METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WAREHOUSE CYCLE COUNTING USING A DRONE

• US 20160247116A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Craig Olivo, Koji Yokoyama
• Original Assignee: Droneware Technology Corporation
• Inventors: OLIVO, CRAIG, BUZAKI, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US15/013,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20160247116A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/04 the lighting devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method for cycle counting warehouse inventory using a drone system with a drone carrying a scanning device and a computer with an RF session receiving cycle count tasks. The drone system is placed within a flight range of the drone to a cycle count location and flown to the cycle count location of the cycle count task. The drone acquires the inventory location data and sends it to a warehouse management system through the RF session. Then the drone acquires the inventory data and sends it to a warehouse management system through the RF session. If prompted by the warehouse management system, further data are acquiring such as SKU data, LPN attribute information, and/or quantity information.

Claims

1. A method of warehouse cycle counting, comprising the following steps:

providing a drone system with a drone carrying a scanning device selected from the group consisting of a barcode scanner, video feed, image recognition, and RFID scanner, and a computer with an RF session;

receiving, by the computer, a cycle count task on the RF session;

placing the drone system within a flight range of the drone to a cycle count location;

flying the drone to the cycle count location of the cycle count task;

acquiring inventory location data using the scanning device;

sending the inventory location data to a warehouse management system (WMS) via the RF session;

acquiring inventory data at the inventory location using the scanning device;

sending the inventory data to the WMS via the RF session;

if prompted by the WMS, acquiring further data selected from the group consisting of SKU data, LPN attribute information, and quantity information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the cycle count task from a system selected from the group consisting of the WMS and non-WMS system or process to generate a report.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the inventory data to the WMS via RF prompts. staging tables, XML, socket (TCP/IP), file transfer protocol (FTP), or flat file.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of inspecting the physical condition of the inventory or other materials by viewing the physical condition of inventory or other materials in a warehouse via video streamed from a camera on the drone.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of taking a photograph of identifier information initiated at the controller or automatically as the scanning device scans the identifier information, and storing the image.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing or broadcasting a video stream of a drone flight path on the computer.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the scanned inventory location and inventory data as a .csv or other spreadsheet format file on the computer.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directing the warehouse cycle counting with a cycle counting software system configured to:

determine which warehouse locations should be cycle counted;

receive data points of cycle counting tasks from the WMS or from a user-generated report;

assign each location a rank based on the received data points; and

creates a report for which locations in the warehouse should be cycle counted.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directing the warehouse cycle counting with a cycle counting algorithm system configured to:

determine which warehouse locations should be cycle counted;

generate a cycle counting report from cycle counting software;

send a report to the WMS to generate cycle counting tasks for a user;

generate in the WMS cycle counting tasks that are assigned to users; and

causing a user to conduct the cycle counting tasks in the warehouse.

10. An apparatus for warehouse cycle counting comprising:

a drone system with a drone and a computer;

the drone having an onboard computer, a flight controller, electronic speed controllers, and a battery;

the onboard computer having a scanning device selected from the group consisting of a barcode scanner, video feed, image recognition, and RFID scanner, a camera, a wireless transceiver or Bluetooth device, and a memory for identifier information storage;

the flight controller having proximity sensors

the electronic speed controllers (ESC) connecting to motors that propel the drone;

the battery powering the ESC, flight controller, and onboard computer;

the computer having drone software, a controller, and a wireless transceiver for communication with the drone and a warehouse management system (WMS); and

the drone software having flight software, a video feed, and an RF session.

11. The drone system according to claim 10, further comprising a cart having a drone landing pad.

12. The drone system according to claim 10, wherein said drone comprises propellers and guards around the propellers.

13. The drone system according to claim 10, wherein said drone comprises LED lights to illuminate inventory and inventory location identifiers.

14. The drone system according to claim 10, wherein said computer has custom software configured for communication between said drone, the WMS, and a network.

15. The drone system according to claim 10, further comprising a cycle counting software system configured to:

determine which warehouse locations should be cycle counted;

receive data points of cycle counting tasks from the WMS or from manual input;

assign each location a rank based on the received data points; and

creates a report for which locations in the warehouse should be cycle counted.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a cycle counting algorithm system configured to:

determine which warehouse locations should be cycle counted;

generate a cycle counting report from cycle counting software;

send a report to the WMS to generate cycle counting tasks for a user;

generate in the WMS cycle counting tasks that are assigned to users; and

causing a user to conduct the cycle counting tasks in the warehouse.