Automated proxy picker system for non-fungible goods
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsJohn G. Lert, Jr., William J. Fosnight
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims26
An automated system, comprising:
- an automated decanting station for receiving new inventory into the automated system, the new inventory comprising non-fungible goods, the automated decanting station comprising a plurality of sensors for sensing attribute data about different ones of a plurality of same-type non-fungible goods, the sensed attribute data comprising:
- an image of each of the non-fungible goods, and
- one or more of a firmness of each of the non-fungible goods, defects in each of the non-fungible goods, a weight of each of the non-fungible goods, and an odor of each of the non-fungible goods;
- a plurality of totes having locations therein to fit non-fungible goods of different and identified shapes and sizes, non-fungible goods from the automated decanting station being loaded to corresponding ones of the locations based on the shape and size of the non-fungible goods;
- a plurality of storage locations for storing the plurality of totes including the non-fungible goods;
- and
- a central control system (CCS) configured to:
- store the attribute data;
- publish the attribute data for each of the plurality of same-type non-fungible goods for review by customers, and presenting an option to choose between any of the plurality of same-type non-fungible goods;
- receive an order for a particular non-fungible good of the plurality of same-type non-fungible goods based on a customer reviewing the attribute data for the plurality of same-type non-fungible goods;
- and
- direct retrieval of the particular non-fungible good upon receipt of the order from a storage location where the particular non-fungible good is stored by an automated fulfillment system.
An automated system, comprising:
- a plurality of totes having locations therein to fit a plurality of non-fungible goods of different and identified shapes and sizes, select ones of the non-fungible goods of the plurality of non-fungible goods being loaded to corresponding ones of the locations based on the shape and size of the non-fungible goods;
- a storage area for storing the plurality of totes;
- and
- a central control system (CCS) configured to:
- store attribute data relating to attributes of each of the plurality of non-fungible goods, the plurality of non-fungible goods each being the same type of non-fungible good, the attribute data enabling a customer to distinguish between different non-fungible goods of the plurality of fungible goods;
- publish the attribute data for each of the plurality of non-fungible goods for review by customers;
- receive an order from a customer including desired attributes for a non-fungible good the customer wishes to purchase;
- distinguish between different ones of the same-type non-fungible goods to identify which one of the same-type non-fungible goods in stock most closely matches with the desired attributes in the order from the customer;
- and
- direct retrieval of the identified, closest match non-fungible good upon receipt of the order from a storage location where the non-fungible good is stored by an automated fulfillment system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.