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US 10,618,736 B2Granted
Autonomous mobile picking
AssigneeDematic Corp.
InventorsMichael S. Khodl, David M. Berghorn, Todd S. Hunter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An order-picking method includes autonomously routing a plurality of mobile robotic units in an order fulfillment facility and picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility. A material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility includes an autonomous mobile vehicle base and a plurality of article receptacles positioned on the base. A visual indicator associated with the receptacle facilitates picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic unit.
Claims19
An order-fulfillment picking method adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, said method comprising:
- autonomously routing a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- transferring articles with said robotic arm of said at least one of said embodiments mobile robotic units to or from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- and
- augmenting said autonomous mobile robotic units with humans by manually transferring articles to or from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile units in order to add capacity during peak flow periods wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are adapted to alter planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of persons.
3 more elements
An order-fulfillment picking method adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, said method comprising:
- autonomously routing a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- transferring articles with said robotic arm of said at least one of said embodiments mobile robotic units to or from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- and
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a plurality of said autonomous mobile robotic units that are attachedly coupled in a train of autonomous mobile robotic units.
3 more elements
An order-fulfillment picking method adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, said method comprising:
- autonomously routing a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- transferring articles with said robotic arm of said at least one of said embodiments mobile robotic units to or from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- and
- wherein at least two of said autonomous mobile robotic units are coupled to travel as a pair of autonomous mobile robotic units.
3 more elements
An order-fulfillment picking method adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, said method comprising:
- autonomously routing a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- transferring articles with said robotic arm of said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units to or from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- wherein said material-handling facility includes at least one pick station and wherein said transferring articles includes transferring articles with said robotic arm between a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units and said at least one pick station;
- and
- augmenting said autonomous mobile robotic units with humans by manually transferring articles between said receptacle supported by said receptacle support and said at least one pick station in order to add capacity during peak flow periods wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are adapted to alter planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of persons.
4 more elements
An order fulfillment facility that is adapted to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, said facility comprising:
- a pick station having items to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue;
- a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units that are adapted to be autonomously routed in the order fulfillment facility, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said robotic mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- wherein said at least one of said robotic units is adapted to transferring articles with said robotic arm between a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units and said pick station;
- and
- wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are adapted to alter planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of persons and wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile units are adapted to augmentation with humans manually transferring articles between said receptacle supported by said receptacle support and said pick station in order to add capacity during peak flow periods.
4 more elements
An order fulfillment facility that is adapted to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, said facility comprising:
- a pick station having items to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue;
- a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units that are adapted to be autonomously routed in the order fulfillment facility, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said robotic mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- and
- wherein said at least one of said robotic units is adapted to pick articles with said robotic arm from said pick station to a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units to fulfill orders or is adapted to put articles with said robotic arm from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units to said pick station in order to replenish said pick station;
- and
- wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are adapted to alter planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of persons and wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile units are adapted to augmentation with humans manually picking articles from said pick station to said receptacle supported by said receptacle support or manually putting articles from said receptacle supported by said receptacle support to said pick station in order to add capacity during peak flow periods.
5 more elements
A robotic system adapted for use in order fulfillment facility that is adapted to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue, the order fulfillment facility having a pick station having items to fulfill orders placed by individuals on-line or from a catalogue;
- said robotic system comprising:
- a plurality of autonomous mobile robotic units that are adapted to be autonomously routed in the order fulfillment facility, wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are capable of self-navigating without special infrastructure;
- wherein at least one of said robotic units comprises a robotic arm and at least one other of said robotic mobile robotic units comprises a receptacle support;
- wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units is separate and independent from said at least one of said autonomous mobile robotic units;
- and
- wherein said at least one of said robotic units is adapted to transferring articles with said robotic arm between a receptacle supported by said receptacle support of said at least one other of said autonomous mobile robotic units and the pick station;
- and
- wherein said autonomous mobile robotic units are adapted to alter planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of persons and wherein said at least one other of said autonomous mobile units are adapted to augmentation with humans manually receiving articles transferred to or allow articles to be manually transferred from a receptacle supported by said receptacle support in order to add capacity during peak flow periods.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.