# US 11,078,019 B2 · Tote induction in warehouse order fulfillment operations

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- Number: US 11,078,019 B2
- Document ID: US11078019B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/262,315
- Filed: 2019-01-30
- Published: 2020-07-30
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-30
- Assignees: Locus Robotics Corp.
- Applicants: Locus Robotics Corp.
- Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson; Bruce Welty; Sean Johnson; Luis Jaquez
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078019B2

## CPC

- B65G 1/1373: {for fulfilling orders in warehouses}
- B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels}
- B25J 9/1679: {characterised by the tasks executed}
- B65G 1/0492: {with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles}
- G05B 19/41895: {using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] (control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00)}
- G05D 1/0287: {involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16)}
- G05D 1/0291: {Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127)}
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 10/0874: {Inventory fulfillment (shipping G06Q10/083)}
- B65G 2209/04: Indication location means
- Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A method for assigning orders to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators. The method includes providing a first robot of the plurality of robots to a be assigned an order set, including one or more orders to be fulfilled and assessing the locations of at least one of the plurality of robots or at least one of the plurality of operators in the warehouse. The method also includes selecting an anchor location in the warehouse and generating an order set for the first robot correlated to the anchor location in the warehouse. The method also includes assigning the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for assigning orders by a computer system to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators, each order including one or more items and each item stored at an item location in the warehouse, the method comprising:
selecting, by a computer processor, an order set from a plurality of orders stored in a computer memory to be assigned to a first robot of the plurality of robots, the order set including one or more orders of the plurality of orders; the step of selecting including operating the computer processor to:
form a plurality of groups in the warehouse, each group defining a region in the warehouse and each group including one or more robots and/or operators;
select one of the plurality of groups as an anchor group based on a level of activity in the applicable region in the warehouse;
assign a location within the region of the anchor group as an anchor location; and
generate the order set for the first robot based in part on proximity of the one or more orders in the order set to the anchor location; and
assigning the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including positioning the first robot at a processing station where an operator assists with assigning the order set to the first robot.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the operator provides the first robot with a tote array for carrying the items in the order set when the first robot fulfills the order set in the warehouse.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the first robot fulfills the order set in the warehouse by travelling to item locations in the warehouse associated with each item in the order set and communicating to an operator proximate each item location the item to be selected and placed on the tote array of the first robot.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the plurality of groups includes one or more active locations in the warehouse, wherein each of active locations is an item location associated with an item in an order that has been assigned to one of the plurality of robots for fulfillment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein operating the computer processor to assign the anchor location the includes identifying one of the robots, operators, or active locations in the anchor group as the anchor robot, anchor operator or anchor active location and using the location of the selected anchor robot, anchor operator or anchor active location as the anchor location.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein selecting the anchor group includes selecting the group based on the number of robots, operators, and/or active locations; and wherein the number of robots, operators, and/or active locations defines the level of activity in the group.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the step of selecting the anchor group includes selecting the group based on a ratio of one of robots, operators, and active locations to another of robots, operators, and active locations; and wherein the ratio of one of robots, operators, and active locations to another of robots, operators, and active locations defines the level of activity in the group.

### Claim 9

A system for assigning orders to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators, each order including one or more items and each item stored at an item location in the warehouse, the system comprising:
a first robot of the plurality of robots to be assigned an order set from a plurality of orders, the order set including one or more orders to be fulfilled; and
a warehouse management system configured to:
form a plurality of groups in the warehouse, each group defining a region in the warehouse and each group including one or more robots and/or operators;
select one of the plurality of groups as an anchor group based on a level of activity in the applicable region in the warehouse;
assign a location within the region of the anchor group as the anchor location;
generate the order set for the first robot, the order set being based in part on proximity of the one or more orders in the order set to the anchor location in the warehouse; and
assign the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 further including a processing station where an operator assists with assigning the order set to the first robot.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10 wherein the operator provides the first robot with a tote array for carrying the items in the order set when the first robot fulfills the order set in the warehouse.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the first robot is configured to fulfill the order set in the warehouse by travelling to item locations in the warehouse associated with each item in the order set and communicating to an operator proximate each item location the item to be selected and placed on the tote array of the first robot.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein one or more of the plurality of groups includes one or more active locations in the warehouse, wherein each of the active locations is an item location associated with an item in an order that has been assigned to one of the plurality of robots for fulfillment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13 wherein the warehouse management system is configured to select from the anchor group one of the robots, operators, or active locations in the anchor group as the anchor robot, anchor operator or anchor active location and use the location of the selected anchor robot, anchor operator or anchor active location as the anchor location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13 wherein the warehouse management system is configured to select the anchor group based on the number of robots, operators, and/or active locations; and wherein the number of robots, operators, and/or active locations defines the level of activity in the group.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13 wherein the warehouse management system is configured to select the anchor group based on a ratio of one of robots, operators, and active locations to another of robots, operators, and active locations; and wherein the ratio of one of robots, operators, and active locations to another of robots, operators, and active locations defines the level of activity in the group.