Storage material handling system

• US 10,399,777 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harvest Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nexshift Robotics,Inc.
• Inventors: Grinnell, Charles, Jones, Joe, Kawola, John, Sparrow, Mary Ellen, Toebes, Stephen C., Vu, Clara, Aprea, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda R
• Application Number:
  US16/057,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20180346246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/49 Protective device

Abstract

An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.

Claims

1. A storage fill and retrieval system for a storage space, the system comprising:

a multiplicity of fixed storage locations distributed in the storage space in a predetermined ordered configuration, the multiplicity of fixed storage locations defining at least one human pick zone arranged for human picker access, the fixed storage locations are arrayed in the at least one human pick zone so as to pick or place items from the fixed storage locations in the at least one human pick zone;

at least one robot picker configured for holding and transporting a tote within the storage space, the at least one robot picker having an end effector arranged for autonomous transfer of the tote between the at least one robot picker and a tote holding station, and between the at least one robot picker and at least one collection tote location disposed within at least one of the at one human pick zone; and

a storage management system including a controller, the storage management system is configured to communicate with the at least one robot picker and is configured to associate each robot picker of the at least one robot picker with a related human pick zone;

each of the related human pick zones having at least one stored item in the fixed storage locations of the related human pick zone corresponding to a store or customer pick order of the storage management system;

wherein the at least one robot picker is configured to transport the tote to the at least one collection tote location within each related human pick zone, and the controller is configured to associate each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location and the related human pick zones to collectively form a robot path, the robot path is decoupled from a related human picker path of each human picker within a respective related human pick zone; and

the controller associates each collection tote location to a corresponding store or customer pick order.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one robot picker is configured to transport the tote to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location along the path.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one robot picker transports a common tote to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location corresponding to the store or customer pick order.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a common robot picker transports the common tote to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location corresponding to the store or customer pick order.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein more than one robot picker transports the common tote to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location corresponding to the store or customer pick order.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the storage management system associates the common tote with at least one corresponding order and a corresponding robot picker of the at least one robot picker so that the common tote is transported to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location by a common robot picker.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the common tote is partitioned into more than one cell, the common tote being associated with more than one corresponding order and wherein the storage management system associates each cell of the common tote with a different corresponding order from the more than one orders associated with the common tote.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller, in communication with the human picker and the at least one robot picker, is configured so that the storage management system generates the interface between the human picker in the human pick zone of the at least one human pick zone and the at least one robot picker and selectively determines if a state of the interface is a coupled interface or a decoupled interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein when the interface is coupled, the human picker meets the at least one robot picker effecting a tote fill at a collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein when the interface is decoupled, a tote fill at a collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location is effected without the human picker and the at least one robot picker meeting.

11. A method for operating a distribution center, the method comprising:

providing a multiplicity of fixed storage locations distributed in a storage space in a predetermined ordered configuration defining at least one human pick zone, the at least one human pick zone is arranged for human picker access to the fixed storage locations arrayed in the at least one human pick zone so as to pick or place items from the fixed storage locations in the at least one human pick zone;

holding and transporting a tote within the storage space with at least one robot picker, the at least one robot picker having an end effector for autonomous transfer of the tote between the at least one robot picker and a tote holding station, and between the at least one robot picker and at least one collection tote location disposed within at least one of the at one human pick zone;

communicating, by a storage management system, to the at least one robot picker, and associating, with the storage management system, each robot picker of the at least one robot picker with a related human pick zone from the at least one human pick zone, the storage management system comprising a controller;

each of the related human pick zones having at least one stored item in the fixed storage locations corresponding to a store or customer pick order of the storage management system;

transporting the tote with the at least one robot picker to the at least one collection tote location within each related human pick zone; and

associating, with the controller, each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location to collectively form a robot path, the robot path is decoupled from a human picker path of each human picker within a respective related human pick zone in the storage space, the robot path connects the collection tote locations of the at least one collection tote location that correspond to the store or customer pick order.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transporting the tote, with the at least one robot picker, to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location along the path.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transporting a common tote, with the at least one robot picker, to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location corresponding to one or more of the store and customer pick order.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transporting the common tote, with a common robot picker, to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location corresponding to one or more of the store and customer pick order.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising transporting the common tote, with more than one robot picker, to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location corresponding to one or more of the store and customer pick order.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising associating, with the storage management system, the common tote with at least one corresponding order and a corresponding robot picker of the at least one robot picker, and transporting the common tote to each collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location with a common robot picker.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising partitioning the common tote into more than one cell, associating the common tote with more than one corresponding order, and associating, with the storage management system, each cell of the common tote with a different corresponding order from the more than one orders associated with the common tote.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the storage management system includes a controller in communication with a human picker and the at least one robot picker, the method further comprising generating an interface, with the storage management system, between the human picker in a human pick zone of the at least one human pick zone and the at least one robot picker and determining, selectively, when the interface is coupled or decoupled.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising effecting a tote fill at a collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location, wherein the human picker meets the at least one robot picker, when the interface is coupled.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising effecting a tote fill at a collection tote location of the at least one collection tote location, without the human picker and the at least one robot picker meeting, when the interface is decoupled.