AUTONOMOUS MOBILE PICKING

• US 20150073589A1
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dematic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dematic Corporation
• Inventors: Khodl, Michael S., Berghorn, David M., Hunter, Todd S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,550,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/06 Use of order trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32037 Order picking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40006 Placing, palletize, un palletize, paper roll placing, box stacking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40014 Gripping workpiece to place it in another place
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40078 Sort objects, workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40154 Moving of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45045 Maintenance, automatic storage and retrieval system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45063 Pick and place manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

An order-picking method includes autonomously routing a plurality of mobile robotic units in an order fulfillment facility and picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility. A material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility includes an autonomous mobile vehicle base and a plurality of article receptacles positioned on the base. A visual indicator associated with the receptacle facilitates picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic unit.

Claims

1. An order-picking method, comprising:

autonomously routing a plurality of mobile robotic units in an order fulfillment facility; and

picking articles to or putting articles from said robotic units in said order fulfillment facility.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said picking articles to or putting articles from said robotic units including manually picking product to or putting product from pick stations in said facility, wherein said robotic units are adapted to alter planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of the persons, wherein said robotic units and the persons can function together in said order fulfillment facility.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said robotic units includes a plurality of receptacle supports and including picking articles to receptacles at said supports and putting articles from said receptacles.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 including an indicator system, said indicator system indicating which of said receptacles to pick an article to or put an article from.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said indicator system comprises a plurality of visual indicators each associated with one of said receptacles.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said robotic units includes a robotic arm and including picking articles or putting articles with said robotic arm.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein including picking articles to or putting articles with said robotic arm from another of said robotic units.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said at least one of said robotic units is coupled to travel with said another of said robotic units as a pair of robotic units.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said material-handling facility includes at least one pick station and wherein said picking articles includes picking articles from said at least one pick station.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said putting articles includes putting articles to said at least one pick station in order to replenish said at least one pick station.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said putting articles includes putting articles to said at least one pick station in order to replace articles returned by a consumer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said material-handling facility has a stationary automated order-picking station and wherein said putting articles includes docking said robotic units to said order-picking station wherein said order-picking station pick receives articles put from said robotic units.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said automated order-picking station picks articles directly from said robotic vehicles.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said robotic units is coupled in a train of robotic units.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein at least one of said robotic units in said train of robotic units is a tow vehicle that propels the other of said robotic units in said train of robotic units.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said robotic units is configured to carry at least one pallet and including transporting pallets in said facility.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said facility includes at least one decanting station and picking stations and including picking items to said robotic units at said decanting station and putting items from said robotic units to said picking stations for replenishment of said picking stations.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said facility includes an article storage station and including picking articles to said robotic units from said storage station and putting articles from said robotic units to said storage station.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said article storage station includes at least one chosen from a manual station and automated storage and retrieval system, a shuttle-based automated three-dimensional warehouse and a mini-load station.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1 including picking documents to and putting documents from said robotic units.

21. An order-picking method, comprising:

autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit in a facility having a stationary robotic system; and

conducting at least one chosen from order fulfillment and inventory replenishment operations with stationary robotic system, said stationary robotic system including a stationary robot and vision equipment to (i) store product with the stationary robot to a receptacle, the product being retrieved from an assignment location or (ii) retrieve product from a receptacle with the robot, the product being stored to an assignment location.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 including supplying the receptacle to the stationary robotic system with the at least one mobile robotic unit and including supplying receptacles to the mobile robotic unit with a conveyor system.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 including at least one chosen from a human operator transferring inventory receptacles between the conveyor system and the mobile robotic unit and a human operator transferring receptacles between the mobile robotic unit and the stationary robotic system.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21 wherein said vision equipment locating the position of the product in two-dimensional (2D) coordinates and using the 2D coordinates as a common reference frame for the vision equipment and the robot and creates a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of product with said vision equipment and wherein the vision system uses a blob algorithm to identify connected surfaces to identify product.

25. The order processing system as claimed in claim 23 including moving an empty receptacle from the stationary robotic system to or from the assignment location.

26. The order processing system as claimed in claim 25 wherein a human operator loads an empty receptacle from the assignment location as directed by an indicator system to complete the order.

27. The order processing system as claimed in claim 26 including a rail-supported vehicle that removes a completed receptacle from the pick or put operation.

28. A material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility, said robotic unit comprising:

an autonomous mobile vehicle base;

a plurality of article receptacles positioned on said base; and

a visual indicator associated with said receptacles to facilitate picking articles to or putting articles from said robotic unit.