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US 12,110,183 B2Granted
Robotic each picking in a micro-fulfillment center
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsWilliam J. Fosnight, John G. Lert, Jr., Christopher Hofmeister
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A workstation receives bots carrying order totes and bots carrying product totes for transfer of goods from the product totes to the order totes. The workstation comprises a robot for automated transfer of goods between the product and order totes, but may also have a station for an operator to perform manual transfer. Cameras may be provided to capture images of the product and/or order totes to identify contents of totes and to identify positions where goods are to be picked from the product totes and placed into the order totes.
Claims20
A workstation for an automated goods-to-person system, comprising:
- a housing comprising first and second sections, the first section comprising:
- a first entry port configured to allow a first group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the first group of mobile robots comprising product totes carrying goods to fulfill an order,
- a first access port configured to present the product totes for transfer of goods from the product totes, and
- a first exit port configured to allow the first group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- and the second section comprising:
- a second entry port configured to allow a second group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the second group of mobile robots comprising order totes for receiving goods from the product totes to fulfill an order,
- a second access port configured to present the order totes for receiving goods from the product totes, and
- a second exit port configured to allow the second group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- and
- a robot configured to access goods from the product totes through the first access port and transfer the goods to the order totes through the second access port;
- wherein the housing is configured to accept the first and second groups of mobile robots through the first and second entry ports at a first level, cycle the first and second groups of mobile robots into the housing and up to a second level above the first level to present the first and second groups of mobile robots to the first and second access ports, and then cycle the first and second groups of mobile robots out of the housing through the first and second exit ports.
8 more elements
A workstation for an automated goods-to-person system, comprising:
- a housing comprising first and second sections, the first section comprising:
- a first entry port configured to allow a first group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the first group of mobile robots comprising product totes carrying goods to fulfill an order,
- a first access port configured to present the product totes for transfer of goods from the product totes, and
- a first exit port configured to allow the first group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- and the second section comprising:
- a second entry port configured to allow a second group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the second group of mobile robots comprising order totes for receiving goods from the product totes to fulfill an order,
- a second access port configured to present the order totes for receiving goods from the product totes, and
- a second exit port configured to allow the second group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- and
- a robot configured to access goods from the product totes through the first access port and transfer the goods to the order totes through the second access port;
- wherein the housing is configured to accept the first and second groups of mobile robots through the first and second entry ports at a first side of the housing, cycle the first and second groups of mobile robots into the housing to the first and second access ports, and then cycle the first and second groups of mobile robots out of the housing through the first and second exit ports positioned at a second side of the housing opposed to the first side of the housing.
8 more elements
A workstation for an automated goods-to-person system, comprising:
- a housing comprising first, second and third sections, the second section positioned between the first and third sections, the first section comprising:
- a first entry port configured to allow a first group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the first group of mobile robots comprising a first group of product totes carrying goods to fulfill an order,
- a first access port configured to present the first group of product totes for transfer of goods from the first group of product totes, and
- a first exit port configured to allow the first group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- the second section comprising:
- a second entry port configured to allow a second group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the second group of mobile robots comprising order totes for receiving goods from the product totes to fulfill an order,
- a second access port configured to present the order totes for receiving goods from the product totes, and
- a second exit port configured to allow the second group of mobile robots to exit the workstation, and
- the third section comprising:
- a third entry port configured to allow a third group of one or more mobile robots to enter the workstation, the third group of mobile robots comprising a second group of product totes carrying goods to fulfill an order,
- a third access port configured to present the second group of product totes for transfer of goods from the second group of product totes, and
- a third exit port configured to allow the third group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- and
- a robot configured to access goods from the product totes through the first access port and transfer the goods to the order totes through the second access port.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.