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US 9,519,284 B2Granted
Transporting inventory items using mobile drive units and conveyance equipment
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPeter R. Wurman, Raffaello D'Andrea, Michael T. Barbehenn, Andrew Edward Hoffman, Michael Cordell Mountz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for transporting inventory items includes moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace. The first point is a location of an inventory holder. The method further includes docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace. The second point is associated with conveyance equipment. The method further includes moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment.
Claims21
A method for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace, wherein the first mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder;
- moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- and
- moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment, wherein the conveyance equipment represents a powered device that moves the inventory holder in response to instructions received from a management module and at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace;
- and
- wherein moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to the management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
7 more elements
A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- a plurality of inventory holders operable to store inventory items;
- and
- a plurality of mobile drive units, including a first mobile drive unit wherein the first mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and is operable to:
- move to a first point within a workspace, wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- dock with the inventory holder;
- and
- move the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- the conveyance equipment operable to move the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace, wherein the conveyance equipment represents a powered device that moves the inventory holder in response to instructions received from a management module and at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace;
- and
- wherein moving the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to the management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
10 more elements
A method for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder;
- moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- and
- moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment, wherein at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace;
- wherein the conveyance equipment comprises a docking platform and motorized vehicle, the docking platform connectable to the motorized vehicle;
- and
- wherein moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to a management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
8 more elements
A method for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder;
- moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment, wherein at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace;
- and
- wherein moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to a management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
6 more elements
A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- a plurality of inventory holders operable to store inventory items;
- and
- a plurality of mobile drive units, including a first mobile drive unit wherein the first mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and is operable to:
- move to a first point within a workspace, wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- dock with the inventory holder;
- and
- move the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- the conveyance equipment operable to move the inventory holder to a third point, wherein at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace;
- wherein the conveyance equipment comprises a docking platform and motorized vehicle, the docking platform connectable to the motorized vehicle;
- and
- wherein moving the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to a management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
11 more elements
A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:
- a plurality of inventory holders operable to store inventory items;
- and
- a plurality of mobile drive units, including a first mobile drive unit wherein the first mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and is operable to:
- move to a first point, wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- dock with the inventory holder;
- and
- move the inventory holder to a second point, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- the conveyance equipment operable to move the inventory holder to a third point, wherein at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of a workspace;
- wherein moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to a management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
9 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code, the code operable, when executed, to:
- instruct a mobile drive unit to move to a first point within a workspace, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises an independent, self-powered device and wherein the first point comprises a location of an inventory holder;
- facilitate docking of the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder;
- instruct the mobile drive unit to move the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace, wherein the second point is associated with conveyance equipment;
- and
- facilitate movement of the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment, wherein the conveyance equipment represents a powered device that moves the inventory holder in response to instructions received from a management module and at least a component of the conveyance equipment is fixed to a portion of the workspace;
- wherein instructing the mobile drive unit to move the inventory holder to the second point comprises:
- transmitting a reservation request to the management module, the reservation request identifying a cell within a grid-based workspace;
- and
- in response to receiving the reservation request, reserving, by the management module, a plurality of cells associated with the conveyance equipment.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.