Method and system for transporting inventory items

• US 7,826,919 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kiva Systems, Inc (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: D'Andrea, Raffaello, Mountz, Michael C., Polic, Dennis, Mansfield, Peter K., Dingle, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGESS, RAMYA PRAKASAM
• Application Number:
  US11/423,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/00 Adaptive control systems, i.e. systems automatically adjusting themselves to have a performance which is optimum according to some preassigned criterion G05B19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70

Abstract

A system for transporting inventory items includes an inventory holder capable of storing inventory items and a mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is capable of moving to a first point with the inventory holder at least one of coupled to and supported by the mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is additionally capable of determining a location of the inventory holder and calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the first point. The mobile drive unit is then capable of determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance. In response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, the mobile drive unit is also capable of moving to a second point based on the location of the inventory holder, docking with the inventory holder, and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the first point.

Claims

1. A method for transporting inventory items, comprising:

moving a mobile drive unit towards a destination while the mobile drive unit is docked with an inventory holder;

undocking the mobile drive unit from the inventory holder;

determining a location of the inventory holder;

calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

in response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance;

while the mobile drive unit is undocked from the inventory holder, moving the mobile drive unit a distance determined based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder; and

moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder towards the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein undocking the mobile drive unit from the inventory holder comprises undocking the mobile drive unit from the inventory holder after determining the location of the inventory holder, calculating the difference, and determining whether the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein undocking the mobile drive unit from the inventory holder comprises undocking the mobile drive unit from the inventory holder before determining the location of the inventory holder, calculating the difference, and determining whether the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the location of the inventory holder comprises;

determining a location of the mobile drive unit; and

determining a location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit; and

calculating the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination comprises calculating the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination, based at least in part on the location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the location of the mobile drive unit comprises:

detecting a fixed object; and

determining the location of the mobile drive unit based on the fixed object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the fixed object comprises detecting a fixed object below the mobile drive unit, and wherein determining the location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit comprises:

detecting at least a portion of the inventory holder that is located above the mobile drive unit; and

determining the location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit based on the detected portion of the inventory holder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein undocking the mobile drive unit from the inventory holder comprises lowering a docking head of the mobile drive unit, wherein the inventory holder is not coupled to and is not supported by the mobile drive unit when the docking head is lowered.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the mobile drive unit towards the destination comprises:

moving the mobile drive unit towards the destination;

detecting a fixed object associated with the destination; and

stopping the mobile drive unit in response to detecting the fixed object associated with the destination.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second location of the inventory holder;

calculating a second difference between the second location of the inventory holder and the destination;

determining whether the second difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

in response to determining that the second difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance;

moving the mobile drive unit a distance determined based on the second difference;

docking with the inventory holder; and

moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder towards the destination.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a drive module operable to propel the mobile drive unit towards a destination;

a docking head operable to at least one of couple to or support an inventory holder when the apparatus is docked with the inventory holder;

a control module operable to;

cause the apparatus to undock from the inventory holder;

determine a location of the inventory holder;

calculate a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

determine whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

in response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance;

while the apparatus is undocked from the inventory holder, cause the drive module to move the apparatus a distance determined based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination while the mobile drive unit is undocked from the inventory holder;

cause the apparatus to dock with the inventory holder; and

cause the drive module to move the apparatus and the inventory holder towards the destination.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control module is operable to cause the apparatus to undock from the inventory holder by causing the apparatus to undock from the inventory holder after determining the location of the inventory holder, calculating the difference, and determining whether the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control module is operable to cause the apparatus to undock from the inventory holder by causing the apparatus to undock from the inventory holder before determining the location of the inventory holder, calculating the difference, and determining whether the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control module is operable to:

determine the location of the inventory holder by;

determining a location of the apparatus; and

determining a location of the inventory holder relative to the apparatus; and

calculate the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination by calculating the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination, based at least in part on the location of the inventory holder relative to the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control module is operable to determine the location of the apparatus by:

detecting a fixed object; and

determining the location of the apparatus based on the fixed object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control module is operable to detect the fixed object by detecting a fixed object below the apparatus, and wherein the control module is operable to determine the location of the inventory holder relative to the apparatus by:

detecting at least a portion of the inventory holder that is located above the apparatus; and

determining the location of the inventory holder relative to the apparatus based on the detected portion of the inventory holder.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the apparatus to undock from the inventory holder by lowering the docking head when the apparatus arrives at the destination, and wherein the docking head does not support or couple to the inventory holder when the apparatus is undocked from the inventory holder.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises a location sensor operable to detect a fixed object associated with the destination and wherein the drive module is operable to move the apparatus towards the destination by:

propel the apparatus towards the destination;

stop the apparatus in response to the location sensor detecting the fixed object associated with the destination.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control module is further operable to:

determine a second location of the inventory holder;

calculate a second difference between the second location of the inventory holder and the destination;

determine whether the second difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

in response to determining that the second difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance;

cause the drive module to move the apparatus a distance determined based on the second difference;

cause the docking actuator to dock with the inventory holder; and

cause the drive module to move the apparatus and the inventory holder towards the destination.

19. A system for storing inventory items, comprising:

an inventory holder operable to store inventory items; and

a mobile drive unit operable to;

move towards a destination while at least one of coupling to and supporting the mobile drive unit;

undock from the inventory holder;

determine a location of the inventory holder;

calculate a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

determine whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

in response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance;

while the mobile drive unit is undocked from the inventory holder, move a distance determined based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

dock with the inventory holder; and

move the inventory holder towards the destination.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to determine the location of the inventory holder by determining the location of the inventory holder before undocking from the inventory holder.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to determine the location of the inventory holder by determining the location of the inventory holder after undocking from the inventory holder.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to:

determine the location of the inventory holder by;

determining a location of the mobile drive unit; and

determining a location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit; and

calculate the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination by calculating the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination, based at least in part on the location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to determine the location of the mobile drive unit by:

detecting a fixed object; and

determining the location of the mobile drive unit based on the fixed object.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to:

detect the fixed object by detecting a fixed object below the mobile drive unit, and

determine the location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit further by;

detecting at least a portion of the inventory holder that is located above the mobile drive unit; and

determining the location of the inventory holder relative to the mobile drive unit based on the detected portion of the inventory holder.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to undock from the inventory holder by lowering a docking head of the mobile drive unit, wherein the inventory holder is not coupled to and is not supported by the mobile drive unit when the docking head is lowered.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to move towards the destination by:

moving towards the destination;

detecting a fixed object associated with the destination; and

stopping in response to detecting the fixed object associated with the destination.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to:

determine a second location of the inventory holder;

calculate a second difference between the second location of the inventory holder and the destination;

determine whether the second difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

in response to determining that the second difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance;

move the mobile drive unit a distance determined based on the second difference;

dock with the inventory holder; and

move the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder towards the destination.

28. A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:

means for moving a mobile drive unit to towards a destination while the mobile drive unit at least one of supports or couples to an inventory holder;

means for undocking the mobile drive from an inventory holder;

means for determining a location of the inventory holder;

means for calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

means for determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

means, responsive to the means for determining whether the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, for;

while the mobile drive unit is undocked from the inventory holder, moving the mobile drive unit a distance determined based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the destination;

docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder; and

moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder towards the destination.