Systems and methods for autonomous provision replenishment
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRyan Christopher Gariepy, Simon Drexler, Roydyn Clayton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for autonomous provision replenishment are disclosed. Parts used in a manufacturing process are stored in an intermediate stock queue. When the parts are consumed by the manufacturing process and the number of parts in the queue falls below a threshold, a provision-replenishment signal is generated. One or more self-driving material-transport vehicles, a fleet-management system, and a provision-notification device.
Claims20
A system for autonomous provision replenishment, the system comprising:
- one or more self-driving vehicles operable to:
- count a number of items at a stocking queue of a manufacturing process;
- generate a provision-replenishment signal in response to determining that the number of items at the stocking queue does not satisfy a replenishment threshold, the provision-replenishment signal comprising a count indicator corresponding to the number of items at the stocking queue;
- share the count indicator at the one or more self-driving vehicles;
- and
- execute a replenishment mission received from a fleet-management system;
- and
- the fleet-management system having a processor operable to:
- receive the provision-replenishment signal from the one or more self-driving vehicle;
- generate the replenishment mission involving at least a pick-up location associated with the items and a drop-off location associated with the stocking queue;
- transmit the replenishment mission to the one or more self-driving vehicles;
- and
- receive a confirmation signal from the one or more self-driving vehicles following completion of the replenishment mission.
A method for autonomous provision replenishment, the method comprising:
- operating one or more self-driving vehicles to:
- count a number of items at a stocking queue of a manufacturing process;
- generate a provision-replenishment signal in response to determining that the number of items at the stocking queue does not satisfy a replenishment threshold, the provision-replenishment signal comprising a count indicator corresponding to the number of items at the stocking queue;
- share the count indicator at the one or more self-driving vehicles;
- and
- execute a replenishment mission received from a fleet-management system;
- receiving the provision-replenishment signal from the at least one self-driving vehicle;
- generating the replenishment mission involving at least a pick-up location associated with the items and a drop-off location associated with the stocking queue;
- transmitting the replenishment mission to the one or more self-driving vehicles;
- and
- receiving a confirmation signal from the one or more self-driving vehicles following completion of the replenishment mission.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.