Storage and retrieval system case unit detection

• US 9,517,885 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Sullivan, Robert, Toebes, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US15/007,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20160137419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/20 Earthquake protection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An automated storage and retrieval system including a storage structure with storage racks having a seating surface configured to support case units where a position of each case unit is non-deterministic for each storage location on the storage racks, each case unit has a predetermined storage position and a controller is configured to determine the predetermined storage position, a picking aisle configured to provide access to the case units within the storage structure, and a seismic disturbance restorative system including seismic disturbance motions sensors disposed on the storage racks, a seismic disturbance control module in communication with the seismic disturbance sensors and configured to identify a seismic disturbance, and an automated case mapper configured to traverse the picking aisle, the automated case mapper being in communication with and initialized by the seismic disturbance control module to identify a seated position of at least one case unit within the storage structure.

Claims

1. A warehouse automated storage and retrieval system for transport and storage of cases of wares in a ware case storage room, the automated storage and retrieval system comprising:

a storage structure with storage racks, the storage racks having a seating surface configured to support ware case units where a position of each ware case unit is non-deterministic for each storage location on the storage racks;

a controller, where each case unit has a predetermined storage position in which the ware case unit is seated on the storage racks and the controller is configured to determine the predetermined storage position;

a picking aisle configured to provide access to the ware case units within the storage structure; and

a disturbance restorative system including

disturbance motion sensors disposed on the storage racks,

a disturbance control module in communication with the disturbance motion sensors and configured to identify a disturbance, and

wherein the disturbance restorative system is configured so that the disturbance restorative system initializes an automated guided vehicle within the storage structure in response to the disturbance control module to identify a seated position of at least one ware case unit within the storage structure.

2. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the ware case units are positioned in the storage racks in a close packed spacing.

3. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured to pick and place ware case units at storage locations within the storage structure.

4. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to effect correction of a position of the at least one ware case unit by providing the location of the at least one ware case unit to an operator of the warehouse automated storage and retrieval system for manual removal or repositioning of the at least one ware case unit.

5. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the disturbance control module is further configured to compare the identified seated position of the at least one ware case unit, determined with the automated guided vehicle and the predetermined position of the at least one ware case unit, and identify a variance between the identified seated position of the at least one ware case unit and the predetermined position of the at least one ware case unit.

6. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 5, wherein the disturbance control module is further configured to generate a command with information for ware case unit position correction based on a variance type.

7. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically allocate each ware case unit into a respective predetermined dynamically allocated storage position.

8. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to effect correction of a position of the at least one ware case unit by dynamically updating the predetermined dynamically allocated storage position of the at least one ware case unit with a respective identified seated position of each ware case unit.

9. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to effect correction of a position of the at least one ware case unit by commanding the automated guided vehicle to pick and reposition the at least one ware case unit at a respective dynamically allocated storage position or move the at least one ware case unit to a respective different dynamically allocated storage position.

10. The warehouse automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7, wherein the disturbance control module is further configured to compare the identified seated position of the at least one ware case unit, determined with the automated guided vehicle and the predetermined dynamically allocated storage position of the at least one ware case unit, and identify a variance between the identified seated position of the at least one ware case unit and the predetermined dynamically allocated storage position of the at least one ware case unit.

11. A method for transporting and storing cases of wares in a ware case storage room with a warehouse automated storage and retrieval system, the method comprising:

providing a storage structure with storage racks, the storage racks having a seating surface configured to support ware case units where a position of each ware case unit is non-deterministic for each storage location on the storage racks;

determining, with a controller, a predetermined storage position of each ware case unit, where each ware case unit has a respective predetermined storage position in which the ware case unit is seated on the storage racks;

providing a picking aisle configured to provide access to the ware case units within the storage structure;

identifying a disturbance, with a disturbance control module of a disturbance restorative system;

providing disturbance motion sensors disposed on the storage racks, where the disturbance control module is in communication with the disturbance motion sensors; and

initializing an automated guided vehicle, within the storage structure, with the disturbance restorative system in response to the disturbance control module and identifying a seated position of at least one ware case unit within the storage structure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the ware case units are positioned in the storage racks in a close packed spacing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the automated guided vehicle is configured to pick and place ware case units at storage locations within the storage structure.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising effecting, with the controller, correction of a position of the at least one ware case unit by providing the location of the at least one ware case unit to an operator of the warehouse automated storage and retrieval system for manual removal or repositioning of the at least one ware case unit.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing, with the disturbance control module, the identified seated position of the at least one ware case unit, determined with the automated guided vehicle and the predetermined position of the at least one ware case unit, and identifying a variance between the identified seated position and the predetermined position of the at least one ware case unit.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating, with the disturbance control module, a command with information for ware case unit position correction based on a variance type.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising dynamically allocating, with the controller, each ware case unit into a respective predetermined dynamically allocated storage position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising effecting, with the controller, correction of a position of the at least one ware case unit by dynamically updating the predetermined dynamically allocated storage position of the at least one ware case unit with a respective identified seated position of each ware case unit.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising effecting, with the controller, correction of a position of the at least one ware case unit by commanding the automated guided vehicle to pick and reposition the at least one ware case unit at a respective dynamically allocated storage position or move the at least one ware case unit to a respective different dynamically allocated storage position.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising comparing, with the disturbance control module, the identified seated position of the at least one ware case unit, determined with the automated guided vehicle and the predetermined dynamically allocated storage position of the at least one ware case unit, and identify a variance between the identified seated position and the predetermined dynamically allocated storage position of the at least one ware case unit.