Patent Application
20210354922
The present invention relates generally to automated storage and retrieval systems useful in order fulfillment environments.
Applicant's prior PCT application published as WO2016/172793 disclosed a goods-to-man storage and retrieval system employing a three-dimensional storage grid structure in which a fleet of robotic storage/retrieval vehicles navigate a three-dimensional array of storage locations in which respective bins or other storage units are held. The storage/retrieval vehicles travel horizontally in two dimensions on both a gridded upper track layout disposed above the three-dimensional array of storage locations, and a gridded lower track layout disposed at ground level below the array of storage locations. The same storage/retrieval vehicles also traverse the structure in the third vertical dimension through vertically upright shafts that join together the upper and lower track layouts. Each column of storage locations is neighboured by one of these upright shafts, whereby each and every storage location in the grid is directly accessible by the storage/retrieval vehicles.
Continued development has led to numerous improvements in the system design, and novel applications for same, the details of which will become more apparent from the following disclosure.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a working station for a goods-to-person fulfillment system, said working station comprising:
a defined pathway through which a retrieved storage unit is conveyed during use of said working station;
an enclosure spanning at least partially around said defined pathway;
an access opening through said enclosure by which a given storage unit conveyed along the defined pathway is accessible upon arrival at said access opening; and
a sensing mechanism operable to detect insertion of worker hands at said access opening.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage system comprising:
one or more storage/retrieval vehicles;
a gridded three-dimensional structure comprising:
a set of detectable markers and a set of sensors operable to detect said detectable markers, wherein a first of either said detectable markers or said sensors are supported within the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near spots in the gridded track layout that overlie or underlie the upright shafts, and a second of either said detectable markers or said sensors are carried on said one or more storage retrieval vehicles;
wherein, during arrival of any one of said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles at a respective spot overlying or underlying a targeted shaft for which said one of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is destined, detection of a respective detectable marker by one of the sensors is used to check, and adjust if necessary, alignment of said storage/retrieval vehicle with the targeted shaft before attempting transition of said storage/retrieval vehicle from said gridded track layout into the targeted shaft.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling positioning of one or more storage/retrieval vehicles in a gridded three-dimensional structure in which said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles are conveyable in two dimensions on a gridded track layout and in a third dimension through upright shafts whose upright axes intersect said gridded track layout, said method comprising:
(a) having a first of either a set of detectable markers or a set of sensors supported on the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near spots of the gridded track layout that overlie or underlie the upright shafts, and having a second of either said set of detectable markers or said set of sensors carried on said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles, wherein said sensors are operable to detect said detectable markers;
(b) during arrival of any one of the storage/retrieval vehicles at a respective spot overlying or underlying a targeted shaft for which said any one of the storage/retrieval vehicles is destined, using one of the sensors to detect one of the detectable markers; and
(c) using detection of the detectable marker by said one of the sensors to check, and adjust if necessary, alignment of said storage/retrieval vehicle with the targeted shaft before attempting transition of said any one of the storage/retrieval vehicles from said gridded track layout into the targeted shaft.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage system comprising:
one or more storage/retrieval vehicles
a three-dimensional structure comprising:
at launching spots of the lower track layout from which the storage/retrieval vehicles are to travel upwardly from the lower track layout, respective lifting mechanisms operable to lift any one of the storage/retrieval vehicles upwardly from the lower track layout.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage/retrieval vehicle for carrying storage units in an automated storage system, said storage/retrieval vehicle comprising an upper platform having a landing area of similar size and shape to an underside of one of said storage units, and a set of load status sensors at positions closely adjacent an outer perimeter of said landing area, whereby detection of the underside of said one of the storage units by all of said load status sensors confirms a fully loaded and properly aligned status of said one of the storage units on a platform of the storage/retrieval vehicle, while detection of the underside of the one of the storage units by only a subset of said load status sensors indicates a partially loaded or improperly aligned status of said one of the storage units on said platform.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of preparing and buffering order shipments, said method comprising:
(a) having a gridded three-dimensional storage system comprising:
a plurality of storage/retrieval vehicles;
a three-dimensional structure comprising:
at least one working station to which items removed from the storage locations and conveyed to the gridded track layout are deliverable by travel of the storage/retrieval vehicles along said gridded track layout to an entrance of said working station;
(b) having a group of the storage/retrieval vehicles retrieve a particular collection of items required to fulfill an order and carry the retrieved items to the gridded track layout and onward to the entrance of the working station; and
(c) at the working station, amalgamating the particular collection of items to form a fully or partially fulfilled order, and placing said fully or partially fulfilled order into a container; and
(d) with said container loaded onto one of the storage/retrieval vehicles at the working station, having said one of the storage/retrieval vehicles travel to one of the storage locations and deposit said container at said one of the storage locations, thereby storing said fully or partially fulfilled order for further completion or shipment at a later time.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a sortation/buffering system for shipping containers, said sortation/buffering system comprising:
one or more storage/retrieval vehicles having each having a loading area at which said storage/retrieval vehicle is arranged to selectively carry a shipping container;
a gridded three-dimensional structure comprising:
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of checking positional accuracy in movement of a vehicle along a path, said method comprising, with a series of detectable markers each situated at a targetable destination along said path, and with an image capture device carried on said vehicle, using said image capture device to capture a digital image from a field of view containing a respective detectable marker upon arrival at one of said targetable destinations, and checking for agreement between a position of said respective detectable marker within the field of view and a predetermined sub-region of the field of view in which the respective marker is expected, whereby said agreement indicates proper alignment of the vehicle relative to the targeted destination.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a track-based conveyance apparatus with positional accuracy monitoring, said apparatus comprising:
a track having a series of detectable markers each situated statically thereon or there adjacent at or adjacent a respective targetable destination along said track;
a vehicle configured for conveyance along said track; and
an image capture device carried on said vehicle and configured to capture a digital image from a field of view containing a respective detectable marker upon arrival at one of said targetable destinations, and checking for agreement between a position of said respective detectable marker within the field of view and a predetermined sub-region of the field of view in which the respective detectable marker is expected, whereby said agreement indicates proper alignment of the vehicle relative to the targeted destination.
According to a tenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of confirming proper loading of a storage unit onto a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle in an automated storage and retrieval system, said method comprising, as part of a loading routine pulling a storage unit onto the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle, using a local processor of said robotic storage/retrieval vehicle to perform a status check of each of a plurality of load status sensors situated at positions closely adjacent an outer perimeter of a landing area of said robotic storage/retrieval vehicle that is of similar size and shape to an underside of said storage unit, and from said status check, determine whether all of said load status sensors, or only a partial subset thereof, have a positive detection signal, whereby a full set of positive detection signals from all of said load status sensors confirms a fully loaded and properly aligned status of said storage unit, and a partial subset of positive detection signals from only said partial subset of the load status signals identifies a partially loaded or improperly aligned status of the storage unit.
According to an eleventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of orchestrating presentation of retrieved storage units from a storage system to an entrance or intake point of a working station in a sequenced manner, said method comprising execution of the following automated steps by one of more processors of a computerized control system of said storage system:
(a) generating a task assignment for each line item of one or more received orders to be fulfilled at the working station, each task assignment including, at least, specification of a respective storage unit to retrieve from a current storage location thereof in the storage system for delivery to the working station, and identification of a respective storage/retrieval vehicle to retrieve said respective storage unit; and
(b) transmitting command signals to the respective storage/retrieval vehicles of said task assignments to initiate retrieval and delivery of said respective storage unit from the current storage location thereof to the working station; and
(c) determining whether there is an available occupancy at said working station;
(d) in response to confirmation of said available occupancy, identifying from among storage/retrieval vehicles situated outside the working station and assigned to deliver to said working station, a next highest-priority storage/retrieval vehicle to call into the working station; and
(e) commanding said next highest-priority storage/retrieval vehicle to travel into the working station.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Each track layout features a set of X-direction rails lying in the X-direction of a horizontal plane and a set of Y-direction rails perpendicularly crossing the X-direction rails in the Y-direction of the horizontal plane. The crossing rails define a horizontal reference grid of the storage system, where each horizontal grid row is delimited between an adjacent pair of the X-direction rails and each horizontal grid column is delimited between an adjacent pair of the Y-direction rails. Each intersection point between one of the horizontal grid columns and one of the horizontal grid rows denotes the position of a respective storage column or a respective upright shaft. In other words, each storage column and each shaft reside at a respective Cartesian coordinate point of the reference grid at a respective area bound between two of the X-direction rails and two of the Y-direction rails. Each such area bound between four rails in either track layout is also referred to herein as a respective “spot” of said track layout. The three-dimensional addressing of each storage location and associated storage unit in the system is completed by the given vertical level at which the given storage location resides within the respective column. That is, a three-dimensional address of each storage location is dictated by the horizontal grid row, horizontal grid column and vertical column level of the storage location in the three-dimensional grid.
A respective upright frame member 12 spans vertically between the upper and lower track layouts at each intersection point between the X-direction and Y-direction rails, thereby cooperating with the track rails to define a framework of the three-dimensional grid structure for containing and organizing the three-dimensional array of storage units within this framework. As a result, each upright shaft of the three-dimensional storage array has four vertical frame members spanning the full height of the shaft at the four corners thereof. Each frame member has respective sets of rack teeth arranged in series in the vertical Z-direction of the three-dimensional grid on two sides of the frame member. Each shaft thus has eight sets of rack teeth in total, with two sets at each corner of the shaft, which cooperate with eight pinion wheels on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles to enable traversal of same between the upper and lower track layouts through the shafts of the three-dimensional grid structure. Each robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 has a wheeled frame or chassis featuring both round conveyance wheels for conveyance of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle over the upper and lower track layouts in a track-riding mode, and toothed pinion wheels for traversal of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle through the rack-equipped shafts in a shaft-traversing mode. The footprint of frame or chassis is less than the horizontal area of each shaft to allow travel of the vehicle through each shaft. Each pinion wheel and a respective conveyance wheel are part of a combined singular wheel unit, of which at least the conveyance wheel is extendable in an outboard direction from the vehicle for use of the conveyance wheels in a track-riding mode on either track layout, and retractable in an inboard direction of the vehicle for use of the pinion wheels in a shaft-traversing mode engaging the pinion wheels with the rack teeth of the upright frame members of a shaft. Transition of the vehicle from the track-riding mode to the shaft-traversing mode thus converts the vehicle to a smaller overall outer footprint of lesser size than the shaft area to enable the entirety of the vehicle to travel through the shaft.
The framework of the grid structure includes a respective shelf at each storage location to support the respective storage unit, whereby any given storage unit 16 can be removed from its storage location by one of the robotic retrieval vehicles without disrupting the storage units above and below it in the same storage column. Likewise, this allows a storage unit to be returned to a prescribed location at any level in the array. The lower gridded track layout at the bottom of the three-dimensional grid has a number of working stations 18 distributed around its perimeter to which the robotic retrieval vehicles 14 deliver the storage units pulled from the storage columns. Except for differences explicitly described herein, the framework of the three-dimensional grid structure, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles, their travel over the upper and lower track layouts and through the shafts, and their transition between the track-riding and shaft-traversing modes are the same as described in Applicant's aforementioned prior PCT application.
As outlined in in Applicant's aforementioned prior PCT application, a subset of the vertical shafts located at the outer perimeter may be “up-shafts” that are dedicated for upward travel of the robotic storage vehicles there through from the lower track layout to the upper track layout after having delivered a storage unit to one of the working stations 18, while other vertical shafts are “down-shafts” that are dedicated for downward travel of the robotic storage vehicles there through from the upper track layout during either retrieval of a storage unit from the three dimensional storage array, or return of a storage unit back into the three dimensional array after having previously delivered the storage unit to one of the working stations 18 for a picking, re-stocking or other operation.
The three-dimensional grid structure of
Turning now to
As outlined in more detail below, this enables a novel solution for goods-to-man order fulfilment, where a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle capable of travel in three dimensions provides the sole means of storage unit conveyance throughout an entire order picking operation, from the initial retrieval of the storage unit from anywhere in the three dimensional space of the grid, through delivery of the storage unit to the working station, including presentation of the storage unit to a human or robot picker at the working station, and subsequent return of the storage unit back into any three dimensional location in the grid, without the storage unit ever being offloaded from the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle and conveyed by a separate conveyor, turntable or other transitional mechanism.
The working station features a chute 42 mounted to the lower track and spanning longitudinally end-to-end thereof from a first one of the cross-rails 40a at a first end of the longitudinal rails to a last one of the cross-rails 40f at a second opposing end of the longitudinal rails. The chute features a first end wall 44 standing upright from the first cross-rail, a second end wall 46 standing upright from the last cross-rail in opposing and parallel relation to the first end wall, a longer outer side wall 48 spanning longitudinally between the end walls in perpendicular relation thereto at an outer one38b of the longitudinal rails, and a top cover pane150 spanning longitudinally between the end walls and along the top edge of the outer side wall. An underside of the cover panel 50 defines an interior ceiling of the chute 42, while an opposing topside of the cover panel defines an external countertop 50a for exploit by human or robotic workers during picking, restocking or other work functions that may be performed at the working station 18.
Each square area delimited between the two longitudinal rails 38a, 38b and any adjacent pair of the cross rails 40a-40f is referred to as a respective “spot” along the lower track of the working station. The spot located immediately adjacent the first end wall 44 of the chute 42 and bound between the first and second cross rails 40a, 40b at the first end of the chute is referred to as an entrance spot SEN of the working station, as it is here that a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle enters the chute by riding onto these first and second cross rails 40a, 40b from a respective pair of rails aligned therewith in the lower track layout of the grid structure. At the opposing second end of the chute, the spot located immediately adjacent the second end wall 46 between the second-last and last cross rails 40e, 40f is referred to as an exit spot SX, as it is here that the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle exits the chute and re-enters the three-dimensional grid by riding off these last and second-last cross-rails onto another respective pair of rails aligned therewith in the lower track layout of the grid structure.
Referring to
The working station on the left side of
Between the second cross rail 40b and second last cross rail 40e of each working station are a plurality of intermediate spots between the entrance and exit spots. The illustrated example features three intermediate spots, but this number may vary. One of these intermediate spots, particularly the second last spot immediately neighbouring the exit spot SX in the illustrated example, is designated as an “access spot” SAC at which the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle is accessible by the human or robotic worker via an access opening 52 penetrating through the top panel 50 of the chute from the countertop surface 50a thereof into the interior space of the chute. Accordingly, when the storage/retrieval vehicle travelling longitudinally through the chute arrives and stops at the access spot SAC, the worker can interact with a storage unit carried atop said storage/retrieval vehicle, for example to pick one or more individual items from the storage unit as part of an order fulfilment process withdrawing such items from the grid structure, to instead remove the entire storage unit from the storage/retrieval vehicle as part of such an order fulfillment process, or to instead place one or more individual items into the storage unit as part of a restocking process replenishing the grid structure. Alternatively, a restocking process may involve directing an empty one of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles (i.e. a vehicle currently unoccupied by a storage unit) to the access spot of the working station to pick up a storage unit from the worker through the access opening 52.
The working station 18 is equipped with a hand-sensing mechanism 53 to protect human workers from potential injury as they interact with the storage/retrieval vehicle through the access opening 52. With reference to
In addition to serving a safety purpose, the hand/object sensing mechanism 53 may also be operable for quality assurance purposes helping ensure human working accuracy in their picking tasks. For a given order for which a predetermined quantity of items is known to be required from a given storage unit, the computerized control system can count the number of times the optical beams are broken while that storage unit is present at the access spot, thus representing a count of how many times the workers hands were inserted through the access opening to access the storage unit an pull a respective item therefrom. The system compares the hand-insertion count against the predetermined quantity of items known be required from that storage unit (aka, a “line item quantity” from the order being filled), and only permits the storage/retrieval vehicle on which that storage unit is carried to depart the access spot of the working station once the hand-insertion count has reached the predetermined item quantity associated with that storage unit.
Similar count checks can be performed on other tasks that may be performed at the access opening of the working station, for example during restocking or kitting operations, where instead of picking items from the storage unit parked under the access opening, items are placed or dropped into the parked storage unit through the access opening. Accordingly, each break of the light curtain beams by either a user's hand reaching down to place an item into the storage unit, or by an item dropped into the storage unit from above the light curtain, can likewise be used to count the quantity of items deposited into the storage unit. Accordingly, since the sensing mechanism is operable to detect not only hands, but any objects, the computerized control system can count the number of positive “detections” at the access opening, whether each detection is detected insertion of a user's inserted hand, or detection of another object passing through the opening during placement or retrieval of that object into or from the storage unit parked under the access opening. Either way, the counting of positive detections by the hand/object sensing mechanism 53 is useful to monitor progress and completion of assigned tasks at the working station.
The hand/object sensing mechanism 53 also serves as a height-check on the storage unit to ensure that no items therein are protruding notably upward from the top of the storage unit, as such protruding items will break the light curtain formed by the optical beams, and such detection of protruding items can thus be used to prevent departure of the storage/retrieval vehicle and the storage unit thereon from the access spot until the protrusion is rectified. This helps ensure that the storage unit will not attempt to re-enter the storage grid with one or more items protruding therefrom and interfering with the available travel spaces between the framework components of the grid structure, thus potential causing damage to the protruding item(s) and/or the storage unit, vehicle or grid structure.
In addition to the hand/object sensing mechanism 53, two movement sensors 58, 59, visible in
The sensors are positioned so that a vehicle statically occupying the access spot, lead-in spot or exit spot will not reflect an optical pulse or break an optical beam, i.e. that pulse reflection or beam interruption at the lead-in sensor 58 will only occur if a vehicle starts transitioning from the lead-in spot to the access spot, and pulse reflection or beam interruption at the departure sensor 59 will only occur if a vehicle starts transitioning from the access spot to the exit spot. This can be seen in
Each workstation control system 504 features a local computer 506, which may be embodied, for example, in a programmable logic controller (PLC), with an I/O interface by which the local computer can communicate with the hand/object sensing mechanism 53 of the working station, the lead-in and departure movement sensors 58, 59 of the working station, a respective lifting mechanism 72 described herein further below. The local computer 506 of the working station also has a human-machine interface 508 coupled thereto, preferably including at a least a display monitor 510, which optionally may be a touch screen monitor, thus serving as both a display and input device of the HMI, though other input devices such as a computer keyboard, mouse, trackball, dedicated control buttons, etc. may additionally or alternative be employed. In addition or alternative to a display monitor presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for the purpose of displaying directive instructions to a human worker of the workstation according to the given task assigned thereto, other worker guidance equipment may be employed, for example a pick-to-light system guiding picking of items from different compartments of compartmentalized storage units having different item types therein during execution of a picking task, a put-to-light system guiding placement of items into different compartments of compartmentalized storage units during execution of an inventory restocking or kitting task, simplified non-GUI displays (e.g. numeric LCD display) for display line item quantities, etc. The local computer 506 of the working station comprises one or more computer processors, non-transitory computer readable memory coupled thereto and on which are stored statements and instructions executable by said one or more processors to perform the various associated tasks described herein in relation to the HMI 508, hand sensing mechanism 53, movements sensors 58, 59, and a respective one of the lifting mechanisms 72 that neighbours that working station. The local computer 506 of each working station is also communicable with the master control system by way of a wired or wireless connection, to receive details of the tasks to be guided and performed at the working station, and to report back to the master control system on the status of such tasks, and with safety warnings warranting action by the master control system.
Each robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 has a local computer processor 512 carried onboard thereof, connected to a local onboard transceiver 514 of the vehicle that is wirelessly communicable with a main transceiver516 of the master control system to enable receipt of command signals therefrom and transmission of feedback communications back thereto. A non-transitory computer readable memory on each robotic storage/retrieval vehicle is connected the onboard local processor thereof for execution of statements and instructions stored in said memory, particularly to execute local functions for the purpose of navigating the storage system and interacting with the storage units thereof, based on commands received from the master control system, and for the purpose of reporting back to the master control system with feedback on the completion of the commanded tasks. To enable the performance of the commanded tasks, the local processor 512 of the vehicle 14 is connected to an onboard I/O interface by which the processor can execute control over various electronic componentry of the vehicle (motors, actuators, sensors, etc.) responsible for travelling movement of the vehicle in the storage grid and working stations, and interactions of the vehicle with the storage units. In the illustrated embodiment, such componentry includes wheel drive motors 524 for driving rotation of the vehicle's wheel units, wheel lifting/lowering motor(s) 526 for controlled raising and lowering of the vehicle's height adjustable wheel set, wheel shifting motors or actuators 528 for controlling inboard/outboard shifting of the wheel units, a turret motor 530 to controlling rotation of the vehicle's turret, an arm actuator 532 for controlling extension/retraction of the extendable/retractable turret arm, a shuttle motor 534 for controlling linear movement of a movable shuttle back and forth along the turret arm, and a set of load status sensors 100 described further below. The local processor 512 is also connected to an onboard scanner 66 of the vehicle 14 for the functions and purpose described in greater detail below.
This check for vehicle presence may be executed by the master control system 502, which preferably stores dynamically updated location records for all vehicles of the fleet, with the local processor of each vehicle being configured to automatically report back to the master control system successful completion of a vehicle travel task commanded thereby, so that the master control system knows the vehicle reached its targeted destination spot for that travel task, and records this confirmed location in the vehicle's dynamic location record. Travel tasks are commanded in straight line segments (i.e. any required travel from a starting spot to a final destination that requires movement in two or more dimensions is broken down into linear unidirectional travel segments). So, anytime the master control system commands a storage/retrieval vehicle to a working station, this will involve, at some point, a command of a straight-line travel segment whose targeted destination spot is the entrance spot of that workstation, followed by one or more straight-line travel segments then commanded to advance the vehicle along the lower track of the workstation toward, or fully to, the access spot depending on the occupied or unoccupied state of the access spot and intermediate spots. Once presence of the vehicle is no longer needed at the access spot, the master control system commands another straight-line travel segment to move the vehicle one spot over to the working statin's exit spot, followed by another straight-line travel segment in the other direction to move the vehicle from the working's stations exit spot back into the storage grid. Accordingly, to check whether any vehicle is in a workstation, the master control system can search the dynamic location records of all vehicles for a vehicle whose last recorded location was any of the entrance, intermediate, access or exit spots of the working station. This is only one example however, and other techniques for confirming the presence or absence of a vehicle in the working station may be employed, for example using occupancy sensors in the working station, in which case, checking for the presence of any vehicle in the working station at step 1003 may be performed locally by the workstation control system.
If it is determined that no vehicle is present in the subject working station, then the positive detection by the hand/object sensing mechanism 53 is ignored at step 1004, as the lack of vehicle at the working station means that a user's hand inserted in the access opening is not at risk for collision by a vehicle, nor is there a storage unit present at the access opening for which it would be useful to count detections by the hand/object sensing system to track line item quantities being picked or placed in the storage unit. However, if it is determined that one or more vehicles are present in the working station, then at step 1005, a check is made for static occupation of the access spot of the working station by a vehicle, for example by checking the status of the movement sensors 58, 59 installed in the working station adjacent the access spot thereof, and checking the dynamic vehicle location records of the vehicles in the workstation. If those dynamic vehicle location records include one whose currently stored value is a unique identifier of that working station's access spot, and there is no detected movement from the movement sensors, then a positive determination is made that a vehicle is statically parked at the access spot.
In response, at step 1006, the computer control system checks for whether the workstation control system 504 has an open task (whether a picking, replenishment, or kitting task) for which a remaining quantity of items to be picked from or placed in the parked storage unit (a remaining “line item quantity” of the picking, kitting or restocking order) is greater than zero. If yes, then at step 1007 the computer control system decrements the remaining line quantity by one, based on which a dynamically displayed line quantity shown on the HMI to the human worker is likewise decremented by one in synchronous fashion, so that the worker is visually informed of how many additional items are to be picked from or placed in the parked storage unit. If the line item quantity was already zero, then at step 1008, the computer control systems displays an error message on the HMI 508, thereby notifying the worker that they may have made an error by exceeding the prescribed line item quantity to be picked from, or placed in, the storage unit parked at the access spot. The worker can thus double check the actual item quantity they picked or placed, and make appropriate correction to match the assigned line quantity of the order.
If the determination at Step 1005 is that there is no vehicle parked statically at the access spot, then at Step 1009, the movement sensors 58, 59 of the working station are monitored for detected vehicle movement. Absent any movement, operation of the system continues in normal fashion. However, once the movement sensors detect movement near the access spot at Step 1010, thus representing a risk of injury to a workers hand by a storage bin entering or departing the access spot, or risk of damage to items or equipment by due to an item protruding upward from a storage bin trying to depart the access spot, an emergency stop signal is instantly transmitted from the workstation control system 504 to the master control system 502, which in turn transmits an emergency stop command to the vehicle(s) in the working station at Step 1011. Accordingly, any vehicle about to move into the access spot, if previously unoccupied, or any vehicle attempting to depart the access spot from its previously static position parked thereat, is immediately stopped at Step 1012 to prevent injury or damage. The vehicle 14 reports its successful emergency stop back to the master control system 502, in response to which the master control system may halt all vehicle travel commands to the vehicle(s) at the subject working station until such time as the workstation control system 504 reports that light curtain is re-established to an unbroken state, and an appropriate worker-performed reset action is undertaken and confirmed, for example requiring a two-handed input at the HMI of the working station to ensure that neither hand of the worker is in peril once vehicle travel is reinitiated. After this reset, normal operation is reinitiated, and the
While
While
The lower track of each working station is thus an extension track connected to the lower track layout of the three-dimensional grid structure in a position running alongside the lower track layout to allow seamless transition of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles between the three-dimensional grid and the working station situated outside the two-dimensional footprint occupied by the upper and lower track layouts and the columns and shafts spanning there between. The transition of the vehicles between the lower track layout of the three-dimensional grid and the working station takes place view the working station entrance SEN situated at one end of the working station's lower track and the working station exit SX situated at an opposing second end of the working station's lower track. By way of the computerized control system, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles are driven through the working stations in a unidirectional manner from the dedicated entrance to the dedicated exit, which allows multiple vehicles to be queued inside the working station, thus reducing traffic obstruction on the lower track layout of the three-dimensional grid. In the illustrated example, the use of separate entrance and exit spots and inclusion of one or more intermediate spots in each working station between the entrance and exit spots thereof increases this internal queueing capacity of each working station.
However, the use of separate entrance and exit spots, inclusion of one or more intermediate spots between the entrance and exit, and placement of the access opening at a dedicated spot other than the entrance or exit spots are optional features, and may be omitted altogether or in various combinations. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the lower track of the working station may be as simple as two cross-rails extending from the lower track layout to define a single spot over which the access opening 52 resides, thus serving as an entrance, exit and access point of the working station all at one singular track spot. The robotic storage/retrieval vehicle would ride forwardly onto this single-spot extension track in the X or Y direction perpendicular to the perimeter rail at the side of the lower track layout, receive interaction with the worker through the access opening, and then exit the working station in a reverse direction back onto the lower track layout of the three-dimensional grid. Accordingly, the extension track need not necessarily be elongated along the perimeter of the lower track layout of the grid structure like in the illustrated embodiment, and the enclosure need not necessarily be an elongated chute having spaced apart entrance and exit points at longitudinally spaced locations of the working station's lower track. In another example, an elongated extension track like that of the illustrated embodiment may be used together with a chute that is open along the entire inner side thereof, as shown in in the drawings, thus allowing any of the multiple spots along the extension track to serve as an entrance and/or exit spot.
One or both of the emergence and re-entry spots may be a multi-purpose spot, for example also serving as a landing or launching spot under a respective down-shaft or up-shaft, as shown in the illustrated example where the re-entry spot is also a landing spot. All other spots in the area of the lower track layout neighbouring the working station underlie respective storage columns of the grid in which the storage units are shelved. These spot serve as available parking spots Sp in which a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle carrying a respective storage unit can be selectively parked after landing on the lower track layout at the landing spot SLND at the bottom of the down-shaft from which the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle retrieved said storage unit in the event that there is another robotic storage/retrieval vehicle that is destined for the same working station and whose travel to said working station has been assigned, by the computerized control system, a greater priority ranking than the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle being parked. Selection by the computerized control system of a particular spot at which to park one of the storage/retrieval vehicles may be based on an available least-distance travel path to the working station entrance from a particular one of the designated landing spots at which the parking storage/retrieval vehicle arrived at the gridded lower track layout.
Accordingly, the computerized control system responsible for assigning tasks to the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles and controlling navigation thereof through the three-dimensional grid and working stations can orchestrate arrival of a group of occupied vehicles (i.e. vehicles carrying respective storage units thereon) to the assigned working station for which those storage units are destined in a sequence that doesn't necessarily match the sequence in which the task were assigned (i.e. the assignment sequence), the sequence in which those storage units were retrieved (i.e. the retrieval sequence) from their respective storage locations, the sequence in which the occupied vehicles landed at the lower track layout (i.e. the landing sequence), and/or the sequence in which the occupied vehicles initially arrived into a vicinity of the emergence spot adjacent the assigned working station (i.e. the arrival or approach sequence)
In one illustrative example, a picking operation is executed by the computerized control system, and involves assigning a first group of one or more vehicles to retrieve one or more respective storage units each containing a different item for a first customer order and deliver said storage units to a particular working station, and a second group of one or more vehicles assigned to retrieve one or more storage units each containing a different item for a second customer order for delivery to the same working station. Due to differences in travel distance from the initial location of each vehicle to the assigned working station via an available retrieval location at which a storage unit containing the appropriate item is stored (of which there may be multiple options, in which case priority may be given based on shortest overall travel path from the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle's current location to the assigned working destination via the different retrieval location options), vehicles from the two groups may arrive at the lower track with their retrieved storage units and approach the assigned working station in a mixed order. Here, the computerized control system can assign priority rankings on which to sequence the entry of the two groups of vehicles into the working station, and instruct lower priority vehicles to park themselves at currently unoccupied parking spots of the lower track layout.
The assigned priority ranking may be based at least partly on a “grouped delivery” basis so that all items for one order are delivered prior to any item for the other order. Further weighting may be based on a “first landing” or “first arrival” basis, where the first vehicle landing at the lower track layout or approaching the assigned working station dictates which of the two vehicle groups is prioritized over the other in the “grouped delivery” sequence, or on an “order priority” basis where the orders are ranked by priority due to size (i.e. picking larger orders before smaller ones), shipment destination (picking orders destined for more remote destination before more local destinations), delivery deadlines, customer types, shipment vehicle availability, etc. So, depending on the ranking criteria selected, all items of the first order may be delivered to the access spot of the working station before any item of the second order, or vice versa, regardless of the particular sequence in which the two orders were received by the system. Alternatively, a large order requiring a high number of storage units for complete fulfillment may have its queue of robotic storage/vehicles interrupted by one or more robotic storage/retrieval vehicles assigned to a small order in order to pick the entire small order at the working station before returning to continued picking of the larger order.
Referring again to
On top of the order-based priority ranking, further item-based priority ranking may be applied to the different line items of an individual order, in which case each task assignment also contains an item priority ranking for the line item thereof. Such item-based priority ranking may be based on any of a variety of different item attributes, including style, size, weight, color, ingredients, liquids vs. dry goods, allergens, contaminants, etc. For example, fulfillment of a retail order may require style, color, size runs, etc. that are to be packaged together for sorting convenience at the recipient retailer. Heavier items or liquid goods can be given higher priority so that their earlier delivery to the working station enables packing of the heavier/liquid items into the bottom of a shipping container, followed by placement of subsequently delivered lightweight/dry-good items on top to prevent crushing or liquid contamination of the bottom packed goods. Likewise, allergenic foods can be presented first and packed before non-allergenic foods ever reach the workstation to avoid cross-contamination.
One particular example of orchestrating sequenced delivery of storage units by priority ranking, whether order-based among storage units of different orders or item-based among storage units of a same order, is illustrated in
Turning to
The instant example contemplates a scenario where fulfillment of the earlier order is already underway at the working station, and the order priority of the new order is not one that outranks the earlier order. The same approach would also apply where the system is set to follow a “no interruption” workflow, where an order fulfillment already underway is not to be interrupted by another order, even if of greater priority ranking. At step 2004, the workstation controller 506 determines whether or not all vehicles of the earlier order have already entered the workstation. To do this, the workstation controller may check the pending tasks of the earlier order to identify any vehicles among those assigned to these tasks that have not yet been confirmed to have entered the workstation, for example by querying the master control system's dynamic location records of these vehicles for any whose last confirmed location doesn't match the unique identifier of any of the entrance, intermediate and access spots on the working station's lower track. If the master control system reports back to the workstation controller 506 that the last confirmed locations of all the queried pending-task vehicles of the earlier order are spots in the working station, then the working station controller has confirmed at Step 2004 that all vehicles of the earlier order have already entered the workstation. Having made this positive determination at Step 2004, Step 2005 is to then call on the vehicle of the highest priority ranked task assignment in the new order. To do so, the workstation controller 506 identifies the pending task assignment of highest priority among the new order's task assignments, and submits a “call request” to the master controls system that identifies the vehicle specified in this identified task assignment. In response, the master control system flags this vehicle as having been summoned or called by the working station.
As mentioned previously, vehicle travel is commanded in segmented fashion, meaning the overall travel plan used by a vehicle to pick a storage unit and deliver it to the working station is broken down into linear segments. Accordingly, the task commands sent to the vehicles are not one-time commands containing a full set of travel instructions to complete the entire task of retrieval and delivery of a storage unit to a workstation. Instead, the travel instructions are commanded in piecemeal, segment by segment, and the next segment to be commanded can be dynamically selected or reconfigured by the planning module before transmission to the vehicle. Each time a vehicle reaches the end of a commanded segment, it returns a confirmation signal to the master control system that it has completed the last commanded travel segment, in response to which a further command with the instructions for the next linear travel segment are transmitted to the vehicle. The flagging of a vehicle as having been called by the workstation means that when the vehicle sends confirmation of a completed travel segment sometime after having already retrieved the assigned storage unit and landed at the lower track layout, the master controller recognizes that the vehicle should be commanded with a travel route of one or more linear segments leading into the entrance spot of the workstation that called for this vehicle, and so the planning module calculates such a workstation-destined route, the commands for which are then transmitted to the vehicle. These commands are again transmitted in piecemeal fashion segment-by-segment if the route involves more than one linear segment from the vehicle's last confirmed position on the lower track layout to the entrance of the working station. For example, upon receiving a confirmation signal that a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle has arrived at a landing spot on the lower track, this may the master control system may use this at the check-point to see whether the vehicle has been flagged/called, and accordingly decide whether to calculate and command a workstation-destined travel route for that vehicle. However, spots on the lower track other than the landing spots may alternatively serve as the check point where this routing decision is made to dynamically update the vehicle's overall travel path to the workstation depending on whether it has yet been called, or should be temporarily parked.
Once having called the highest-ranking vehicle of the new order, any other vehicle assigned to that same order, but not yet flagged by a call request from the working station, must be parked at Step 2006 to await entry to the working station once another spot opens up. Any such uncalled vehicle, instead of a workstation-destined travel route, is commanded with a holding-pattern travel route dynamically generated by the planning module to instead terminate at an available parking spot outside the working station, but preferably nearby the entrance thereof, where it awaits assignment of called-for status before being re-routed into the workstation. For a parked vehicle, awaiting its turn to enter the workstation, later receipt of the call request for that vehicle by the master controls system will trigger immediate calculation and command of its workstation-destined travel route from the parking spot. Steps 2003 to 2005 are then repeated, followed by a check at step 2007 with each repetition on whether all vehicles of the new order have yet been called, for example in the same fashion described above for the earlier order at Step 2004. Once all vehicles have been called, the process terminates until a subsequent order is tasked to that working station. If determination at Step 2004 was that all vehicles from the earlier order were not yet in the working station, then calling of the highest ranked vehicle of that earlier order and parking of any other landed vehicles in that order, along with parking of all landed vehicles in the new order, are performed at Steps 2008 and 2009 in the same manner described for Steps 2005 and 2006 for the new order, followed by repetition of steps 2003 and 2004.
By using the very same grid structure in which the storage units are arrayed and by which the robotic vehicles navigate the storage array, this internally performed sequence orchestration enables complex sequencing or sortation during order picking operations while avoiding the space and material inefficiencies associated with prior art techniques, such as space intensive sortation conveyors, where the retrieval step is performed by one fleet of machines, and then sortation is performed downstream at a second stage of different machinery or equipment type, before delivering sorted items to assigned working stations situated remotely of the storage structure.
While the forgoing example specifically uses dedicated up-shafts, dedicated down-shafts, and designated parking spots specifically on the lower track layout for the purpose of selectively parking vehicles after storage unit retrieval on their way to assigned lower level working stations without interfering with flow of other unparked vehicles moving through the three dimensional grid, it will be appreciated that other locales in the three dimensional grid may be used to temporarily park retrieved storage units during the orchestration of sequenced delivery to the working stations. Accordingly, any of the square spots between the X and Y direction rails of the upper track layout may likewise be used as a temporary parking spot for occupied vehicles during delivery sequence orchestration, just as they may be used to park inactive vehicles awaiting activation by way of operational assignment and instruction from the computerized control system. In such instance, the spots overlying the up-shafts and down-shafts are preferably reserved as drop-down spots for entry to the down-shafts and climb-out spots for exit from the up-shafts, and thus not employed for temporary parking purposes so as not to hinder traffic flow of unparked vehicles through the grid. Likewise, the sequenced delivery orchestration may employ parking of vehicles at any level in the down-shafts and/or up-shafts for the purpose of delaying the arrival of such parked vehicles to the working stations in view of higher priority rankings assigned to the other occupied vehicles, though again, it may be preferable to avoid such obstruction to shaft travel by other vehicles. While select embodiments have specific up-shafts dedicated to only upward traffic flow of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles and separate down-shafts dedicated to only downward traffic flow, it will be appreciated that other embodiments need not restrict each shaft to a particular direction of traffic flow. Accordingly, the spot on the lower track layout beneath such a two-way shaft would serve as both a launching spot and landing spot, and the spot on the upper track layout above the two-way shaft would serve as both a drop-down and climb-out spot for that shaft. Also, while the illustrated example has working stations at the lower level for service from the lower track layout, the same concepts concerning working stations served by extension tracks, and in-grid orchestration of sequenced delivery of storage units to the working stations, may similarly be employed in instances where working stations are instead served from the upper track layout.
The same inventive in-grid orchestration of sequenced delivery of storage units to the working stations entirely within the two-dimensional footprint of the track layouts, can also be employed regardless of whether the working stations are the inventive “travel-through” workstations disclosed herein, where the same robotic storage/retrieval vehicles responsible for retrieving and returning storage units to the storage grid also carry the storage units through the working stations, or are “drop off” workstations where the robotic/storage/retrieval vehicles drop off the storage units at an intake point of the working station, which may for example be a turntable, elevator, conveyor or other handling equipment responsible for transitioning the dropped off storage unit to an access point of the working station where a human or robotic worker then interacts with the storage unit outside the grid. The intake point at which the storage units are dropped off may reside within, or just outside, the two-dimensional footprint of the track layouts, while the access point (e.g. access opening 52 over an access spot SA) resides outside the two-dimensional footprint of the track layouts, i.e. outside the storage grid structure.
While many of the forgoing examples focus on picking operations used to fulfill an order by delivering storage units containing items for that order to a working station where a human or robotic worker can remove such items from the storage units and compile them into a shipping container for delivery to a customer, the working stations can also be used for re-stocking or order buffering operations, where items are placed into the storage unit presented by the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle at the access spot of the working station, from which the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle then re-enters the grid to place that storage unit in an available storage location in the three-dimensional grid. In the re-stocking operation, the items placed in the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle-carried storage unit are new inventory items of a type not previously stored in the structure, or inventory replenishment items replacing previously picked items. Accordingly, it will be appreciated reference herein to performance of tasks at the working station to fulfill an order is not necessarily limited specifically to fulfillment of customer orders, where customer-ordered items are picked from storage units for shipment to the customer, and that an order being fulfilled may be any variety of work order similarly requiring interaction with a storage unit at the access opening of the workstation, whether for picking of items therefrom or placement of items therein, for example for re-stocking or kitting purposes (the latter referring to placement of mixed items of different types into a singular storage unit from bulk inventory storage units each containing only a singular item type).
An order buffering operation first involves a picking operation, in which the computerized control system assigns and instructs a group of storage/retrieval vehicles to different retrieve storage units containing a particular collection of items required to fulfill an order, and to carry the retrieved items in their respective storage units down to the gridded lower track layout and onward to the entrance of the working station assigned to this buffering operation. As the assigned group of vehicles move through the working station, the worker extracts one or more items of the order from the storage unit on each vehicle when said vehicle arrives at the access spot of the working station, and these extracted items are amalgamated together in order to form a full or partial fulfillment of the order.
This fully or partially fulfilled order is placed into a container of compatible size with the storage spaces in the three-dimensional grid structure. This container may the same as the rest of the storage units, for example an openable/closeable storage bin, or may be a shipment container of different type from the storage units (e.g. cardboard shipping box, optionally sealed closed and having a shipping label already placed thereon, for example if the amalgamated order contents fulfill the entire order). The computerized controller sends an unloaded vehicle to the same working station, where the container with the amalgamated order contents is placed atop this vehicle at the access spot of the working station. The computerized controller then sends this order-carrying vehicle back into the three-dimensional grid structure with instructions to store the fully or partially fulfilled order in an available storage location in the three-dimensional grid structure. The same three-dimensional storage grid used to store inventory items can therefore also be used to buffer partially prepared or fully-ready shipments until a later date or time, for example a future pickup time at which a shipping vehicle is expected to arrive to pick up a fully completed order for delivery, or in the case of a partially fulfilled order requiring additional items currently not in stock, an future time at which the out of stock inventory will be replenished to enable completion of the order.
When it comes time for the pickup or inventory replenishment, a buffered-order retrieval operation is performed by the computerized control system, sending a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle to retrieve the order container from its storage location, and deliver the order container to one of the working stations, for retrieval of the container, or the individual items contained therein, through the access opening of the working station. If the buffered order was only a partial order, then the previously missing items are then amalgamated with the retrieved items, either by addition to the same container if useable as a shipment container, or by amalgamation into a new shipping container.
Having summarized the novel working stations of the present invention, novel uses thereof, and novel use of the three-dimensional grid structure itself for workstation delivery sequencing and order buffering, attention is now turned to other points of novelty in the three-dimensional grid structure, robotic vehicle fleet and cooperative operation there between.
As described in Applicant's aforementioned prior PCT application, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 features a set of X-direction wheels 68 on two opposing sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle, and a set of Y-direction wheels 70 on the other two opposing sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle. The X-direction wheels 68 are raiseable and lowerable relative to a frame or chassis of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle into an out of engagement with the X-direction rails of the track layout, just as the Y-direction wheels 70 are raiseable and lowerable relative to a frame of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle into an out of engagement with the Y-direction rails of the track layout. Raising of the X-direction wheels out of contact with the X-direction rails is performed when the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle is to travel in the Y direction by driven rotation of the Y-direction wheels on the Y-direction rails, while raising of the Y-direction wheels out of contact with the Y-direction rails is performed when the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle is to travel in the X direction by driven rotation of the X-direction wheels on the X-direction rails.
The engagement of wheels on opposing sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle with the corresponding rails of the lower track layout automatically ensures alignment of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle on the targeted spot of the lower track layout in the track direction perpendicular to these rails. So, in the illustrated example of
The wheel drive motors of each vehicle are encoded, and the unidirectional travel commands received from the master control system are expressed only in terms of the direction of travel and the number of grid spots to travel in that direction. The local processor translates this travel command into an appropriate drive signal for the wheel motors, based on a stored proportionality factor representing the predetermined relationship between the conveyance wheel diameter and the uniform width shared by all of the square grid spots. The encoded motors give the processor feedback that the appropriate number of wheel rotations equivalent to the commanded travel length have been performed. So when the processor receives feedback confirmation from the encoded wheel motors that the prescribed rotation has been completed, the processor triggers an image capture by the scanner, and then performs a visual analysis on the captured image to identify whether there is an offset between the expected and actual position of the marker within the scanners FOV, calculated as a pixel offset value VPO.
If the calculated offset is either zero, or within a permissible threshold, then the processor has confirmed proper alignment of the vehicle on the targeted spot of the gridded track. If the offset is nonzero, or exceeds a permissible threshold, then the vehicle is known to be misaligned. In response, the processor initiates a corrective wheel rotation action by transmitting a drive signal to the motors that is proportional to the calculated amount of pixel offset in the image, and in appropriate direction determined by the direction of offset in the image. After performance of this corrective drive action by the wheel motors, an updated image is captured, and is subjected to the same offset determination process to assess whether proper alignment has been achieved, or whether further corrective action is needed to correct an overshoot or undershoot in the last corrective attempt. Once proper alignment is achieved, the vehicle processor sends a “position accomplished” confirmation signal to the master control system, which includes the unique identifier encoded in the marker 64 and read by the scanner 66 as feedback to the master control system to confirm that the targeted destination spot specific by the commanded vehicle task has been reached. This confirmation of aligned arrival at the targeted destination of the commanded linear travel segment, the master control system can update the dynamic location record of the vehicle with the unique identifier of the spot at which the vehicle has now arrived. The lower tracks of the working stations use the same marker arrangement thereon for the same arrival confirmation, alignment check/correction, and location update purposes.
The above alignment check/correction process is generally summarized in
In addition to such adjustment of the vehicle position as it arrives at the targeted spot on the track layout, earlier dynamic adjustment of the vehicle's travel may take place upstream of such arrival by scanning the other markers past which the vehicle is travelling on its way to the targeted spot beneath the targeted shaft. The original travel instructions assigned and transmitted to the storage/retrieval vehicle by the computerized control system are based on actual physical distance to the targeted shaft based on the known grid dimensions of the structure. Where the vehicle is travelling through more than one pass-through spot to reach the targeted grid spot below the targeted shaft, the scanner can perform a scan as it moves through each pass-through spot use the results to dynamically correct the travel instructions on the fly to account for differences between the originally assigned travel distance and the true-remaining travel distance from the vehicle's current location to the targeted spot, thus co-ordinating more precisely aligned arrival of the storage/retrieval vehicle at the targeted spot to avoid or reduce the need for fine-tuning of the alignment during final arrival at the targeted spot.
While the illustrated embodiment employs static location markers located in the gridded three-dimensional structure at fixed positions relative to the targetable spots on the lower track layout, and moving scanners carried on the travelling storage/retrieval vehicles, this arrangement may be reversed by having statically positioned scanners in the grid structure and detectable markers on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles, though having the scanning and associated image processing carried out on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle whose wheels are being controlled is likely preferable. While the forgoing description of the scanner/marker alignment confirmation tool is made with reference to the lower track layout to ensure that a vehicle is properly aligned at a targeted launching spot of the lower track layout before the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle is lifted up into the shaft above such launching spot, the same tool may also be employed on the upper track layout to ensure alignment of a vehicle at a targeted drop-down spot overtop of a respective shaft before lowering of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle down into said shaft.
The lifting mechanism 72 is seated atop the same ground surface as the support legs 30 of the lower track layout within the rectangular footprint of the launching spot. Shown in isolation from the lower track layout in
The base frame is of a lesser height than the lower track layout so that the upper panel 78 of the base frame resides at an elevation below the topsides of the rails of the lower track layout, and for example slightly below the undersides of these rails so that when the lifting platform is in the lowered position adjacent the upper panel of the base frame, it doesn't protrude above the rails of the lower track layout. In the followed position of the lifting platform, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles can thus travel freely over the launching spot in either track direction. Mounting brackets 88 reach outward from the upper panel of the base frame of the lifting mechanism at two or more sides thereof and are fastened to the rails of the lower track layout, for example at the undersides thereof, thus fixing the position of the lifting platform in a properly squared relation to the gridded track layout and in properly centered position within the square area of the launching spot.
The lifting mechanism is communicable with the computerized control system via wired or wireless connection thereto, for example as shown in
This process is shown in
With the weight of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle now borne by the lifting mechanism rather than by riding of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle's conveyance wheels on the rails of the lower track layout, the master control system now sends a mode-transition command to the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 at Step 4007, in response to which the local processor thereof initiates a transition of the storage/retrieval vehicle from track-riding mode to the shaft traversing mode. As part of this transition, the vehicle's local processor drives the wheel-shifting motor(s) or actuator(s) in the appropriate direction to draw the conveyance wheels of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle inwardly in a horizontally inboard direction to reduce the overall robotic storage/retrieval vehicle footprint to a reduced size capable of entering the shaft so that the pinion wheels can engage with the rack teeth on the upright frame members at the corners of the up-shaft, thereby enabling climbing of the storage/retrieval vehicle there through. The transition may further involve raising of the vehicle's height adjustable wheel set via activation of the wheel lifting/lowering motor(s) or actuator(s) 526, if these height adjustable wheels were previously in the lowered track-riding position. This way, all eight-wheel units will be high enough to engage with the rack teeth when the vehicle is fully raised by the lifting mechanism is completed. Only one lower set of rack teeth 90 is shown the bottom segment 32 of one of the two illustrated upright frame members in
After such retraction of the wheels, and raising of the height-adjustable wheels if necessary, the vehicle sends a confirmation to the master control system at Step 4008 that the transition of the vehicle from track-riding mode to shaft-traversing mode has been successfully completed. In response, at Step 4009, the master control system instructs the workstation controller 506 to command further extension of the lifting mechanism actuator to lift the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle into a raised position in which the teeth of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle's pinion wheels are brought into engagement or immediate adjacency with lowermost rack teeth on the upright frame members of the grid structure. On completion of this further extension at Step 4010, the lift mechanism sends a full-stage extension confirmation signal to the local workstation computer, which is reported onward to the master control system as confirmation that the vehicle is now in fully raised position to ascend the up-shaft. In response, at Step 4011, the master control system commands the vehicle to climb through the up-shaft to the upper track layout, in response to which, at Step 4012, the local processor of the vehicle activates the wheel motors 524 to drive the vehicle's pinion wheels and thereby initiate climbing of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle upwardly through the up-shaft of the grid structure.
The lifting mechanism, being powered by a mains power supply, thus reduces the overall energy load consumed by the on-board power supplies of the storage/retrieval vehicle in its travel from the lower track layout up the upper track layout, as the storage/retrieval vehicle's on-board power supply is not used to lift the robot up to an engageable position with the rack teeth. To maintain the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle in alignment with the up-shaft during lifting, the lifting platform and underside of the vehicle chassis may have mateable male and female features laid out in matching pattern to one another to automatically align with one another when the vehicle is properly centered on the launching spot of the track, whereby raising of the lifting platform mates the male/female features thereon with the matching female/male features on the underside of the vehicle chassis. The mated features prevent the vehicle chassis from sliding around on the lifting platform as it is raised. In on example, four male nipples protrude upwardly from the topside of the lifting platform near the outer corners thereof to mate with four mating recesses in the underside of the vehicle chassis.
As disclosed in Applicant's aforementioned prior PCT application, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 features an upper support platform 94 on which the storage unit 92 is receivable for carrying by the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14, and which may feature a rotatable turret 96 surrounded by a stationary outer deck surface 98. As disclosed in Applicant's aforementioned prior PCT application, the turret may once again have an extendable/retractable arm (not shown), which together with the rotatable function of the turret allows pulling of storage units onto the support platform and pushing of storage units off the support platform at all four sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle so that each vehicle can access a storage unit on any side of any shaft in the three-dimensional grid structure. That is, each robotic storage/retrieval vehicle is operable in four different working positions inside any of the shafts to enable access to any of the storage locations on any of the shaft's four different sides. In the presently illustrated embodiment, the turret and deck surface are shown in simplified form without detail for illustrative simplicity. While the use of a rotatable turret with a single extendable/retractable arm is one example of a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle operable in four different working positions to access any side of any shaft, including fully-surrounded shafts of the storage grid that have storage locations on all four sides thereof, it will be appreciated that other vehicles may be able to likewise accomplish four different working positions enabling interaction on all sides thereof, for example having a plurality of extendable arms respectively extendable from the four different sides of the vehicle.
The turret and surrounding deck surface collectively define a square landing area atop which the storage unit is seated when carried on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14. This landing area is equal or similar in size and shape to the underside of each storage unit in the three-dimensional grid structure, as shown by
One embodiment uses reflective optical sensors for load status detection, where light energy transmitted by an optical beam emitter of the sensor is reflected off the underside of the storage unit back to an optical receiver of the sensor when the storage unit is present thereover, thus successfully determining said presence. Time of flight calculation (i.e. difference in time between emission of an optical pulse and detection of the reflected optical pulse) may be used to differentiate between a reflection off the underside of a storage bin seated on the landing area of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle vs. a reflection off another surface further away. It will be appreciated that sensor types other than optical sensors may be employed, for example including limit switches mechanically actuated by contact with the underside of the storage unit, or magnetic sensors actuated by presence of cooperating magnetic elements emitting detectable magnetic fields at the underside of the storage unit. However, optical sensors may be preferable to avoid moving parts or need for magnetic integration or other specialized configuration of the storage units.
As disclosed above, the three-dimensional grid structure used to store inventory items in an order fulfillment center can also be used to buffer fully or partially completed orders within the same inventory storage grid structure.
In the illustrated example of
One or more intake stations may be provided at any one or more perimeter sides of the upper track layout, though as illustrated, the intake stations may all reside at a common side of the upper track layout that's nearest to an on-site inventory storage grid from which the packed shipping containers are arriving, or nearest to one or more intermediate packing stations at which order items amalgamated at the inventory storage grid working stations are subsequently packaged before being forwarding on to the sortation/buffering grid 200. However, it will be appreciated that the two grids need not necessary be located in a shared facility.
The lower track layout of the sortation/buffering grid 200 is served by a plurality of output stations 208 co-operably installed therewith for the purpose of unloading outgoing shipping containers 210 off of robotic storage/retrieval vehicles on the lower track layout. Each output station may comprise a conveyor 212 on which a series of outgoing shipping containers can be queued for transfer to a further downstream location of the facility, for example a final packing area or loading bay at which the containers will be loaded onto a shipping vehicle when available. An inlet end of each output conveyor 212 is situated at or slightly below a lower horizontal plane in which the landing areas of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles reside when riding on the lower track layout. This way, a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle at a drop-off spot situated at the outer perimeter of the lower track layout in alignment with the inlet end of the conveyor can slide or drop a shipping container from said robotic storage/retrieval vehicle onto the inlet end of the output conveyor. One or more output stations may be provided at any one or more perimeter sides of the upper track layout. The illustrated example features output stations on at least two opposing sides of the lower track layout, for example to respectively feed a pair of loading bays or packing areas optionally situated on opposing sides of the sortation/buffering grid 200.
Each incoming shipping container may be picked up from one of the intake stations by a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle assigned to this pickup task by the computerized control system, and then carried to an available (i.e. currently unoccupied) storage location in the sortation/buffering grid 200 via the respective shaft from which this storage location is accessible, and left at this storage location for later retrieval. Alternatively, instead of commanding the assigned robotic storage/retrieval vehicle to store the incoming shipping container, the computerized control system may command the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle to deliver the shipping container directly to one of the output stations in view of a need or availability at the loading bay or packing area for that shipping container on an urgent basis.
In selecting between these storage and direct output options for the picked-up shipping container, the computerized control system may consult an order priority ranking of an order associated with that shipping container, relative to other orders whose constituent containers have already been inputted to the sortation/buffering grid 200. Additionally or alternatively, if the picked-up shipment container is only a partial component of a larger overall order, then the determination of whether to store the shipping container or deliver it straight to an output station is based at least partly on whether the other shipment containers fulfilling the remainder of the larger overall order are also present, or imminently expected, at the sortation/buffering grid 200. If the entire order is present or imminently present, and there aren't any other orders of higher priority ranking, then the currently picked-up container may be put directly through to the appropriate output station to which the order is assigned by the computerized control system. The other constituent containers of that same order are retrieved from respective storage locations in the sortation/buffering grid 200, if already present therein, and delivered to that same assigned output station, or are assigned for imminent pickup and straight delivery to that output station if said other constituent containers are currently at, or imminently expected at, the input stations.
One particular example of a useful application for the combination of the two three dimensional grids is aisle-based or similar location-based kitting operations, for example where different retail items destined for a retailer are picked in groups from the inventory storage grid according to a particular aisle section or other identifiable sub-region of the retailer's store layout for which the particular items are destined. The different groups are packed into different shipping containers, and then fed individually into the sortation/buffering grid for temporary storage (i.e. buffering) as each such picked group of items is picked and packaged. Exiting the inventory storage grid, the connected working stations thereof, or subsequent packing station(s) located further downstream from the inventory storage grid at different times, the shipping containers arrive at the sortation/buffering grid at staggered points in time, with one or more initially received containers potentially arriving much earlier than a subsequently received remainder of said containers, and so the earlier received packages are temporarily stored (i.e. buffered) in the sortation/buffering grid, at least until such time as the remainder of containers are received by or imminently approaching the sortation/buffering grid. At such time, the previously-buffered initially-received shipping containers are retrieved from their respective storage locations in the sortation/buffering grid 200 and delivered to a common output station by one or more of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles for amalgamation (e.g. palletization) into the completed order ready for shipment to the retailer.
This however, is only one non-limiting example of the usefulness of the sortation/buffering grid 200, the use of which is not specifically limited to use with an inventory storage solution specifically using the three-dimensional grid structure employed in the present invention and Applicant's aforementioned prior PCT application. Also, aisle-based kitting for retailers is only one example, and non-retail customers similarly having an aisle-based or similarly mapped organizational layout with different identifiable sub-regions may likewise benefit from kitted delivery. This may include manufacturers with organized storage for incoming raw materials or pre-fabricated componentry from outside suppliers, where kitted shipment containers are destined for such on-site manufacturer storage, from which the raw materials or pre-fabricated componentry are distributed to one or more manufacturing stations in the facility. The kitting approach may also be used where the manufacturing stations themselves are the different identifiable sub-regions for which the kitted materials or componentry are destined according to the supply needs of such stations, whether these stations are different stages within one product line, or full or partial assembly stations for two different product lines.
In another example, such manufacturing facilities could have the inventory storage grid of
As outlined above, the computerized control systems referenced herein may comprise one or more computer processors, non-transitory computer readable memory coupled thereto and on which are stored statements and instructions executable by said one or more processors to perform the various associated tasks described herein, including generation and transmission of command and communication signals to the fleet of robotic storage/retrieval vehicles to control the navigation thereof through the gridded three-dimensional storage structure, and through the working stations connected thereto, and control the deposit and retrieval of the storage units to and from the storage locations within the gridded three-dimensional storage structure by the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles, and the generation and assignment of priority rankings to the storage units being retrieved based on order data accessed by said one or more processors from one or more databases of the computerized control system.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
This application is a national stage application of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international application titled “Improved Storage and Retrieval Systems”, international application number PCT/CA2019/050815, filed in the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on Jun. 10, 2019, which claims priority to and the benefit of the provisional patent application titled “Improved Storage and Retrieval System”, application No. 62/682,691, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Jun. 8, 2018 and the provisional patent application titled “Improved Storage and Retrieval Systems”, application No. 62/770,788, filed in the USPTO on Nov. 22, 2018, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2019/050815 | 6/10/2019 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62682691 | Jun 2018 | US | |
| 62770788 | Nov 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CA2019/050404 | Apr 2019 | US |
| Child | 16973260 | US |
