US 10,949,800 B2Granted

Partitioning and coalescing operation of robots for coordinated autonomous execution

AssigneeinVia Robotics, Inc.

InventorsLior Elazary, Randolph Charles Voorhies, Daniel Frank Parks, II

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Abstract

Robots and/or a robot coordinator are provided to execute an overall task by partitioning the task into subtasks and by coalescing results and/or output of the subtasks. The robot coordinator may coordinate, control, and/or program a set of robots to operate within different sections of a site and to execute subtasks associated with different tasks that fall within their respective sections in parallel. The robot coordinator may coordinate, control, and/or program the same or different set of robots to coalesce results and/or output for subtasks for a particular task from the different sections to complete the overall task. For instance, a first set of robots may retrieve objects that are stored at storage locations within the sections in which each robot operates, and a second set of robots may rotate moveable storage apparatus across the sections so that each storage apparatus stores all objects of a particular order.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

operating a plurality of retrieval robots in a site storing a plurality of objects at different storage locations within the site;
receiving a set of customer orders, each customer order of the set of customer orders comprising a different set of the plurality of objects;
partitioning the site into a plurality of unequal sized sections based on an unequal distribution across the site of objects ordered as part of the set of customer orders, wherein said partitioning comprises providing a different retrieval robot of the plurality of retrieval robots exclusive access to a different unequal sized section of the site and restricting each retrieval robot from accessing other unequal sized sections of the site;
retrieving objects for a first customer order that are stored at storage locations within a first section of the site to a first moveable storage apparatus in the first section with a first retrieval robot of the plurality of retrieval robots while simultaneously retrieving objects for a different second customer order that are stored at storage locations within a non-overlapping and distinct second section of the site to a second moveable storage apparatus in the second section with a second retrieval robot of the plurality of retrieval robots;
determining that the first retrieval robot has transferred the objects of the first customer order located in the first section to the first moveable storage apparatus, and that the second retrieval robot has retrieved the objects of the second customer order located in the second section to the second moveable storage apparatus;
rotating the first moveable storage apparatus from the first section to the second section, and the second moveable storage apparatus from the second section to the first section with at least one transfer robot in response to said determining;
coalescing objects of the first customer order that are stored at storage locations within the second section to the first moveable storage apparatus using the second retrieval robot in response to said rotating of the first moveable storage apparatus with other objects of the first customer order from the first section into the second section;
and
coalescing objects of the second customer order that are stored at storage locations within the first section to the second moveable storage apparatus using the first retrieval robot in response to said rotating of the second moveable storage apparatus with other objects of the second customer order from the second section into the first section.

6 more elements

A system comprising:

a first retrieval robot operating within a first section of a site;
a second retrieval robot operating within a different second section of the site that does not overlap with the first section of the site;
at least one transfer robot operating across at least the first and second sections of the site;
a first moveable storage apparatus;
a second moveable storage apparatus;
and
a robot coordinator comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive a set of customer orders, each customer order of the set of customer orders comprising a different set of a plurality of objects at different storage locations within the site;
partition the site into at least the first and second sections of unequal sizes based on an unequal distribution across the site of objects ordered as part of the set of customer orders, wherein said partitioning comprises providing the first retrieval robot exclusive access to the first section of the site, providing the second retrieval robot exclusive access to the second section of the site, and restricting the first and second retrieval robots from accessing other unequal sized sections of the site;
coordinate transfer of objects for a first customer order that are stored at storage locations within the first section to the first moveable storage apparatus in the first section using the first retrieval robot, and transfer of objects for a second customer order that are stored at storage locations within the second section to the second moveable storage apparatus in the second section using the second retrieval robot;
determine that the first retrieval robot has transferred the objects of the first customer order located in the first section to the first moveable storage apparatus, and that the second retrieval robot has retrieved the objects of the second customer order located in the second section to the second moveable storage apparatus;
direct the at least one transfer robot in rotating the first moveable storage apparatus from the first section to the second section, and the second moveable storage apparatus from the second section to the first section in response to said determining;
direct the second retrieval robot in coalescing objects of the first customer order that are stored at storage locations within the second section to the first moveable storage apparatus in response to said rotating of the first moveable storage apparatus with other objects of the first customer order from the first section into the second section;
and
direct the first retrieval robot in coalescing objects of the second customer order that are stored at storage locations within the first section to the second moveable storage apparatus in response to said rotating of the second moveable storage apparatus with other objects of the second customer order from the second section into the first section.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/230,840Filed 21 Dec 2018
Published: US 2020/0202285 A125 Jun 2020
Granted: 16 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B65G 1/1375
For fulfilling orders in warehouses: the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
B65G 1/1373
With arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed: for fulfilling orders in warehouses
G05D 1/0287
Specially adapted to land vehicles: involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling