Inventory system with connectable inventory holders

• US 9,008,829 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): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/751,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/217
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/10 with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system includes a first mobile drive unit and a second mobile drive unit. The first mobile drive unit is operable to dock with a first item holder at a first end of a column of connected item holders. The second mobile drive unit is operable to dock with a second item holder at a second end of the column of connected item holders. The system also includes a management module that is operable to instruct the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive units to transport the column of connected item holders from a first location to a second location.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first inventory holder comprising;

one or more inventory shelves operable to store inventory items;

a sensor operable to detect that a second inventory holder is proximate to the first inventory holder; and

a connection module operable to connect the first inventory holder to a second inventory holder based at least in part upon the sensor detecting that the second inventory holder is proximate to the first inventory holder; and

a mobile drive unit operable to;

dock with the first inventory holder;

while docked with the first inventory holder, move the first inventory holder towards the second inventory holder;

determine that the first inventory holder is connected with the second inventory holder at a first location; and

move the first inventory holder and the second holder from the first location towards a second location while docked with the first inventory holder and while the first inventory holder is connected with the second inventory holder.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection module comprises one or more connection elements and the connection module is operable to connect the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder operable by clamping the one or more connection elements onto a portion of the second inventory holder.

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

establish a communication session with the first inventory holder;

instruct the first inventory holder to connect to the second inventory holder when the second inventory holder is proximate to the first inventory holder; and

after moving the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder to the second location, instruct the second inventory holder to connect to a third inventory holder.

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

determine to process an order at an inventory station using a first inventory item stored by the first inventory holder and a second inventory item stored by the second inventory holder;

select the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder for transportation to the inventory station;

instruct the mobile drive unit to connect the first inventory holder with the second inventory holder and transport the connected inventory holders to the inventory station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first inventory holder further comprises a plurality of faces, the connection module is mounted on a face of the first inventory holder, and at least one other connection module is mounted on one of the other faces of the first inventory holder.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises a first mobile drive unit and the system further comprises a second mobile drive unit operable to move a group of connected inventory holders arranged to form a column while the second mobile drive unit is docked with an inventory holder at a first end of the column and the first mobile drive unit is docked with another inventory holder at the second end of the column.

7. A system, comprising:

a first mobile drive unit operable to dock with a first item holder at a first end of at least one column of at least two connected item holders, wherein the first item holder comprises a connection module configured to physically connect to one or more other item holders;

a second mobile drive unit operable to dock with a second item holder at a second end of the at least one column of at least two connected item holders; and

a management module operable to instruct the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive units to transport the at least one column of at least two connected item holders from a first location to a second location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one column includes at least a third item holder connected between the first item holder and the second item holder.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first mobile drive unit is further operable to:

determine to disassemble the at least one column of connected item holders;

instruct the second item holder to disconnect from the third item holder; and

instruct the third item holder to disconnect from the first item holder.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein disconnecting the second item holder from the third item holder comprises:

instructing the second item holder to release one or more second connection elements from the third item holder;

instructing the third item holder to release one or more third connection elements from the second item holder; and

verifying that the second item holder is disconnected from the third item holder.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first mobile drive unit docking with the first item holder comprises connecting to an interface for communicating with a connection module of the first item holder, wherein the connection module is operable to connect the first item holder to the second item holder.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is located on a docking head of the first mobile drive unit and includes a first communication interface that engages with a second communication interface of the first item holder while the docking head is engaged against a portion of the first item holder.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first mobile drive unit is further operable to communicate with the first item holder and the second item holder while docked with the first item holder and while the second item holder is connected to the first item holder.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the first item holder is operable to communicate status information associated with a connection module to the first mobile drive unit, the status information indicating whether the connection module is connected to the second item holder.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the status information further indicates a repair status of the connection module.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the first item holder is operable to communicate status information associated with a connection module to the first mobile drive unit, the status information indicating one or more of a weight of the first item holder and a weight distribution to a plurality of legs of the first item holder.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the first item holder is operable to communicate status information associated with a connection module to the first mobile drive unit, the status information indicating a unique identification of the first item holder.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the first item holder interconnects with the second item holder by engaging one or more connection elements onto at least a portion of the second item holder based at least in part upon a command from the first mobile drive unit.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first item holder engaging the one or more clamping elements is further based upon detecting a proximity of the second item holder to the first item holder.

20. A method comprising:

docking, by a mobile drive unit, to a first inventory holder;

moving, by the mobile drive unit, to a second inventory holder at a first location while docked with the first inventory holder;

physically connecting, by at least one connection module of the first inventory holder, the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder at the first location; and

moving, by the mobile drive unit, the connected first and second inventory holders to a second location while docked with the first inventory holder.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location is a shipping station and the first inventory holder and second inventory holder are connected for shipment to a remote destination.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second location is a vehicle operable to connect with at least one of the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder to secure the connected first and second inventory holders for shipment.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location is a first end of a queue to an inventory station and the second location is a processing location of the inventory station, and the mobile drive unit is operable to move the connected first and second inventory holders through the queue towards the processing location.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the second inventory holder is connected to at least a third inventory holder;

the second inventory holder is connected between the first and the third inventory holder; and

the first, the second, and the third inventory holders are capable of communicating their respective connection status to the mobile drive unit.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises a first mobile drive unit operable to communicate path information and collision information to a second mobile drive unit to coordinate transportation of the connected first and second inventory holders.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder are connected to other inventory holders to form a group of connected inventory holders arranged in at least a three inventory holder by three inventory holder grid.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

controlling, by the first mobile drive unit, one or more braking units on the first inventory holder.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting, by an imaging system, a proximity of the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder;

transmitting, by the imaging system, the proximity to the mobile drive unit;

determining, by the mobile drive unit, that the proximity is within a predetermined threshold; and

wherein the mobile drive unit causes the at least one connection module to connect to the second inventory holder based on determining that the proximity is within a predetermined threshold.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the imaging system is mounted to a ceiling, wall, or floor of a warehouse and is configured to detect imaging data corresponding to at least a portion of a workspace.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

instructing, by the mobile drive unit, the first inventory holder to disconnect from the second inventory holder;

in response to determining that the first inventory holder is not disconnected from the second inventory holder, determining to service the at least one connection module; and

instructing the mobile drive unit to transport the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder to a repair station.