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US 11,694,295 B2Granted
Automated proxy picker system for non-fungible goods
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsJohn G. Lert, Jr., William J. Fosnight
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for providing proxy picking of non-fungible goods within an automated storage and retrieval system is provided, which repurposes one or more automated mobile robots operating within the automated inventory management system to perform a plurality of tasks across multiple different areas of an automated store. The proxy picking system and method are configured to pick individually identified non-fungible goods according to a customer selection on an ordering screen based on measured attributes and images of the goods, the attributes selected by the customer.
Claims30
An automated system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage locations configured to store containers containing non-fungible goods;
- a plurality of robots configured to travel to the plurality of storage locations to retrieve the containers;
- a central control system (CCS) configured to:
- store characteristics of the non-fungible goods stored in the containers, and
- store identifiers associated with one or more of:
- the non-fungible goods, the containers in which the non-fungible goods are stored, and the storage locations where the containers are stored;
- and
- a terminal having a network connection to the CCS and configured to present a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface configured to:
- receive selection criteria from a customer or customer proxy as to customer preferences on preferred characteristics of one or more non-fungible goods,
- present information or one or more images identifying one or more non-fungible goods most closely matching the received selection criteria, and
- receive selection from the customer or customer proxy of a non-fungible good for purchase based on the information or one or more images presented;
- wherein, upon identification of the selected non-fungible good, the CCS:
- retrieves the identifier associated with the selected non-fungible good, a container in which the selected non-fungible good is stored or the storage location at which the container containing the selected non-fungible good is stored, and
- directs a mobile robot of the plurality of mobile robots to travel to the storage location containing the selected non-fungible good to retrieve the container containing the selected non-fungible good;
- and
- wherein the mobile robot retrieves the container containing the selected non-fungible good upon being directed by the CCS.
13 more elements
An automated system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage locations configured to store containers containing non-fungible goods;
- a plurality of robots configured to travel to the plurality of storage locations to retrieve the containers;
- a central control system (CCS) configured to:
- store characteristics of the non-fungible goods stored in the containers, and
- store identifiers associated with one or more of:
- the non-fungible goods, the containers in which the non-fungible goods are stored, and the storage locations where the containers are stored;
- and
- a terminal having a network connection to the CCS and configured to present a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface configured to:
- receive one or more prioritization indicators enabling a customer or customer proxy to prioritize each of one or more selection criteria as to customer preferences on preferred characteristics of one or more non-fungible goods,
- present information or one or more images identifying one or more non-fungible goods most closely matching the received prioritization indicators, and
- receive selection from the customer or customer proxy of a non-fungible good for purchase based on the information or one or more images presented.
8 more elements
An automated system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage locations configured to store containers containing non-fungible goods;
- a plurality of robots configured to travel to the plurality of storage locations to retrieve the containers;
- a central control system (CCS) configured to:
- store characteristics of the non-fungible goods stored in the containers, and
- store identifiers associated with one or more of:
- the non-fungible goods, the containers in which the non-fungible goods are stored, and the storage locations where the containers are stored;
- and
- a terminal having a network connection to the CCS and configured to present a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface configured to:
- receive and store, in a first session, selection criteria from a customer or customer proxy as to customer preferences on preferred characteristics of one or more non-fungible goods, or one or more prioritization indicators enabling the customer or customer proxy to prioritize each of the selection criteria as to customer preferences on preferred characteristics of one or more non-fungible goods,
- present information or one or more images in a second session after termination of the first session, the information or one or more images identifying one or more non-fungible goods most closely matching the selection criteria or prioritization indicators stored in the first session, and
- receive selection from the customer or customer proxy of a non-fungible good for purchase based on the information or one or more images presented.
8 more elements
An automated system, comprising:
- a plurality of storage locations configured to store containers containing non-fungible goods;
- a plurality of robots configured to travel to the plurality of storage locations to retrieve the containers;
- a central control system (CCS) configured to:
- store characteristics of the non-fungible goods stored in the containers, and
- store an identifier for each of the non-fungible goods identifying and tracking a container of the containers in which each of the non-fungible goods is stored in the plurality of storage locations, and identifying and tracking a specific position within the containers at which each of the non-fungible goods is stored in the plurality of storage locations;
- a terminal having a network connection to the CCS and configured to present a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface configured to:
- receive and store selection criteria from a customer or customer proxy as to customer preferences on preferred characteristics of one or more of the non-fungible goods, or one or more prioritization indicators enabling the customer or customer proxy to prioritize each of the selection criteria as to customer preferences on preferred characteristics of one or more of the non-fungible goods,
- present information or one or more images in a second session after termination of the first session, the information or one or more images identifying one or more non-fungible goods most closely matching the selection criteria or prioritization indicators stored in the first session, and
- receive selection from the customer or customer proxy of a non-fungible good for purchase based on the information or one or more images presented;
- wherein, upon identification of the selected non-fungible good, the CCS:
- retrieves the identifier associated with the selected non-fungible good,
- directs a mobile robot of the plurality of mobile robots to travel to the storage location containing the selected non-fungible good to retrieve the container containing the selected non-fungible good, and
- direct transfer of the selected non-fungible good from the container and specific position within the container based on the identifier.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.