Distributed autonomous robot systems and methods with RFID tracking

• US 10,614,274 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald, Winkle, David, McHale, Brian Gerard, Mattingly, Todd Davenport
• Primary Examiner(s): Trail, Allyson N
• Application Number:
  US15/880,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20180218185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 235385, 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Described in detail herein is an autonomous fulfillment system using RFID devices. One or more RFID readers can be disposed throughout a facility can detect RFID tags disposed on or about physical objects picked up by the autonomous robotic devices. The computing system can determine whether there is an error in the physical objects picked up by the autonomous robotic device based on the identifiers. The computing system can instruct the autonomous robotic device to resolve the error. RFID readers can be disposed with respect to storage containers can detect the RFID tags disposed on or about the storage containers and the RFID tags disposed on the physical objects deposited in the storage containers. The computing system determine whether there is an error with the physical objects deposited in the storage containers. The computing system can instruct the autonomous robotic devices to resolve the error.

Claims

1. An autonomous fulfillment system, the system comprising:

a computing system programmed to receive requests from disparate sources for physical objects disposed at one or more locations in a facility, combine the requests, and group the physical objects in the requests based on object types or expected object locations, wherein an object RFID tag including a unique object identifier is affixed to each of the physical objects;

a plurality of autonomous robot devices in selective communication with the computing system via a communications network;

a database communicatively coupled to the computing system and the plurality of autonomous robots, the database storing information associated with the physical objects;

a plurality of delivery containers, each of the plurality of containers having a container RFID tag including a unique container identifier affixed thereto;

a plurality of RFID readers distributed throughout the facility, the plurality of RFID readers being operatively coupled to the computing system;

wherein at least one of the autonomous robot devices configured to;

(i) receive instructions from the computing system to retrieve a first group of the physical objects, the instructions include one or more identifiers for the physical objects in the first group of physical objects,

(ii) query the database using the one or more identifiers for the physical objects in the first group to retrieve information associated with the first group of the physical objects,

(iii) determine a first set of object locations of the physical objects in the first group based on the retrieved information,

(iv) navigate autonomously through the facility to the first set of object locations in response to operation of the drive motor by the controller, (v) locate and scan one or more machine readable elements encoded with the one or more identifiers,

(vi) detect, via at least one image captured by the image capture device, that the first group of physical objects are disposed at the first set of locations,

(vii) pick up a first quantity of physical objects in the first group using an articulated arm, and

(viii) deposit the physical objects in the first group in one or more of the plurality of delivery containers, wherein the plurality of delivery containers each correspond to one of the requests and the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposits the physical objects in the first group in the plurality of delivery containers based on the requests to which the physical objects are associated,

wherein, at least a first one of the plurality of RFID readers is disposed proximate to the first set of object locations and the computing system is configured to determine that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices retrieved the first group of physical objects in response to the at least the first one of the plurality of RFID readers fails to detect the object RFID tag of each of the physical objects in the first group,

wherein, at least a second one of the plurality of RFID readers is disposed proximate to the plurality of delivery containers and the computing system determines that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposited the physical objects in one or more of the plurality delivery containers, and

wherein the computing system determines that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposited one or more the physical objects in a correct one of the delivery containers in response to the at least the second one of the plurality of RFID readers detecting the container RFID tag for the correct container and detecting the object RFID tag for each of the physical objects deposited in the correct container.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein and the at least one of the autonomous robot further devices configured to:

carry and navigate with the first quantity of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group to the delivery containers located at a second location in the facility;

deposit a first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a first one of the delivery containers; and

deposit a second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a second one of the delivery containers.

3. The system in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the autonomous robot devices is further configured to transport the first and second delivery containers to a specified location in the facility.

4. The system in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of shelving units disposed in the facility and wherein the first quantity of physical objects in the first group are disposed on at the plurality of shelving units.

5. The system in claim 4, wherein the first one of the plurality of RFID readers are configured to detect each RFID tag for each of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is picked up by at least one of the autonomous robot devices, decode each identifier encoded in each RFID tag, transmit each identifier to the computing system.

6. The system in claim 5, wherein the computing system is further programmed to:

compare each received identifier to each of the identifiers included in the instructions sent to the at least one of the autonomous robot devices

determine at least one identifier does not match at least one identifier included in the instructions sent to the at least one of the autonomous robot devices; and

instruct the at least one of the autonomous robot devices to discard a physical object associated with the at least one identifier, in response to determining the at least one identifier does not match the at least one identifier included in the instructions sent to the at least one of the autonomous robot devices.

7. The system in claim 2, wherein the second one of the plurality of RFID readers are configured to detect each RFID tag for each of the physical objects in the first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the first delivery container, detect each RFID tag for each of the physical objects in the second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group, decode each identifier encoded in each RFID tag, transmit each identifier to the computing system.

8. The system in claim 7, wherein the computing system is further programmed to:

query the database to retrieve identifiers associated with the physical objects designated to be deposited in the first delivery container and the second delivery container;

compare the received identifiers associated with the first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the first delivery container and the received identifiers associated with the second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the second delivery container with the retrieved identifiers associated with the physical objects designated to be deposited in the first delivery container and the second delivery container; and

instruct the at least one of the autonomous robot devices to remove at least one physical object associated with at least one of the received identifiers from the first or second delivery containers, in response to determining the at least one received identifiers associated with the first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the first delivery container or the received identifiers associated with the second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the second delivery container does not match at least one of the retrieved identifiers associated with the physical objects designated to be deposited in the first delivery container and the second delivery container.

9. The system in claim 2, wherein the computing system updates the database based on the received signals from the first and second one of the plurality of RFID readers.

10. An autonomous fulfillment method, the method comprising:

receiving, via a computing system, requests from disparate sources for physical objects disposed at one or more locations in a facility;

combining the requests via a computing system;

grouping, via a computing system, the physical objects in the requests based on object types or expected object locations, wherein an object RFID tag including a unique object identifier is affixed to each of the physical objects;

receiving, via at least one of a plurality of autonomous robot devices in selective communication with the computing system via a communications network, instructions from the computing system to retrieve a first group of the physical objects, the instructions include one or more identifiers for the physical objects in the first group of physical objects;

querying, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a database operatively coupled to the computing system and the plurality of autonomous robot devices, using the one or more identifiers for the physical objects in the first group to retrieve information associated with the first group of physical objects;

determining, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a first set of object locations of the physical objects in the first group based on the retrieved information;

navigating, via the at least one autonomous robot device, autonomously through the facility to the first set of object locations in response to operation of the drive motor by the controller;

locating and scanning, via the at least one autonomous robot device, one or more machine readable elements encoded with the one or more identifiers;

detecting, via at least one image captured by the image capture device of the at least one autonomous robot device, that the first group of physical objects are disposed at the first set of locations;

picking up, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a first quantity of physical objects in the first group using an articulated arm;

depositing, via the at least one of the autonomous robot devices, the physical objects in the first group in one or more of a plurality of delivery containers, each of the plurality of containers having a container RFID tag including a unique container identifier affixed thereto, wherein the plurality of delivery containers each correspond to one of the requests and the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposits the physical objects in the first group in the plurality of delivery containers based on the requests to which the physical objects are associated;

determining, via a first one of the plurality of RFID readers operatively coupled to the computing system and disposed proximate to the first set of object locations, that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices retrieved the first group of physical objects in response to the at least the first one of the plurality of RFID readers failing to detect the object RFID tag of each of the physical objects in the first group;

determining, via at least a second one of the plurality of RFID readers disposed proximate to the plurality of delivery containers, that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposited the physical objects in one or more the plurality delivery containers; and

determining, via the computing system, that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposited one or more the physical objects in a correct one of the delivery containers in response to the at least the second one of the plurality of RFID readers detecting the container RFID tag for the correct container and detecting the object RFID tag for each of the physical objects deposited in the correct container.

11. The method in claim 10, further comprising:

carrying and navigating, via the at least one autonomous robot device, with the first quantity of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group to the storage containers located at a second location in the facility;

depositing, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a first one of the delivery containers; and

depositing, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a second one of the delivery containers.

12. The method in claim 11, further comprising transporting, via the autonomous robot devices, the first and second delivery containers to a specified location in the facility.

13. The method in claim 11, wherein a plurality of shelving units disposed in the facility and wherein the first quantity of physical objects in the first group are disposed on at the plurality of shelving units.

14. The method in claim 13, further comprising detecting, via the first one of the plurality of RFID readers, each RFID tag for each of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is picked up by at least one of the autonomous robot devices, decode each identifier encoded in each RFID tag, transmit each identifier to the computing system.

15. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

comparing, via the computing system, each received identifier to each of the identifiers included in the instructions sent to the at least one of the autonomous robot devices;

determining, via the computing system, at least one identifier does not match at least one identifier included in the instructions sent to the at least one of the autonomous robot devices; and

instructing, via the computing system, the at least one of the autonomous robot devices to discard a physical object associated with the at least one identifier, in response to determining the at least one identifier does not match the at least one identifier included in the instructions sent to the at least one of the autonomous robot devices.

16. The method in claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, via the at least second one of the plurality of RFID readers, each RFID tag for each of the physical objects in the first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the first delivery container;

detecting, via the at least second one of the plurality of RFID readers, each RFID tag for each of the physical objects in the second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group;

decoding, via the at least second one of the plurality of RFID readers, each identifier encoded in each RFID tag;

transmitting, via the at least second one of the plurality of RFID readers, each identifier to the computing system.

17. The method in claim 16, further comprising:

querying, via the computing system, the database to retrieve identifiers associated with the physical objects designated to be deposited in the first delivery container and the second delivery container;

comparing, via the computing system, the received identifiers associated with the first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the first delivery container and the received identifiers associated with the second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the second delivery container with the retrieved identifiers associated with the physical objects designated to be deposited in the first delivery container and the second delivery container; and

instructing, via the computing system, the at least one of the autonomous robot devices to remove at least one physical object associated with at least one of the received identifiers from the first or second delivery containers, in response to determining the at least one received identifiers associated with the first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the first delivery container or the received identifiers associated with the second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group that is deposited in the second delivery container does not match at least one of the retrieved identifiers associated with the physical objects designated to be deposited in the first delivery container and the second delivery container.

18. The method in claim 11, wherein the computing system updates the database based on the received electrical signals from the first and second one of the plurality of RFID readers.