Method and system for agent exchange-based materials handling
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- a plurality of agents moving along respective paths through an inventory storage area of a materials handling facility;
while moving through said inventory storage area, a portion of said plurality of agents respectively selecting one or more of a plurality of items stored within said inventory storage area, wherein each one of said plurality of items is specified in a corresponding customer order, and wherein subsequent to selecting a particular one of said plurality of items, a particular one of said plurality of agents has physical possession of said particular item; and
identifying an exchange opportunity with respect to at least two of said plurality of agents, wherein said identifying includes detecting an intersection of said respective paths of said two agents;
subsequent to identifying said exchange opportunity, said at least two agents exchanging said particular item between one another prior to said particular item being delivered to any processing area by any agent, wherein exchanging said particular item comprises transferring physical possession of said particular item between said at least two agents.
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Abstract
A method and system for agent exchange-based materials handling. According to one embodiment, a method of agent exchange-based order fulfillment may include a number of agents moving along respective paths through an inventory storage area of a materials handling facility. While moving through the inventory storage area, a portion of the number of agents may respectively select one or more of a number of items stored within the inventory storage area, where each one of the selected items is specified in a corresponding customer order or materials request. The method may also include conveying the selected items to one or more corresponding processing areas of the materials handling facility in order to fulfill the corresponding customer orders. Further, at least some of the selected items may be exchanged one or more times among the agents in the course of being conveyed to corresponding processing areas.
30 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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a plurality of agents moving along respective paths through an inventory storage area of a materials handling facility; while moving through said inventory storage area, a portion of said plurality of agents respectively selecting one or more of a plurality of items stored within said inventory storage area, wherein each one of said plurality of items is specified in a corresponding customer order, and wherein subsequent to selecting a particular one of said plurality of items, a particular one of said plurality of agents has physical possession of said particular item; and identifying an exchange opportunity with respect to at least two of said plurality of agents, wherein said identifying includes detecting an intersection of said respective paths of said two agents; subsequent to identifying said exchange opportunity, said at least two agents exchanging said particular item between one another prior to said particular item being delivered to any processing area by any agent, wherein exchanging said particular item comprises transferring physical possession of said particular item between said at least two agents. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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5. A system, comprising:
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a materials handling facility including an inventory storage area; and a control system that, during operation; instructs a plurality of agents to each move along a respective path through said inventory storage area; instructs the plurality of agents so that while moving through said inventory storage area, a portion of said plurality of agents respectively select one or more of a plurality of items stored within said inventory storage area, wherein each one of said plurality of items is specified in a corresponding customer order, and wherein subsequent to selecting a particular one of said plurality of items, a particular one of said plurality of agents has physical possession of said particular item; directs conveyance of said selected items to one or more corresponding processing areas of the materials handling facility in order to fulfill said corresponding customer orders; and instructs said plurality of agents to exchange said particular item one or more times among said plurality of agents in the course of said selected items being conveyed and prior to said particular item being delivered to any processing area by any agent, wherein to exchange said particular item, physical possession of said particular item is transferred between at least two of said agents. - View Dependent Claims (6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-accessible storage medium that stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to:
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identify an exchange opportunity with respect to at least two of a plurality of agents moving along respective paths through an inventory storage area of a materials handling facility, wherein one of the at least two agents has physical possession of a particular one of a plurality of items, said particular item being selected from said inventory storage area; subsequent to identifying said exchange opportunity, instruct that said at least two agents exchange said particular item between one another prior to said particular item being delivered to any processing area by any agent, wherein to instruct that said particular item be exchanged, the instructions are further executable to instruct that said at least two agents transfer physical possession of said particular item. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification