System and method for configuring workstations

• US 8,805,574 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stevens, Rob, Watt, William J., Bragg, Timothy, Cravalho, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/216,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for managing an inventory system includes receiving an operation request that identifies an inventory item and selecting, from a plurality of workstations, a workstation at which to fulfill the operation request. The method also includes moving an inventory holder storing the identified inventory item to the selected workstation and moving a supply holder storing a supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation. The method additionally includes fulfilling the operation request, at least in part, at the workstation.

Claims

1. An inventory system, comprising:

one or more inventory holders operable to store inventory items;

one or more supply holders operable to store supply items;

a plurality of workstations at which operation requests are fulfilled; and

a management module operable to;

receive an operation request that identifies an inventory item;

select, from the plurality of workstations, a workstation at which to fulfill the received operation request;

initiate movement of an inventory holder storing the identified inventory item to the selected workstation;

initiate movement of a supply holder storing a supply item associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation; and

initiate fulfillment of the received operation request, at least in part, at the selected workstation, wherein the associated supply item is configured to facilitate modification of the identified inventory item at the selected workstation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module is operable to initiate movement of the supply holder by:

selecting, from a plurality of supply holders, a supply holder storing the supply item associated with the received operation request; and

initiating movement of the selected supply holder to the selected workstation.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a mobile drive unit operable to move the selected supply holder, and wherein the management module is operable to initiate movement of the selected supply holder by:

instructing the mobile drive unit to move to the selected supply holder; and

instructing the mobile drive unit to move the selected supply holder to the selected workstation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to couple the selected supply holder to a power supply at the selected workstation.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the management module is further operable to transmit information identifying the selected workstation and the selected supply holder to the mobile drive unit.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the management module is further operable to transmit information identifying a location of the selected workstation and a location of the selected supply holder to the mobile drive unit.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to dock with the selected supply holder.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the management module is operable to select a supply holder by selecting a supply holder based, at least in part, on a distance between the selected supply holder and the selected workstation.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the management module is operable to select a supply holder by selecting a supply holder based, at least in part, on a quantity of the supply item currently stored in the selected supply holder.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the management module is operable to select a supply holder by selecting a supply holder based, at least in part, on a quantity of the supply item associated with the received operation request.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module is further operable to initiate movement of the supply holder to a storage location after initiating movement of the supply holder to the selected workstation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the management module is operable to initiate movement of the supply holder to the selected workstation by initiating movement of the supply holder from a first storage location to the selected workstation, and wherein the management module is operable to initiate movement of the supply holder to a storage location by initiating movement of the supply holder to a second storage location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of supply holders comprise a first supply holder storing a first supply item for a first task associated with the received operation request and a second supply holder storing a second supply item for a second task associated with the received operation request to the selected workstation;

the management module is operable to initiate movement of a supply holder by initiating movement of the first supply holder to the selected workstation; and

the management module is further operable to initiate movement of a second supply holder to the selected workstation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the management module is further operable to determine an order for moving the first supply holder and the second supply holder to the workstation based on a predetermined order associated with the first task and the second task.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the management module is further operable to select, based on an order associated with the first task and the second task, positions for the first supply holder and the second supply holder;

the management module is operable to initiate movement of the first supply holder by initiating movement of the first supply holder to a first selected position; and

the management module is operable to initiate movement of the second supply holder by initiating movement of the second supply holder to a second selected position.

16. The system of claim 13, the management module is further operable to select, based on a resource associated with at least one of the first supply holder and the second supply holder, positions for the first supply holder and the second supply holder;

the management module is operable to initiate movement of the first supply holder by initiating movement of the first supply holder to a first selected position; and

the management module is operable to initiate movement of the second supply holder by initiating movement of the second supply holder to a second selected position.