Inventory system with climate-controlled inventory

• US 9,008,827 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dwarakanath, Samvid Hariram, Blakey, Sean William, Casteel, Bryant Richard, Cooper, Bruce John
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/713,835
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/214, 700/215, 700/218, 700/228
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0482 Details common to both closed and open types
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/003 Transport containers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system includes a climate-controlled inventory holder, a mobile drive unit, and a management module. The climate-controlled inventory holder is configured to control a climate of one or more inventory items stored by the inventory holder. The mobile drive unit is operable to transport the climate-controlled inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon one or more instructions received from a management module. The management module is operable to receive an order for an inventory item, determine that the inventory holder stores the inventory item, and instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the climate-controlled inventory holder from the first location to the second location.

Claims

1. An inventory system comprising:

a climate-controlled inventory holder, comprising;

an intake vent configured to align with an outlet vent of an air conditioning duct, the intake vent operable to receive climate-controlled air from the outlet vent;

one or more shelves configured to store one or more climate-controlled inventory items;

a mobile drive unit operable to;

dock with the climate-controlled inventory holder at a storage location;

transport the climate-controlled inventory holder from the storage location to an inventory station, wherein transporting the climate-controlled inventory holder removes the intake vent from alignment with the outlet vent; and

a management module operable to;

receive an order for one or more climate-controlled inventory items stored by the climate-controlled inventory holder; and

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the climate-controlled inventory holder to the inventory station to fulfill the order.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder is configured to align with to a plurality of outlet vents arranged in a workspace and the mobile drive unit is operable to align the climate-controlled inventory holder with a selected one of the plurality of outlet vents based at least in part upon instructions received from the management module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises a first inventory holder and the system further comprises a second inventory holder configured to store inventory items at an ambient climate, wherein the management module is further operable to prioritize transportation of the first inventory holder to the inventory station over transportation of the second inventory holder.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inventory holder further comprises a temperature sensor and the management module is further operable to prioritize transportation of the inventory holder to the inventory station based at least in part upon determining that a temperature received from the temperature sensor is above a predetermined threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder further comprises a plurality of strip curtains, the strip curtains configured to at least partially insulate the one or more refrigerated inventory items stored in the inventory holder.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the intake vent comprises one or more louvers configured to at least partially close an opening to the intake vent when the intake vent is not aligned with the outlet vent.

7. A system, comprising:

a climate-controlled inventory holder configured to control a climate of one or more inventory items stored by the inventory holder;

a mobile drive unit operable to transport the climate-controlled inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon one or more instructions received from a management module; and

a management module operable to;

receive an order for an inventory item;

determine that the inventory holder stores the inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the climate-controlled inventory holder from the first location to the second location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a source of climate-control comprises an intake vent of the climate-controlled inventory holder, the intake vent configured to align with an outlet vent of an air conditioning duct and to receive climate-controlled air from the outlet vent while aligned with the outlet vent.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder is operable to transmit temperature information to the management module.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises an electric refrigeration unit that produces refrigerated air.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electric refrigeration unit is powered by an overhead wiring system, the electric refrigeration unit operable to receive power from the overhead wiring system via an electrical contact mounted on the climate-controlled inventory holder that remains in contact with the overhead wiring system while the climate-controlled inventory holder is moving.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the electric refrigeration unit is powered by an electrical outlet of a workspace, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises one or more electrical contacts configured to interface with the electrical outlet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises a plurality of legs, wherein at least one electrical contact is mounted on a bottom surface of a leg.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises a first inventory holder and the system further comprises:

a second inventory holder configured to store inventory items at an ambient climate; and

wherein the management module is further operable to;

generate a first task assignment for the mobile drive unit to retrieve the second inventory holder in response to receiving an order for an inventory item stored by the second inventory holder;

generate a second task assignment for another mobile drive unit to retrieve the first inventory holder in response to receiving an order for an inventory item stored by the first inventory holder; and

prioritize the second task assignment over the first task assignment.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the second location comprises an inventory station, the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises a first inventory holder, the mobile drive unit comprises a first mobile drive unit, and the management module is further operable to:

receive an order for one or more inventory items stored by a second inventory holder at an ambient climate;

based at least in part upon determining that the first inventory holder stores temperature-controlled inventory items and the second inventory holder stores one or more inventory items at the ambient climate, instruct a second mobile drive unit to transport the second inventory holder to a drift location;

detect a trigger event; and

based at least in part upon the trigger event, instruct the second mobile drive unit to transport the second inventory holder to the inventory station.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the management module is further operable to:

receive a first order for a first ambient inventory item and a second order for a first climate-controlled inventory item;

select, from a plurality of inventory stations, a first inventory station at which to fulfill the first order for the first ambient inventory item;

select, from the plurality of inventory stations, a second inventory station at which to fulfill the second order for the first climate-controlled inventory item.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second order is for the first climate-controlled inventory item and a second ambient inventory item, the first inventory station is designated to fulfill orders for climate-controlled inventory items and ambient inventory items, and the management module is further operable to:

select, from the plurality of inventory stations, the second inventory station at which to fulfill the second order for the first climate-controlled inventory item and the second ambient item; and

select a container designated for climate-controlled inventory items in which to ship the first climate-controlled inventory item and the second ambient item.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a management module, an order for a climate-controlled inventory item stored by a climate-controlled inventory holder, the climate-controlled inventory holder configured to control a climate of the climate-controlled inventory item; and

instructing, by the management module, a mobile drive unit to transport the climate-controlled inventory holder from a storage location to an inventory station, wherein the climate-controlled item is packed for shipment at the inventory station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile drive unit disconnects the climate-controlled inventory holder from a source of climate control by docking with the climate-controlled inventory holder and moving the climate-controlled inventory holder away from the storage location.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder is configured to control the climate of the inventory item while the climate-controlled inventory holder is being transported by the mobile drive unit.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises an electric refrigeration unit.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the climate-controlled inventory holder comprises a first inventory holder, the order comprises a first order, and the method further comprises:

receiving a second order for a ambient inventory item stored by a second inventory holder;

prioritizing processing of the climate-controlled inventory item over the ambient inventory item.