ROBOT-ENABLED CASE PICKING

• US 20120330458A1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seegrid Corporation
• Original Assignee: Seegrid Corporation
• Inventors: Weiss, Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31007 Floor plan, map stored in on-board computer of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot-enabled method of picking cases in a warehouse is provided. A robotic vehicle includes a processor configured to access a memory, a user input device, an output device, and a load platform, and has access to an electronically stored representation of a warehouse. The representation includes a map that defines aisles for storing items arranged as pick faces within the warehouse. A pick list is generated from an order; the pick list provides identifications of items to be picked to fulfill the order. Determined from the pick list is a plurality of stops at pick faces associated with the items. A route within the map is generated that includes the plurality of stops. The robotic vehicle iteratively guides itself along the route and automatically stops at each of the plurality of stops to enable loading of the items from the pick list onto the load platform.

Claims

1. A robot-enabled method of picking cases in a storage facility, the method comprising:

providing a robotic vehicle having a processor configured to access a memory, and a load platform, the robotic vehicle having access to an electronically stored representation of the storage facility, the representation including locations within the storage facility for storing items arranged as pick faces;

generating a pick list from an order, the pick list providing identifications of items to be picked to fulfill the order;

determining from the pick list a plurality of pick faces associated with the items;

electronically generating a route within the storage facility that includes the plurality of pick faces; and

the robotic vehicle iteratively navigating itself along the route and automatically stopping or slowing at each of the plurality of pick faces to enable loading of the items from the pick list onto the load platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the storage facility is a two-dimensional map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually entering the order to the robotic vehicle through a user input device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically communicating the order to the robotic vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the order is electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by a storage facility management system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually entering the pick list at the robotic vehicle through a user input device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically communicating the pick list to the robotic vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pick list is electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by a storage facility management system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically generating the pick list from an electronically stored order.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

manually entering the route to the robotic vehicle through a user input device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically communicating the route to the robotic vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the route is electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by a storage facility management system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically generating the route from an electronically stored pick list.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the robotic vehicle using a wireless network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless network includes wireless access points distributed throughout the storage facility, the method further comprising:

determining a location of the robotic vehicle from a strength of one or more wireless signals transmitted by the robotic vehicle and received by one or more of the access points.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the robotic vehicle initiating travel to a next pick face, of the plurality of pick faces, in response to a user input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user input is a voice command.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the user input is a gesture.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the user input is an actuation of a physical mechanism that provides an electronic signal to the robotic vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical mechanism includes one or more of a button, RF gun, or touch screen.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an output device; and

the robot vehicle communicating with a user via the output device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

at each pick face, the robotic vehicle outputting a message that identifies a set of items to be picked from the pick face to fill the order.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the message further identifies a quantity of each item in the set of items to be picked from the pick face to fill the order.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the message further identifies a specific position on the load platform to place a picked item.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the message includes an audio voice message.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the message includes a text output.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein outputting the message includes outputting a pattern of one or more lights or symbols.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the output device is a wireless Bluetooth device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wireless Bluetooth device communicates with a wireless headset or handset.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the output device includes a display.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the output device includes one or more lights.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein pick faces are associated with predetermined zones, and the route is determined on a zone-by-zone basis.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is one of a plurality of robotic vehicles, the method further comprising:

electronically optimizing routes of the plurality of robotic vehicles to avoid congestion within the storage facility.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically optimizing the route of the robotic vehicle to minimize robotic vehicle travel distance within the storage facility.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically optimizing the route of the robotic vehicle to minimize order distance within the storage facility.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically optimizing the route of the robotic vehicle to maximize pick rate.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the robotic vehicle iteratively navigating itself along the route using an evidence grid populated with data indicating probabilities of locations of objects in the storage facility.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the evidence grid is a three-dimensional (3-D) evidence grid.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

the robotic vehicle collecting sensor data used to update the evidence grid while the robotic vehicle iteratively navigates itself along the route.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the storage facility includes a list of route segments.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a pallet truck and the load platform is a pallet.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a tugger and the load platform is a cart.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a forklift.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a high lift.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage facility is a warehouse.