Method and system for storing inventory holders

• US 9,330,373 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• 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: Mountz, Michael C., Wurman, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Seye
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US11/185,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20070017984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,941 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A method for storing inventory items in an inventory system includes detecting that an inventory holder is available for storage and determining a classification of the inventory holder. The method also includes determining a classification of each of a plurality of storage locations and selecting a storage location for the inventory holder based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder and the classification of the selected storage location. The method additionally includes transmitting information identifying the storage location to a mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder.

Claims

1. A method for storing inventory items in an inventory system, comprising:

detecting that an inventory holder at a first location is available for storage;

in response to detecting that the inventory holder is available for storage, determining a classification of the inventory holder;

determining a classification of each of a plurality of storage locations;

selecting, from the plurality of storage locations, a storage location for the inventory holder based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder and the classification of the selected storage location;

transmitting information identifying the storage location to a mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder; and

transporting the inventory holder from the first location to the identified storage location with the mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the classification of the inventory holder further comprises calculating a holder velocity of the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a frequency with which inventory items stored by the inventory holder are requested;

determining the classification of each of the plurality of storage locations further comprises determining a range of holder velocities associated with each of the storage locations; and

selecting a storage location further comprises selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the holder velocity of the inventory holder and the range of holder velocities associated with the storage location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location comprises determining the range based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more particular inventory stations.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying a first group of one or more inventory stations from the plurality of inventory stations based, at least in part, on a station criteria, and wherein determining the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location comprises determining the range based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more of the inventory stations in the first group.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting that an additional inventory station has become active;

identifying a second group of one or more inventory stations based, at least in part, on the station criteria; and

determining the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location based, at least in part, one or more distances between that storage location and one or more of the inventory stations in the second group.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the holder velocity further comprises calculating the holder velocity based, at least in part, on an average of frequencies with which the inventory items stored by the inventory holder are requested.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the holder velocity further comprises:

determining a weight for each inventory item stored by the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a number of units of that inventory item currently stored by the inventory holder;

calculating a weighted frequency for each inventory item stored by the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a product of the frequency with which that inventory item is requested and a number of units of that inventory item stored by the inventory holder divided by a total number of units of all inventory items stored by the inventory holder; and

calculating the holder velocity based, at least in part, on an average of the weighted frequencies for inventory items stored by the inventory holder.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising dividing the plurality of storage locations into a plurality of regions based, at least in part, on one or more distances between each storage location and one or more inventory stations, wherein each region is associated with a range of holder velocities;

and wherein selecting a storage location comprises;

selecting a region, based at least in part, on the range of holder velocities associated with the selected region; and

selecting a storage location within the selected region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein dividing the plurality of storage locations into the plurality of regions comprises dividing the plurality of storage locations into the plurality of regions based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more inventory stations.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting that a new inventory station has been activated; and

dividing the plurality of storage locations into a plurality of new regions in response to detecting that the new inventory station has been activated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the storage location further comprises selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder, the classification of the selected storage location, and a distance between the selected storage location and the inventory holder.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the storage location further comprises selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder, the classification of the selected storage location, and a distance between the selected storage location and an inventory station.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising reserving the storage location for the inventory holder.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the inventory holder is available for storage comprises:

receiving a request;

moving, in response to the request, the inventory holder to an inventory station using the mobile drive unit; and

determining the request has been completed.

15. A system for storing inventory items in an inventory system, comprising:

one or more inventory holders operable to store inventory items;

one or more mobile drive units operable to move inventory holders;

a plurality of storage spaces; and

a management module operable to;

detect that an inventory holder at a first location is available for storage;

in response to detecting that the inventory holder is available for storage, determine a classification of the inventory holder;

determine a classification of each of a plurality of storage locations;

select, from the plurality of storage locations, a storage location for the inventory holder based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder and the classification of the selected storage location; and

transmit information identifying the storage location to a mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder, and wherein the mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder is operable to move the inventory holder from the first location to the identified storage location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is operable to:

determine the classification of the inventory holder by calculating a holder velocity of the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a frequency with which inventory items stored by the inventory holder are requested;

determine the classification of each of the plurality of storage locations by determining a range of holder velocities associated with each storage location; and

select a storage location by selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the holder velocity of the inventory holder and the range of holder velocities associated with the storage location.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the management module is operable to determine the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location by determining the range based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more inventory stations.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the management module is operable to identify a first group of one or more inventory stations from the plurality of inventory stations based, at least in part, on a station criteria, and wherein the management module is operable to determine the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location by determining the range based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more of the inventory stations in the first group.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the management module is further operable to:

detecting that an additional inventory station has become active;

identifying a second group of one or more inventory stations based, at least in part, on the station criteria; and

determining the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location based, at least in part, one or more distances between that storage location and one or more of the inventory stations in the second group.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the management module is operable to calculate the holder velocity based, at least in part, on an average of frequencies with which the inventory items stored by the inventory holder are requested.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the management module is operable to calculate the holder velocity by:

determining a weight for each inventory item stored by the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a number of units of that inventory item currently stored by the inventory holder;

calculating a weighted frequency for each inventory item stored by the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a product of the frequency with which that inventory item is requested and a number of units of that inventory item stored by the inventory holder divided by a total number of units of all inventory items stored by the inventory holder; and

calculating the holder velocity based, at least in part, on an average of the weighted frequencies for inventory items stored by the inventory holder.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the management module is further operable to divide the plurality of storage locations into a plurality of regions based, at least in part, on one or more distances between each storage location and one or more inventory stations, wherein each region is associated with a range of holder velocities;

and wherein the management module is operable to select a storage location by;

selecting a region, based at least in part, on the range of holder velocities associated with the selected region; and

selecting a storage location within the selected region.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the management module is operable to divide the plurality of storage locations into the plurality of regions by dividing the plurality of storage locations into the plurality of regions based, at least in part, on:

a distance between that storage location and an inventory station nearest that storage space;

a distance between that storage location and an inventory station farthest from that storage space; and

an average distance between that storage location and all inventory stations.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the management module is further operable to:

detect that a new inventory station has been activated; and

divide the plurality of storage locations into a plurality of new regions in response to detecting that the new inventory station has been activated.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is operable to select the storage location further by selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder, the classification of the selected storage location, and a distance between the selected storage location and the inventory holder.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is operable to select the storage location further comprises selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder, the classification of the selected storage location, and a distance between the selected storage location and an inventory station.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is further operable to reserve the storage location for the inventory holder.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module is operable to determine that the inventory holder is available for storage by:

receiving a request;

moving, in response to the request, the inventory holder to an inventory station using the mobile drive unit; and

determining the request has been completed.

29. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program operable to:

detect that an inventory holder at a first location is available for storage;

in response to detecting that the inventory holder is available for storage, determine a classification of the inventory holder;

determine a classification of each of a plurality of storage locations;

select, from the plurality of storage locations, a storage location for the inventory holder based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder and the classification of the selected storage location;

transmit information identifying the storage location to a mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder; and

instruct the mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder to transport the inventory holder from the first location to the identified storage location.

30. The computer program of claim 29, wherein the computer program is operable to:

determine the classification of the inventory holder by calculating a holder velocity of the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a frequency with which inventory items stored by the inventory holder are requested;

determine the classification of each of the plurality of storage locations by determining a range of holder velocities associated with each storage location; and

select a storage location by selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the holder velocity of the inventory holder and the range of holder velocities associated with the storage location.

31. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the computer program is operable to determine the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location by determining the range based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more inventory stations.

32. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the computer program is operable to identify a first group of one or more inventory stations from the plurality of inventory stations based, at least in part, on a station criteria, and wherein the computer program is operable to determine the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location by determining the range based, at least in part, on one or more distances between that storage location and one or more of the inventory stations in the first group.

33. The computer program of claim 32, wherein the computer program is further operable to:

detecting that an additional inventory station has become active;

identifying a second group of one or more inventory stations based, at least in part, on the station criteria; and

determining the range of holder velocities associated with each storage location based, at least in part, one or more distances between that storage location and one or more of the inventory stations in the second group.

34. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the computer program is operable to calculate the holder velocity based, at least in part, on an average of frequencies with which the inventory items stored by the inventory holder are requested.

35. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the computer program is operable to calculate the holder velocity by:

determining a weight for each inventory item stored by the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a number of units of that inventory item currently stored by the inventory holder;

calculating a weighted frequency for each inventory item stored by the inventory holder based, at least in part, on a product of the frequency with which that inventory item is requested and a number of units of that inventory item stored by the inventory holder divided by a total number of units of all inventory items stored by the inventory holder; and

calculating the holder velocity based, at least in part, on an average of the weighted frequencies for inventory items stored by the inventory holder.

36. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the computer program is further operable to divide the plurality of storage locations into a plurality of regions based, at least in part, on one or more distances between each storage location and one or more inventory stations, wherein each region is associated with a range of holder velocities;

and wherein the computer program is operable to select a storage location by;

selecting a region, based at least in part, on the range of holder velocities associated with the selected region; and

selecting a storage location within the selected region.

37. The computer program of claim 36, wherein the computer program is operable to divide the plurality of storage locations into the plurality of regions by dividing the plurality of storage locations into the plurality of regions based, at least in part, on at least one of:

a distance between that storage location and an inventory station nearest that storage space;

a distance between that storage location and an inventory station farthest from that storage space; and

an average distance between that storage location and all inventory stations.

38. The computer program of claim 36, wherein the computer program is further operable to:

detect that a new inventory station has been activated; and

divide the plurality of storage locations into a plurality of new regions in response to detecting that the new inventory station has been activated.

39. The computer program of claim 29, wherein the computer program is operable to select the storage location further by selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder, the classification of the selected storage location, and a distance between the selected storage location and the inventory holder.

40. The computer program of claim 29, wherein the computer program is operable to select the storage location further comprises selecting the storage location based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder, the classification of the selected storage location, and a distance between the selected storage location and an inventory station.

41. The computer program of claim 29, wherein the computer program is further operable to reserve the storage location for the inventory holder.

42. The computer program of claim 29, wherein the computer program is operable to determine that the inventory holder is available for storage by:

receiving a request;

moving, in response to the request, the inventory holder to an inventory station using the mobile drive unit; and

determining the request has been completed.

43. A system for storing inventory items in an inventory system, comprising:

means for detecting that an inventory holder at a first location is available for storage;

means for determining a classification of the inventory holder in response to detecting that the inventory holder is available for storage;

means for determining a classification of each of a plurality of storage locations;

means for selecting, from the plurality of storage locations, a storage location for the inventory holder based, at least in part, on the classification of the inventory holder and the classification of the selected storage location;

means for transmitting information identifying the storage location to a mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder; and

means for instructing the mobile drive unit associated with the inventory holder to transport the inventory holder from the first location to the identified storage location.