ROBOT-ENABLED CASE PICKING

• US 20150073586A1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seegrid Corporation
• Original Assignee: Seegrid Corporation
• Inventors: Weiss, Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 9,592,961 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 robotic vehicle, comprising:

a load platform configured to hold products;

a case picking module configured to communicate navigation instructions generated from an electronic map of a storage facility comprising a plurality of product pick faces and an electronic representation of a set of products to be picked, wherein each pick face is a location designated for storage of a product; and

a vehicle control system configured to iteratively self-navigate the robotic vehicle through the storage facility, stopping or slowing at each of a plurality of pick faces, in response to the navigation instructions from the case picking module.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electronic map includes a two-dimensional representation of the plurality of product pick faces.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a robotic fork lift.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a robotic tugger.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external system.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is configured to wirelessly communicate via the Internet.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a storage facility management system.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked is a pick list electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by the storage facility management system.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked is an order electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by the storage facility management system.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the case picking module is further configured to generate a pick list from the order and generate the navigation instructions from the pick list and the electronic map.

11. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a handheld user device.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked is a pick list electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by the handheld user device.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked is an order electronically communicated to the robotic vehicle by the handheld user device.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the case picking module is further configured to generate a pick list from the order and generate the navigation instructions from the pick list and the electronic map.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control system is configured to pause the robotic vehicle at each pick face and then resume self-navigation in response to a user input.

16. A robotic vehicle system, comprising:

a load platform configured to hold products;

a case picking module configured to communicate navigation instructions generated from an electronic map of a storage facility comprising a plurality of product pick faces and an electronic representation of a set of products to be picked, wherein each pick face is a location designated for storage of a product;

a vehicle control system configured to iteratively self-navigate the robotic vehicle through the storage facility, pausing or slowing at each of a plurality of pick faces, in response to the navigation instructions from the case picking module; and

a user device configured to communicate with the vehicle control system to cause the robotic vehicle to resume the self-navigation after pausing or slowing in response to an input from the user input device.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the user device is a handheld user device configured to wirelessly communicate with the robotic vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a storage facility management system to receive at least one of the electronic map or the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked.

19. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked is a pick list.

20. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the electronic representation of a set of products to be picked is an order and the case picking module is configured to generate a pick list from the order.