System and method for inventory management using mobile drive units

• US 9,317,034 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Andrew E., Mountz, Michael C., Barbehenn, Michael T., Allard, James R., Kimmel, Matthew E., Santini, Fabrizio, Decker, Michael H., D'Andrea, Raffaello, Wurman, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US14/453,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096708 where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control

Abstract

A method for inventory management includes deploying a first mobile drive unit having first dimensions and deploying a second mobile drive unit having second dimensions, the first and second dimensions being different. The first and second mobile drive units are operable to transport inventory items to a plurality of inventory stations in the same workspace.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating mobile drive units, comprising:

storing, by a memory unit of a management module, information indicative of a first three-dimensional volume reserved by a first mobile drive unit;

receiving, by a wireless interface of the management module, a request from a second mobile drive unit to reserve a second three-dimensional volume corresponding to at least a specified height dimension of the second mobile drive unit;

determining, by a central processing unit of the management module, whether the second three-dimensional volume requested by the second mobile drive unit intersects with the first three-dimensional volume reserved by the first mobile drive unit;

based at least in part on a determination that the requested second three-dimensional volume does not intersect with the first three-dimensional volume reserved by the first mobile drive unit, granting the request from the second mobile drive unit to reserve the second three-dimensional volume, wherein the second mobile drive unit responds to receiving information indicative of the granted request by proceeding into at least a portion of a path represented by the second three-dimensional volume; and

calculating, by the central processing unit of the management module, a path for the second mobile drive unit based on a particular destination, wherein calculating the path includes adjusting a number of three-dimensional volumes based on particular dimensions of the second mobile drive unit, including at least the specified height dimension.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the wireless interface of the management module, a message to the second mobile drive unit indicating that the request to reserve the second three-dimensional volume is granted; and

wherein the second mobile drive unit, in response to receiving the message, moves into a space within a workspace associated with the second three-dimensional volume.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning, by the central processing unit of the management module, the path for the second mobile drive unit within a workspace, the path comprising a plurality of three-dimensional segments; and

wherein the plurality of three-dimensional segments of the path are chosen by the central processing unit of the management module such that the path avoids intersecting a third three-dimensional volume that is or is expected to be reserved while the second mobile drive unit travels along the path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first three-dimensional volume reserved by the first mobile drive unit corresponds to a volume of three-dimensional space comprising the first mobile drive unit and an inventory holder docked with the mobile drive unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile drive unit requests reservation of the second three-dimensional volume while traveling along the path from a storage space to an inventory station, wherein the second three-dimensional volume comprises a segment of the path.

6. An inventory management system, comprising:

a remote management module operable to communicate with a plurality of mobile drive units; and

a mobile drive unit comprising one of the plurality of mobile drive units, the mobile drive unit operable to;

receive at least a portion of a path between a first location and a second location within a workspace;

access information indicating a three-dimensional volume of space associated with the mobile drive unit;

request, via a first wireless message to the remote management module, reservation of at least the portion of the path, the request comprising the information indicating the three-dimensional volume of space associated with the mobile drive unit and including at least a specified height dimension;

based at least in part upon receiving a second wireless message from the remote management module indicating a grant of the reservation requested by the first message, proceeding along at least the portion of the path towards the second location; and

wherein the remote management module is further operable to calculate the path for the mobile drive unit based on the second location, wherein the path calculation includes adjusting a number of three-dimensional volumes based on particular dimensions of the mobile drive unit, including at least the specified height dimension.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote management module is further operable to:

maintain a three-dimensional virtual map of the workspace; and

track a plurality of locations associated with the plurality of mobile drive units within the workspace by updating the three-dimensional virtual map based on location information received from the plurality of mobile drive units;

facilitate navigation of the plurality of mobile drive units based on the location information received from the plurality of mobile drive units.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the location information is received from the mobile drive unit and comprises information identifying a node having a pre-determined location within the workspace, the location information indicating that the mobile drive unit is located at the node.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of mobile drive units are operable to transport one or more inventory holders storing inventory items to an inventory station.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to:

dock with an inventory holder by moving beneath the inventory holder and lifting the inventory holder; and

update the three-dimensional volume associated with the mobile drive unit based on a dimension of the inventory holder.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote management module is operable to:

plan a plurality paths for the plurality of mobile drive units, the paths comprising a plurality of three-dimensional volume segments;

coordinate a plurality of reservation requests from the plurality of mobile drive units to facilitate movement of the plurality of mobile drive units along the plurality of paths.

12. A system comprising:

a management module;

a mobile drive unit operable to request to reserve a volume of space including at least a specified height dimension by transmitting a wireless message to the management module; and

wherein the management module is operable to;

grant the reservation request from the mobile drive unit by determining whether the volume intersects with any reserved volume segments, wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to respond to information indicative of the granted reservation request by proceeding into at least a portion of a path corresponding to the volume of space; and

calculate a path for the mobile drive unit based on a particular destination, wherein the path calculation includes adjusting a number of three-dimensional volumes based on particular dimensions of the mobile drive unit, including at least the specified height dimension.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to dock with an inventory holder and, based at least upon docking with the inventory holder, update a stored volume associated with the mobile drive unit to include an additional volume associated with the inventory holder.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile drive unit is operable to identify its location to the management module by transmitting an identifier associated with a fixed node within the workspace in response to a detection of the fixed node by the mobile drive unit.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the management module is further operable to maintain a virtual map of a workspace, the virtual map comprising three-dimensional information that includes location information and volume information of a plurality of mobile drive units and a plurality of inventory holders.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the management module is further operable to facilitate navigation within a workspace by planning paths for a plurality of mobile drive units.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the management module is further operable to coordinate a plurality of tasks associated with transporting inventory holders within a workspace.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the management module is further operable to utilize three-dimensional mapping data to plan paths for mobile drive units that avoid collisions with fixed and mobile objects within a workspace.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises an independent self-powered device capable of moving within a workspace in response to wireless instructions received from the management module.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile drive unit is one of a plurality of mobile drive units of varying dimensions deployed within the same workspace.