METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED TRANSPORT OF ITEMS

• US 20160176638A1
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jasci Robotics LLC
• Original Assignee: Harvest Automation, Inc.
• Inventors: Toebes, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,214,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/06 movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks vehicle aspects B60 - B62; vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading or unloading B60P1/00; low-lift hand trucks for transporting goods B62B3/06
• 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: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An automated distribution center includes an array with storage locations arranged along aisle(s) having a floor, and a mezzanine platform above the floor, the floor and mezzanine being configured for human picker access to the storage locations, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) configured for traverse of the floor and mezzanine to the storage locations, and for transporting a storage container to and from the storage locations, the floor and mezzanine each having an undeterministic traverse surface for the AGV, the AGV is configured so that the surface provides holonomic selectable paths for the AGV substantially everywhere on the surface, each path being selectable by the AGV, and an order filling station, where one or more goods are picked from container(s) to fill order(s), wherein the AGV is configured to pick the container from a storage location and transport the container on the surface between the storage array and the station.

Claims

1. An automated distribution center comprising:

a storage array including stacked racks with predetermined storage locations, for storage containers, arranged along at least one aisle;

at least one of the aisles having a base or floor, and a mezzanine platform above the base or floor, the base or floor and mezzanine platform being configured for human picker access to the predetermined storage locations of the racks along the at least one aisle;

at least one automated guided vehicle configured for traverse of the base or floor and the mezzanine platform to the predetermined storage locations along the at least one aisle, and configured for holding and transporting one of the storage containers to and from the storage locations;

the base or floor and mezzanine platform each having an undeterministic traverse surface for the automated guided vehicle, and the automated guided vehicle is configured so that the undeterministic traverse surface provides holonomic selectable paths for the automated guided vehicle substantially everywhere on the undeterministic traverse surface, each of the paths being freely selectable by the automated guided vehicle for traversing along the aisle on the base or floor;

and an order filling station, where one or more goods are picked from one or more of the storage containers to fill one or more orders;

wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured to pick the one of the storage containers from one of the storage locations along the at least one aisle and transport the one of the storage containers on the undeterministic traverse surface between the storage array and the order filling station.

2. The automated distribution center of claim 1, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured for navigation and path selection by one or more of simultaneous location and mapping, detecting beacons or passive tags, and detecting one or more of beacons, passive tags and markers provided within the automated distribution center.

3. The automated distribution center of claim 1, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured for navigation and path selection by detecting markers provided on the undeterministic traverse surface.

4. The automated distribution center of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to effect one or more of selection and creation of one or more of the holonomic selectable paths by automated guided vehicle.

5. The automated distribution center of claim 1, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured to return the one of the storage containers from the order filling station to one of the storage locations.

6. The automated distribution center of claim 1, further comprising a vertical transport system connecting the mezzanine platform and the base or floor.

7. The automated distribution center of claim 6, wherein the vertical transport system is configured for automated guided vehicle lift roll on and roll off.

8. The automated distribution center of claim 6, wherein the vertical transport system comprises automated guided vehicle ramps.

9. The automated distribution center of claim 1, wherein the automated guided vehicle comprises a processor and at least one sensor configured to sense transient features affecting path passage and register such path passage with the processor, in response to which automated guided vehicle changes path from a selected path.

10. The automated distribution center of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller with a warehouse management system configured to receive orders and to identify containers and corresponding storage locations;

an automated guided vehicle manager communicably connected with the at least one automated guided vehicle and commanding the at least one automated guided vehicle to the corresponding storage locations for picking at least one of the identified containers;

and an automated human picker manager communicably connected with at least one human picker and commanding the at least one human picker to work in concert with the at least one autonomous guided vehicle.

11. The automated distribution center of claim 10, wherein in response to a command, the at least one automated guided vehicle one or more of generates and follows a selected path on the undeterministic traverse surface to the corresponding location by one or more of selecting from and being commanded to follow the holonomic selectable paths, and on sensing transient features affecting the path, changes path from selected path.

12. The automated distribution center of claim 10, wherein the at least one automated guided vehicle has a movable container manipulator configured to engage the storage containers so as to pick and place the one of the storage containers to and from a storage location on the racks, the movable container grip including at least two degrees of freedom, for effect extension along a y axis and a Z axis.

13. The automated distribution center of claim 10, wherein the at least one automated guided vehicle has a movable container manipulator configured to engage the storage containers so as to pick and place the one of the storage containers to and from a storage location on the racks, the movable container grip including at least one degree of freedom, for effecting extension along a Z axis where the at least one automated guided vehicle rotates so that an X axis of the at least one automated guided vehicle faces the storage location.

14. An automated distribution center comprising:

a storage array including stacked racks with predetermined storage locations, for storage containers, arranged along at least one aisle;

at least one of the aisles having a base or floor, the base or floor being configured for human picker access to the predetermined storage locations of the racks along the at least one aisle;

at least one automated guided vehicle configured for traverse of the base or floor to the predetermined storage locations along the at least one aisle, and configured for holding and transporting one of the storage containers to and from the storage locations;

the base or floor having an undeterministic traverse surface for the automated guided vehicle, and the automated guided vehicle is configured so that the undeterministic traverse surface provides holonomic selectable paths for the automated guided vehicle substantially everywhere on the undeterministic traverse surface, each of the paths being freely selectable by the automated guided vehicle for traversing along the aisle on the base or floor;

and an order filling station, where one or more goods are picked from one or more of the storage containers to fill one or more orders;

wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured to pick the one of the storage containers from one of the storage locations along the at least one aisle and transport the one or the storage containers on the undeterministic traverse surface between the storage array and the order filling station.

15. The automated distribution center of claim 14, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured for navigation and path selection by one or more of simultaneous location and mapping, by detecting beacons or passive tags, by detecting one or more of beacons, passive tags and markers provided within the automated distribution center.

16. The automated distribution center of claim 14, further comprises a controller configured to effect one or more of selection and creation of one or more of the holonomic selectable paths by automated guided vehicle.

17. The automated distribution center of claim 14, further comprising:

a controller with a warehouse management system or a controller configured to work with an existing warehouse management system, the controller being configured to receive orders and to identify containers and corresponding storage locations;

and an automated guided vehicle manager communicably connected with the at least one automated guided vehicle and commanding the at least one automated guided vehicle to the corresponding storage locations for picking at least one of the identified containers.

18. A method for transporting items in a storage array comprising:

stacked racks with predetermined storage locations, for storage containers, arranged along at least one aisle having a base or floor, the method includes providing at least one of the aisles with a mezzanine platform above the base or floor, the base or floor and mezzanine platform allowing human picker access to the predetermined storage locations of the racks along the at least one aisle;

providing at least one automated guided vehicle configured for traverse of the base or floor and the mezzanine platform to the predetermined storage locations along the at least one aisle, and configured for holding and transporting one of the storage containers to and from the storage locations;

effecting transport of the one of the storage containers, with the at least one automated guided vehicle, on an undeterministic traverse surface of each of the base or floor and mezzanine platform where the undeterministic traverse surface provides holonomic selectable paths for the automated guided vehicle substantially everywhere on the undeterministic traverse surface and each of the paths is freely selectable by the automated guided vehicle for traversing along the aisle on the base or floor;

providing an order filling station, where one or more goods are picked from one or more of the storage containers to fill one or more orders;

and effecting, at least one automated guided vehicle, picking of the one of the storage containers from one of the storage locations along the at least one aisle and transporting the one of the storage containers on the undeterministic traverse surface to the order filling station.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprises effecting selection of one or more of the holonomic selectable paths with automated guided vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprises effecting a change from a selected path of the automated guided vehicle with at least one sensor of the automated guided vehicle that senses transient features affecting path passage and registers such path passage with a processor of the automated guided vehicle, in response to which the automated guided vehicle changes path from a selected path.