Systems and methods for moving pallets via unmanned motorized unit-guided forklifts

• US 10,017,322 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Atchley, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/471,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20170283171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07581 Remote controls

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems of facilitating movement of product-containing pallets include at least one forklift unit configured to lift and move the product-containing pallets, at least one motorized transport unit configured to mechanically engage and disengage a respective forklift unit, and a central computer system in communication with the at least one motorized transport unit. The central computer system is configured to transmit at least one signal to the at least one motorized transport unit. The signal is configured to cause the at least one motorized transport unit to control the at least one forklift unit to move at least one of the product-containing pallets.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating movement of product-containing pallets, the system comprising:

at least one forklift unit configured to lift and move the product-containing pallets;

at least one motorized transport unit including a processor-based control circuit and configured to mechanically engage and disengage a respective forklift unit;

a central computer system in two-way communication with the at least one motorized transport unit, the central computer system being configured to transmit at least one signal to the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one signal configured to cause the at least one motorized transport unit to control the at least one forklift unit to move at least one of the product-containing pallets.

2. The system of claim 1:

wherein the central computer system includes a database configured to store electronic data indicating a location and an orientation of the at least one of the product-containing pallets in a pallet storage space;

wherein the at least one motorized transport unit is configured to transmit to the central computer system at least one signal including electronic data indicating a location and an orientation of the motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space; and

wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the at least one motorized transport unit based at least on the electronic data indicating the location and the orientation of the at least one of the product-containing pallets and the electronic data indicating the location and the orientation of the motorized transport unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the central computer system is configured to transmit to the at least one motorized transport unit at least one signal causing the at least one forklift unit to:

move into a position where at least a portion of the at least one forklift unit extends underneath a portion of the product-containing pallet;

lift the product-containing pallet; and

move the product-containing pallet from a first storage location to a second storage location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the motorized transport unit is further configured to:

transmit to the central computer system, during movement of the product-containing pallet by the at least one forklift from the first storage location to the second storage location, at least one signal indicating a location and orientation of the at least one motorized transport unit; and

transmit to the central computer system at least one signal indicating a location and orientation of the product-containing pallet when in the second storage location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of the forklift units includes a forklift interface connection;

each of the motorized transport units includes a control interface connection configured to couple to and decouple from the forklift interface connection of the respective forklift unit; and

wherein the motorized transport unit is configured to control the forklift unit via the control interface connection and the forklift interface connection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer system is configured to control, via the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one forklift unit to engage a portion of the at least one of the product-containing pallets and to move the at least one of the product-containing pallets in one of an upward direction and a downward direction.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of light sources positioned about a pallet storage space, each light source being configured to emit a light signal including a unique identifier of the light source;

providing the at least one motorized transport unit with at least one sensor configured to receive the light signal from at least one of the light sources; and

decoding the unique identifier of the at least one of the light sources to determine a location of the at least one motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one beacon on the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one beacon being configured to emit a locator signal including a unique identifier of the beacon; and

at least one beacon reader in a pallet storage space, the at least one beacon reader configured to receive the locator signal from the at least one beacon; and

wherein the central computer system is configured to decode the locator signal of the at least one beacon to determine a location of the at least one motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one label on one of the at least one motorized transport unit and the at least one forklift unit, the at least one label including a unique identifier of the respective one of the at least one motorized transport unit and the at least one forklift unit;

at least one label reader in a pallet storage space, the at least one label reader configured to scan the at least one label to obtain the unique identifier of the respective one of the at least one motorized transport unit and the at least one forklift unit; and

wherein the central computer system is configured to determine a location of the at least one motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space based on the scan of the at least one label by the at least one label reader.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one label on at least one of the product-containing pallets, the at least one label including a unique identifier of the at least one of the product-containing pallets;

at least one label reader coupled to the motorized transport unit, the at least one label reader configured to scan the at least one label to obtain the unique identifier of the at least one of the product-containing pallet; and

wherein the central computer system is configured to determine a location of the at least one of the product-containing pallet relative to the motorized transport unit based on the scan of the at least one label by the at least one label reader.

11. A method of facilitating movement of product-containing pallets, the method comprising:

providing at least one forklift unit configured to lift and move the product-containing pallets;

providing at least one motorized transport unit including a processor-based control circuit and configured to mechanically engage and disengage a respective forklift unit;

providing a central computer system in two-way communication with the at least one motorized transport unit; and

transmitting at least one signal from the central computer system to the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one signal causing the at least one motorized transport unit to control the at least one forklift unit to move at least one of the product-containing pallets.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing, at the central computer system, electronic data indicating a location and an orientation of the at least one of the product-containing pallets in a pallet storage space; and

receiving, at the central computer system, at least one signal from the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one signal received at the server from the at least one motorized transport unit including electronic data indicating a location and an orientation of the motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space;

wherein the transmitting step further comprises controlling, by the central computer system, movement of the at least one motorized transport unit based at least on the electronic data indicating the location and the orientation of the at least one of the product-containing pallets and the electronic data indicating the location and the orientation of the motorized transport unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the controlling step further comprises transmitting at least one signal from the central computer system to the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one signal causing the at least one forklift unit to:

move into a position where at least a portion of the at least one forklift unit extends underneath a portion of the product-containing pallet;

lift the product-containing pallet; and

move the product-containing pallet from a first storage location to a second storage location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting from the motorized transport unit to the central computer system, during movement of the product-containing pallet by the at least one forklift from the first storage location to the second storage location, at least one signal indicating a location and orientation of the at least one motorized transport unit; and

transmitting, from the motorized transport unit to the central computer system, at least one signal indicating a location and orientation of the product-containing pallet when in the second storage location.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing each of the forklift units with a forklift interface connection;

providing each of the motorized transport units with a control interface connection configured to couple to and decouple from the forklift interface connection of the respective forklift unit; and

controlling, by the motorized transport unit, the forklift unit via the control interface connection and the forklift interface connection.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitting step further comprises controlling, via the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one forklift unit to engage a portion of the at least one of the product-containing pallets and to move the at least one of the product-containing pallets in one of an upward direction and a downward direction.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a plurality of light sources positioned about a pallet storage space, each light source being configured to emit a light signal including a unique identifier of the light source;

providing the at least one motorized transport unit with at least one sensor configured to receive the light signal from at least one of the light sources; and

decoding the unique identifier of the at least one of the light sources to determine a location of the at least one motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing at least one beacon on the at least one motorized transport unit, the at least one beacon being configured to emit a locator signal including a unique identifier of the beacon; and

providing at least one beacon reader in a pallet storage space, the at least one beacon reader configured to receive the locator signal from the at least one beacon; and

decoding the locator signal of the at least one beacon to determine a location of the at least one motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing at least one label on one of the at least one motorized transport unit and the at least one forklift unit, the at least one label including a unique identifier of the respective one of the at least one motorized transport unit and the at least one forklift unit;

providing at least one label reader in a pallet storage space, the at least one label reader configured to scan the at least one label to obtain the unique identifier of the respective one of the at least one motorized transport unit and the at least one forklift unit; and

determining a location of the at least one motorized transport unit in the pallet storage space based on the scan of the at least one label by the at least one label reader.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing at least one label on at least one of the product-containing pallets, the at least one label including a unique identifier of the at least one of the product-containing pallets;

providing at least one label reader coupled to the motorized transport unit, the at least one label reader configured to scan the at least one label to obtain the unique identifier of the at least one of the product-containing pallet; and

determining a location of the at least one of the product-containing pallet relative to the motorized transport unit based on the scan of the at least one label by the at least one label reader.