System and method for order fulfillment

• US 8,805,573 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brunner, Daniel T., Mountz, Michael C., Barbehenn, Michael T., Wurman, Peter R., Watt, William J., Nice, Eryk B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Assistant Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/343,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214, 700/215
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system includes a first mobile drive unit and a second mobile drive unit. The system also includes a first inventory holder, a second inventory holder, and a third inventory holder. An inventory station includes a first location and a second location and the inventory station operable to receive a first inventory item from the first inventory holder at the first location. The first inventory holder transported by the first mobile drive unit. The inventory station also operable to receive a second inventory item from the second inventory holder at the first location. The second inventory holder transported by the second mobile drive unit. The inventory station also operable to receive a third inventory item from the third inventory holder at the second location. The third inventory holder is fixed at the second location while the inventory station receives the first and second inventory item.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first mobile drive unit and a second mobile drive unit;

a first inventory holder, a second inventory holder, and a third inventory holder; and

an inventory station comprising a first location and a second location, the inventory station operable to;

receive a first inventory item from the first inventory holder at the first location, wherein the first location comprises a first space of a queue designated for inventory item processing, the first inventory holder transported by the first mobile drive unit;

receive a second inventory item from the second inventory holder at the first location, the second inventory holder transported by the second mobile drive unit; and

receive a third inventory item from the third inventory holder at the second location, wherein the second location is designated for storing one or more inventory items associated with a product velocity and wherein the third inventory holder is fixed at the second location while the inventory station receives the first inventory item and the second inventory item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the third inventory holder is transported to the second location by a third mobile drive unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder are transported to the first location in response to an order;

and

the third inventory holder is transported to the second location in response to a plurality of orders.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the third inventory holder is transported to the second location in response to a product velocity of the third inventory item.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the third inventory holder is transported to the second location in response to a product velocity of a plurality of inventory items in the third inventory holder.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the product velocity is determined based on at least one of past order information, known demand, and predicted future order information.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management module operable to:

determine the third inventory item based on a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the third inventory item; and

assign the third inventory holder to the second location based on the frequency.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein determining the third inventory item further comprises determining that the frequency of orders receiving the third inventory item is higher than frequencies of orders receiving the first inventory item and orders receiving the second inventory item.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management module operable to assign a fourth inventory holder holding a fourth inventory item to the second location.

10. The system of claim 9, the management module further operable to determine that a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the third inventory item is less than a second frequency of orders receiving the fourth inventory item before assigning the fourth inventory holder to the second location.

11. The system of claim 9, the management module further operable to assign a task to move the third inventory item to a fifth inventory holder transported to the first location by a fifth mobile drive unit.

12. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a management module operable to:

determine that a quantity of the third inventory item at the second location is lower than a threshold; and

assign a task to transport an additional quantity of the third inventory item to the first location.

13. The system of claim 1, the inventory station further comprising an array of inventory holders operable to receive inventory items.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fourth inventory holder, wherein the inventory station further comprises a third location, and the inventory station is further operable to receive a fourth inventory item from the fourth inventory holder at the third location, wherein the fourth inventory holder is fixed at the third location while the inventory station receives the first inventory item, the second inventory item, and the third inventory item.

15. A system, comprising:

a first mobile drive unit;

a second mobile drive unit, and a third mobile drive unit;

a first inventory holder, a second inventory holder, and a third inventory holder; and

an inventory station comprising an array of inventory holders, wherein the array of inventory holders are associated with a plurality of product velocities, the inventory station operable to;

receive a first inventory item into the array from the first inventory holder, wherein the first inventory item is received into the array based upon a product velocity associated with the first inventory item, the first inventory holder transported to the inventory station by the first mobile drive unit;

receive a second inventory item from the second inventory holder, the second inventory holder transported to the inventory station by the second mobile drive unit;

receive a third inventory item from the third inventory holder, the third inventory holder transported to the inventory station by the third mobile drive unit; and

receive the first inventory item from the array.

16. The system of claim 15, the inventory station further comprising a first location and a second location, wherein the first inventory holder, the second inventory holder, and the third inventory holder are received at the first location while a fourth inventory holder is fixed at the second location.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first inventory holder comprises a plurality of inventory items and the inventory station is operable to receive the plurality of inventory items into the array of inventory holders.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first inventory holder is transported to the inventory station in response to a plurality of orders, the second inventory holder and the third inventory holder are transported to the inventory station in response to the order, and the first inventory item is received from the array in response to the order.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first inventory holder is transported to the inventory station in response to a product velocity of the first inventory item.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the product velocity is determined based on at least one of past order information, known demand, and predicted future order information.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising a management module operable to:

determine the first inventory item based on a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the first inventory item; and

assign the first inventory item to the array based on the frequency.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the first inventory item further comprises determining that the frequency of orders receiving the first inventory item is higher than frequencies of orders receiving the second inventory item and orders receiving the third inventory item.

23. The system of claim 21, the management module further operable to determine the first inventory item further based on determining a number of the first inventory item that the array of inventory holders is operable to receive, the number based on a size of the first inventory item.

24. The system of claim 15, further comprising a management module operable to:

determine that a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the first inventory item is less than a second frequency of orders receiving a fourth inventory item; and

assign a fourth inventory holder holding the fourth inventory item to transport the fourth inventory item to the inventory station; and

wherein the inventory station is further operable to receive the fourth inventory item into the array.

25. The system of claim 24, the management module further operable to assign a task to move the first inventory item to the fourth inventory holder.

26. The system of claim 24, the management module further operable to assign a task to move the first inventory item to a fifth inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a fifth mobile drive unit.

27. The system of claim 15, the management module further operable to:

determine that a quantity of the first inventory item in the array is lower than a threshold; and

assign a task to transport an additional quantity of the first inventory item to the inventory station.

28. The system of claim 15, the inventory station further operable to receive a fourth inventory item from a fourth inventory holder at the inventory station, wherein the fourth inventory holder is fixed at the inventory station while the inventory station receives the second inventory item and the third inventory item.

29. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an inventory station, an order for a first inventory item, a second inventory item, and a third inventory item;

receiving the first inventory item from a first inventory holder at a first location associated with an inventory station, wherein the first location comprises a first space of a queue designated for inventory item processing, the first inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a first mobile drive unit;

receiving the second inventory item from a second inventory holder at the first location associated with the inventory station, the second inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a second mobile drive unit;

receiving a third inventory item from a third inventory holder at a second location associated with the inventory station, wherein the second location is designated for storing one or more inventory items associated with a product velocity and wherein the third inventory holder is fixed at the second location while the order for the first inventory item, the second inventory item and the third inventory item is assembled.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the third inventory holder is transported to the second location by a third mobile drive unit.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder are transported to the first location in response to the order; and

the third inventory holder is transported to the second location in response to a plurality of orders.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the third inventory holder is transported to the second location in response to a product velocity of the third inventory item.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the third inventory holder is transported to the second location in response to a product velocity of a plurality of inventory items in the third inventory holder.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the product velocity is determined based on at least one of past order information, known demand, and predicted future order information.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

determining the third inventory item based on a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the third inventory item; and

assigning the third inventory holder to the second location based on the frequency.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein determining the third inventory item further comprises determining that the frequency of orders receiving the third inventory item is higher than frequencies of orders receiving the first inventory item and orders receiving the second inventory item.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising assigning a fourth inventory holder holding a fourth inventory item to the second location.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining that a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the third inventory item is less than a second frequency of orders receiving a fourth inventory item before assigning the fourth inventory holder to the second location.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising assigning a task to move the third inventory item to a fifth inventory holder transported to the first location by a fifth mobile drive unit.

40. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

determining that a quantity of the third inventory item at the second location is lower than a threshold; and

assigning a task to transport an additional quantity of the third inventory item to the first location.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the order includes a fourth inventory item and the method further comprises receiving the fourth inventory item from an array of inventory holders associated with the inventory station.

42. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving a fourth inventory item from a fourth inventory holder at a third location associated with the inventory station, wherein the fourth inventory holder is fixed at the third location while the inventory station receives the first inventory item, the second inventory item, and the third inventory item.

43. A method, comprising:

receiving a first inventory item into an array associated with an inventory station from a first inventory holder, wherein the array is associated with a product velocity and wherein the first inventory item is received into the array based upon a product velocity associated with the first inventory item, the first inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a first mobile drive unit;

receiving an order for the first inventory item, a second inventory item, and a third inventory item;

receiving the second inventory item from a second inventory holder, the second inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a second mobile drive unit;

receiving the third inventory item from a third inventory holder, the third inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a third mobile drive unit; and

receiving the first inventory item from the array.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the inventory station comprises a first location and a second location and the first inventory holder, the second inventory holder, and the third inventory holder are received at the first location while a fourth inventory holder is fixed at the second location.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the first inventory holder comprises a plurality of inventory items and the method further comprises receiving the plurality of inventory items into the array of inventory holders.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the first inventory holder is transported to the inventory station in response to a plurality of orders, the second inventory holder and the third inventory holder are transported to the inventory station in response to the order, and the first inventory item is received from the array in response to the order.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the first inventory holder is transported to the inventory station in response to a product velocity of the first inventory item.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the product velocity is determined based on at least one of past order information, known demand, and predicted future order information.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

determining the first inventory item based on a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the first inventory item; and

assigning the first inventory item to the array based on the frequency.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein determining the first inventory item further comprises determining that the frequency of orders receiving the first inventory item is higher than frequencies of orders receiving the second inventory item and orders receiving the third inventory item.

51. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

determining the first inventory item based on determining a number of the first inventory item that the array of inventory holders is operable to receive, the number based on a size of the first inventory item.

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

determining that a frequency of a plurality of orders receiving the first inventory item is less than a second frequency of orders receiving a fourth inventory item; and

assigning a fourth inventory holder holding the fourth inventory item to transport the fourth inventory item to the inventory station; and

wherein the inventory station is further operable to receive the fourth inventory item into the array.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising assigning a task to move the first inventory item to the fourth inventory holder.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising assigning a task to move the first inventory item to a fifth inventory holder transported to the inventory station by a fifth mobile drive unit.

55. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

determining that a quantity of the first inventory item in the array is lower than a threshold; and

assigning a task to transport an additional quantity of the first inventory item to the inventory station.

56. The method of claim 43, further comprising receiving a fourth inventory item from a fourth inventory holder at the inventory station, wherein the fourth inventory holder is fixed at the inventory station while the inventory station receives the second inventory item and the third inventory item.