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US 2024/0425282 A1Published application
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 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 first totes configured to contain goods therein,
- a first access port configured to present the first totes, and
- a first exit port configured to allow the first group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- 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 second totes configured to contain the goods therein,
- a second access port configured to present the second 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 the goods of the first totes at the first access port and access the goods of the second totes at the second access port;
- wherein the workstation is configured to allow the first and second groups of mobile robots to cycle into the workstation through the first and second entry ports at a first level 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 to cycle out of the workstation through the first and second exit ports.
6 more elements
A workstation for an automated goods-to-person system, 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 first totes configured to contain goods therein,
- a first access port configured to present the first totes, and
- a first exit port configured to allow the first group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- 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 second totes configured to contain the goods therein,
- a second access port configured to present the second 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 the goods of the first totes at the first access port and access the goods of the second totes at the second access port;
- wherein the workstation is configured to the first and second groups of mobile robots to cycle into the workstation through the first and second access ports at a first side of the workstation, and to cycle out of the workstation through the first and second exit ports positioned at a second side of the workstation opposed to the first side of the workstation.
6 more elements
A workstation for an automated goods-to-person system, 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 first totes configured to contain goods therein,
- a first access port configured to present the first totes, and
- a first exit port configured to allow the first group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- 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 second totes configured to contain the goods therein,
- a second access port configured to present the second totes, and
- a second exit port configured to allow the second group of mobile robots to exit the workstation;
- and
- 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 group of the first totes,
- a third access port configured to present the group of the first 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 the goods of the first totes at the first access port and access the goods of the second totes at the second access port;
- wherein:
- the second entry port is positioned between the first entry port and the third entry port;
- the second access port is positioned between the first access port and the third access port;
- and
- the second exit port is positioned between the first exit port and the third exit port.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.