Method and system for transporting inventory items
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for navigation, comprising:
- a plurality of fiducial marks arranged in a two-dimensional grid on a floor of a workspace;
a horizontal conveyor of inventory items within the workspace, the horizontal conveyor operable to convey inventory items towards an exit cell associated with the horizontal conveyor, the exit cell comprising a first fiducial mark within the two-dimensional grid;
a mobile drive unit comprising;
a position sensor operable to detect first information associated with the first fiducial mark of the exit cell;
an inventory holder configured to receive one or more of the inventory items from the horizontal conveyor at the exit cell;
a control module operable to utilize the first information to facilitate navigation within the workspace from the first fiducial mark to a second fiducial mark within the two-dimensional grid of the plurality of fiducial marks.
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Abstract
A method for transporting inventory items includes moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace. The first point is a location of an inventory holder. The method further includes docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace. The second point is associated with conveyance equipment. The method further includes moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment.
115 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A system for navigation, comprising:
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a plurality of fiducial marks arranged in a two-dimensional grid on a floor of a workspace; a horizontal conveyor of inventory items within the workspace, the horizontal conveyor operable to convey inventory items towards an exit cell associated with the horizontal conveyor, the exit cell comprising a first fiducial mark within the two-dimensional grid; a mobile drive unit comprising; a position sensor operable to detect first information associated with the first fiducial mark of the exit cell; an inventory holder configured to receive one or more of the inventory items from the horizontal conveyor at the exit cell; a control module operable to utilize the first information to facilitate navigation within the workspace from the first fiducial mark to a second fiducial mark within the two-dimensional grid of the plurality of fiducial marks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus comprising:
a device housing for a drive module, a position sensor, and a control module; and
wherein;the drive module comprises at least two wheels and an actuator to drive the at least two wheels; the position sensor is operable to detect a plurality of fiducial marks arranged in a two-dimensional grid in a workspace, wherein each of the plurality of fiducial marks comprises an identifier associated with a location in the workspace, wherein the identifier is configured to facilitate navigation within the workspace; and the control module is configured to control the drive module to cause the device housing to traverse a segment of a path between a first fiducial mark and a second fiducial mark in the two-dimensional grid using location information derived from detections of the first fiducial mark and the second fiducial mark by the position sensor, wherein the second fiducial mark comprises a destination associated with a task selected by a remote management system responsible for coordinating task assignments among a plurality of robotic transport units. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Specification