Methods, systems and apparatus for controlling movement of transporting devices

• US 11,079,770 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2021
• Issued: 08/03/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ocado Innovation Limited (Ocado Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Ocado Innovation Limited (Ocado Group PLC)
• Inventors: Stadie, Robert, Whelan, Matthew, Brett, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US17/149,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20210149382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 201 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0421 with control for stacker crane operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0464 with access from above
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0478 for matrix-arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/065 with self propelled cars
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• 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 1/0289 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 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A system and method for controlling movement of transporting devices arranged to transport containers, the containers being stored in stacks arranged in a facility. A facility having pathways arranged in a grid-like structure above stacks, the transporting devices being configured to operate on the grid-like structure. A control unit configured to determine at least one task to be performed by at least one transporting device, wherein the at least one task is determined based on at least one of: transporting device battery condition, transporting device damage, transporting device maintenance issues, and transporting device service issues.

Claims

1. A system for controlling movement of at least one transporting device arranged to transport at least one container, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

determine a plurality of paths for a plurality of transporting devices to travel on pathways of a facility so that no two of the plurality of transporting devices have locations while traveling along the plurality of paths that would cause the plurality of transporting devices to overlap at a same time, the plurality of paths comprising a first path for traveling by a first transporting device of the plurality of transporting devices and a second path for traveling by a second transporting device of the plurality of transporting devices,

wherein the pathways form a grid-like structure above a plurality of containers arranged within the facility, the pathways comprising a first set of parallel rails extending in a first direction and a second set of parallel rails extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction in a substantially horizontal plane, at least some of the plurality of containers being stored in stacks,

wherein the plurality of transporting devices are configured to selectively move laterally in the first direction and the second direction on the pathways, at least some of the plurality of transporting devices being configured to transport the plurality of containers,

generate a plurality of clearance commands for the plurality of transporting devices to cause the plurality of transporting devices to travel on the pathways along portions of the plurality of paths, the plurality of clearance commands comprising a first clearance command for the first transporting device,

determine there is a potential for a collision between the first transporting device traveling along the first path and the second transporting device traveling along the second path, and

responsive to a determination that there is the potential for the collision;

withhold a second clearance command for the first transporting device that would cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways along a portion of the first path,

determine a revised path different from the first path for the first transporting device to travel on the pathways, and

generate a third clearance command for the first transporting device to cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways along a portion of the revised path; and

a memory device configured to store the plurality of clearance commands and the third clearance command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of clearance commands indicate a permission for the plurality of transporting devices to travel on the pathways only along the portions of the plurality of paths.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate one of the plurality of clearance commands to cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways along a first portion of the first path and another of the plurality of clearance commands to cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways along a second portion of the first path different from the first portion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first clearance command is configured to cause the first transporting device to travel from a first location to a second location along the first path, and the third clearance command is configured to cause the first transporting device to travel from the second location to a third location along the revised path.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first path and the revised path have a common end location on the grid-like structure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the third clearance command is configured to cause the first transporting device to transition from traveling along the first path to traveling along the revised path while the first transporting device remains in motion.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control interface configured to communicate with the plurality of transporting devices via an application programmable interface, the one or more processors being configured to cause the control interface to transmit the plurality of clearance commands and the third clearance command via the application programmable interface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from a position of the first transporting device on the grid-like structure or a position of the second transporting device on the grid-like structure that there is the potential for the collision.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from an attribute of the first transporting device that there is the potential for the collision.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from one or more of (i) a missed message, (ii) a processing time, (iii) a clock sync, or (iv) a transporting device discrepancy with a physics model, that there is the potential for the collision.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from dimensions of the grid-like structure that there is the potential for the collision.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from a status report received from one of the plurality of transporting devices that there is the potential for the collision.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate one of the plurality of first clearance commands responsive to a status report received from one of the plurality of transporting devices.

14. The system of claim 1, in combination with the facility, the plurality of containers, and the plurality of transporting devices.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory device is in electrical communication with the one or more processors and configured to store the plurality of paths.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from a position and a speed of at least one of the first transporting device or the second transporting device on the pathways that there is the potential for the collision.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the plurality of paths so that all of the plurality of transporting devices may simultaneously travel on the pathways.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the plurality of paths using an optimization algorithm.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the plurality of paths so that the plurality of paths begin at starting points at which the plurality of transporting devices are located, each of the starting points being different from the other of the starting points.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transporting devices comprise 15 transporting devices.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control operations of the plurality of transporting devices in real time.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to fully automatically control operations of the plurality of transporting devices so that the plurality of transporting devices retrieve of a set of the plurality of containers arranged within the facility.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a plurality of travel commands to instruct the plurality of transporting devices to travel on the pathways along the plurality of paths, the plurality of travel commands being different from the plurality of clearance commands.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate one of the plurality of travel commands to instruct one of the plurality of transporting devices perform an operation with one of the plurality of containers.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of clearance commands is configured to cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways for a predetermined period of time.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the predetermined period of time is a sufficient period of time for the first transporting device to come to rest without colliding with another of the plurality of transporting devices while the plurality of transporting devices travel along the plurality of paths.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine from a measurement associated with the first transporting device that there is the potential for the collision.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the measurement comprises a speed of the first transporting device.

29. A method for controlling movement of at least one transporting device arranged to transport at least one container, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a plurality of paths for a plurality of transporting devices to travel on pathways of a facility so that no two of the plurality of transporting devices have locations while traveling along the plurality of paths that would cause the plurality of transporting devices to overlap at a same time, the plurality of paths comprising a first path for traveling by a first transporting device of the plurality of transporting devices and a second path for traveling by a second transporting device of the plurality of transporting devices,

wherein the pathways form a grid-like structure above a plurality of containers arranged within the facility, the pathways comprising a first set of parallel rails extending in a first direction and a second set of parallel rails extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction in a substantially horizontal plane, at least some of the plurality of containers being stored in stacks,

wherein the plurality of transporting devices are configured to selectively move laterally in the first direction and the second direction on the pathways, at least some of the plurality of transporting devices being configured to transport the plurality of containers;

generating, by the one or more processors, a plurality of clearance commands for the plurality of transporting devices to cause the plurality of transporting devices to travel on the pathways along portions of the plurality of paths, the plurality of clearance commands comprising a first clearance command for the first transporting device;

determining, by the one or more processors, there is a potential for a collision between the first transporting device traveling along the first path and the second transporting device traveling along the second path;

in response to determining that there is the potential for the collision;

withholding, by the one or more processors, a second clearance command for the first transporting device that would cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways along a portion of the first path,

determining, by the one or more processors, a revised path different from the first path for the first transporting device to travel on the pathways, and

generating, by the one or more processors, a third clearance command for the first transporting device to cause the first transporting device to travel on the pathways along a portion of the revised path; and

storing the plurality of clearance commands and the third clearance command to a memory device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein

the plurality of clearance commands indicate a permission for the plurality of transporting devices to travel on the pathways only along the portions of the plurality of paths,

the first clearance command is configured to cause the first transporting device to travel from a first location to a second location along the first path,

the third clearance command is configured to cause the first transporting device to travel from the second location to a third location along the revised path, and

the first path and the revised path have a common end location on the grid-like structure.