Order fulfillment system with robotic break pack

• US 10,773,891 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2018
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Atchley, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US16/157,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems for fulfilling consumer orders are provided. A stocking station includes at least one robotic stocking arm configured to unload a product from a first receptacle and to place the unloaded product onto a storage shelf, and a first picking station includes a first robotic picking arm configured to pick a first product from the storage shelf and to load the first product picked from the storage shelf into a second receptacle for delivery to a consumer. An empty receptacle placement station includes at least one robotic placing arm configured to place an empty second receptacle onto a packing conveyor configured to transport the empty second receptacle toward the first picking station for loading of the first product into the empty second receptacle. An electronic inventory management device transmits a signal the empty receptacle placement station and the first robotic picking arm.

Claims

1. An order fulfillment system, the system comprising:

at least one picking station including at least one robotic picking arm configured to pick at least one product from at least one storage shelf and to load the at least one product picked from the at least one storage shelf into at least one receptacle for delivery to a consumer;

an empty receptacle placement station including at least one robotic placing arm configured to place an empty receptacle onto a packing conveyor including a product advancement surface configured to transport the empty receptacle toward the at least one picking station for loading of the at least one product into the empty receptacle;

an electronic inventory management device including a processor-based control unit and configured to transmit a signal to at least one of the empty receptacle placement station and the at least one picking station, the control unit of the electronic inventory management device being configured to analyze a size and shape of the empty receptacle and a size and shape of a plurality of products to be loaded into the empty receptacle by the at least one picking station, and to generate a product loading order, a product loading location, and a product loading orientation for the plurality products to be loaded into the empty receptacle,

wherein the at least one picking station is configured, in response to receipt of the signal from the electronic inventory management device, to cause the at least one robotic placing arm to place the plurality of products into the empty receptacle in the product loading location and in the product loading orientation specified in the signal received by the empty receptacle placement station from the electronic inventory management device; and

at least one placement verification station including at least one scanner configured to scan the plurality of products after placement of the plurality of products into the empty receptacle to confirm that the plurality of products were loaded by the at least one robotic arm into the empty receptacle in the product loading location and the product loading orientation specified in the signal received by the at least one picking station from the electronic inventory management device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a de-pallet station including at least one robotic de-palletizing arm configured to unload a first receptacle from a pallet and to place the first receptacle unloaded from the pallet onto a de-palletizer conveyor configured to transport the first receptacle unloaded from the pallet to a stocking station; and

at least one stocking station including at least one robotic stocking arm configured to unload at least one product from the first receptacle and to place the at least one product unloaded from the first receptacle onto the at least one storage shelf;

wherein the at least one robotic stocking arm is configured to;

remove the first receptacle unloaded from the pallet from the de-palletizer conveyor;

open the first receptacle removed from the de-palletizer conveyor;

unload the at least one product from the first receptacle removed from the de-palletizer conveyor such that the first receptacle is empty; and

place the empty first receptacle onto a disposal conveyor configured to deliver the empty first receptacle to a compacting station configured to compact the empty first receptacle.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the signal that the electronic inventory management device is configured to transmit to the empty receptacle placement station indicates the size of the empty receptacle to be placed by the at least one robotic placing arm on the packing conveyor;

and

wherein, the empty receptacle placement station is configured to receive the signal from the electronic inventory management device and to cause the at least one robotic placing arm to select and place onto the packing conveyor an empty receptacle having a size corresponding to the size indicated in the signal.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein the signal that the electronic inventory management device is configured to transmit to the at least one picking station indicates a number of units of a first product to be picked by the at least one robotic picking arm from the at least one storage shelf and loaded into the empty receptacle, and

wherein, the at least one picking station is configured to receive the signal from the electronic inventory management device and to cause the at least one robotic picking arm to pick a number of units of the first product from the at least one storage shelf corresponding to the number of units of the first product indicated in the signal.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lid closing station downstream of the at least one picking station; and

a label application station upstream of the at least one picking station.

6. A method of fulfilling a product order by a consumer, the method comprising:

providing at least one picking station including at least one robotic picking arm configured to pick at least one product from at least one storage shelf and to load the at least one product picked from the at least one storage shelf into at least one receptacle for delivery to a consumer;

providing an empty receptacle placement station including at least one robotic placing arm configured to place an empty receptacle onto a packing conveyor including a product advancement surface configured to transport the empty receptacle toward the at least one picking station for loading of the at least one product into the empty receptacle;

providing an electronic inventory management device including a processor-based control unit and configured to transmit a signal to at least one of the empty receptacle placement station and the at least one picking station;

analyzing, via the control unit of the electronic inventory management device, a size and shape of the empty receptacle and a size and shape of a plurality of products to be loaded into the empty receptacle by the at least one picking station, and to generate a product loading order, a product loading location, and a product loading orientation for the plurality products to be loaded into the empty receptacle;

causing, via the at least one picking station and in response to receipt of the signal from the electronic inventory management device, the at least one robotic placing arm to place the plurality of products into the empty receptacle in the product loading location and in the product loading orientation specified in the signal received by the empty receptacle placement station from the electronic inventory management device; and

providing at least one placement verification station including at least one scanner configured to scan the plurality of products after placement of the plurality of products into the empty receptacle to confirm that the plurality of products were loaded by the at least one robotic arm into the empty receptacle in the product loading location and the product loading orientation specified in the signal received by the at least one picking station from the electronic inventory management device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing an order processing server configured to process a product order placed by a consumer and to communicate information associated with the product order to an inventory management database configured to store the product order information;

providing a de-pallet station including at least one robotic de-palletizing arm configured to unload a first receptacle from a pallet and to place the first receptacle unloaded from the pallet onto a de-palletizer conveyor configured to transport the first receptacle unloaded from the pallet to a stocking station;

providing at least one stocking station including at least one robotic stocking arm configured to unload at least one product from the first receptacle and to place the at least one product unloaded from the first receptacle onto the at least one storage shelf;

removing, via the at least one robotic stocking arm, the first receptacle unloaded from the pallet from the de-palletizer conveyor;

opening, via the at least one robotic stocking arm, the first receptacle removed from the de-palletizer conveyor;

unloading, via the at least one robotic stocking arm, the at least one product from the first receptacle removed from the de-palletizer conveyor such that the first receptacle is empty; and

placing, via the at least one robotic stocking arm, the empty first receptacle onto a disposal conveyor configured to deliver the empty first receptacle to a compacting station configured to compact the empty first receptacle.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the signal from the electronic inventory management device to the empty receptacle placement station, the transmitted signal indicating the size of the empty receptacle to be placed by the at least one robotic placing arm on the packing conveyor; and

receiving the signal at the empty receptacle placement station and causing the at least one robotic placing arm to select and place onto the packing conveyor an empty receptacle having a size corresponding to the size indicated in the signal.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the signal from the electronic inventory management device to the at least one picking station, the signal indicating a number of units of a first product to be picked by the at least one robotic picking arm from the at least one storage shelf and loaded into the empty receptacle, and

receiving, at the at least one picking station, the signal from the electronic inventory management device, and causing the first robotic picking arm to pick a number of units of the first product from the at least one storage shelf corresponding to the number of units of the first product indicated in the signal.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a lid closing station downstream of the at least one picking station; and

providing a label application station upstream of the at least one picking station.