# US 2022/0306385 A1 · Expandable autonomous storage and retrieval tower

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- Number: US 2022/0306385 A1
- Document ID: US20220306385A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/839,183
- Filed: 2022-06-13
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-08
- Assignees: Walmart Apollo, LLC
- Applicants: Walmart Apollo, LLC
- Inventors: David G. Tovey; Bruce W. Wilkinson; Paul E. Durkee; Kurt William Robert Bessel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220306385A1

## CPC

- B65G 1/1371: {with data records}
- B65G 1/127: the circuit being confined in a vertical plane
- G05B 19/4189: {characterised by the transport system}
- G06K 7/1413: {1D bar codes}
- G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes}
- G06Q 10/06311: {Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group}
- G06Q 10/0836: Recipient pick-ups
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G05B 2219/31037: Compartment, bin, storage vessel sensor to verify correct bin is loaded
- G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)}
- 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)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- 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

An autonomous storage and retrieval tower with dynamic resizing of available space is discussed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An autonomous storage and retrieval unit with dynamic resizing of available space, comprising:
a housing;
at least one computing device in communication with one or more databases that are configured to store at least one item file associated with the at least one physical item and rules for organizing physical item storage within the housing;
an assignment module executable by the computing device, the assignment module when executed:
receives an identifier associated with an inbound physical item to be stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
retrieves, from the one or more databases, a first item file associated with the identifier, wherein the first item file has a first item dimension attribute associated with the inbound physical item;
retrieves a plurality of item files associated with a plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, wherein the plurality of item files include item dimension attributes associated with the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
analyzes an amount of available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit based on the first item dimension attribute and the item dimension attributes associated with the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit; and
if the assignment module identifies, based on the analysis, a lack of available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to store the inbound physical item, the assignment module performs at least one action based on the rules to store the in-bound physical item within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit or within a different autonomous storage and retrieval unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one supporting unit containing a plurality of supports within the housing, each support of the plurality of supports configured to be to be able to move within the housing; and
the at least one computing device further configured to control movement of the plurality of supports,
wherein the at least one action includes changing a location of at least one support of the plurality of supports within the housing to make available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit sufficient to store the inbound physical item.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes re-orienting a first physical item of the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to a different orientation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes notifying an employee to re-orient a first physical item of the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to a different orientation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 4, further comprising:
a screen configured to display a depiction of the item with the different orientation as part of the notifying.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the rules include at least one of a length of time a physical item may be stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit before being removed, specified categories associated with one or more physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit designating an order in which the one or more physical items are removed from the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to make space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, whether a physical item stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit can be re-oriented, or whether a physical item stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit can support weight.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the assignment module when executed performs the analysis by:
analyzing a location within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit that holds a physical item based on an item dimension attribute of the physical item, and
analyzing categories of physical items stored within the based on an item dimension attribute of the physical item.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes re-routing the inbound physical item to the different autonomous storage and retrieval unit or a separate storage location.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes re-routing at least one physical item of the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to the different autonomous storage and retrieval unit or a separate storage location.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The autonomous storage and retrieval unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes transmitting a notification to a customer to pick up a first physical item stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, where the first physical item is associated with the customer.

### Claim 11

A method for dynamic resizing of available space in an autonomous storage and retrieval unit, the method comprising:
receiving, via an assignment module, an identifier associated with an inbound physical item to be stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
retrieving, via the assignment module from a storage device configured to store at least one item file associated with the at least one physical item and rules for organizing physical item storage within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, a first item file associated with the identifier, wherein the first item file has a first item dimension attribute associated with the inbound physical item;
retrieving a plurality of item files associated with a plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, wherein the plurality of item files includes item dimension attributes associated with the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
analyzing an amount of available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit based on the first item dimension attribute and the item dimension attributes associated with the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit;
based on the analyzing, identifying a lack of available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to store the inbound physical item; and
performing at least one action based on the analysis and the rules to store the inbound physical item within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit or within a different autonomous storage and retrieval unit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one action includes changing, via the assignment module, a location of at least one product support receptacle within the housing to make available space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit sufficient to store the inbound physical item.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one action includes re-orienting, via the assignment module, a first physical item of the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to a different orientation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one action includes notifying, via the assignment module, an employee to re-orient a first physical item of the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to a different orientation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
displaying on a screen a depiction of the item with the different orientation as part of the notifying.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the rules include at least one of a length of time a physical item may be stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit before being removed, specified categories associated with one or more physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit designating an order in which the one or more physical items are removed from the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to make space in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, whether a physical item stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit can be re-oriented, or whether a physical item stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit can support weight.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, performing the analysis by:
analyzing, via the assignment module, a location within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit that holds a physical item based on an item dimension attribute of the physical item, and
analyzing, via the assignment module, categories of physical items stored within the autonomous storage and retrieval unit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one action includes re-routing, via the assignment module, the inbound physical item to the different autonomous storage and retrieval unit or a separate storage location.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one action includes re-routing, via the assignment module, at least one physical item of the plurality of physical items stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit to the different autonomous storage and retrieval unit or a separate storage location.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one action includes transmitting, via the assignment module, a notification to a customer to pick up a first physical item stored in the autonomous storage and retrieval unit, where the first physical item is associated with the customer.