Distributed autonomous robot systems and mehtods

• US 10,083,418 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Enssle, Benjamin D., Brightwell, David Blair, Bryan, Greg A., Brooks, Cristy Crane, Gabbert, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/587,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10504 Data fields affixed to objects or articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Described in detail herein are systems and methods for detecting absent like physical objects at a first facility and replenishing the like physical objects from the second facility to the first facility. The system includes an autonomous robot device configured to detect absent like physical objects at a first facility and transmit an identifier associated with the like physical objects to a first computing system. The first computing system determines the need for the addition of the like physical objects in the first facility and transmits the data associated with the like physical objects to the second computing system. The second computing system corrects a perpetual inventory error associated with the like physical objects based on the received data and transmits instructions to an autonomous robot picker disposed at a second facility to replenish the like physical objects at the first facility. The autonomous robot picker locates, picks up and carries the like physical objects at the second facility to a conveyer belt. The like physical objects are transported from the second facility to the first facility.

Claims

1. An autonomous distributed computing system comprising:

a first computing system including at least one server and a first database;

a plurality of autonomous robot devices in selective communication with the first computing system via a first communications network, at least one of the plurality of autonomous robot devices including a controller, a drive motor, and an image capturing device,

the at least one of the autonomous robot devices configured to (i) roam autonomously through a facility in response to operation of the drive motor by the controller, (ii) capture a first set of one or more images of a designated position for like physical objects at a first location within the facility, (iii) retrieve from the first database a second set of one or more images of the like physical objects, (iv) compare the first set of one or more images and the second set of one or more images (v) detect, based on the comparison, that the like physical objects of a set of like physical objects are absent from the first location within the facility, (vi) read an identifier at the first location that is associated with the set of like physical objects, and (vii) transmit the identifier to the first computing system; and

a second computing system in selective communication with the first computing system via a second communications network, the second computing system including a second database and being located remotely from the first computing system,

wherein the first computing system is programmed to (i) store data in the first database that indicates a need to add more of the like physical objects to the set at the first location in response to receipt of the identifier from the at least one of the autonomous robot devices, and (ii) upon execution of an automated batch file, transmit the data associated with the like physical objects stored in the first database to the second computing system; and

wherein the second computing system is programmed to (i) receive the data associated with the like physical objects, (ii) correct a perpetual inventory error based on the data associated with the like physical objects, and (iii) transmit a corrected perpetual inventory to the first computing system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the autonomous robot devices compare the first set of one or more images and the second set of one or more images using machine vision.

3. The system in claim 1, further comprising the at least at least one of the autonomous robot devices including an optical machine scanner.

4. The system in claim 3, wherein the identifier is an optical machine readable representation and the controller of at least one of the autonomous robot devices controls the optical machine scanner to read the identifier at the first location.

5. The system in claim 1, wherein the first computing system determines the set of like physical objects are present in a second location within the facility.

6. The system in claim 1, wherein the first computing system determines that the identifier at the first location has been read more than a specified quantity of time within a specified time period.

7. The system in claim 1, wherein the first computing system is configured to determine that the same identifier has been read by two of the plurality of autonomous robot devices within a specified time period.

8. The system in claim 7, wherein the first computing system deletes subsequent reads from the plurality of autonomous robot devices within the specified time period.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computing system corrects the perpetual inventory error associated with the like physical objects in response to determining the like physical objects are absent from the first location in the facility and a second location in the facility at which a second set of like physical objects are stored.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein prior to the second computing system correcting the perpetual inventory error, a perpetual inventory associated with the facility indicates at least one of the like physical objects are present in the facility.

11. An autonomous distributed computing system comprising:

a first computing system including at least one server and a first database disposed in a first facility;

a plurality of autonomous robot devices disposed in the first facility and in selective communication with the first computing system, at least one of the autonomous robot devices configured to;

(i) detect like physical objects of a set of like physical objects are absent from a first location within the first facility, and (ii) transmit data indicative of absence of like the physical objects to the first computing system;

a plurality of autonomous robot pickers including at least one processor disposed in a second facility;

a conveyer belt disposed in the second facility;

a second computing system including at least one server and a database, communicatively coupled to the first computing system, the plurality of autonomous robot pickers, and the conveyer belt, wherein the second computing system located remotely from the first computing system;

the second computing system configured to;

(i) receive from the first computing system, the data indicative of absence of the like physical objects associated with the set of like physical objects disposed at the first location within the first facility;

(ii) correct a perpetual inventory error associated with the first facility based at least in part on the data, (iii) transmit instructions to at least one of the plurality of autonomous robot pickers in response to correction of the perpetual inventory error; and

(iv) control an operation of the conveyer belt;

wherein the at least one of the plurality of autonomous robot pickers is configured to;

(i) autonomously navigate to a storage location of the like physical objects in response to the at least one autonomous robot device detecting the absence of like the physical objects from the first location within the first facility and receiving instructions from the second computing system;

(ii) autonomously control a picking unit of the at least one of the plurality of robot pickers to remove at least one of the like physical objects from the storage location, and (iii) autonomously control the picking unit to place at least one of the like physical objects on the conveyer belt to transport the at least one of the like physical objects from the storage location to a distribution location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second computing system corrects the perpetual inventory error in response to determining the like physical objects are absent from the first location in the facility and are absent from a second location in the first facility at which a second set of like physical objects are stored.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein prior to the second computing system correcting the perpetual inventory error, a perpetual inventory associated with the like physical objects indicates that at least one of the like physical objects are present at the first location or the second location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the like physical objects is transported into a vehicle by the conveyor belt.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second computing system verifies the vehicle is present at the distal end of the conveyer belt before transmitting instructions to the at least one of the autonomous robot pickers.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the data associated with a set of like physical objects includes a quantity of like physical objects needed at the first location.

17. A method implemented by an autonomous distributed computing system, the method comprising:

roaming autonomously through a first facility by an autonomous robot device that includes a controller, a drive motor, and an image capturing device, the autonomous robot device roaming the facility in response to operation of the drive motor by the controller;

capturing, via the image capturing device of the autonomous robot device, one or more of a first set of images of a first location within the first facility at which a set of like physical objects is supposed to be disposed;

retrieving, via the autonomous robot device, from a first database of a first computing system, a second set of one or more images of the like physical objects;

comparing the first set of one or more images and the second set of one or more images;

detecting, by the autonomous robot device, based on the comparison, that the like physical objects of the set of like physical objects are absent from the first location;

reading, by the autonomous robot device, an identifier at the first location that is associated with the set of like physical objects;

transmitting, via the at least one of the autonomous robot devices, the identifier to the first computing system that includes at least one server and the first database;

storing, via the first computing system, data in the first database that indicates a need to add more of the like physical objects to the set at the first location in response to receipt of the identifier from the autonomous robot device;

upon execution of an automated batch file, transmitting the data associated with the like physical objects stored in the first database from the first computing system to a second computing system, the second computing system be located remotely from the first computing system;

receiving the data associated with the like physical objects at the second computing system;

correcting, via the second computing system, a perpetual inventory error associated with the first facility based at least in part on the data associated with the like physical objects;

transmitting, via the second computing system, a corrected perpetual inventory to the first computing system;

transmit instructions from the second computing system to an autonomous robot picker disposed in a second facility in response to correction of the perpetual inventory error;

controlling, via the second computing system, an operation of a conveyer belt disposed in the second facility;

autonomously navigating to a storage location of the like physical objects in the second facility by autonomous robot picker in response to the instructions;

autonomously controlling by the autonomous robot picker, a picking unit of the autonomous robot picker to remove at least one of the like physical objects from the storage location; and

autonomously controlling the picking unit to place the at least one of the like physical objects on the conveyer belt to transport the at least one of the like physical objects from the storage location to a distribution location in the second facility.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein correcting the perpetual inventory error associated with the like physical objects is performed in response to determining the like physical objects are absent from the first location in the first facility and a second location in the first facility at which a second set of like physical objects are stored.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein prior to the second computing system correcting the perpetual inventory error, a perpetual inventory associated with the facility indicates at least one of the like physical objects is present in the first facility.

20. The method in claim 17, further comprising determining, via the first computing system, the same identifier has been read by two of the plurality of autonomous robot devices within a specified time period.