SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING MOBILE DRIVE UNITS
First Claim
1. A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- a route planning module operable to transmit a route response to a mobile drive unit, wherein the route response defines a path between a first point and a second point;
a segment reservation module operable to;
receive a reservation request from a mobile drive unit, the reservation request identifying a requested segment to be reserved;
in response to receiving the reservation request, decide whether to reserve at least the requested segment for the requesting mobile drive unit; and
transmit a reservation response to the reservation requesting mobile drive unit, wherein the reservation response indicates whether the requested segment has been reserved; and
a mobile drive unit operable to;
receive the route response defining the path, wherein;
the path comprises an initial segment and one or more additional segments;
the initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and
at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point;
store the path;
reserve the initial segment of the path;
move away from the first point along the initial segment;
after initiating movement along the initial segment, reserve each of the one or more additional segments of the path;
move toward the second point along each segment while that segment is reserved.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for moving a mobile drive unit within a workspace includes receiving a path. The path includes at least an initial segment and one or more additional segments. The initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point. The method further includes storing the path, reserving the initial segment of the path, and moving away from the first point along the initial segment. After initiating movement along the initial segment, the method includes reserving each of the additional segments of the path and moving toward the second point along each of the additional segments while that segment is reserved.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:
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a route planning module operable to transmit a route response to a mobile drive unit, wherein the route response defines a path between a first point and a second point; a segment reservation module operable to; receive a reservation request from a mobile drive unit, the reservation request identifying a requested segment to be reserved; in response to receiving the reservation request, decide whether to reserve at least the requested segment for the requesting mobile drive unit; and transmit a reservation response to the reservation requesting mobile drive unit, wherein the reservation response indicates whether the requested segment has been reserved; and a mobile drive unit operable to; receive the route response defining the path, wherein; the path comprises an initial segment and one or more additional segments; the initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point; store the path; reserve the initial segment of the path; move away from the first point along the initial segment; after initiating movement along the initial segment, reserve each of the one or more additional segments of the path; move toward the second point along each segment while that segment is reserved. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for moving a mobile drive unit within a workspace, comprising;
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receiving a path, wherein; the path comprises an initial segment and one or more additional segments; the initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point; storing the path; reserving the initial segment of the path; moving away from the first point along the initial segment; after initiating movement along the initial segment, reserving each of the additional segments of the path; and moving toward the second point along each of the additional segments while that segment is reserved. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A mobile drive unit operable to:
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receive a route response identifying a path between a first point and a second point, wherein; the path comprises at least an initial segment and one or more additional segments; the initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point; store the path; reserve the initial segment of the path; move away from the first point along the initial segment; after initiating movement along the initial segment, reserve each of the additional segments of the path; and move toward the second point along each of the additional segments while that segment is reserved.
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38. A route planning module operable to:
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receive a route request from a mobile drive unit; in response to receiving the route request, generate a path between a first point and a second point, wherein; the path comprises an initial segment and one or more additional segments; the initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point; store the path; transmit a route response defining the initial segment to the mobile drive unit; receive one or more subsequent requests from the mobile drive unit; and in response to each of the one or more subsequent requests from the mobile drive unit, transmit an additional route response defining an additional segment of the path.
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39. A system for moving a mobile drive unit within a workspace, comprising;
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means for receiving a path, wherein; the path comprises at least an initial segment and one or more additional segments; the initial segment includes a portion of the path adjacent to the first point; and at least one of the additional segments includes a portion of the path adjacent to the second point; means for storing the path; means for reserving the initial segment of the path; means for moving away from the first point along the initial segment; means for reserving the each of the additional segments of the path after initiating movement along the initial segment; and means for moving toward the second point along each of the additional segments while that segment is reserved.
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40. A system for moving inventory items, comprising:
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a route planning module operable to; generate a first path between a first point and a second point, wherein the first path comprises a plurality of segments; transmit, to a mobile drive unit, information specifying an initial segment of the first path; and a mobile drive unit operable to; receive the information specifying the initial segment of the first path; reserve the initial segment of the first path; move away from the first point along the initial segment of the first path; after initiating movement along the initial segment of the first path, request a next segment; and
wherein the route planning module is further operable to;in response to the mobile drive unit requesting the next segment, decide whether to generate a new path for the mobile drive unit; in response to deciding not to generate a new path, transmit a second segment of the first path; and in response to deciding to generate a new path; generate a second path between a current location of the mobile drive unit and the second point; and transmit information identifying a first segment of the second path to the mobile drive unit. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for moving inventory items, comprising:
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generating a first path between a first point and a second point, wherein the first path comprises a plurality of segments; transmitting information to a mobile drive unit that specifies an initial segment of the first path; receiving a request for a next segment from the mobile drive unit; in response to receiving the request for the next segment, deciding whether to generate a new path for the mobile drive unit; in response to deciding not to generate a new path, transmitting a second segment of the first path; and in response to deciding to generate a new path; generating a second path between a current location of the mobile drive unit and the second point; and transmitting information identifying a first segment of the second path to the mobile drive unit. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A route scheduling module operable to:
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generate a first path between a first point and a second point, wherein the first path comprises a plurality of segments; transmit information to a mobile drive unit that specifies an initial segment of the first path; receive a request for a next segment from the mobile drive unit; in response to receiving the request for the next segment, decide whether to generate a new path for the mobile drive unit; in response to deciding not to generate a new path, transmit a second segment of the first path; and in response to deciding to generate a new path; generate a second path between a current location of the mobile drive unit and the second point; and transmit information identifying a first segment of the second path to the mobile drive unit.
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59. A system for moving inventory items, comprising:
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means for generating a first path between a first point and a second point, wherein the first path comprises a plurality of segments; means for transmitting information to a mobile drive unit that specifies an initial segment of the first path; means for receiving a request for a next segment from the mobile drive unit; means for deciding, in response to receiving the request for the next segment, whether to generate a new path for the mobile drive unit; means for transmitting a second segment of the first path in response to deciding not to generate a new path; means for generating a second path between a current location of the mobile drive unit and the second point in response to deciding to generate a new path; and means for transmitting information identifying a first segment of the second path to the mobile drive unit in response to deciding to generate the new path.
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Specification