Inventory system with connectable inventory holders

• US 9,783,364 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Worsley, Timothy Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US14/656,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20150183581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/10 with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system includes a first mobile drive unit and a second mobile drive unit. The first mobile drive unit is operable to dock with a first item holder at a first end of a column of connected item holders. The second mobile drive unit is operable to dock with a second item holder at a second end of the column of connected item holders. The system also includes a management module that is operable to instruct the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive units to transport the column of connected item holders from a first location to a second location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

instructing, by a management module, a mobile drive unit to move towards a first location associated with a first inventory holder comprising at least one connection module operable to couple the first inventory holder to one or more second inventory holders;

receiving, by the management module, information from the at least one connection module indicating a connection status of the first inventory holder; and

based upon the connection status indicating that the first inventory holder is not physically coupled to the one or more second inventory holders;

instructing the mobile drive unit to move the first inventory holder to a second location associated with the one or more second inventory holders;

instructing the at least one connection module to physically couple the first inventory holder to the one or more second inventory holders at the second location; and

instructing the mobile drive unit to move the first inventory holder and the one or more second inventory holders toward a third location while the first inventory holder is physically connected with the one or more second inventory holders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the at least one connection module to physically couple the first inventory holder to the one or more second inventory holders comprises instructing the at least one connection module to couple the first inventory holder to the one or more second inventory holders by actuating one or more connection elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection status further indicates that the at least one connection module has sufficient power to actuate a connection element to couple the first inventory holder to the one or more second inventory holders.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection status further indicates that a connection element of the at least one connection module is associated with a functional state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one connection module comprises a connection element comprising an elongated portion and a bent portion, wherein the bent portion is operable to engage with a portion of the one or more second inventory holders.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one connection module comprises a connection element comprising one or more magnetic portions operable to electromagnetically couple to a portion of the one or more second inventory holders.

7. A connection module of an inventory system, the connection module comprising:

one or more connection elements associated with a first inventory holder; and

one or more processors operable to;

determine a connection status of the one or more connection elements;

transmit a connection status to a management module; and

based at least in part upon a connection status that indicates that the one or more connection elements are not connected to another inventory holder, receive an instruction to connect the first inventory holder to one or more second inventory holders by causing the one or more connection elements to connect to a second inventory holder of the one or more second inventory holders that is within a predetermined distance of the connection module;

wherein;

the connection status indicates a weight of the first inventory holder and the connected one or more second inventory holders; and

the first inventory holder and the one or more second inventory holders are transported by a mobile drive unit according to instructions that are based at least in part upon the weight indicated by the connection status.

8. The connection module of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to communicate with one or more sensors on the first inventory holder and determine the connection status based at least in part upon information received from the one or more sensors.

9. The connection module of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors receive the instruction from the management module.

10. The connection module of claim 7, wherein the one or more connection elements comprise at least one connection element operable to connect the first inventory holder to a portion of the one or more second inventory holders.

11. The connection module of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to:

communicate with one or more other connection modules using a wireless communication protocol; and

control the one or more connection elements based at least in part upon communications received from the one or more other connection modules.

12. The connection module of claim 11, wherein the received communications indicate a proximity to the one or more other connection modules and the one or more processors instruct the one or more connection elements to connect to the one or more other connection modules based at least in part upon the proximity.

13. A connection module of an inventory system, comprising:

one or more connection elements associated with a first inventory holder; and

one or more processors operable to;

determine a connection status of the one or more connection elements;

transmit a connection status to a management module; and

based at least in part upon a connection status that indicates that the one or more connection elements are not connected to another inventory holder, receive an instruction to connect the first inventory holder to one or more second inventory holders by causing the one or more connection elements to connect to a second inventory holder of the one or more second inventory holders that is within a predetermined distance of the connection module;

wherein;

the connection status indicates a weight distribution of the first inventory holder and the connected one or more second inventory holders;

the first inventory holder and the one or more second inventory holders are transported by a mobile drive unit; and

the mobile drive unit is operable to;

determine an acceleration based at least in part upon the weight distribution of the first inventory holder and the one or more second inventory holders; and

transport the first inventory holder and the one or more second inventory holders according to the determined acceleration.

14. A mobile drive unit, operable to:

move to a first location associated with a first inventory holder comprising at least one connection module operable to couple the first inventory holder to one or more second inventory holders;

receive, from the connection module, information indicating a connection status of the first inventory holder; and

based upon the connection status indicating that the first inventory holder is physically coupled to the one or more second inventory holders, receive first instructions to;

dock with the first inventory holder;

move the first inventory holder and the coupled one or more second inventory holders to a second location associated with a queue for an inventory station; and

move the first inventory holder and the coupled one or more second inventory holders through the queue for the inventory station.

15. The mobile drive unit of claim 14, further operable to, based upon the connection status indicating that the first inventory holder is not physically coupled to another inventory holder, receive second instructions to:

move while docked with the first inventory holder to a location associated with one or more third inventory holders;

instruct the connection module to couple the first inventory holder to the one or more third inventory holders; and

move the first inventory holder and the coupled one or more third inventory holders to the second location associated with the queue for the inventory station.

16. The mobile drive unit of claim 15, wherein the connection module comprises a first connection module and the one or more third inventory holders include at least one second connection module, and the mobile drive unit is operable to instruct the first connection module to couple the first inventory holder to the one or more third inventory holders by:

establishing a communication session with the at least one second connection module; and

activating the at least one second connection module to engage a connection element with the first connection module.

17. The mobile drive unit of claim 14, wherein the connection module is operable to couple the first inventory holder to the one or more second inventory holders by actuating one or more connection elements.

18. The mobile drive unit of claim 14, wherein:

the connection status further indicates a weight associated with the first inventory holder; and

the first instructions instruct the mobile drive unit to move according to a speed determined based at least in part upon the weight.

19. The mobile drive unit of claim 14, wherein:

the connection status further indicates a weight distribution associated with the first inventory holder;

the mobile drive unit is further operable to determine an acceleration based at least in part upon the weight distribution of the first inventory holder; and

the first instructions instruct the mobile drive unit to move according to the determined acceleration.