Robotic picking line for serialized products

• US 8,571,700 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Likewize Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Brightstar Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Keller, Mark J., Garcia, Jesse J., Kolodzej, Matthew Stephen, Kell, Karsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Yolanda
• Application Number:
  US12/848,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/12 using record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31286 Detect position of articles and equipment by receivers, identify objects by code
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31305 Robot arm identifies object during movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to a system for managing an inventory comprising serialized products. A computer system may receive from an intake sensor a first tray identifier describing a first tray present on an intake transport system. The computer system may also associate the first tray identifier with a first serial identifier of a first product unit present on a product transport system and instructing the product transport system, by the computer system, to transport the first product unit to the first tray. Additionally, the computer system may instruct a robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from a plurality of robot-accessible bins.

Claims

1. A system for managing an inventory comprising serialized products, the system comprising:

an intake station, wherein the intake station comprises;

a product transport system;

an intake transport system; and

.

an intake sensor having a field-of-view directed towards the intake transport system and positioned such that items on the intake transport system fall within the field-of-view;

a plurality of robot-accessible bins;

a robot programmed to load product units to the plurality of robot-accessible bins;

an outflow transport system and a packing station; and

a computer system comprising at least one processor and operatively associated electronic storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to;

receive from the intake sensor a first tray identifier describing a first tray present on the intake transport system;

associate the first tray identifier with a first serial identifier of a first product unit of a first serialized product, wherein the first product unit is present on the product transport system;

instruct the product transport system to transport the first product unit to the first tray;

instruct the robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from the plurality of robot-accessible bins;

receive a pick instruction specifying the first serial identifier; and

instruct the robot to retrieve the first tray unit from the first robot-accessible bin and place it on the outflow transport system, wherein the outflow transport system transports the first product unit to the packing station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic storage further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to derive a position of the first product unit on the product transport system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the product transport system comprises a plurality of delineated locations, and wherein deriving the position of the first product unit on the product transport system comprises:

receiving data indicating that a first delineated location of the product transport system comprises a product unit having the first serial identifier; and

receiving data indicating a position of the first delineated location.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a product sensor having a field-of-view directed towards the product transport system and positioned such that items at a first position on the product transport system fall within the field-of-view, and wherein deriving the position of the first product unit on the product transport system comprises receiving from the product sensor data describing the first serial identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic storage further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to instruct the outflow transport system to direct the first product unit to the packing station.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a packing station, wherein the pick instruction also specifies a non-serialized product, and wherein the electronic storage further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

receive a second tray identifier describing a second tray associated with at least one item of the non-serialized product;

receive an indication that the second tray is present on the outflow transport system;

instruct the outflow transport system to transport the second tray to the packing station.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the intake transport system and the outflow transport system are components of a common transport system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the outflow transport system comprises at least one conveyor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the product transport system is positioned above the intake transport system, and wherein transporting the first product unit to the first tray comprises dropping the first product unit from the product transport system to the tray on the intake transport system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein instructing the robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from the plurality of robot-accessible bins comprises providing the robot with an indication of a turn-over rate of the first serialized product.

11. A system for managing an inventory comprising serialized products, the system comprising:

an intake station, wherein the intake station comprises;

a product transport system;

an intake transport system; and

an intake sensor having a field-of-view directed towards the intake transport system and positioned such that items on the intake transport system fall within the field-of-view;

a plurality of robot-accessible bins;

a robot programmed to load product units to the plurality of robot-accessible bins;

a product sensor having a field-of-view directed towards the product transport system and positioned such that items at a first position on the product transport system fall within the field-of-view; and

a computer system comprising at least one processor and operatively associated electronic storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to;

receive from the intake sensor a first tray identifier describing a first tray present on the intake transport system;

associate the first tray identifier with a first serial identifier of a first product unit of a first serialized product, wherein the first product unit is present on the product transport system;

derive a position of the first product unit on the product transport system, wherein deriving the position of the first product unit on the product transport system comprises receiving from the product sensor data describing the first serial identifier;

instruct the product transport system to transport the first product unit to the first tray; and

instruct the robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from the plurality of robot-accessible bins.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the first plurality of robot-accessible bins comprises no more than one serialized product unit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the product transport system is positioned above the intake transport system, and wherein transporting the first product unit to the first tray comprises dropping the first product unit from the product transport system to the tray on the intake transport system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the intake transport system comprises at least one conveyor.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein instructing the robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from the plurality of robot-accessible bins comprises providing the robot with an indication of a turn-over rate of the first serialized product.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising an outflow transport system and a packing station, wherein the electronic storage further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

receive a pick instruction specifying the first serial identifier;

instruct the robot to retrieve the first tray unit from the first robot-accessible bin and place it on the outflow transport system, wherein the outflow transport system transports the first product unit to the packing station.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electronic storage further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to instruct the outflow transport system to direct the first product unit to the packing station.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a packing station, wherein the pick instruction also specifies a non-serialized product, and wherein the electronic storage further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

receive a second tray identifier describing a second tray associated with at least one item of the non-serialized product;

receive an indication that the second tray is present on the outflow transport system;

instruct the outflow transport system to transport the second tray to the packing station.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the intake transport system and the outflow transport system are components of a common transport system.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the outflow transport system comprises at least one conveyor.

21. A system for managing an inventory comprising serialized products, the system comprising:

an intake station, wherein the intake station comprises;

an intake transport system;

a product transport system, wherein the product transport system is positioned above the intake transport system; and

an intake sensor having a field-of-view directed towards the intake transport system and positioned such that items on the intake transport system fall within the field-of-view;

a plurality of robot-accessible bins;

a robot programmed to load product units to the plurality of robot-accessible bins; and

a computer system comprising at least one processor and operatively associated electronic storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to;

receive from the intake sensor a first tray identifier describing a first tray present on the intake transport system;

associate the first tray identifier with a first serial identifier of a first product unit of a first serialized product, wherein the first product unit is present on the product transport system;

instruct the product transport system to transport the first product unit to the first tray, wherein transporting the first product unit to the first tray comprises dropping the first product unit from the product transport system to the tray on the intake transport system; and

instruct the robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from the plurality of robot-accessible bins.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the product transport system comprises a plurality of delineated locations, and wherein deriving the position of the first product unit on the product transport system comprises:

receiving data indicating that a first delineated location of the product transport system comprises a product unit having the first serial identifier; and

receiving data indicating a position of the first delineated location.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein instructing the robot to place the first tray containing the first product unit at a first bin selected from the plurality of robot-accessible bins comprises providing the robot with an indication of a turn-over rate of the first serialized product.