Material handling system and method using mobile autonomous inventory trays and peer-to-peer communications
First Claim
1. A system for managing inventory items in a warehouse, comprising:
- a plurality of mobile inventory trays having a communications link coupled to a microprocessor, each of the mobile inventory trays being self-powered and configured to move about the warehouse responsive to control signals of the microprocessor;
a material handling system (MHS) to send an order request to one or more of the mobile inventory trays via a wireless link, the order request associated with one or more inventory items requested by a customer placing an order; and
one or more pack stations, one or more of the mobile inventory trays, in response to receiving the order request, transporting an inventory item associated with the order request to a pack station to be packaged.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inventory system including a plurality of mobile inventory trays with a positioning system that enables the mobile inventory trays to determine their three-dimensional coordinates within a facility and thereby navigate a factory floor. The mobile inventory trays are also equipped with a communication system in order to determine optimum mobile inventory trays to fill order requests for items of inventory. The mobile inventory trays interface with a material handling system to receive order requests and deliver inventory items to pack stations located on the factory floor. The resulting system is a real-time parallel-processing order fulfillment and inventory management system. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A system for managing inventory items in a warehouse, comprising:
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a plurality of mobile inventory trays having a communications link coupled to a microprocessor, each of the mobile inventory trays being self-powered and configured to move about the warehouse responsive to control signals of the microprocessor;
a material handling system (MHS) to send an order request to one or more of the mobile inventory trays via a wireless link, the order request associated with one or more inventory items requested by a customer placing an order; and
one or more pack stations, one or more of the mobile inventory trays, in response to receiving the order request, transporting an inventory item associated with the order request to a pack station to be packaged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 71, 72)
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- 3. The system of claim I wherein each of the mobile inventory trays contains a guidance system that provides position signals to the microprocessor.
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11. A system for managing a factory, comprising:
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a plurality of mobile inventory trays having a communications link coupled to a microprocessor, each of the mobile inventory trays being self-powered and configured to move about the factory responsive to control signals of the microprocessor;
a material handling system (MHS) to send data to one or more of the mobile inventory trays via a wireless link;
one or more pack stations, one or more of the mobile inventory trays, in response to receiving the data, transporting an inventory item associated with the data to a pack station to be packaged; and
one or more check-in stations, one or more of the mobile inventory trays moving to the one or more of the check-in stations in response to the data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 73, 74)
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28. A mobile device for performing pick-and-pack operations in a warehouse, comprising:
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a microprocessor;
a guidance system coupled to the microprocessor and used by the mobile device to navigate a warehouse floor;
a transceiver coupled to the mobile device, the transceiver used by the mobile device to respond to inventory movement requests transmitted to the mobile device by a material handling system (MHS) or by a plurality of other mobile devices; and
a mobility mechanism used by the mobile device to propel itself in any direction on the warehouse floor to satisfy the requests to deliver or pick-up the items of inventory, the mobile device determining where it needs to propel itself on the warehouse floor autonomously using the microprocessor. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for managing items of inventory comprising:
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providing a plurality of microprocessor-based mobile inventory trays configured to move within a warehouse;
transmitting an order request to the mobile inventory trays;
selecting, by the mobile inventory trays, one or more optimum mobile inventory trays to satisfy the order request; and
moving, by the one or more optimum mobile inventory trays, to a designated pack station to fill the order request. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 75, 76)
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Specification