Transportable climate-controlled units for fulfillment of perishable goods

• US 10,317,119 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zou, Le
• Primary Examiner(s): Furdge, Larry L
• Application Number:
  US15/247,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20180058739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2104 of an indoor room or compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/12 Portable refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/32 Removal, transportation or shipping of refrigerating devices from one location to another
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/38 Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for fulfillment of perishable goods using transportable climate-controlled units. A computing environment may control operation and transportation of network-enabled refrigeration units using mobile drive units capable of navigating a materials handing center or other space. The mobile drive units may recharge or otherwise provide power to the refrigeration units, for example, as they are transported.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an inventory holder comprising a frame, the frame having a power supply, the frame further comprising a plurality of shelves, at least a portion of the shelves being configured to store non-perishable items thereon;

a plurality of refrigeration units electrically coupled to the power supply and positioned on the shelves, individual ones of the refrigeration units being configured to store perishable items therein and comprising;

a battery;

a sensor configured to measure an internal temperature;

a network interface; and

processing circuitry configured to;

communicate the internal temperature of a respective one of the refrigeration units to the at least one computing device over a network using the network interface; and

adjust the internal temperature in response to receipt of a request from the at least one computing device, the internal temperature being adjusted based at least in part on a temperature characteristic of an item assigned for storage therein; and

a mobile drive unit being configured to;

physically couple to the inventory holder and electrically couple to and perform a charging process that charges the battery of the refrigeration units and the power supply of the frame;

transport the inventory holder and the refrigeration units from a first location to a second location based at least in part on an instruction received from the at least one computing device; and

transport the inventory holder and the refrigeration units from the second location to a third location based at least in part on the item being removed from the respective one of the refrigeration units and scanned.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile drive unit comprises a drive unit battery and at least one battery level sensor configured to measure a battery level associated with the drive unit battery; and

the mobile drive unit is configured to transport the refrigeration units from the first location to a charging station in response to the battery level being below a threshold level.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the refrigeration units further comprise at least one battery level sensor configured to measure a battery level associated with the battery; and

the mobile drive unit is configured to transport the frame and the refrigeration units from the first location to a charging station in response to the battery level being below a threshold level.

4. A system, comprising:

an inventory holder comprising a frame having a plurality of shelves, the inventory holder comprising a power supply;

a plurality of refrigeration units stored on the shelves and coupled to the power supply, individual ones of the plurality of refrigeration units comprising;

a battery; and

a network interface for communication with at least one computing device; and

a first mobile drive unit being configured to perform a charging process that comprises navigating through an opening of the frame and electrically coupling to the inventory holder and the plurality of refrigeration units to charge the inventory holder or the plurality of refrigeration units; and

a second mobile drive unit being configured to transport the inventory holder and the plurality of refrigeration units from a first location to a second location.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first mobile drive unit is configured to dock with the frame of the inventory holder.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the individual ones of the plurality of refrigeration units further comprise at least one sensor configured to measure an internal temperature.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the individual ones of the plurality of refrigeration units further comprise processing circuitry being configured to:

determine that the internal temperature of a respective one of the plurality of refrigeration units is within a temperature threshold associated with at least one item stored therein; and

in response to the internal temperature of the respective one of the refrigeration units not being within the temperature threshold, adjust the internal temperature.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the individual ones of the plurality of refrigeration units further comprise processing circuitry being configured to:

communicate the internal temperature to the at least one computing device over a network using the network interface; and

adjust the internal temperature of a respective one of the plurality of refrigeration units in response to receipt of a request from the at least one computing device.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the first mobile drive unit provides power to the battery of the plurality of refrigeration units or to at least one other component of the plurality of refrigeration units.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the second mobile drive unit is configured to receive an instruction from the at least one computing device through the network interface that causes the second mobile drive unit to transport the refrigeration units from the first location to the second location.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive unit comprise a battery and at least one sensor configured to measure a battery level associated with the battery; and

the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive unit are configured to transport the plurality of refrigeration units from the first location to a charging station in response to the battery level being within a threshold level.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein:

individual ones of the plurality of refrigeration units comprise a battery and at least one sensor configured to measure a battery level associated with the battery; and

the second mobile drive unit is configured to transport the plurality of refrigeration units from the first location to a charging station in response to the battery level being within a threshold level.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the second location is associated with a charging station.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the frame of the inventory holder comprises at least one leg having a length suitable to receive the first mobile drive unit at a position underneath the plurality of refrigeration units, wherein the at least one leg is configured to electrically couple to a floor-mounted charging mechanism.

15. A method, comprising:

identifying, by at least one computing device comprising at least one hardware processor, that a battery level associated with at least one refrigeration unit has fallen below a predefined threshold;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, location data associated with the at least one refrigeration unit;

communicating, by the at least one computing device, an instruction to a first mobile drive unit that causes the first mobile drive unit to navigate to a current location of the at least one refrigeration unit based at least in part on the location data;

causing, by the at least one computing device, the first mobile drive unit to initiate a charging process, wherein the charging process comprises the first mobile drive unit electrically coupling to the at least one refrigeration unit and charging a power supply of the at least one refrigeration unit;

identifying, by the at least one computing device, that the current location of the at least one refrigeration unit is a packing station;

verifying, by the at least one computing device, that at least one item has been removed from the at least one computing device and scanned; and

in response to the at least one item being removed and scanned, causing, by the at least one computing device, a second mobile drive unit to transport the at least one refrigeration unit from a first location to a second location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the charging process further comprises a battery of the at least one refrigeration unit being swapped with a fully-charged battery.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, by the at least one computing device, the first mobile drive unit to transport the at least one refrigeration unit from the current location to a location associated with the packing station.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, by the at least one computing device, the second mobile drive unit to transport the at least one refrigeration unit from the current location to a location associated with a charging station.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one component of the at least one refrigeration unit comprises a battery.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the battery level associated with the at least one refrigeration unit is identified from at least one sensor of the at least one refrigeration unit and communicated to the at least one computing device through a network interface of the at least one refrigeration unit.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying, by the at least one computing device, an internal temperature or an internal humidity level of a cell within the at least one refrigeration unit; and

adjusting, by the at least one computing device, the internal temperature or the internal humidity level based at least in part on a required temperature or a required humidity level associated with an item to be stored in the at least one refrigeration unit.