Entity tracking for kiva robotic floors
First Claim
1. An inventory management system, comprising:
- a plurality of mobile drive units configured to move within a materials handling facility according to generated paths and configured to communicate respective location data of the plurality of mobile drive units within the materials handling facility;
a mobile location unit configured to communicate tracking data of a working entity within the materials handling facility, the tracking data including an approximate location of the working entity within the materials handling facility relative to the mobile location unit; and
a computing device configured to;
receive the location data for the plurality of mobile drive units;
assign the mobile location unit to follow the working entity within the materials handling facility based at least in part an indication of a signal from an individual mobile drive unit of the plurality of mobile drive units, the signal identifying that the working entity has entered the materials handling facility;
receive the tracking data from the mobile location unit assigned to the working entity;
generate a bounded area around the working entity and the mobile location unit based at least in part on the tracking data;
generate a new path for at least one of the plurality of mobile drive units within the materials handling facility based at least in part on the bounded area; and
instruct an associated propulsion component of the at least one of the plurality of mobile drive units to alter a current path and utilize the new path to avoid the bounded area.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for providing an entity monitoring safety feature in an inventory management system may be described. For example, information that indicates respective locations for a plurality of mobile drive units within an inventory management system may be received. Tracking information may be received from a mobile location unit that is moving within a bounded area around a signal transmitter that is coupled to an entity. The tracking information may include an approximate location of the signal transmitter relative to the mobile location unit. Pathway information may be generated that indicates to the plurality of mobile drive units within the inventory management system to stay outside of a radius distance of the mobile location unit based on the received tracking information. The generated pathway information may be provided to the plurality of mobile drive units to enable safe passage for the entity within the inventory management system.
35 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An inventory management system, comprising:
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a plurality of mobile drive units configured to move within a materials handling facility according to generated paths and configured to communicate respective location data of the plurality of mobile drive units within the materials handling facility; a mobile location unit configured to communicate tracking data of a working entity within the materials handling facility, the tracking data including an approximate location of the working entity within the materials handling facility relative to the mobile location unit; and a computing device configured to; receive the location data for the plurality of mobile drive units; assign the mobile location unit to follow the working entity within the materials handling facility based at least in part an indication of a signal from an individual mobile drive unit of the plurality of mobile drive units, the signal identifying that the working entity has entered the materials handling facility; receive the tracking data from the mobile location unit assigned to the working entity; generate a bounded area around the working entity and the mobile location unit based at least in part on the tracking data; generate a new path for at least one of the plurality of mobile drive units within the materials handling facility based at least in part on the bounded area; and instruct an associated propulsion component of the at least one of the plurality of mobile drive units to alter a current path and utilize the new path to avoid the bounded area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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receiving, by a computer system, location information that indicates respective locations of a plurality of mobile drive units within a facility, a mobile drive unit of the plurality of mobile drive units configured to detect an entity within the facility based at least in part on a signal provided by a signal transmitter associated with the entity; receiving, by the computer system and from a particular mobile drive unit of the plurality of mobile drive units, the signal identifying the entity within the facility; identifying, by the computer system, a portion of the facility that corresponds to a location for the entity based at least in part on the signal and corresponding location information for the particular mobile drive unit; and generating, by the computer system, a series of pathway instructions to be provided to one or more mobile drive units that are moving within a bounded area around the location that corresponds to the entity based at least in part the signal and the identified portion of the facility, the series of pathway instructions causing associated propulsion components of the one or more mobile drive units to alter a current path and create a particular path for the entity to utilize while moving within the facility and avoid other mobile drive units moving throughout the facility. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed with a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving location information that includes respective locations of a plurality of mobile drive units and mobile location units in an inventory management system; receiving, from a first mobile location unit that is moving around a working entity, tracking information that includes an approximate location of the working entity relative to the first mobile location and corresponding location information for the first mobile location unit that indicates a first portion of the inventory management system in which the working entity is moving; determining that the working entity is moving from the first portion of the inventory management system to a second portion of the inventory management system based at least in part on the tracking information and the corresponding location information from the first mobile location unit; and providing first instructions to the first mobile location unit to perform a hand off operation that assigns a second mobile location unit to move around the working entity by instructing an associated propulsion component of the second mobile location unit to alter a current path based at least in part on the determination that the working entity is moving from the first portion of the inventory management system to the second portion of the inventory management system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification