Container holder utilization and selection

• US 9,551,987 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mountz, Michael Cordell, Wurman, Peter R., Enright, John Joseph, Brazeau, Jeremiah David, Decker, Michael Harrison, Cotter, Gavin, Mukherjee, Ishan
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/202,480
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0471 with access from beneath
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31319 Use data groups as inventory control value, adapt inventory need to new data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• 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 inventory system includes inventory holders, container holders, containers carried by the container holders, mobile drive units, stations, and a management module. The management module instructs the mobile drive units to move the inventory holders and container holders to stations. Container holders are loaded with containers of inbound inventory items at a first station. Inbound inventory items are transferred from containers to inventory holders at a second station. Outbound inventory items are transferred from inventory holders to containers at a third station. Containers of outbound inventory items are removed from container holders at a fourth station.

Claims

1. A management module configured to manage inventory within a workspace in a facility, the workspace comprising:

a plurality of inventory holders configured to store inventory items within the workspace;

a plurality of container holders configured to move inventory items within the workspace;

a plurality of containers that are each i) configured to be carried by, and removable from, at least one of the container holders; and

ii) configured for receiving one or more inventory items;

a plurality of stations within the workspace, each station in the plurality of stations configured to receive at least one of an inventory holder or a container holder for operations involving the received at least one of the inventory holder or the container holder; and

a plurality of unmanned mobile drive units, at least some of the unmanned mobile drive units configured for moving the inventory holders to and from the stations, and at least some of the unmanned mobile drive units configured for moving the container holders to and from the stations;

the management module further configured to;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move a container holder, without any of the containers thereon, to a first station of the plurality of stations;

instruct, at the first station, loading the container holder with a container containing a first inventory item, thereby setting the container holder to an inbound state;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the container holder in the inbound state to a second station of the plurality of stations;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move a first inventory holder to the second station;

instruct, at the second station, transferring the first inventory item from the container to the first inventory holder so that the container is emptied, thereby setting the container holder carrying the empty container to an empty state;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the container holder in the empty state to a third station of the plurality of stations;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move a second inventory holder to the third station;

instruct, at the third station, transferring a second inventory item from the second inventory holder to the container at the third station so that the container contains the second inventory item, thereby setting the container holder to an outbound state;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the container holder in the outbound state to a fourth station of the plurality of stations; and

instruct, at the fourth station, unloading the container containing the second inventory item from the container holder, thereby setting the container holder, without any of the containers thereon, to an unoccupied state.

2. The management module of claim 1, wherein the management module is configured to instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the container holder to a storage area so as to store the container holder in at least one of the following:

the unoccupied state;

the inbound state;

the empty state;

or

the outbound state.

3. The management module of claim 1, wherein the management module is configured to instruct, at a station, unloading an empty container from the container holder, thereby setting the container holder to the unoccupied state.

4. The management module of claim 1, wherein the management module is configured to instruct, at a station, loading the container holder with an empty container, thereby setting the container holder to the empty state.

5. A management module configured to manage inventory within a workspace in a facility, the workspace comprising:

a plurality of inventory holders configured to store inventory items within the workspace;

a plurality of container holders, each container holder comprising one or more berths;

a plurality of containers that are each i) configured to be carried by, and removable from, at least one berth of at least one of the container holders; and

ii) configured for receiving one or more inventory items;

an unoccupied subset of the plurality of container holders comprising container holders each having at least one unoccupied berth without any of the containers therein;

an inbound subset of the plurality of container holders comprising container holders each having at least one inbound berth carrying a container of one or more inbound inventory items;

an emptied subset of the plurality of container holders comprising container holders each having at least one emptied berth carrying a container emptied of inventory items;

an outbound subset of the plurality of container holders comprising container holders each having at least one outbound berth carrying a container of one or more outbound inventory items;

a plurality of stations within the workspace, each station configured to receive at least one of an inventory holder or a container holder for operations involving the received at least one of the inventory holder or the container holder; and

a plurality of unmanned mobile drive units, at least some of the unmanned mobile drive units configured for moving the inventory holders to and from the stations, and at least some of the unmanned mobile drive units configured for moving the container holders to and from the stations;

the management module further configured to;

select a first container holder from the unoccupied subset;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the first container holder to a first station;

instruct, at the first station, loading an unoccupied berth of the first container holder with a first container of one or more inbound inventory items, thereby converting the unoccupied berth to an inbound berth and including the first container holder in the inbound subset;

select a second container holder from the inbound subset, the second container holder having an inbound berth carrying a second container of one or more inbound inventory items therein;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the second container holder to a second station;

select a first inventory holder;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the first inventory holder to the second station;

instruct, at the second station, transferring one or more of the inbound inventory items from the second container carried by the inbound berth of the second container holder to the first inventory holder so that the second container is emptied, thereby converting the inbound berth of the second container to an emptied berth and including the second container holder in the emptied subset;

select a third container holder from the emptied subset, the third container holder having an emptied berth carrying an emptied container;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the third container holder to a third station;

select a second inventory holder;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the second inventory holder to the third station, the second inventory holder comprising one or more outbound inventory items;

instruct, at the third station, transferring one or more of the outbound inventory items from the second inventory holder to the emptied container carried by the emptied berth of the third container holder, thereby converting the emptied berth to an outbound berth and including the third container holder in the outbound subset;

select a fourth container holder from the outbound subset, the fourth container holder having an outbound berth carrying an outbound container of one or more outbound inventory items therein;

instruct at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units to move the fourth container holder to a fourth station; and

instruct, at the fourth station, unloading the outbound container from the outbound berth of the fourth container holder, thereby converting the outbound berth to an unoccupied berth and including the fourth container holder in the unoccupied subset.

6. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the first container holder from the unoccupied subset based at least in part on a proximity of the first container holder to the first station.

7. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the first container holder from the unoccupied subset based at least in part on a utility of a storage space occupied by the first container holder.

8. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the second container holder from the inbound subset based at least in part on the second container carrying an inbound container that is older than an inbound container of another container holder in the inbound subset.

9. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the first inventory holder based at least in part on a proximity of the first inventory holder to the second station and an amount of space in the first inventory holder for storing the one or more inbound inventory items carried by the second container of the second container holder.

10. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the third container holder based at least in part on a proximity of the third container holder to the third station.

11. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the second inventory holder based at least in part on requests for one or more of the outbound items stored in the second inventory holder.

12. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the second inventory holder based at least in part on a proximity of the second inventory holder to the third station.

13. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the second inventory holder based at least in part on designated destinations of the one or more outbound inventory items.

14. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the fourth container holder based at least in part on a proximity of the fourth container holder to the fourth station.

15. The management module of claim 5, wherein the management module is further configured to select the fourth container holder based at least in part on an estimated amount of time until the outbound container will be unloaded from the fourth container holder at the fourth station.

16. The management module of claim 15, wherein the estimated amount of time is based at least in part on a travel time of the fourth container holder to reach the fourth station and a wait time until the fourth station is available to unload the fourth container holder.

17. A method of managing inventory comprising:

instructing, by a management module, at least one unmanned mobile drive unit of a plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move a first container holder having an unoccupied berth without any containers therein to an induct station;

instructing, by the management module, loading at the induct station said unoccupied berth of the first container holder with a first container of one or more inbound inventory items, thereby converting said unoccupied berth to an inbound berth and including the first container holder in an inbound subset of container holders;

instructing, by the management module, at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units of the plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move a second container holder having an inbound berth carrying a second container of one or more inbound inventory items therein to a stow station;

instructing, by the management module, at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units of the plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move a first inventory holder to the stow station;

instructing, by the management module, transferring at the stow station one or more of the inbound inventory items from the second container carried by the inbound berth of the second container holder to the first inventory holder so that the second container is emptied, thereby converting the inbound berth of the second container holder to an emptied berth and including the second container holder in an emptied subset of container holders;

instructing, by the management module, at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units of the plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move a third container holder having an emptied berth carrying an emptied container to a pick station;

instructing, by the management module, at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units of the plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move a second inventory holder to the pick station, the second inventory holder comprising one or more outbound inventory items;

instructing, by the management module, transferring at the stow station one or more of the outbound inventory items from the second inventory holder to the emptied container carried by the emptied berth of the third container holder, thereby converting the emptied berth to an outbound berth and including the third container holder in an outbound subset of container holders;

instructing, by the management module, at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units of the plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move a fourth container holder having an outbound berth carrying an outbound container of one or more outbound inventory items therein to a discharge station; and

instructing, by the management module, unloading at the discharge station the outbound container from the outbound berth of the fourth container holder, thereby converting the outbound berth to an unoccupied berth and including the fourth container holder in an unoccupied subset of container holders.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

instructing, by the management module, when a station is not available for an operation involving a given container holder, at least one of the unmanned mobile drive units of the plurality of unmanned mobile drive units to move the given container holder to a mixed storage area configured to store, within the workspace, at least some container holders when not received at stations.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

instructing, by the management module, unloading an emptied container from an emptied berth of a given container holder at a station, thereby converting the emptied berth to an unoccupied berth and including the given container holder in the unoccupied subset of container holders.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

instructing, by the management module, loading an emptied container at a station into an unoccupied berth of a given container holder, thereby converting the unoccupied berth to an emptied berth and including the given container holder in the emptied subset of container holders.