Method and system for fulfilling requests in an inventory system

• US 8,626,335 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wurman, Peter R., Brunner, Daniel T., Barbehenn, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Logan, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US13/675,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 700/216
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/10 with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for fulfilling requests in an inventory system includes receiving a request indicating an activity to be completed. The method also includes selecting a holder to fulfill the request and an inventory station at which to fulfill the request. The inventory station is associated with a queue that includes a plurality of queue spaces. The method further includes moving the selected holder from a first location to a second location remote from the selected inventory station. Additionally, the method also includes determining that a trigger event has occurred and, in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred, moving the selected holder from the second location to a queue space of a queue associated with the selected inventory station.

Claims

1. A method for fulfilling requests in an inventory system, comprising:

receiving, by a management module, a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instructing, by the management module, a mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a storage location to a drift location based at least in part upon the received request, wherein the drift location is an intermediate location that is remote from a queue of an inventory station;

detecting, by the management module, a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instructing, by the management module, the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the drift location to the inventory station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a condition associated with the inventory system;

wherein the mobile drive unit is instructed to transport the inventory holder to the drift location based further at least in part upon the condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, from a plurality of inventory holders, the inventory holder to fulfill the request; and

selecting, from a plurality of inventory stations, the inventory station at which to fulfill the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the drift location comprises an area of a workspace designated as the intermediate location between a starting location and a destination location, at which a component remains until the trigger event associated with the destination location occurs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the drift location comprises a first drift location, the inventory station comprises a first inventory station, and the method further comprises:

instructing the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the first inventory station to a second drift location;

detecting a second trigger event; and

in response to detecting the second trigger event, instructing the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder to a second inventory station.

4. A method for fulfilling requests in an inventory system, comprising:

receiving, by a management module, a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instructing, by the management module, a mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a storage location to a drift location based at least in part upon the received request;

detecting, by the management module, a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instructing, by the management module, the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the drift location to an inventory station;

wherein the inventory station is one of a plurality of inventory stations, the request is capable of being filled at more than one of the plurality of inventory stations, and detecting the trigger event comprises determining that a space associated with the inventory station is available.

6. A method for fulfilling requests in an inventory system, comprising:

receiving, by a management module, a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instructing, by the management module, a mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a storage location to a drift location based at least in part upon the received request;

detecting, by the management module, a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instructing, by the management module, the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the drift location to an inventory station;

wherein the drift location comprises an area of a workspace designated as an intermediate location between a starting location and a destination location, at which a component remains until the trigger event associated with the destination location occurs;

wherein the drift location is dynamically designated as a drift location based at least in part upon one or more resource requirements of the inventory system.

7. A method for fulfilling requests in an inventory system, comprising:

receiving, by a management module, a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instructing, by the management module, a mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a storage location to a drift location based at least in part upon the received request;

detecting, by the management module, a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instructing, by the management module, the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the drift location to an inventory station;

wherein the drift location is selected from a plurality of locations in a workspace based at least in part upon one or more of a distance between the drift location and the storage location;

a distance between the drift location and the inventory station; and

a length of a path extending from the storage location to the inventory station through the drift location.

9. An inventory system, comprising:

a mobile drive unit operable to transport an inventory holder; and

a management module operable to;

receive a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon the received request, wherein the second location is an intermediate location that is remote from a queue of an inventory station;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the second location to the inventory station.

10. The inventory system of claim 9, the management module further operable to:

identify a condition associated with the inventory system;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder to the second location based further at least in part upon the condition.

11. The inventory system of claim 9, the management module further operable to:

select, from a plurality of inventory holders, the inventory holder to fulfill the request; and

select, from a plurality of inventory stations, the inventory station at which to fulfill the request.

13. The inventory system of claim 9, wherein the second location comprises an area of a workspace designated as the intermediate location between a starting location and a destination location, at which a component remains until the trigger event associated with the destination location occurs.

12. An inventory system, comprising:

a mobile drive unit operable to transport an inventory holder; and

a management module operable to;

receive a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon the received request;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the second location to an inventory station;

wherein the inventory station is one of a plurality of inventory stations, the request is capable of being filled at more than one of the plurality of inventory stations, and detecting the trigger event comprises determining that a space associated with the inventory station is available.

14. An inventory system, comprising:

a mobile drive unit operable to transport an inventory holder; and

a management module operable to;

receive a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon the received request;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the second location to an inventory station;

wherein the second location comprises a drift location that is selected from a plurality of locations in a workspace based at least in part upon one or more of a distance between the drift location and the first location;

a distance between the drift location and the inventory station; and

a length of a path extending from the first location to the inventory station through the drift location.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic, the logic, when executed by a processor, operable to:

receive a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon the received request, wherein the second location is an intermediate location that is remote from a queue of an inventory station;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the second location to the inventory station.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the logic further operable to:

identify a condition associated with an inventory system;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder to the second location based further at least in part upon the condition.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the logic further operable to:

select, from a plurality of inventory holders, the inventory holder to fulfill the request; and

select, from a plurality of inventory stations, the inventory station at which to fulfill the request.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second location comprises an area of a workspace designated as the intermediate location between a starting location and a destination location, at which a component remains until the trigger event associated with the destination location occurs.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic, the logic, when executed by a processor, operable to:

receive a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon the received request;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the second location to an inventory station;

wherein the inventory station is one of a plurality of inventory stations, the request is capable of being filled at more than one of the plurality of inventory stations, and detecting the trigger event comprises determining that a space associated with the inventory station is available.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic, the logic, when executed by a processor, operable to:

receive a request to complete an operation associated with an inventory item;

instruct the mobile drive unit to transport an inventory holder from a first location to a second location based at least in part upon the received request;

detect a trigger event;

in response to detecting the trigger event, instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the inventory holder from the second location to an inventory station;

wherein the second location comprises a drift location that is selected from a plurality of locations in a workspace based at least in part upon one or more of a distance between the drift location and the first location;

a distance between the drift location and the inventory station; and

a length of a path extending from the first location to the inventory station through the drift location.