Item retrieval using a robotic drive unit

• US 9,365,348 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Rishabh, Shareef, Ahmed, Subramanian, Venkataramanan, Hussain, Mustafa Mustansir, Vishwanatham, Vikas
• Primary Examiner(s): Logan, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US14/656,061
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 700/216
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments that may facilitate items being retrieved from a storage location. A robotic drive unit transports a carrier storage unit to be proximate to a target storage unit that comprises a container in which an item is located. The robotic drive unit aligns a receptacle in the carrier storage unit with the container in the target storage unit. The container is transferred from the target storage unit to the carrier storage unit. The robotic drive unit transports the carrier storage unit with the container to a destination.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a carrier rack comprising at least two receptacles;

a robotic drive unit configured to transport the carrier rack;

at least one target rack comprising a first item located in a first container and a second item located in a second container; and

at least one computing device configured perform a method comprising;

determining, via the at least one computing device, a travel path for the robotic drive unit to travel to the at least one target rack;

causing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to transport the carrier rack along the travel path to be proximate to the at least one target rack;

causing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to align a first receptacle of the at least two receptacles with the first container;

initiating, via the at least one computing device, a first transfer of the first container to the first receptacle in the carrier rack;

causing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to align a second receptacle of the at least two receptacles with the second container;

initiating, via the at least one computing device, a second transfer of the second container to the second receptacle in the carrier rack; and

causing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to transport the carrier rack with the first container and the second container to a shipping preparation station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one target rack further comprises a first target rack and a second target rack, the first container resides on the first target rack, the second container resides on the second target rack, and the method further comprises causing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to transport the carrier rack to be proximate to the second target rack.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one target rack further comprises a plurality of container movers configured to push the first container into the first receptacle and the second container into the second receptacle in the carrier rack.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the carrier rack comprises at least two container movers corresponding to the at least two receptacles, the at least two container movers being configured to pull the first container into the first receptacle and the second container into the second receptacle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second robotic drive unit comprising an arm configured to at least push or pull the first container into the first receptacle and the second container into the second receptacle.

6. A method, comprising:

identifying, via a computing device, a location of an item in a container of a target storage unit;

generating, via the computing device, instructions directing a robotic drive unit to transport a carrier storage unit to be proximate to the target storage unit;

generating, via the computing device, instructions to align a receptacle in the carrier storage unit with the container in the target storage unit;

generating, via the computing device, instructions to transfer the container to the receptacle; and

generating, via the computing device, instructions directing the robotic drive unit to transport the carrier storage unit with the container to a destination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting instructions to align the receptacle further comprises transmitting instructions directing the robotic drive unit to move the carrier storage unit vertically or horizontally with respect to a floor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting instructions to align the receptacle further comprises transmitting instructions directing a second robotic drive unit to move the target storage unit vertically or horizontally with respect to a floor.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting instructions to transfer the container to the receptacle further comprises transmitting instructions directing a second robotic drive unit to utilize an arm to at least push or pull the container to the receptacle.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting instructions to transfer the container to the receptacle further comprises transmitting instructions to move a container mover in the target storage unit so that the container mover transfers the container to the receptacle.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting instructions to transfer the container to the receptacle further comprises transmitting instructions to move a container mover in the carrier storage unit so that the container mover transfers the container from the target storage unit to the receptacle.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, in the computing device, a container dimension of the container; and

transmitting, in the computing device, instructions to adjust a receptacle dimension based at least in part on the container dimension prior to transmitting instructions to transfer the container to the receptacle.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, via the computing device, an indication that the container has been transferred from the target storage unit to the receptacle.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, via the computing device, an indication that the receptacle in the carrier storage unit is aligned with the container;

and

in response to receiving the indication, initiating, via the computing device, generating instructions to transfer the container to the receptacle.

15. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device configured to perform a method comprising;

instructing, via the at least one computing device, a robotic drive unit to transport a carrier storage unit to be proximate to a first target storage unit;

instructing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to align a first receptacle in the carrier storage unit with a first container in the first target storage unit;

initiating, via the at least one computing device, transfer of the first container from the first target storage unit to the first receptacle in the carrier storage unit;

instructing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to transport the carrier storage unit to be proximate to a second target storage unit;

instructing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to align a second receptacle in the carrier storage unit with a second container in the second target storage unit;

initiating, via the at least one computing device, transfer of the second container from the second target storage unit to the second receptacle in the carrier storage unit; and

instructing, via the at least one computing device, the robotic drive unit to transport the carrier storage unit to a shipping preparation station where a first item in the first container and a second item in the second container are to be prepared for shipping.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises determining, via the at least one computing device, a travel path for the robotic drive unit to travel on to transport the carrier storage unit to be proximate to the first target storage unit based at least in part on a plurality of travel paths for a plurality of other robotic drive units.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises receiving, via the at least one computing device, a request to obtain the first item and the second item.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the carrier storage unit comprises a plurality of container movers configured to pull the first container into the first receptacle and the second container into the second receptacle.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, via the at least one computing device, a first lock for the first receptacle to be engaged after transferring the first container to the first receptacle; and

causing, via the at least one computing device, a second lock for the second receptacle to be engaged after transferring the second container to the second receptacle, wherein the first lock restricts movement of the first container and the second lock restricts movement of the second container.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, via the at least one computing device, a container dimension of the first container; and

transmitting, via the at least one computing device, instructions to adjust a receptacle dimension of the first receptacle in the carrier storage unit prior to initiating the transfer of the first container.