SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING WASTE MATERIAL
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for processing waste in a material handling system includes detecting an occurrence of a trigger event associated with a waste holder located at a first location and, in response to detecting the trigger event, moving a mobile drive unit to the first location. The method also includes loading waste material onto the mobile drive unit at the first location and transporting the waste material to a waste station using the mobile drive unit.
19 Citations
93 Claims
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1-73. -73. (canceled)
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74. A material handling system, comprising:
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a plurality of waste holders operable to store waste material; a plurality of mobile drive units operable to transport waste material stored by the waste holders; and a management module operable to; determine a rate at which waste accumulates in a waste holder, wherein the waste holder is located at a first location adjacent to a workstation; determine, based upon the rate, a first time associated with the waste holder; instruct, at the first time, a selected one of the plurality of mobile drive units to move to the waste holder at the first location. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A material handling system, comprising:
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a plurality of waste holders operable to store waste material; a plurality of mobile drive units operable to transport waste material stored by the waste holders; and a management module operable to; instruct a selected one of the plurality of mobile drive units to perform a first task; detect an occurrence of a trigger event associated with a waste holder located at a first location adjacent to a workstation; determine that a second task associated with the trigger event has a higher priority than the first task; and assign the second task to the mobile drive unit, wherein the mobile drive unit discontinues the first task to perform the second task. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A method for material handling, comprising:
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detecting a first trigger event associated with a first waste holder, wherein the first waste holder is located at a first location adjacent to a first workstation; after detecting the first trigger event, detecting a second trigger event associated with a second waste holder, wherein the second waste holder is located at a second location adjacent to a second workstation; selecting a mobile drive unit from a plurality of mobile drive units; instructing the selected mobile drive unit to move to one of the first location or the second location based on relative priority between the first and second trigger events; instructing the selected mobile drive unit to load waste material onto the mobile drive unit at the one of the first location or the second location; and instructing the selected mobile drive unit to transport waste material from the one of the first location or the second location to a waste station, wherein the waste station is operable to perform a waste processing task. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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Specification