Shopping facility track system and method of routing motorized transport units

• US 10,597,270 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Taylor, Robert C., Winkle, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US16/224,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20190119083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/04 for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 13/00 Shop or like accessories devices for drawing-off and cutting paper from a roll B65H; movably-mounted ladders E06C9/06
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2010/005 using RFID elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2010/025 using stock management systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/08 with arrangements for continuously or intermittently moving the merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0045 Return vending of articles, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0054 Sorting of waste or refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0063 Using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/28 using electrical control means
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3422 using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/06 for carrying vehicles B60P3/12 takes precedence; caravans, camping, or like vehicles with vehicle-carrying means B60P3/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/10 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0026 Propulsion aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0069 Control
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0076 Remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/168 Sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/00 : Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 : Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/061 : by scraper blades
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/12 : Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow with or without clearing or removing E01H5/10 takes precedence; Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools by means of gritting materials E01H10/00; roughening or breaking-up pavements E01C23/08, E01C23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 : specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 : using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/70 : using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 : Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7038 : Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/72 : using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/02 : Indoor positioning, e.g. in covered car-parks, mining facilities, warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/124 : using tapes, cards or discs with optically sensed marks or codes G05B19/128, G05B19/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23363 : Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39107 : Pick up article, object, measure, test it during motion path, place it
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 : characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 : characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 : involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 : in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 : ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 : using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 : using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 : using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 : with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 : Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 : Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 : by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/04 : Control of altitude or depth
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 : Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/214 : Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 : by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 : arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 : further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 : 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 : Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 : Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 : Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 : Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 : Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 : Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 : Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 : specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 : After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 : Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 : Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 : Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 : Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 : Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 : Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 : Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 : from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 : in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 : Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 : Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/647 : by matching two-dimensional images to three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 : of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 : Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 : Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 : Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 : with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 : Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 : Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 : for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 : using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 : Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 : for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/82 : Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 : Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/10 : Bio-packaging, e.g. packing containers made from renewable resources or bio-plastics
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 : Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

Some embodiments include a track system comprising: an elevated track system comprising a series of elevated tracks that are positioned elevated above a sales floor and products distributed over at least a portion of the sales floor of a retail store, and configured such that multiple motorized transport units travel along the series of elevated tracks in traversing at least portions of the retail store.

Claims

1. A track system, comprising:

an elevated track system within a retail store, wherein the elevated track system comprises a series of elevated tracks that are positioned elevated above a sales floor of the retail store and retail products to be sold from the retail store, wherein the elevated tracks are distributed over at least a portion of the sales floor of the retail store, and configured such that multiple motorized transport units travel along the series of elevated tracks in traversing at least portions of the retail store;

wherein the elevated track system further comprises one or more staging areas that are not one of the series of elevated track and extend directly from a first track of the series of elevated tracks, wherein the one or more staging areas are configured to receive and support one or more motorized transport units that are idle and awaiting instructions from a central computer system and allow the one or more motorized transport units to be maintained in the elevated track system without interfering with one or more other motorized transport units as they travel along at least the first track of the series of elevated tracks.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more chutes each cooperated with one of the elevated tracks and configured to provide a passage for one or more of the motorized transport units between the series of elevated tracks and the sales floor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the one or more chutes comprise vertical chutes with at least two channels formed therein to receive a corresponding part of each motorized transport unit that passes through the at least one chute.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a first elevated track comprises a width greater than two motorized transport units and the first elevated track is configured to allow a first motorized transport unit supported by and traveling on the first elevated track to pass a second motorized transport unit also supported by and traveling on the same first elevated track.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks is configured to support the motorized transport units while the motorized transport units are positioned on top of and wheels of the motorized transport units roll on an upper surface of a respective one of the series of elevated tracks, and each of the elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks intersects at least one other of the multiple elevated tracks extending away in a different direction and defining multiple intersections between the at least two intersecting elevated tracks, and wherein the multiple motorized transport units are configured to transition at one or more of the intersections between different elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks in traversing at least a portion of the sales floor of the shopping facility.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more elevated staging areas comprises one or more charging stations each configured to electrically couple with any one of the multiple motorized transport units and charge a rechargeable battery of the coupled motorized transport unit while positioned on the at least one of the one or more elevated staging areas.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central computer system of the retail store configured to communicate routing instructions to the multiple motorized transport units directing the one or more motorized transport units along one or more tracks of the series of elevated tracks in moving to respective desired destinations within the retail store.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the central computer system further comprises:

a control circuit coupled with the transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of;

track locations of each of the multiple motorized transport units; and

cooperatively coordinate the movements of the multiple motorized transport units as they travel along the series of elevated tracks and the sales floor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit in executing the computer instructions is further configured to:

identify a location where a motorized transport unit is desired to perform a task;

identify a first motorized transport unit, of the multiple motorized transport units, intended to be directed to the identified location to perform the task;

determine first routing instructions that include directions along one or more elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks that the first motorized transport unit is to follow in moving to the identified location; and

communicate the first routing instructions to the first motorized transport unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the elevated tracks is positioned elevated above and extending over multiple different product support shelving units and areas where people walk.

11. A method of routing motorized transport units through a retail store, comprising:

by a central computer system of a retail store;

instructing multiple motorized transport units to access an elevated track system within a retail store wherein the elevated track system comprises a series of elevated tracks that are positioned elevated above a sales floor of the retail store and retail products to be sold from the retail store, and the series of elevated tracks are distributed over at least a portion of the sales floor of the retail store;

instructing the multiple motorized transport units to travel along the series of elevated tracks in traversing at least portions of the retail store; and

instructing a first motorized transport unit of the multiple motorized transport units to enter an elevated staging area of the elevated track system, wherein the staging area is not one of the series of elevated tracks and extends from a first elevated track of the series of elevated tracks, wherein the staging area is configured to receive and support one or more of the multiple motorized transport units that are idle and awaiting instructions from the central computer system and allow the idle one or more motorized transport units to be maintained in the elevated track system without interfering with one or more other motorized transport units as they travel along at least the first elevated track of the series of elevated tracks.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the instructing the multiple motorized transport units to access the elevated track system comprises instructing the multiple motorized transport units to access at least one of one or more chutes each cooperated with one of the elevated tracks, wherein each of the one or more chutes provides a passage for one or more of the motorized transport units between the series of elevated tracks and the sales floor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more chutes comprise vertical chutes with at least two channels formed therein to receive a corresponding part of each motorized transport unit that passes through the at least one chute.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the instructing the multiple motorized transport units to travel along the series of elevated tracks comprises instructing at least first and second motorized transport units to travel along at least a first elevated track having a width greater than two motorized transport units such that the first motorized transport unit supported by and traveling on the first elevated track passes the second motorized transport unit also supported by and traveling on the same first elevated track.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the instructing the multiple motorized transport units to access the elevated track system, comprises directing a second motorized transport unit sequentially across multiple different elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks to reach an intended location in the retail store, wherein each of the elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks is configured to support the motorized transport units while the motorized transport units are positioned on top of and wheels of the motorized transport units roll on an upper surface of a respective one of the series of elevated tracks, and each of the elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks intersects at least one other of the multiple elevated tracks extending away in a different direction and defining multiple intersections between the at least two intersecting elevated tracks, and wherein the directing the second motorized transport unit sequentially across the multiple different elevated tracks comprises directing the second motorized transport unit to transition at one or more of the intersections between different elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks in traversing at least a portion of the sales floor of the retail store.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

instructing at least a first motorized transport unit to electrically couple with a first charging station while the first motorized transport unit is positioned on the staging area wherein the staging area comprises the charging station configured to electrically couple with any one of the multiple motorized transport units and charge a rechargeable battery of the coupled motorized transport unit.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating routing instructions to the multiple motorized transport units directing the one or more motorized transport units along one or more tracks of the series of elevated tracks in moving to respective desired destinations within the retail store.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

tracking locations of each of the multiple motorized transport units; and

cooperatively coordinating the movements of the multiple motorized transport units as they travel along the series of elevated tracks and the sales floor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying a location where a motorized transport unit is desired to perform a task;

identifying a first motorized transport unit, of the multiple motorized transport units, intended to be directed to the identified location to perform the task;

determining first routing instructions that include directions along one or more elevated tracks of the series of elevated tracks that the first motorized transport unit is to follow in moving to the identified location; and

communicating the first routing instructions to the first motorized transport unit.