Method and system for transporting inventory items

• US 8,909,368 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: D'Andrea, Raffaello, Mansfield, Peter K., Mountz, Michael C., Polic, Dennis, Dingle, Patrick Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Application Number:
  US13/829,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 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:

moving a mobile drive unit beneath an inventory holder, wherein the inventory holder comprises a frame and a plurality of legs, wherein the legs are arranged to form a plurality of device openings that allow the mobile drive unit to move under the inventory holder;

lifting the inventory holder with the mobile drive unit; and

moving the mobile drive unit while the inventory holder is lifted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before lifting the inventory holder, aligning the mobile drive unit substantially with a center portion of the inventory holder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein after lifting the inventory holder with the mobile drive unit, a supporting member of the inventory holder is not in direct contact with a surface upon which the mobile drive unit operates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory holder is positioned over an associated fiducial mark, the associated fiducial mark comprising one of a plurality of fiducial marks arranged in a two-dimensional grid, and moving the mobile drive unit beneath an inventory holder comprises detecting the associated fiducial mark.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises a sensor and the method further comprises:

calculating a difference between a portion of the inventory holder and the sensor; and

adjusting the mobile drive unit beneath the inventory holder based on the calculated difference.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

raising a docking head of the mobile drive unit towards a surface of the inventory holder; and

engaging the docking head with the surface of the inventory holder.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the docking head comprises a high-friction portion and engaging the docking head with the surface of the inventory holder comprises abutting the high-friction portion against the surface of the inventory holder.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the inventory holder about a center portion of the inventory holder while the center portion of the inventory holder is substantially vertically aligned with a center portion of the mobile drive unit.

9. A mobile drive unit, operable to:

move beneath an inventory holder, wherein the inventory holder comprises four legs arranged to form a plurality of device openings that allow the mobile drive unit to move under the inventory holder from four different directions on a two-dimensional grid;

lift the inventory holder; and

move while the inventory holder is lifted.

10. The mobile drive unit of claim 9, further operable to:

before lifting the inventory holder, align substantially with a center portion of the inventory holder.

11. The mobile drive unit of claim 9, wherein after lifting the inventory holder, a supporting member of the inventory holder is not in direct contact with a surface upon which the mobile drive unit operates.

12. The mobile drive unit of claim 9, wherein the inventory holder is positioned over an associated fiducial mark, the associated fiducial mark comprising one of a plurality of fiducial marks arranged in the two-dimensional grid, and moving beneath the inventory holder comprises detecting the associated fiducial mark.

13. The mobile drive unit of claim 9, wherein the mobile drive unit further comprises a sensor and wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to:

calculate a difference between a portion of the inventory holder and the sensor; and

adjust beneath the inventory holder based on the calculated difference.

14. The mobile drive unit of claim 9, further operable to:

raise a docking head towards a surface of the inventory holder; and

engage the docking head with the surface of the inventory holder.

15. The mobile drive unit of claim 14, wherein the docking head comprises a high-friction portion and engaging the docking head with the surface of the inventory holder comprises abutting the high-friction portion against the surface of the inventory holder.

16. The mobile drive unit of claim 9, further operable to rotate the inventory holder about a center portion of the inventory holder while the center portion of the inventory holder is substantially vertically aligned with a center portion of the mobile drive unit.