Hybrid modular storage fetching system

• US 10,803,420 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staples, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Staples, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Daniel, Amador, Paolo Gerli, Bhaskaran, Michael, Gopalakrishnan, Vikranth, Gallaway, Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): Kerrigan, Michael V
• Application Number:
  US15/721,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20180096299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/06 Use of order trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/223 Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/246 using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/247 using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/661 Docking at a base station delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes

Abstract

A hybrid modular storage fetching system is described. In an example implementation, the system may include a warehouse execution system adapted to generate a picking schedule for picking pick-to-cart and high-density storage items, and an AGV dispatching system adapted to dispatch a cart automated guided vehicle and a modular storage fetching automated guided vehicle based on the picking schedule. The cart automated guided vehicle may be adapted autonomously transport a carton through a pick-to-cart area and to a pick-cell station. The modular storage fetching automated guided vehicle may be adapted to synchronously autonomously transport a modular storage unit containing items to be placed in the cartons from a high-density storage area to the pick-cell station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by one or more computing devices, a picking schedule including pick-to-cart routing based on order data, the picking schedule indicating when to deliver one or more first items to a pick-cell station, the order data including one or more first identification codes representing the one or more first items located in a pick-to-cart area of a distribution facility, the picking schedule identifying one or more shipping cartons assigned to be transported by a cart automated guided vehicle (AGV) and into which the one or more first items of the order data may be placed;

dispatching, by the one or more computing devices, the cart AGV according to the picking schedule, the cart AGV including a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the cart AGV and a guidance system adapted to locate the cart AGV in the distribution facility, the cart AGV adapted to autonomously transport the one or more shipping cartons, the one or more shipping cartons adapted to hold items during transportation by the cart AGV and shipment to a shipping address;

autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the cart AGV through the pick-to-cart area according to the pick-to-cart routing to allow picking of the one or more first items located in the pick-to-cart area; and

autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the cart AGV to the pick-cell station according to the pick-to-cart routing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the order data includes one or more second identification codes representing one or more second items located in a high-density storage area of the distribution facility,

the picking schedule includes a modular storage fetching (MSF) routing, and

the method further includes

dispatching, by the one or more computing devices, an MSF AGV according to the picking schedule, the MSF AGV including a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the MSF AGV, a guidance system adapted to locate the MSF AGV in the distribution facility, and a modular storage unit holder adapted to hold one or more modular storage units, the MSF AGV adapted to autonomously retrieve the one or more modular storage units from the high-density storage area and transport the one or more modular storage units to the pick-cell station,

autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the MSF AGV to a location of the one or more modular storage units in the high-density storage area, the one or more modular storage units containing the one or more second items, and

autonomously retrieving, by the MSF AGV, the one or more modular storage units from the high-density storage area.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the MSF AGV from the location of the one or more modular storage units in the high-density storage area to the pick-cell station according to the MSF routing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein

autonomously navigating the MSF AGV to the location of the one or more modular storage units in the high-density storage area includes

autonomously navigating the MSF AGV to a first location of a first modular storage unit in the high-density storage area, the first modular storage unit containing a first particular item of the one or more second items, and

autonomously navigating the MSF AGV from the first location of the first modular storage unit to a second location of a second modular storage unit, the second modular storage unit containing a second particular item of the one or more second items, and

autonomously retrieving, by the MSF AGV, the one or more modular storage units includes

autonomously retrieving, by the MSF AGV, the first modular storage unit from the first location of the first modular storage unit in the high-density storage area, and

autonomously retrieving, by the MSF AGV, the second modular storage unit from the second location of the second modular storage unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second location of the second modular storage unit is a second pick-cell station.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second location of the second modular storage unit is a different location of the high-density storage area than the first location of the first modular storage unit.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising

autonomously navigating the MSF AGV from the location of the one or more modular storage units in the high-density storage area to the pick-cell station;

and

autonomously delivering, by the MSF AGV, a first modular storage unit to the pick-cell station.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the MSF AGV is further adapted to stage the one or more modular storage units at a staging area of the pick-cell station.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the MSF AGV is adapted to retrieve multiple sizes of modular storage units.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein

the one or more modular storage units include a holding structure adapted to hold items, the holding structure adapted to interface with a retrieval mechanism of the MSF AGV, and

the MSF AGV includes the retrieval mechanism adapted to interface with the holding structure to retrieve a given modular storage unit from a modular storage unit support structure and place the given modular storage unit in the modular storage unit holder.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

the retrieval mechanism of the MSF AGV includes a fork coupled with the MSF AGV and configured to lift the given modular storage unit and remove the given modular storage unit from the modular storage unit support structure, and

the modular storage unit support structure includes a shelf.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein

the modular storage unit holder of the MSF AGV is adapted to hold a plurality of modular storage units.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

the modular storage unit holder of the MSF AGV includes a plurality of bays, each bay adapted to hold a modular storage unit, and

the retrieval mechanism is adapted to place the given modular storage unit in any of the plurality of bays.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the pick-cell station includes an output device configured to provide picking instructions to a picker, the picking instructions indicating to the picker which of the one or more second items from the one or more modular storage units to place in a given shipping carton held on the cart AGV.

15. A method comprising:

dispatching, by one or more computing devices, a cart automated guided vehicle (AGV) according to a picking schedule that includes when to deliver one or more first items to a pick-cell station, the cart AGV including a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the cart AGV and a guidance system adapted to locate the cart AGV in a distribution facility, the cart AGV adapted to autonomously transport one or more shipping cartons, the one or more shipping cartons adapted to hold one or more items during transportation by the cart AGV and shipment to a shipping address, the picking schedule identifying the one or more shipping cartons assigned to be transported by the cart AGV and into which the one or more first items may be placed;

dispatching, by the one or more computing devices, a modular storage fetching (MSF) AGV according to the picking schedule, the MSF AGV including a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the MSF AGV and a guidance system adapted to locate the MSF AGV in the distribution facility, the MSF AGV adapted to hold a plurality of modular storage units and retrieve the plurality of modular storage units from a high-density storage area and transport the plurality of modular storage units to a pick-cell station;

autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the cart AGV through a pick-to-cart area according to the picking schedule to retrieve a first item located in the pick-to-cart area;

autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the cart AGV to the pick-cell station according to the picking schedule;

autonomously navigating the MSF AGV to a first location of a first modular storage unit in the high-density storage area, the first modular storage unit containing a second item;

autonomously retrieving, by the MSF AGV, the first modular storage unit from the first location;

autonomously navigating the MSF AGV from the first location to a second location of a second modular storage unit, the second modular storage unit containing a third item;

autonomously retrieving, by the MSF AGV, the second modular storage unit from the second location; and

autonomously delivering, by the MSF AGV, the first modular storage unit and the second modular storage unit to the pick-cell station.

16. A system comprising:

a first processor adapted to generate a picking schedule, the picking schedule indicating when to deliver one or more first items to a pick-cell station and including a pick-to-cart routing based on order data, the order data including one or more first identification codes representing the one or more first items located in a pick-to-cart area of a distribution facility, and to transmit a signal including the picking schedule to a second processor dispatching system, the picking schedule identifying one or more shipping cartons assigned to be transported by a cart automated guided vehicle (AGV) and into which the one or more first items of the order data may be placed;

the second processor adapted to dispatch the cart AGV according to the picking schedule, the cart AGV including a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the cart AGV and a guidance system adapted to locate the cart AGV in the distribution facility, the cart AGV adapted to autonomously transport the one or more shipping cartons, the one or more shipping cartons adapted to hold one or more items during transportation by the cart AGV and shipment to a shipping address; and

the cart AGV adapted to autonomously navigate through the pick-to-cart area according to the pick-to-cart routing to retrieve the one or more first items located in the pick-to-cart area, and autonomously navigate to a pick-cell station according to the pick-to-cart routing.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a modular storage fetching (MSF) AGV including a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the MSF AGV, a guidance system adapted to locate the MSF AGV in the distribution facility, and a modular storage unit holder adapted to hold one or more modular storage units, the MSF AGV adapted to autonomously retrieve the one or more modular storage units from a high-density storage area and transport the one or more modular storage units to the pick-cell station.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the MSF AGV is further configured to

autonomously navigate to a location of the one or more modular storage units in the high-density storage area, the one or more modular storage units containing a second item, and autonomously retrieve the one or more modular storage units from the high-density storage area.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the MSF AGV is further configured to autonomously navigate from the location of the one or more modular storage units in the high-density storage area to the pick-cell station, and autonomously deliver the one or more modular storage units to the pick-cell station.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the second processor is further configured to dispatch the MSF AGV according to the picking schedule.