Inventory system with connectable inventory holders

• US 9,008,828 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Worsley, Timothy Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLACE, DONALD JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/751,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/214, 700/216, 705/28, 701/2
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface is operable to wirelessly transmit instructions to one or more mobile drive units. The processor is communicatively coupled to the interface and is operable to instruct a mobile drive unit to transport a first shipping container storing at least one completed order to a shipping station, instruct the mobile drive unit to connect the first shipping container to a second shipping container to form a group of connected shipping containers. The processor is also operable to detect a trigger event, and in response to detecting the trigger event, coordinate movement of one or more mobile drive units to transport the group of connected shipping containers onto a vehicle for shipment.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a mobile drive unit operable to transport one or more of a plurality of inventory holders that store inventory items; and

a management module operable to;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport a first inventory holder to a shipping station;

instruct the mobile drive unit to connect the first inventory holder to a second inventory holder at the shipping station to form a group of connected inventory holders, wherein at least the first inventory holder includes a connection module operable to connect the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder in response to a command by the mobile drive unit;

detecting that a vehicle is available for shipping the group of connected inventory holders;

in response detecting that the vehicle is available, determine to move the group of one or more connected inventory holders onto the vehicle for shipment;

instruct the mobile drive unit to move the group of one or more connected inventory holders onto the vehicle for shipment by docking with the first inventory holder and moving the group of one or more inventory holders while docked with the first inventory holder.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the group of one or more inventory holders comprises a column having the first inventory holder at a first end and the second inventory holder at a second end and the management module is further operable to:

instruct a second mobile drive unit to dock with the second inventory holder at the second end;

instruct the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive unit to transport the group of inventory holders onto the vehicle, wherein the movements of the first and second mobile drive units are coordinated.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection module includes a first connection module and the second inventory holder includes a second connection module, wherein the first and second connection modules each include a plurality of clamping elements operable to clamp onto a portion of another inventory holder based at least in part upon a signal indicating a proximity to the portion of another inventory holder.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of connection modules operable to secure the group of inventory holders to a location in the vehicle, wherein the plurality of connection modules are actuated, in response to a command from one or more of the mobile drive units, to engage with a portion of one or more inventory holders in the group of inventory holders.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to:

receive a first signal from the first inventory holder indicating a proximity of the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder; and

in response to determining that the first inventory holder is within a predetermined proximity to the second inventory holder, communicate a second signal to the first inventory holder that causes the connection module to engage, thereby connecting the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder.

6. An apparatus comprising:

an interface operable to wirelessly transmit instructions to one or more mobile drive units; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the interface and operable to;

instruct a mobile drive unit to transport a first shipping container storing at least one completed order to a shipping station;

instruct the mobile drive unit to connect the first shipping container to a second shipping container to form a group of connected shipping containers, wherein the group of shipping containers are connected to each other by one or more connection modules including a plurality of connection elements operable to connect to a portion of another shipping container in response to a command received from the mobile drive unit;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, coordinate movement of the mobile drive unit to transport the group of connected shipping containers onto a vehicle for shipment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more connection modules include a plurality of connection elements operable to clamp onto a portion of another shipping container in response to a command received from the mobile drive unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the group of connected shipping containers comprises a first group and the processor is further operable to:

detect that the vehicle stores one or more second groups of connected shipping containers; and

instruct one or more mobile drive units to unload the one or more second groups of connected shipping containers.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein unloading the one or more second groups of connected shipping containers comprises:

docking with a third shipping container in one of the one or more second groups;

establishing a communication session with one or more connection modules in the one of the second groups, the one or more connection modules securing the one of the one or more second groups to the vehicle;

instructing the one or more connection modules to disengage from the vehicle; and

transporting the one of the one or more second groups off the vehicle while docked with the third shipping container.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the group of connected shipping containers includes at least a third shipping container connected between the first shipping container and the second shipping container and two or more mobile drive units transport the group by:

docking respectively with the first shipping container and the second shipping container; and

coordinating movement to transport the group onto the vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first shipping container includes a first connection module and the second shipping container includes a second connection module and the group is formed by:

engaging the first connection module to clamp onto a second portion of the second shipping container; and

engaging the second connection module to clamp onto a first portion of the first shipping container.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first shipping container includes a first proximity sensor and the mobile drive unit transmits a command to engage the first connection module based at least in part upon receiving, from the first proximity sensor, an indication that the first shipping container is proximate to the second shipping container.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to:

dock with the first shipping container and thereby establish a communication session with a first connection module of the first shipping container; and

control the first connection module on the first shipping contaner via the communication session.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication session is established by connecting a first communication interface located on a docking head of the mobile drive unit to a second communication interface located on a lower surface of the first shipping container.

15. A method, comprising:

instructing, by a management module, one or more mobile drive units to form a group of inventory holders at a shipping station by;

docking with a first inventory holder;

establishing a communication session with the first inventory holder;

moving the first inventory holder towards a second inventory holder;

in response to detecting that the first inventory holder is proximate to the second inventory holder;

instructing the first inventory holder to engage a first connection mechanism, the first connection mechanism connecting to a second portion of the second inventory holder; and

instructing the second inventory holder to engage a second connection mechanism, the second connection mechanism connecting to a first portion of the first inventory holder,

wherein the inventory holders in the group are arranged in at least a column of connected inventory holders;

detecting, by the management module, a trigger event comprising an availability of a vehicle upon which the group of connected inventory holders is designated for shipment; and

instructing, by the management module, the one or more mobile drive units to move the group of inventory holders onto the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the group arranged in the column is further arranged in a column that is one inventory holder wide by five inventory holders long; and

the group is moved by a first mobile drive docked with a first inventory holder at a first end of the column and a second mobile drive unit docked with a second inventory holder at a second end of the column, wherein the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive unit coordinate movement to move the group.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first inventory holder includes a plurality of casters and the first mobile drive unit docks with the first inventory holder by lifting a docking head against a high-friction portion of the first inventory holder.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more mobile drive units establish a communication session with the group of inventory holders and receive status information comprising the status of one or more connection mechanisms forming the connections between the inventory holders in the group of inventory holders.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein an inventory holder in the group includes at least two connection mechanisms, a first of the at least two connection mechanisms mounted on a first face of the inventory holder and a second of the at least two connection mechanisms mounted on a second face opposite to the first face.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more mobile drive units are operable to cause the connection of an inventory holder to the group based at least in part upon presence information received from a sensor of the inventory holder indicating that the inventory holder is proximate to another inventory holder in the group of inventory holders.