# US 12,110,182 B2 · Storage and picking system and picking method having improved transfer of goods between two storage areas

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- Number: US 12,110,182 B2
- Document ID: US12110182B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/253,226
- Filed: 2019-06-19
- Published: 2021-09-02
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-21
- Assignees: TGW Logistics Group GmbH
- Applicants: TGW Logistics Group GmbH
- Inventors: Timothy Lindley; Gerald Kettlgruber; Harald Johannes Schroepf
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110182B2

## CPC

- B65G 1/1376: {the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor}
- B65G 1/1378: {the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas}
- B65G 1/1375: {the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck}
- B65G 47/26: arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles
- B65G 47/61: for articles
- B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided}
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 10/06315: {Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis}
- G06Q 10/0875: Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
- 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)
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)
- 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

## Abstract

In an order-picking method for picking at least one ordered good into or onto a target loading aid, goods which are stored in a first storage zone using first loading aids are reloaded, on the basis of a transfer request, from a first loading aid into or onto at least one second loading aid and stored in a second storage zone. When a picking order is obtained, (an) ordered good(s) is/are retrieved from the second storage zone and loaded into or onto the target loading aid. During an execution of the transfer request, the first loading aid is fully or partially unloaded, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches a threshold value. Further, a storage and order-picking system carries out the method.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An order-picking method for picking at least one ordered good into or onto a target loading aid, comprising the steps;
storing a plurality of goods of different types of good into a first storage zone using a plurality of first loading aids, wherein the first loading aids respectively receive the plurality of goods, wherein a totality of the types of good stored in the first storage zone corresponds to a line of goods available;
generating a transfer request for rearranging a plurality of transfer goods of a first type of good of the different types of good from the first storage zone into a second storage zone when goods of the first type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone;
reloading the plurality of transfer goods from at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids into or onto at least one second loading aid and transporting the at least one second loading aid into the second storage zone on the basis of the transfer request;
obtaining a picking order for picking the at least one ordered good and ascertaining the at least one ordered good required for this picking order; and
retrieving the at least one ordered good from the second storage zone and loading the at least one ordered good into or onto the target loading aid on the basis of the picking order;
wherein
during the execution of the transfer request, the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids is fully or partially unloaded, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to the first type of good reaches a threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a probability P for a full unloading of the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids fits the constraint
P
>
1
n
Waren
wherein nWaren specifies the number of goods being stored in or on the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a probability P for a full unloading of each of the first loading aids used for storing the line of goods of the plurality of first loading aids fits the constraint
P
>
n
LHM
⁢
1
n
Waren
wherein nLHM1 specifies the number of the plurality of first loading aids used for storing the line of goods and nWaren specifies the number of goods being stored in or on the plurality of first loading aids used for storing the line of goods.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a probability P for a full unloading of the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids fits the constraint
n
LHM
⁢
1
⁢
vollst
n
LHM
⁢
1
>
n
LHM
⁢
1
n
Waren
wherein nLHM1vollst specifies the number of fully unloaded first loading aids of the plurality of first loading aids, nLHM1 specifies the number of first loading aids of the plurality of first loading aids involved in the transfer request of the first type of good being stored, and nWaren specifies the number of goods being stored in or on the first loading aids of the plurality of first loading aids involved in the transfer request of the first type of good being stored.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a setting to a partial or full unloading for a majority of types of good of the different types of goods of the line of goods is maintained either for a specified period of time or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to the majority of types of good subject to the setting.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a setting to a partial or full unloading for the first type of good is maintained either for a specified period of time or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to the first type of good.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The order-picking method according to claim 5, wherein a setting to a partial or full unloading applies to each first loading aids of the plurality of first loading aids required for the execution of the transfer request of the first type of good being stored.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter allocated to the first type of good forms part of the group: rate of turnover of the first type of good, rate of turnover of the first type of good in the second storage zone, number of transfer goods of the first type of good to be reloaded.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein
the parameter allocated to the first type of good is a rate of turnover of the first type of good;
the threshold value is a rate-of-turnover threshold value, which subdivides the line of goods into a share of types of good of the different types of good with a high rate of turnover and a share of types of good of the different types of good with a low rate of turnover; and
the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids is fully unloaded during execution of the transfer request of the first type of good being stored if the first type of good belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a high rate of turnover which is above a rate-of-turnover threshold value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The order-picking method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids, during execution of the transfer request of the first type of good being stored,
i) is only fully unloaded if a target number of the plurality of transfer goods to be reloaded is larger than the number, or equal to the number, of the goods located in the first loading aid, and
ii) is partially unloaded if a target number of the plurality of transfer goods to be reloaded is smaller than the number of the goods located in the first loading aid,
if the first type of good, in the cases i) and ii), belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a low rate of turnover which is below the rate-of-turnover threshold value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The order-picking method according to claim 9, wherein the number and/or target number of the plurality of transfer goods to be rearranged is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of the first type of good, number of the goods of the first type of good in the second storage zone.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein
the parameter allocated to the first type of good is a target number of transfer goods of the first type of good which is to be transferred from the first storage zone into the second storage zone;
the threshold value is a rearrangement threshold value, from which at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids loaded with goods of the first type of good of the plurality of first loading aids is fully unloaded;
a target number of transfer goods of the first type of good to be reloaded is determined for the transfer request;
the actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods corresponds to the target number if the target number is smaller, or equal to, the rearrangement threshold value, and the actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods corresponds to the total number of the goods located in the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids if the target number is above the rearrangement threshold value; and
at least one rearrangement threshold value SWUmlager referring or convertible to the actual number of goods of the actually reloaded transfer goods exists, for which the following is true:
SWUmlager<nWaren−1
wherein nWaren specifies the number of goods of the plurality of goods respectively being stored in or on the first loading aids.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The order-picking method according to claim 12, wherein the target number is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of the first type of good, number of the goods of the first type of good in the second storage zone.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The order-picking method according to claim 12, wherein the rearrangement threshold value is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of the first type of good, total capacity in the second storage zone, remaining capacity in the second storage zone, provisioning time during the retrieving of a transfer good of the plurality of transfer goods from the first storage zone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The order-picking method according to claim 14, wherein
the rearrangement threshold value for the first type of good with a first rate of turnover is lower than for a second type of good with a smaller, second rate of turnover of the different types of goods; and/or
the rearrangement threshold value for the second storage zone with a first total capacity is lower than for the second storage zone with a smaller, second total capacity; and/or
the rearrangement threshold value for a first remaining capacity in the second storage zone is lower than for a smaller, second remaining capacity in the second storage zone; and/or
the rearrangement threshold value for a first provisioning time during the retrieving of a transfer good of the plurality of transfer goods from the first storage zone is lower than for a shorter, second provisioning time during the retrieving of a transfer good of the plurality of transfer goods from the first storage zone.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The order-picking method according to claim 14, wherein
the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the rate of turnover of the first type of good increases; and/or
the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the remaining capacity in the second storage zone increases; and/or
the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the provisioning time during the retrieving of a transfer good of the plurality of transfer goods from the first storage zone increases,
and vice versa.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first loading aid with the plurality of transfer goods of the plurality of first loading aids is conveyed from the first storage zone to a reloading station and provided at a first reloading provisioning position of the reloading station on the basis of the transfer request, and afterwards the plurality of transfer goods is reloaded into or onto the at least one second loading aid provided at a second reloading provisioning position of the reloading station.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the transfer request is generated and executed without reference to the picking order.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the transfer request for rearranging the plurality of transfer goods of the first type of good from the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids into or onto the at least one second loading aid is created when the number of the goods of the first type of good in the second storage zone falls below a stock-threshold value.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein, during execution of the transfer request, the content of the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids is separated into multiple second loading aids.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein, during the execution of the transfer request, one piece of the plurality of transfer goods is respectively reloaded into or onto one second loading aid each of the at least one second loading aid.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein, during the execution of the transfer request, more than one transfer good of the plurality of transfer goods are respectively reloaded into or onto one second loading aid each of the at least one second loading aid.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the target loading aid; or
is used as a dispatch loading aid and the at least one ordered good is loaded directly from the at least one second loading aid into or onto the dispatch loading aid; or
is used as an interim loading aid and the at least one ordered good is loaded from the at least one second loading aid into or onto the interim loading aid and then into or onto a dispatch loading aid.

### Claim 24

A storage and order-picking system for picking at least one ordered good into or onto a target loading aid, comprising:
a first storage zone for depositing a plurality of goods of different types of good using a plurality of first loading aids;
a second storage zone for depositing the plurality of goods of different types of good using second loading aids,
a warehouse computer for generating a transfer request for rearranging a plurality of transfer goods of a first type of good of the different types of good from the first storage zone into the second storage zone when goods of the first type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone;
a first conveying system for retrieving a first loading aid with the transfer goods of the plurality of first loading aids from the first storage zone on the basis of the transfer request;
a second conveying system for storing the second loading aids with the transfer goods into the second storage zone on the basis of the transfer request and for retrieving the at least one ordered good;
a reloading station cooperating with the first conveying system and the second conveying system and the reloading station is configured to reload, on the basis of the transfer request, of the transfer goods from at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids into or onto at least one second loading aid of the second loading aids provided at the reloading station,
an order-processing computer for receiving an order for picking the at least one ordered good and for ascertaining the at least one ordered good required for the picking order;
a picking station cooperating with the second conveying system and the picking station is configured to load, on the basis of the picking order, the at least one ordered good from the at least one second loading aid of the second loading aids into or onto a target loading aid provided at the picking station;
wherein
the warehouse computer or the reloading station is configured to control the full or partial unloading of the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids during the execution of the transfer request, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to the first type of good reaches a threshold value.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one first loading aid is structured differently from the at least one second loading aid.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids is selected from the group consisting of a container, a tray, and a cardboard box, and
wherein the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids comprises
a bottom with a receiving location on an upper side of the first loading aid, at which goods of the plurality of goods, or transfer goods, can be placed, and a transport surface on a lower side of the first loading aid, by which the first loading aid is transportable on the first conveying system, and
side walls rising up from the bottom.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids is a mobile shelf unit having in storage planes located on top of one another, shelves with respectively at least one receiving location at which goods of the plurality of goods, or transfer goods, can be placed.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one second loading aid of the second loading aids is configured as or comprises a hanging bag.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, further comprising a sorting device cooperating with the second conveying system, wherein the sorting device is configured to bring ordered goods into a specifiable sequence.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the first conveying system and the second conveying system comprises at least one of a fixed-installation conveying device and an autonomous industrial truck.

### Claim 31 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein
the first storage zone comprises storage racks;
storage locations are provided in the storage racks; and
the first conveying system comprises an automated conveying vehicle configured to retrieve the first loading aid with the transfer goods of the plurality of first loading aids.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 31, wherein the first conveying system comprises
a first conveying section for storing the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of loading aids with goods into the first storage zone; and
a second conveying section for retrieving the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of loading aids with transfer goods from the first storage zone; and
wherein the automated conveying vehicle is further configured to store the first loading aid of the plurality of loading aids with the goods into a storage location.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 31, wherein the automated conveying vehicle
is displaceable in front of the storage locations along a rack aisle; and
is equipped with a load handling device configured to transport the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids with the goods of the plurality of goods into a storage location and/or configured to transport the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of first loading aids with the transfer goods from a storage location; and
is configured as at least one of a rail guided automated storage and retrieval unit and an autonomous industrial truck.

### Claim 34 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein
the at least one first loading aid of the plurality of loading aids is a mobile shelf unit having, in storage planes located on top of one another, shelves with respectively at least one receiving location at which goods of the plurality of goods, or transfer goods, can be placed; and
the first conveying system comprises an automated conveying vehicle, wherein the automated conveying vehicle is configured as an autonomous industrial truck and the mobile shelf unit is transportable by the autonomous industrial truck.

### Claim 35 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein
the second storage zone comprises overhead storage conveyors; and
the second conveying system comprises overhead transport conveyors connected to the overhead storage conveyors and configured to store the second loading aids with the transfer goods into the second storage zone and/or configured to retrieve the second loading aids with the ordered goods from the second storage zone.

### Claim 36 (depends on 24)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 24, wherein
the second storage zone comprises overhead storage conveyors; and
the second conveying system comprises an automated conveying vehicle configured to store the second loading aids with the transfer goods into the second storage zone and/or configured to retrieve the second loading aids with the ordered goods from the second storage zone.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 36, wherein the automated conveying vehicle
is displaceable in front of the storage locations along a rack aisle; and
is equipped with a load handling device configured to transport the second loading aids with the transfer goods into the overhead storage conveyor and/or configured to transport the second loading aids with the ordered goods from the overhead storage conveyor; and
is configured as at least one of a rail guided storage and retrieval unit and an autonomous industrial truck.

### Claim 38 (depends on 36)

The storage and order-picking system according to claim 36, wherein
the overhead storage conveyors comprise mobile overhead storage conveyors; and
the automated conveying vehicle is configured as an autonomous industrial truck and the mobile overhead storage conveyors are transportable by the autonomous industrial truck.