Laser mobile put wall

• US 9,626,714 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dematic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dematic Corporation
• Inventors: Boer, William R., Yates, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda
• Application Number:
  US14/801,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/04 Indication location means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/06 Use of order trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/005 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/20 for imaging minute objects, e.g. light-pointer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A method of fulfilling orders and order fulfillment system includes a mobile assembly cart having a plurality of order assembly positions and a pointer assembly. The pointer assembly generates a beam and directs the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of the assembly positions for putting an item to or retrieving an order from each identified position. The assembly cart can be positioned with respect to the pointer assembly for the picking or putting and moved away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting.

Claims

1. An order fulfillment system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile assembly carts, each comprising a plurality of order assembly positions and having a unique identifier;

a pointer assembly that is adapted to generate a beam and to direct the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of said assembly positions for putting an item to or picking an item from each identified position;

a computer system adapted to identify an item and instructing said pointer assembly to direct said beam to at least a particular one of said assembly positions;

wherein said computer system adapted to identify the identifier of the assembly cart wherein the assembly cart can be positioned with respect to the pointer assembly for picking or putting items and moved away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting is complete.

2. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 1, said computer system adapted to instruct said pointer assembly to direct said beam to at least a particular one of said assembly positions as a function of the identity of that item.

3. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 1 including an item scanner for identifying each item.

4. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said item scanner is capable of reading said unique identifier.

5. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pointer assembly is capable of displaying at least one chosen from alpha-numeric text and symbols at the at least one of said assembly positions.

6. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pointer assembly comprises a steerable laser assembly.

7. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pointer assembly is adapted to point with light having a green or red spectral component.

8. An order fulfillment system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile assembly carts, each comprising a plurality of order assembly portions; and

a pointer assembly that is adapted to generate a beam and to direct the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of said assembly positions for putting an item to or picking an item from each identified position, wherein the assembly cart can be positioned with respect to the pointer assembly for picking or putting items and moved away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting is complete, wherein said pointer assembly is capable of self-aligning with one said cart.

9. An order fulfillment system, comprising:

a mobile assembly cart comprising a plurality of order assembly positions; and

a pointer assembly that is adapted to generate a beam and to direct the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of said assembly positions for putting an item to or picking an item from each identified position, wherein the assembly cart can be positioned with respect to the pointer assembly for picking or putting items and moved away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting is complete wherein said order assembly positions are vertically arranged and wherein said pointer is positioned above an operator'"'"'s height so that the operator does not block the pointer beam.

10. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said pointer assembly is generally stationary.

11. The order fulfillment system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said pointer assembly is moveable.

12. A method of fulfilling orders, comprising:

positioning one of a plurality of mobile assembly carts adjacent a pointer assembly, each of said carts having a plurality of order assembly positions and a unique identifier, including observing the identifier of the cart adjacent the pointer assembly;

generating a beam with said pointer assembly and directing the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of said assembly positions;

putting an item to or removing an item from the at least one of said assembly positions identified with said beam to assemble an order; and

moving the cart away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 including identifying an item and instructing said pointer assembly to point to at least one particular one of said assembly positions as a function of the identity of that item.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 including identifying an item by scanning that item with an item scanner.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein including reading said unique identifier with said scanner.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 including displaying at least one chosen from alpha-numeric text and symbols at the at least one of said assembly positions with said pointer assembly.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pointer assembly comprises a steerable laser assembly.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said generating a beam includes generating a beam having a green or red spectral component.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pointer assembly is generally stationary.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pointer assembly is moveable.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12 including picking items to receptacles from an inventory warehouse with multiple different items for multiple orders in each of said receptacles and supplying each of the receptacles to said mobile assembly cart for assembling of customer orders.

22. The method as claimed in claim 12 including determining if a batch of orders is complete and positioning another of a plurality of mobile assembly carts adjacent a pointer assembly if the batch of orders is not complete.

23. A method of fulfilling orders, comprising:

positioning one of a plurality of mobile assembly carts adjacent a pointer assembly, each of said carts comprising a plurality of order assembly positions;

generating a beam with said pointer assembly and directing the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of said assembly positions;

putting an item to or removing an item from the at least one of said assembly positions identified with said beam to assemble an order; and

moving the cart away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting including self-aligning said pointer assembly with said one of said plurality of mobile assembly carts.

24. A method of fulfilling orders, comprising:

positioning a mobile assembly cart comprising a plurality of order assembly positions adjacent a pointer assembly;

generating a beam with said pointer assembly and directing the beam to at least one of said assembly positions for selectively identifying at least one of said assembly positions;

putting an item to or removing an item from the at least one of said assembly positions identified with said beam to assemble an order; and

moving the cart away from the pointer assembly after the picking or putting wherein said order assembly positions are vertically arranged and wherein said directing the beam is from above an operator'"'"'s height wherein an operator does not block the beam.