System and method for order fulfillment using robots

• US 10,423,150 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2016
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fetch Robotics, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wise, Melonee, Ferguson, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Robert T
• Application Number:
  US15/512,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/04 Loading land vehicles loading or unloading boats to or from land vehicles B60P3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50391 Robot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for order fulfillment using one or more robots includes: a server configured to receive an order comprising an order item; inventory storage operably connected to the server, the inventory storage comprising order items; an actor robot operably connected to and selected by the server, the actor robot configured to perform one or more of picking the order item from inventory storage, moving the order item, and positioning the order item; and an order robot operably connected to the server, the order robot configured to collect the order item, wherein the order item is positioned by the actor robot so as to be accessible to the order robot, so as to perform order fulfillment using one or more robots.

Claims

1. A system for order fulfillment using one or more robots, comprising:

a server configured to receive an order comprising an order item;

an inventory robot operably connected to the server, the inventory robot comprising order items;

an actor robot operably connected to and selected by the server, the actor robot configured to perform one or more of receiving from the server a currently planned path for the actor robot and generating the currently planned path for the actor robot, the actor robot further configured to perform one or more of picking the order item, moving the order item, and positioning the order item; and

an order robot operably connected to the server, the order robot configured to collect the order item, wherein the order item is positioned by the actor robot on the order robot so as to be accessible to the order robot, so as to perform order fulfillment using one or more robots.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one robot communicates position information to the server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein using the position information, the server transmits a currently planned path to the communicating robot.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the communicating robot communicates one or more of its past position, its present position, its future position, and position information affecting its currently planned path.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the communicating robot communicates position information affecting its currently planned path comprising position information regarding an obstacle affecting its currently planned path.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the communicating robot communicates position information regarding an obstacle preventing timely and cost-effective execution of the currently planned path.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the communicating robot communicates position information regarding an obstacle blocking the current planned path.

8. A system for order fulfillment using one or more robots, comprising:

a server configured to receive an order comprising an order item;

an inventory robot operably connected to the server, the inventory robot comprising order items;

an actor robot operably connected to and selected by the server, the actor robot configured to perform one or more of receiving a currently planned path for the actor robot from the server and generating a currently planned path for the actor robot, the actor robot further configured to perform one or more of picking the order item, moving the order item, and positioning the order item; and

an order robot operably connected to the server, the order robot configured to collect the order item, wherein the order item is positioned by the actor robot inside the order robot so as to be accessible to the order robot, so as to perform order fulfillment using one or more robots.

9. A method for order fulfillment using robots, comprising:

receiving, by a task robot, from a server, one or more of a selection of the task robot and a destination;

computing, by the task robot, a currently planned path configured to enable the task robot to reach the destination while optimizing criteria of interest;

executing, by the task robot, the currently planned path;

communicating position information, by the task robot, to the server;

determining, by the task robot, using the position information, that the task robot is positioned so as to be ready to perform a task relating to fulfillment of an order;

receiving the task, by the task robot, from the server, following the determination that the task robot is positioned so as to be ready to perform the task;

performing the task, by the task robot; and

sending, to the server, by the task robot, a task confirmation confirmed that the task has been completed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the task robot comprises one or more of an inventory robot, an actor robot, an order robot, and a packer robot.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the task robot comprises an inventory robot configured to perform one or more of picking and moving the order item.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the task robot comprises an actor robot configured to perform one or more of picking the order item, moving the order item, and positioning the order item.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the task robot comprises an order robot configured to collect the order item.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the task robot comprises a packer robot configured to pack an order item into a container to be shipped.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of performing comprises picking an order item.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of performing comprises picking the order item from an inventory storage.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of performing comprises packing an order item.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of packing is performed by a packing robot.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing further comprises shipping one or more of the one or more items.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of computing the currently planned path comprises computing a currently planned path configured to enable the task robot to reach a destination while optimizing criteria of interest.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of receiving the task comprises receiving a pick order.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of sending comprises sending a pick confirmation confirming that the ordered items have been picked.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of communicating comprises communicating one or more of a past robot position, a present robot position, a future robot position, and position information regarding an obstacle affecting the currently planned path.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of communicating comprises communicating position information regarding an obstacle blocking the current planned path.