Method and system for transporting inventory items

• US 8,280,546 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• 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, Mansfield, Peter K., Mountz, Michael C., Dingle, Patrick R., Polle, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Application Number:
  US12/890,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20110015779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 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:

receiving a command identifying a starting location and a destination location;

moving to the starting location;

determining a location of an inventory holder;

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

determining an adjusted location based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location;

moving to the adjusted location; and

docking with the inventory holder at the adjusted location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

moving to the adjusted location in response to determining that the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving to the starting location comprises determining that a mobile drive unit has reached the starting location based on detecting a fixed object associated with the starting location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the inventory holder comprises determining a location of a mobile drive unit and determining a position of at least part of the inventory holder relative to the location of 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 1, further comprising moving to the destination location after docking with the inventory holder at the adjusted location.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a drive module operable to propel the apparatus towards a destination;

a docking actuator operable to facilitate docking with an inventory holder;

a control module operable to;

receive a command identifying a starting location and a destination location;

cause the apparatus to move to the starting location;

determine a location of an inventory holder;

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

determine an adjusted location based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location;

cause the apparatus to move to the adjusted location; and

cause the apparatus to dock with the inventory holder at the adjusted location.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, the control module further operable to:

determine that the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

cause the apparatus to move to the adjusted location in response to determining that the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control module is operable to cause the apparatus to move to the starting location by determining that the apparatus has reached the starting location based on detecting a fixed object associated with the starting location.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control module is operable to determine the location of the inventory holder by determining a location of the apparatus and determining a position of at least part of the inventory holder relative to the location of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the control module further operable to cause the apparatus to move to the destination location after docking with the inventory holder at the adjusted location.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for determining a location of the apparatus.

14. A system for storing inventory items, comprising:

an inventory holder operable to store inventory items; and

a mobile drive unit operable to;

receive a command identifying a starting location and a destination location;

move to the starting location;

determine a location of the inventory holder;

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

determine an adjusted location based on the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location;

move to the adjusted location; and

dock with the inventory holder at the adjusted location.

15. The system of claim 14, the mobile drive unit further operable to:

determine that the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location is greater than a predetermined tolerance; and

move to the adjusted location in response to determining that the difference between the location of the inventory holder and the starting location is greater than the predetermined tolerance.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to move to the starting location by determining that the mobile drive unit has reached the starting location based on detecting a fixed object associated with the starting location.

17. The system of claim 14, 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 position of at least part of the inventory holder relative to the location of the mobile drive unit.

18. The system of claim 17, 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.

19. The system of claim 14, the mobile drive unit further operable to move to the destination location after docking with the inventory holder at the adjusted location.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for determining a location of the mobile drive unit.