Method and Apparatus for Non-Linear Unit-Level Sortation in Order Fulfillment Processes

• US 20090000912A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Battles, Jon S., Wrightson, Ian J., Clark, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/431
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records

Abstract

A flexible, non-linear, unit-level sortation system for sorting mixed collections of items into orders. Collections of unsorted items for fulfilling requests are delivered to one or more singulation stations. At a singulation station, individual units of items are selected from a collection, associated with particular conveyance receptacles, and placed into the receptacles, with one and only one unit per receptacle. The receptacles may be inducted into a conveyance mechanism under the direction of a control system. The receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism. The control system may direct the conveyance mechanism to route the receptacles to a particular one of one or more sorting stations. At a sorting station, the units may retrieved from receptacles and placed into locations corresponding to particular orders under control or direction of the control system. The conveyance mechanism may, but does not necessarily, return empty conveyance receptacle to a singulation station.

Claims

1. A non-linear, unit-level sortation system, comprising:

a control system;

a conveyance mechanism;

a plurality of conveyance receptacles, wherein each conveyance receptacle includes a receptacle identifier that uniquely identifies the conveyance receptacle within a materials handling facility, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism;

a singulation station, operable to;

select single units from a collection of items, wherein the collection of items includes units of heterogeneous items picked from inventory storage of the materials handling facility to fulfill a plurality of orders;

communicate with the control system to associate an item identifier of each selected unit with a receptacle identifier of an empty one of the plurality of conveyance receptacles; and

induct each conveyance receptacle containing a single unit into the conveyance mechanism;

wherein one and only one unit is associated with each conveyance receptacle inducted into the conveyance mechanism.

2. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sorting station, wherein the conveyance mechanism is operable to convey the conveyance receptacles containing single units of items from the singulation station to the sorting station.

3. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 2, wherein the sorting station is operable to:

receive a conveyance receptacle containing a unit of a particular item;

remove the unit of the particular item from the conveyance receptacle; and

convey the unit of the particular item to a particular location at the sorting station associated with one of the plurality of orders that indicates at least one unit of the particular item associated with the conveyance receptacle.

4. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 3, wherein the sorting station is operable to induct empty conveyance receptacles into a return path of the conveyance mechanism, wherein the return path of the conveyance mechanism is configured to return the empty conveyance receptacles to the singulation station.

5. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 4, wherein the singulation station is operable to remove a returned empty conveyance receptacle from the conveyance mechanism.

6. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 4, wherein the singulation station is operable to:

associate an item identifier of a selected unit with a receptacle identifier of a returned empty conveyance receptacle; and

induct the returned conveyance receptacle containing the selected unit into the conveyance mechanism without removing the returned conveyance receptacle from the conveyance mechanism.

7. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 3, wherein the control system is configured to disassociate the particular item from the conveyance receptacle after the unit of the particular item is removed from the conveyance receptacle.

8. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 3, wherein the sorting station includes one or more order sorting bins each comprising a plurality of order slots, and wherein the particular location is a particular one of the plurality of order slots in one of the one or more order sorting bins.

9. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 3, wherein, to convey the unit of the particular item to a particular location at the sorting station associated with one of the plurality of orders, the control system is configured to:

read the receptacle identifier from the conveyance receptacle at the sorting station; and

activate an indicator associated with the particular location to indicate to an operator that the unit of the particular item associated with the conveyance receptacle is to be conveyed to that particular location.

10. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 3, wherein the control system is further configured to:

determine if the one of the plurality of orders associated with the particular location is complete; and

if the one of the plurality of orders is complete, activate an indicator associated with the particular location to indicate to an operator that the one of the plurality of orders associated with the location is complete and ready to be processed.

11. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, wherein, to communicate with the control system to associate an item identifier of each selected unit with a receptacle identifier of an empty one of the plurality of conveyance receptacles, the singulation station is operable to:

read an item identifier from a selected unit;

read a receptacle identifier from a conveyance receptacle to which the selected unit is to be associated; and

communicate the item identifier and the receptacle identifier to the control system.

12. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 11, wherein the receptacle identifier is indicated by a bar code attached to or integrated with the conveyance receptacle, and wherein, to read a receptacle identifier from a conveyance receptacle, the singulation station is operable to electronically scan the bar code from the conveyance receptacle.

13. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 11, wherein the receptacle identifier is indicated by a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tag attached to or integrated with the conveyance receptacle, and wherein, to read a receptacle identifier from a conveyance receptacle, the singulation station is operable to electronically read the RFID tag from the conveyance receptacle.

14. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the conveyance mechanism is a conveyance sorter mechanism.

15. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 14, wherein the conveyance sorter mechanism is a shoe sorter.

16. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising two or more sorting stations, wherein the control system is configured to direct the conveyance mechanism to convey inducted conveyance receptacles containing single units of items from the singulation station to particular ones of the sorting stations.

17. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, further comprising two or more singulation stations, wherein each singulation station is operable to:

select single units from collections of items, wherein the collections of items include units of heterogeneous items picked from the inventory storage of the materials handling facility to fulfill orders;

communicate with the control system to associate an item identifier of each selected unit with a receptacle identifier of an empty conveyance receptacle;

induct each conveyance receptacle containing a single unit into the conveyance mechanism.

18. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the conveyance mechanism comprises a conveyance path from the singulation station to one or more destinations to convey conveyance receptacles containing single units to the one or more destinations under direction of the control system, and wherein the conveyance mechanism further comprises at least one return path from at least one of the destinations to return empty conveyance receptacles to the singulation station.

19. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 17, wherein the conveyance mechanism is configured to receive one or more additional empty conveyance receptacles to increase capacity of the non-linear, unit-level sortation system.

20. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 17, wherein the conveyance receptacles are configured to be removed from the conveyance mechanism to reduce capacity of the non-linear, unit-level sortation system.

21. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of conveyance receptacles includes at least two conveyance receptacles that are of different sizes.

22. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to;

receive an item identifier of a particular item and a receptacle identifier of a particular conveyance receptacle from a singulation station of a materials handling facility, wherein individual units of items from collections of items are each placed into a separate conveyance receptacle at the singulation station;

associate the item identifier of the particular item with the receptacle identifier of the particular conveyance receptacle; and

associate the particular conveyance receptacle with a particular order that specifies at least one unit of the particular item;

wherein the particular conveyance receptacle containing a unit of the particular item is inducted into a conveyance mechanism at the singulation station, wherein the conveyance mechanism is configured to convey the conveyance receptacle to a processing station of the materials handling facility, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism; and

wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to direct the conveyance of the unit of the particular item contained in the conveyance receptacle to a particular location at the processing station.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the materials handling facility includes a plurality of processing stations, and wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to direct the conveyance mechanism to route the particular conveyance receptacle to a particular processing station at which the particular order is to be processed.

24. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein, to direct the conveyance of the unit of the particular item contained in the conveyance receptacle to a particular location at the processing station, the program instructions are executable by the processor to activate an indicator associated with the particular location at the processing station to indicate to an operator that the unit of the particular item contained in the conveyance receptacle is to be conveyed to that particular location.

25. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the processing station is an order sorting station.

26. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein, to direct the conveyance of the unit of the particular item contained in the conveyance receptacle to a particular location at the processing station, the program instructions are executable by the processor to receive from the processing station an indication that the particular conveyance receptacle has arrived at the processing station.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the indication received from the processing station is the receptacle identifier associated with the particular conveyance receptacle.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the receptacle identifier is electronically read from the particular conveyance receptacle by a reader proximate to the processing station as the particular conveyance receptacle passes the reader on the conveyance mechanism.

29. A method, comprising:

selecting single units from a collection of items, wherein the collection of items includes units of heterogeneous items picked from inventory storage of a materials handling facility to fulfill a plurality of orders;

associating an item identifier of each selected unit with a receptacle identifier of an empty one of a plurality of conveyance receptacles in a control system of the materials handling facility, wherein the receptacle identifier uniquely identifies the conveyance receptacle within the materials handling facility; and

inducting each conveyance receptacle containing a single unit into a conveyance mechanism;

wherein one and only one unit is associated with and placed into each conveyance receptacle inducted into the conveyance mechanism, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising conveying the conveyance receptacles containing single units of items from the singulation station to a sorting station via the conveyance mechanism.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a conveyance receptacle containing a unit of a particular item at a sorting station via the conveyance mechanism;

removing the unit of the particular item from the conveyance receptacle; and

conveying the unit of the particular item to a particular location at the sorting station associated with one of the plurality of orders that indicates at least one unit of the particular item associated with the conveyance receptacle.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, further comprising:

inducting the empty conveyance receptacle into a return path of the conveyance mechanism; and

conveying the empty conveyance receptacle to the singulation station via the return path of the conveyance mechanism.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising removing a returned empty conveyance receptacle from the conveyance mechanism at the singulation station.

34. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

associating an item identifier of a selected unit with a receptacle identifier of a returned empty conveyance receptacle; and

inducting the returned conveyance receptacle containing the selected unit into the conveyance mechanism without removing the conveyance receptacle from the conveyance mechanism.

35. The method as recited in claim 31, further comprising disassociating the particular item from the conveyance receptacle in the control system after the unit of the particular item is pulled from the conveyance receptacle.

36. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the sorting station includes one or more order sorting bins each comprising a plurality of order slots, and wherein the particular location is a particular one of the plurality of order slots in one of the one or more order sorting bins.

37. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein said conveying the unit of the particular item to a particular location at the sorting station associated with one of the plurality of orders comprises:

reading the receptacle identifier from the conveyance receptacle at the sorting station; and

activating an indicator associated with the particular location to indicate to an operator that the unit of the particular item associated with the conveyance receptacle is to be conveyed to that particular location.

38. The method as recited in claim 31, further comprising:

determining if the one of the plurality of orders associated with the particular location is complete; and

if the one of the plurality of orders is complete, activating an indicator associated with the particular location to indicate to an operator that the one of the plurality of orders associated with the location is complete and ready to be processed.

39. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein said associating an item identifier of each selected unit with a receptacle identifier of an empty one of the plurality of conveyance receptacles in the control system comprises:

reading an item identifier from a selected unit; and

reading a receptacle identifier from a conveyance receptacle to which the selected unit is to be associated; and

communicating the item identifier and the receptacle identifier to the control system.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the receptacle identifier is indicated by a bar code attached to or integrated with the conveyance receptacle, and wherein said reading a receptacle identifier from a conveyance receptacle comprises electronically scanning the bar code from the conveyance receptacle.

41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the receptacle identifier is indicated by a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tag attached to or integrated with the conveyance receptacle, and wherein said reading a receptacle identifier from a conveyance receptacle comprises electronically reading the RFID tag from the conveyance receptacle.

42. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the conveyance mechanism is a conveyance sorter mechanism.

43. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising directing the conveyance mechanism to convey inducted conveyance receptacles containing single units of items from the singulation station to particular ones of two or more sorting stations in the materials handling facility, wherein said directing is performed by the control system.

44. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising inducting one or more additional empty conveyance receptacles into the conveyance mechanism to increase capacity of the non-linear, unit-level sortation system.

45. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising removing one or more empty conveyance receptacles from the conveyance mechanism to reduce capacity of the non-linear, unit-level sortation system.

46. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the plurality of conveyance receptacles includes at least two conveyance receptacles that are of different sizes.

47. A non-linear, unit-level sortation system, comprising:

a control system;

one or more sorting stations;

a conveyance mechanism;

a plurality of conveyance receptacles, wherein each conveyance receptacle includes a receptacle identifier that uniquely identifies the conveyance receptacle within a materials handling facility, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism;

one or more singulation stations, wherein each singulation station is operable to;

select single units from a collection of items, wherein the collection of items includes units of heterogeneous items picked from inventory storage of the materials handling facility to fulfill a plurality of orders;

communicate with the control system to associate an item identifier of each selected unit with a receptacle identifier of an empty one of the plurality of conveyance receptacles;

induct each conveyance receptacle containing a single unit into the conveyance mechanism, wherein one and only one unit is associated with each conveyance receptacle inducted into the conveyance mechanism;

place each selected unit into an associated conveyance receptacle, wherein one and only one unit is associated with and placed into each conveyance receptacle inducted into the conveyance mechanism;

wherein the control system is configured to direct the conveyance mechanism to convey each of the conveyance receptacles containing single units of items from each of the one or more singulation stations to particular ones of the one or more sorting stations.

48. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 47,

wherein each sorting station is operable to receive a conveyance receptacle containing a unit of a particular item via the conveyance mechanism;

and

wherein the control system is configured to, at each sorting station, direct the conveyance of the unit of the particular item from the received conveyance receptacle to a particular location at the sorting station associated with one of the plurality of orders that indicates at least one unit of the particular item associated with the conveyance receptacle.

49. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 47, wherein the control system is configured to direct the conveyance mechanism to convey empty conveyance receptacles from each of the one or more sorting stations to particular ones of the one or more singulation stations.

50. The non-linear, unit-level sortation system as recited in claim 47, wherein each sorting station is operable to induct empty conveyance receptacles into a return path of the conveyance mechanism, wherein the return path of the conveyance mechanism is configured to return the empty conveyance receptacles to the one or more singulation stations.