in a material handling system having a central controller and defining a track aligned with a plurality of storage and/or retrieval destinations arranged in rows and columns, a vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of rotatable drive elements; a motor operable to drive the drive elements; a wireless transceiver configured to exchange signals, with the central controller, as the vehicle travels along the track, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit signals, to the central controller, from which a prior distance traveled by the vehicle along the track can be derived; and wherein the transceiver is configured to receive signals, from the central controller, corresponding to a next distance along the track to be traveled by the vehicle; and a local controller, responsive to signals received from the central controller, configured to control operation of the motor to thereby initiate or interrupt movement of the vehicle along the track. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of operating a vehicle within a material handling system having a central controller and defining a track aligned with a plurality of storage and/or retrieval destinations arranged in rows and columns, comprising:
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transmitting, from the vehicle, signals to the central controller, from which a prior distance traveled by the vehicle along the track can be derived; receiving, at the vehicle, signals from the central controller corresponding to a next distance along the track to be traveled by the vehicle; and responsive to signals received from the central controller, controlling operation of a motor of the vehicle to initiate or interrupt movement of the vehicle along the track. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification