System and method for configuring workstations

• US 10,074,073 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stevens, Rob, Watt, William J., Bragg, Timothy, Cravalho, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda Renee
• Application Number:
  US15/276,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for managing an inventory system includes receiving an operation request that identifies an inventory item and selecting, from a plurality of workstations, a workstation at which to fulfill the operation request. The method also includes moving an inventory holder storing the identified inventory item to the selected workstation and moving a supply holder storing a supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation. The method additionally includes fulfilling the operation request, at least in part, at the workstation.

Claims

1. A method for managing an inventory system, comprising:

receiving an operation request that identifies an inventory item;

selecting, from a plurality of workstations, a workstation at which to fulfill the operation request;

moving, using one or more mobile drive units, an inventory item to the selected workstation;

moving, using the one or more mobile drive units, a supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation; and

fulfilling the operation request, at least in part, at the workstation using the identified inventory item and the supply item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation comprises:

selecting the supply item from a plurality of supply holders associated with the received operation request; and

moving the selected supply item to the selected workstation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the one or more mobile drive units to a supply holder storing the supply item;

moving the one or more mobile drive units to an inventory holder storing the inventory item; and

moving, using the one or more mobile drive units, the inventory item and the supply item to the selected workstation.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising wirelessly transmitting information comprising movement instructions calculated to cause the one or more mobile drive units to move the inventory holder and the supply holder to the selected workstation.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting, by the one or more mobile drive units, information comprising an image of a fiducial mark to a management module, wherein the management module identifies a location of the one or more mobile drive units based at least in part upon the image of the fiducial mark.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the mobile drive unit to a supply holder storing the supply item; and

coupling the mobile drive unit to the supply holder.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein coupling the mobile drive unit to the supply holder comprises:

moving the mobile drive unit beneath the supply holder;

initiating an actuator to raise a docking head against a portion of the supply holder;

and wherein the method further comprises moving the mobile drive unit while the docking head is raised against the portion of the supply holder.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the supply item comprises a material used to package the inventory item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the supply item comprises an equipment used to modify the inventory item or incorporate the inventory item into another object.

10. An inventory system, comprising:

one or more inventory items;

one or more supply items;

a plurality of workstations at which operation requests are fulfilled; and

a management module operable to;

receive an operation request that identifies an inventory item of the one or more inventory items;

select, from the plurality of workstations, a workstation at which to fulfill the received operation request;

initiate, by one or more mobile drive units, movement of the identified inventory item to the selected workstation;

initiate, by the one or more mobile drive units, movement of a supply item of the one or more supply items, the supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation; and

initiate fulfillment of the received operation request, at least in part, at the selected workstation using the identified inventory item and the supply item.

11. The inventory system of claim 10, wherein the management module is operable to initiate movement of the supply item by:

selecting, from a plurality of supply holders, a supply holder storing the supply item associated with the received operation request; and

initiating movement of the one or more mobile drive units to the selected supply holder; and

initiating movement of the supply item to the selected workstation.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the supply item is selected by the management module based at least in part upon a determination to modify a packaging of the inventory item or to modify the inventory item at the selected workstation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more mobile drive units is operable to couple a supply holder to a power supply at the selected workstation.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the management module is further operable to transmit information comprising movement instructions to the one or more mobile drive units to move to reach the selected workstation.

15. A system comprising:

one or more mobile drive units operable to transport inventory items and supply items in response to wireless commands;

a management module configured to transmit wireless commands to the one or more mobile drive units, the management module operable to;

receive an operation request that identifies an inventory item;

initiate movement of the one or more mobile drive units using one or more first wireless commands, the first wireless commands calculated to cause the one or more mobile drive units to move an inventory item to a workstation;

initiate movement of the one or more mobile drive units using one or more second wireless commands, the second wireless commands calculated to cause the one or more mobile drive units to move a supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation; and

initiate fulfillment of the received operation request, at least in part, at the workstation using the identified item and the supply item.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is further operable to:

detect a trigger event associated with the supply item; and

in response to detecting the trigger event, transmit the second wireless commands to move the supply item associated with the trigger event to the workstation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the trigger event comprises a supply request received by the management module from the workstation.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising coupling a supply holder to a power supply at the workstation.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the supply item comprises at least one of a packaging material or an equipment.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is further operable to:

receive an image comprising a fiducial mark from the one or more mobile drive units;

derive a location of the one or more mobile drive units from the image of the fiducial mark; and

utilize the location derived from the image of the fiducial mark to plan a path for the one or more mobile drive units within a workspace.