Patent Grant
12286301
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:
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage system comprising:
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:
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage system comprising:
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:
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a sortation/buffering system for shipping containers, said sortation/buffering system 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:
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:
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 15, 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 11 or a respective upright shaft 13. In other words, each storage column 11 and each shaft 13 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 storage column 11. 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 structure 17.
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 17 for containing and organizing the three-dimensional array of storage units within this framework. As a result, each upright shaft 13 of the three-dimensional storage array has four vertical frame members spanning the full height of the shaft 13 at the four corners thereof. Each frame member has respective sets of rack teeth 90 arranged in series in the vertical Z-direction of the three-dimensional grid structure 17 on two sides of the frame member 12. Each shaft 13 thus has eight sets of rack teeth 90 in total, with two sets at each corner of the shaft 13, which cooperate with eight pinion wheels on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 to enable traversal of same between the upper and lower track layouts through the shafts 13 of the three-dimensional grid structure 17. 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 14 over the upper and lower track layouts in a track-riding mode, and toothed pinion wheels for traversal of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 through the rack-equipped shafts 13 in a shaft-traversing mode. The footprint of frame or chassis is less than the horizontal area of each shaft 13 to allow travel of the vehicle 14 through each shaft 13. Each pinion wheel and a respective conveyance wheel are part of a combined singular wheel unit 68, 70, 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 90 of the upright frame members 12 of a shaft 13 (for example, see
The framework of the three-dimensional grid structure 17 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 14 without disrupting the storage units 16 above and below it in the same storage column. Likewise, this allows a storage unit 16 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 structure 17 has a number of working stations 18 distributed around its perimeter to which the robotic retrieval vehicles 14 deliver the storage units 16 pulled from the storage columns 11. Except for differences explicitly described herein, the framework of the three-dimensional grid structure 17, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14, their travel over the upper and lower track layouts and through the shafts 13, 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 13 located at the outer perimeter may be “up-shafts” that are dedicated for upward travel of the robotic storage vehicles 14 therethrough from the lower track layout to the upper track layout 10 after having delivered a storage unit 16 to one of the working stations 18, while other vertical shafts 13 are “down-shafts” that are dedicated for downward travel of the robotic storage vehicles 14 therethrough from the upper track layout 10 during either retrieval of a storage unit 16 from the three dimensional storage array, or return of a storage unit 16 back into the three dimensional array after having previously delivered the storage unit 16 to one of the working stations 18 for a picking, re-stocking or other operation.
The three-dimensional grid structure 17 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 three-dimensional grid structure 17, through delivery of the storage unit 16 to the working station 18, including presentation of the storage unit 16 to a human or robot picker at the working station 18, and subsequent return of the storage unit 16 back into any three dimensional location in the three-dimensional grid structure 17, without the storage unit 16 ever being offloaded from the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 and conveyed by a separate conveyor, turntable or other transitional mechanism.
The working station 18 features a chute 42 mounted to the gridded lower track 36 and spanning longitudinally end-to-end thereof from a first one of the cross-rails 40a at a first end of the longitudinal rails 38 to a last one of the cross-rails 40f at a second opposing end of the longitudinal rails 38. The chute 42 features a first end wall 44 standing upright from the first cross-rail 40a, a second end wall 46 standing upright from the last cross-rail 40f in opposing and parallel relation to the first end wall 44, a longer outer side wall 48 spanning longitudinally between the end walls 44, 46 in perpendicular relation thereto at an outer one 38b of the longitudinal rails, and a top cover panel 50 spanning longitudinally between the end walls and along the top edge of the outer side wall. An underside of the top cover panel 50 defines an interior ceiling of the chute 42, while an opposing topside of the top cover panel 50 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 18, as it is here that a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 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 28 of the grid structure 17. At the opposing second end of the chute 42, 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 14 exits the chute 42 and re-enters the three-dimensional grid 17 by riding off these last and second-last cross-rails onto another respective pair of rails aligned therewith in the lower track layout 28 of the grid structure 17.
Referring to
The working station 18 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 SEN and exit SX 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” SA at which the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 is accessible by the human or robotic worker via an access opening 52 penetrating through the top panel 50 of the chute 42 from the countertop surface 50a thereof into the interior space of the chute 42. Accordingly, when the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 travelling longitudinally through the chute 42 arrives and stops at the access spot SA, the worker can interact with a storage unit 16 carried atop said storage/retrieval vehicle 14, for example to pick one or more individual items from the storage unit 16 as part of an order fulfilment process withdrawing such items from the grid structure 17, to instead remove the entire storage unit 16 from the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 as part of such an order fulfillment process, or to instead place one or more individual items into the storage unit 16 as part of a restocking process replenishing the grid structure 17. Alternatively, a restocking process may involve directing an empty one of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 (i.e. a vehicle currently unoccupied by a storage unit) to the access spot SA of the working station 18 to pick up a storage unit 16 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 14 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 16, the computerized control system can count the number of times the optical beams are broken while that storage unit 16 is present at the access spot SA, thus representing a count of how many times the workers hands were inserted through the access opening 52 to access the storage unit 16 and pull a respective item therefrom. The system compares the hand-insertion count against the predetermined quantity of items known to be required from that storage unit 16 (aka, a “line item quantity” from the order being filled), and only permits the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 on which that storage unit 16 is carried to depart the access spot SA of the working station 18 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 52 of the working station 18, for example during restocking or kitting operations, where instead of picking items from the storage unit 16 parked under the access opening 52, items are placed or dropped into the parked storage unit 16 through the access opening 52. Accordingly, each break of the light curtain beams by either a user's hand reaching down to place an item into the storage unit 16, or by an item dropped into the storage unit 16 from above the light curtain, can likewise be used to count the quantity of items deposited into the storage unit 16. Accordingly, since the sensing mechanism 53 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 52, whether each detection is detected insertion of a user's inserted hand, or detection of another object passing through the opening 52 during placement or retrieval of that object into or from the storage unit 16 parked under the access opening 52. 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 18.
The hand/object sensing mechanism 53 also serves as a height-check on the storage unit 16 to ensure that no items therein are protruding notably upward from the top of the storage unit 16, 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 14 and the storage unit 16 thereon from the access spot SA until the protrusion is rectified. This helps ensure that the storage unit 16 will not attempt to re-enter the storage grid 17 with one or more items protruding therefrom and interfering with the available travel spaces between the framework components of the grid structure 17, thus potential causing damage to the protruding item(s) and/or the storage unit 16, vehicle 14, or grid structure 17.
In addition to the hand/object sensing mechanism 53, two movement sensors 58, 59, visible in
The sensors 58, 59 are positioned so that a vehicle statically occupying the access spot SA, lead-in spot SL, or exit spot SX 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 14 starts transitioning from the lead-in spot SL to the access spot SA, and pulse reflection or beam interruption at the departure sensor 59 will only occur if a vehicle 14 starts transitioning from the access spot SA to the exit spot SX. 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 506 can communicate with the hand/object sensing mechanism 53 of the working station 18, the lead-in and departure movement sensors 58, 59 of the working station 18, a respective lifting mechanism 72 described herein further below. The local computer 506 of the working station 18 also has a human-machine interface (HMI) 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 508, 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 510 presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for the purpose of displaying directive instructions to a human worker of the workstation 18 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 16 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 16 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 18 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 18. The local computer 506 of each working station 18 is also communicable with the master control system 502 by way of a wired or wireless connection, to receive details of the tasks to be guided and performed at the working station 18, and to report back to the master control system 502 on the status of such tasks, and with safety warnings warranting action by the master control system 502.
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 transceiver 516 of the master control system 502 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 14 is connected the onboard local processor 512 thereof for execution of statements and instructions stored in said memory, particularly to execute local functions for the purpose of navigating the storage system 15 and interacting with the storage units 16 thereof, based on commands received from the master control system 502, and for the purpose of reporting back to the master control system 502 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 512 can execute control over various electronic componentry of the vehicle 14 (motors, actuators, sensors, etc.) responsible for travelling movement of the vehicle 14 in the storage grid 17 and working stations 18, and interactions of the vehicle 14 with the storage units 16. 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 512 of each vehicle 14 being configured to automatically report back to the master control system 502 successful completion of a vehicle travel task commanded thereby, so that the master control system 502 knows the vehicle reached 14 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 502 commands a storage/retrieval vehicle 14 to a working station 18, 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 18, followed by one or more straight-line travel segments then commanded to advance the vehicle along the lower track of the workstation 18 toward, or fully to, the access spot SA depending on the occupied or unoccupied state of the access spot SA and intermediate spots. Once presence of the vehicle 14 is no longer needed at the access spot SA, the master control system 502 commands another straight-line travel segment to move the vehicle 14 one spot over to the working station's exit spot SX, followed by another straight-line travel segment in the other direction to move the vehicle 14 from the working's station's 18 exit spot SX back into the storage grid 17. Accordingly, to check whether any vehicle 14 is in a workstation 18, the master control system 502 can search the dynamic location records of all vehicles for a vehicle whose last recorded location was any of the entrance, intermediate, access SA, or exit spots SX of the working station 18. This is only one example however, and other techniques for confirming the presence or absence of a vehicle 14 in the working station 18 may be employed, for example using occupancy sensors in the working station 18, in which case, checking for the presence of any vehicle 14 in the working station 18 at step 1003 may be performed locally by the workstation control system 504.
If it is determined that no vehicle 14 is present in the subject working station 18, then the positive detection by the hand/object sensing mechanism 53 is ignored at step 1004, as the lack of vehicle 14 at the working station 18 means that a user's hand inserted in the access opening 52 is not at risk for collision by a vehicle 18, nor is there a storage unit 16 present at the access opening 52 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 16. However, if it is determined that one or more vehicles 16 are present in the working station 18, then at step 1005, a check is made for static occupation of the access spot SA of the working station 18 by a vehicle 14, for example by checking the status of the movement sensors 58, 59 installed in the working station 18 adjacent the access spot SA thereof, and checking the dynamic vehicle location records of the vehicles 14 in the workstation 18. If those dynamic vehicle location records include one whose currently stored value is a unique identifier of that working station's 18 access spot SA, and there is no detected movement from the movement sensors 58, 59, then a positive determination is made that a vehicle 14 is statically parked at the access spot SA.
In response, at step 1006, the computer control system 500 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 16 (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 500 decrements the remaining line quantity by one, based on which a dynamically displayed line quantity shown on the HMI 508 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 16. If the line item quantity was already zero, then at step 1008, the computer control systems 500 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 16 parked at the access spot SA. 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 14 parked statically at the access spot SA, then at Step 1009, the movement sensors 58, 59 of the working station 18 are monitored for detected vehicle movement. Absent any movement, operation of the system continues in normal fashion. However, once the movement sensors 58, 59 detect movement near the access spot SA at Step 1010, thus representing a risk of injury to a workers hand by a storage bin entering or departing the access spot SA, 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 SA, 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) 14 in the working station 18 at Step 1011. Accordingly, any vehicle 14 about to move into the access spot SA, if previously unoccupied, or any vehicle 14 attempting to depart the access spot SA 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 502 may halt all vehicle travel commands to the vehicle(s) 14 at the subject working station 18 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 508 of the working station 18 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 gridded lower track 36 of each working station 18 is thus an extension track connected to the lower track layout 28 of the three-dimensional grid structure 17 in a position running alongside the lower track layout 28 to allow seamless transition of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 between the three-dimensional grid 17 and the working station 18 situated outside the two-dimensional footprint occupied by the upper and lower track layouts and the columns 11 and shafts 13 spanning therebetween. The transition of the vehicles 14 between the lower track layout 28 of the three-dimensional grid 17 and the working station 18 takes place through the working station 18 entrance spot SEN situated at one end of the working station's 18 gridded lower track 36 and the working station 18 exit spot SX situated at an opposing second end of the working station's 18 gridded lower track 36. By way of the computerized control system 500, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 are driven through the working stations 18 in a unidirectional manner from the dedicated entrance to the dedicated exit, which allows multiple vehicles 14 to be queued inside the working station 18, thus reducing traffic obstruction on the lower track layout 28 of the three-dimensional grid 17. In the illustrated example, the use of separate entrance spots SEN and exit spots SX and inclusion of one or more intermediate spots in each working station between the entrance spots SEN and exit spots SX thereof increases this internal queueing capacity of each working station 18.
However, the use of separate entrance spots SEN and exit spots SX, inclusion of one or more intermediate spots between the entrance spots SEN and exit spots SX, and placement of the access opening 52 at a dedicated spot other than the entrance spots SEN or exit spots SX are optional features, and may be omitted altogether or in various combinations. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the gridded lower track 36 of the working station 18 may be as simple as two cross-rails extending from the lower track layout 28 to define a single spot over which the access opening 52 resides, thus serving as an entrance spot SEN, exit spot SX, and access spot SA of the working station 18 all at one singular spot on the track layout. The robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 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 28, receive interaction with the worker through the access opening 52, and then exit the working station 18 in a reverse direction back onto the lower track layout 28 of the three-dimensional grid 17. Accordingly, the extension track need not necessarily be elongated along the perimeter of the lower track layout 28 of the grid structure 17 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 42 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 spot SEN and/or exit spot SX.
One or both of the emergence spot SEM and re-entry spot SR may be a multi-purpose spot, for example also serving as a landing spot SLND or launching spot SLCH under a respective down-shaft or up-shaft, as shown in the illustrated example where the re-entry spot SR is also a landing spot SLND. All other spots in the area of the lower track layout 28 neighbouring the working station 18 underlie respective storage columns 11 of the three-dimensional grid structure 17 in which the storage units 16 are shelved. These spot serve as available parking spots SP in which a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 carrying a respective storage unit 16 can be selectively parked after landing on the lower track layout 28 at the landing spot SLND at the bottom of the down-shaft from which the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 retrieved said storage unit 16 in the event that there is another robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 that is destined for the same working station 18 and whose travel to said working station 18 has been assigned, by the computerized control system 500, a greater priority ranking than the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 being parked. Selection by the computerized control system 500 of a particular spot at which to park one of the storage/retrieval vehicles 14 may be based on an available least-distance travel path to the working station entrance from a particular one of the designated landing spots SLND at which the parking storage/retrieval vehicle 14 arrived at the lower track layout 28.
Accordingly, the computerized control system 50 responsible for assigning tasks to the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 and controlling navigation thereof through the three-dimensional grid 17 and working stations 18 can orchestrate arrival of a group of occupied vehicles (i.e. vehicles 14 carrying respective storage units 16 thereon) to the assigned working station 18 for which those storage units 16 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 16 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 28 (i.e. the landing sequence), and/or the sequence in which the occupied vehicles initially arrived into a vicinity of the emergence spot SEM adjacent the assigned working station 18 (i.e. the arrival or approach sequence)
In one illustrative example, a picking operation is executed by the computerized control system 500, and involves assigning a first group of one or more vehicles 14 to retrieve one or more respective storage units 16 each containing a different item for a first customer order and deliver said storage units 16 to a particular working station 18, and a second group of one or more vehicles 14 assigned to retrieve one or more storage units 16 each containing a different item for a second customer order for delivery to the same working station 18. Due to differences in travel distance from the initial location of each vehicle 14 to the assigned working station 18 via an available retrieval location at which a storage unit 16 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 14 from the two groups may arrive at the lower track layout 28 with their retrieved storage units 16 and approach the assigned working station 18 in a mixed order. Here, the computerized control system 500 can assign priority rankings on which to sequence the entry of the two groups of vehicles 14 into the working station 18, and instruct lower priority vehicles 14 to park themselves at currently unoccupied parking spots SP of the lower track layout 28.
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 14 landing at the lower track layout 28 or approaching the assigned working station 18 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 SA of the working station 18 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 16 for complete fulfillment may have its queue of robotic storage/vehicles 14 interrupted by one or more robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 assigned to a small order in order to pick the entire small order at the working station 18 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 working station 18 to avoid cross-contamination.
One particular example of orchestrating sequenced delivery of storage units 16 by priority ranking, whether order-based among storage units 16 of different orders or item-based among storage units 16 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 18, 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 14 of the earlier order have already entered the workstation 18. To do this, the workstation controller 506 may check the pending tasks of the earlier order to identify any vehicles 14 among those assigned to these tasks that have not yet been confirmed to have entered the workstation 18, for example by querying the master control system's 502 dynamic location records of these vehicles 14 for any whose last confirmed location doesn't match the unique identifier of any of the entrance spot SEN, intermediate spots, and access spot SA on the working station's 18 gridded lower track 36. If the master control system 502 reports back to the workstation controller 506 that the last confirmed locations of all the queried pending-task vehicles 14 of the earlier order are spots in the working station 18, then the working station controller 506 has confirmed at Step 2004 that all vehicles 14 of the earlier order have already entered the workstation 18. Having made this positive determination at Step 2004, Step 2005 is to then call on the vehicle 14 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 502 that identifies the vehicle 14 specified in this identified task assignment. In response, the master control system 502 flags this vehicle 14 as having been summoned or called by the working station 18.
As mentioned previously, vehicle travel is commanded in segmented fashion, meaning the overall travel plan used by a vehicle 14 to pick a storage unit 16 and deliver it to the working station 18 is broken down into linear segments. Accordingly, the task commands sent to the vehicles 14 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 16 to a workstation 18. 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 14. Each time a vehicle 14 reaches the end of a commanded segment, it returns a confirmation signal to the master control system 502 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 14. The flagging of a vehicle 14 as having been called by the workstation 18 means that when the vehicle 14 sends confirmation of a completed travel segment sometime after having already retrieved the assigned storage unit 16 and landed at the lower track layout 28, the master control system 502 recognizes that the vehicle 14 should be commanded with a travel route of one or more linear segments leading into the entrance spot SEN of the workstation 18 that called for this vehicle 14, and so the planning module 520 calculates such a workstation-destined route, the commands for which are then transmitted to the vehicle 14. These commands are again transmitted in piecemeal fashion segment-by-segment if the route involves more than one linear segment from the vehicle's 14 last confirmed position on the lower track layout 28 to the entrance spot SEN of the working station 18. For example, upon receiving a confirmation signal that a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 has arrived at a landing spot SLND on the lower track layout 28, the master control system 502 may use this at the check-point to see whether the vehicle 14 has been flagged/called, and accordingly decide whether to calculate and command a workstation-destined travel route for that vehicle 14. However, spots on the lower track layout 28 other than the landing spots SLND may alternatively serve as the check point where this routing decision is made to dynamically update the vehicle's 14 overall travel path to the workstation 18 depending on whether is has yet been called, or should be temporarily parked.
Once having called the highest-ranking vehicle 14 of the new order, any other vehicle 14 assigned to that same order, but not yet flagged by a call request from the working station 18, must be parked at Step 2006 to await entry to the working station 18 once another spot opens up. Any such uncalled vehicle 14, 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 SP outside the working station 18, but preferably nearby the entrance thereof, where it awaits assignment of called-for status before being re-routed into the workstation 18. For a parked vehicle 14, awaiting its turn to enter the workstation 18, later receipt of the call request for that vehicle 14 by the master control system 502 will trigger immediate calculation and command of its workstation-destined travel route from the parking spot SP. Steps 2003 to 2005 are then repeated, followed by a check at step 2007 with each repetition on whether all vehicles 14 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 14 have been called, the process terminates until a subsequent order is tasked to that working station 18. If determination at Step 2004 was that all vehicles 14 from the earlier order were not yet in the working station 18, then calling of the highest ranked vehicle 14 of that earlier order and parking of any other landed vehicles 14 in that order, along with parking of all landed vehicles 14 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 17 in which the storage units 16 are arrayed and by which the robotic vehicles 14 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 18 situated remotely of the storage structure.
While the forgoing example specifically uses dedicated up-shafts, dedicated down-shafts, and designated parking spots SP specifically on the lower track layout 28 for the purpose of selectively parking vehicles 14 after storage unit 16 retrieval on their way to assigned lower level working stations 18 without interfering with flow of other unparked vehicles 14 moving through the three dimensional grid 17, it will be appreciated that other locales in the three dimensional grid 17 may be used to temporarily park retrieved storage units 16 during the orchestration of sequenced delivery to the working stations 18. Accordingly, any of the square spots between the X and Y direction rails 24, 26 of the upper track layout 10 may likewise be used as a temporary parking spot SP for occupied vehicles 14 during delivery sequence orchestration, just as they may be used to park inactive vehicles 14 awaiting activation by way of operational assignment and instruction from the computerized control system 500. 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 14 through the three-dimensional grid 17. Likewise, the sequenced delivery orchestration may employ parking of vehicles 14 at any level in the down-shafts and/or up-shafts for the purpose of delaying the arrival of such parked vehicles 14 to the working stations 18 in view of higher priority rankings assigned to the other occupied vehicles 14, though again, it may be preferable to avoid such obstruction to shaft travel by other vehicles 14. While select embodiments have specific up-shafts dedicated to only upward traffic flow of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 and separate down-shafts dedicated to only downward traffic flow, it will be appreciated that other embodiments need not restrict each shaft 13 to a particular direction of traffic flow. Accordingly, the spot on the lower track layout 28 beneath such a two-way shaft would serve as both a launching spot SLCH and landing spot SLND, and the spot on the upper track layout 10 above the two-way shaft would serve as both a drop-down and climb-out spot for that shaft 13. Also, while the illustrated example has working stations 18 at the lower level for service from the lower track layout 28, the same concepts concerning working stations 18 served by extension tracks, and in-grid orchestration of sequenced delivery of storage units 16 to the working stations 18, may similarly be employed in instances where working stations 18 are instead served from the upper track layout 10.
The same inventive in-grid orchestration of sequenced delivery of storage units 16 to the working stations 18 entirely within the two-dimensional footprint of the track layouts, can also be employed regardless of whether the working stations 18 are the inventive “travel-through” workstations disclosed herein, where the same robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 responsible for retrieving and returning storage units 16 to the three-dimensional storage grid 17 also carry the storage units 16 through the working stations 18, or are “drop off” workstations where the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 drop off the storage units 16 at an intake point of the working station 18, which may for example be a turntable, elevator, conveyor or other handling equipment responsible for transitioning the dropped off storage unit 16 to an access point of the working station 18 where a human or robotic worker then interacts with the storage unit 16 outside the three-dimensional grid 17. The intake point at which the storage units 16 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 17.
While many of the forgoing examples focus on picking operations used to fulfill an order by delivering storage units 16 containing items for that order to a working station 18 where a human or robotic worker can remove such items from the storage units 16 and compile them into a shipping container for delivery to a customer, the working stations 18 can also be used for re-stocking or order buffering operations, where items are placed into the storage unit 16 presented by the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 at the access spot SA of the working station 18, from which the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 then re-enters the three-dimensional grid 17 to place that storage unit 16 in an available storage location in the three-dimensional grid 17. 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 18 to fulfill an order is not necessarily limited specifically to fulfillment of customer orders, where customer-ordered items are picked from storage units 16 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 16 at the access opening 52 of the workstation 18, 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 16 each containing only a singular item type).
An order buffering operation first involves a picking operation, in which the computerized control system 500 assigns and instructs a group of storage/retrieval vehicles 14 to different retrieve storage units 16 containing a particular collection of items required to fulfill an order, and to carry the retrieved items in their respective storage units 16 down to the lower track layout 28 and onward to the entrance spot SEN of the working station 18 assigned to this buffering operation. As the assigned group of vehicles 14 move through the working station 18, the worker extracts one or more items of the order from the storage unit 16 on each vehicle 14 when said vehicle 14 arrives at the access spot SA of the working station 18, 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 17. This container may be the same as the rest of the storage units 16, for example an openable/closeable storage bin, or may be a shipment container of different type from the storage units 16 (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 control system 500 sends an unloaded vehicle 14 to the same working station 18, where the container with the amalgamated order contents is placed atop this vehicle 14 at the access spot SA of the working station 18. The computerized control system 500 then sends this order-carrying vehicle 14 back into the three-dimensional grid structure 17 with instructions to store the fully or partially fulfilled order in an available storage location in the three-dimensional grid structure 17. The same three-dimensional storage grid 17 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 500, sending a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 to retrieve the order container from its storage location, and deliver the order container to one of the working stations 18, for retrieval of the container, or the individual items contained therein, through the access opening 52 of the working station 18. 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 18 of the present invention, novel uses thereof, and novel use of the three-dimensional grid structure 17 itself for workstation delivery sequencing and order buffering, attention is now turned to other points of novelty in the three-dimensional grid structure 17, robotic vehicle fleet and cooperative operation therebetween.
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 14, and a set of Y-direction wheels 70 on the other two opposing sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14. The X-direction wheels 68 are raiseable and lowerable relative to a frame or chassis of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 into an out of engagement with the X-direction rails 60a, 60b of the lower track layout 28, just as the Y-direction wheels 70 are raiseable and lowerable relative to a frame of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 into an out of engagement with the Y-direction rails 62 of the lower track layout 28. Raising of the X-direction wheels 68 out of contact with the X-direction rails 60a, 60b is performed when the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 is to travel in the Y direction by driven rotation of the Y-direction wheels 70 on the Y-direction rails 62, while raising of the Y-direction wheels 70 out of contact with the Y-direction rails 62 is performed when the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 is to travel in the X direction by driven rotation of the X-direction wheels 68 on the X-direction rails 60a, 60b.
The engagement of wheels on opposing sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 with the corresponding rails of the lower track layout 28 automatically ensures alignment of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 on the targeted spot of the lower track layout 28 in the track direction perpendicular to these rails. So in the illustrated example of
The wheel drive motors of each vehicle 14 are encoded, and the undirectional travel commands received from the master control system 502 are expressed only in terms of the direction of travel and the number of grid spots to travel in that direction. The local processor 512 translates this travel command into an appropriate drive signal for the wheel drive motors 524, 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 512 receives feedback confirmation from the encoded wheel motors that the prescribed rotation has been completed, the processor 512 triggers an image capture by the scanner 66, 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 visually detectable location marker 64 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 512 has confirmed proper alignment of the vehicle 14 on the targeted spot of the gridded track. If the offset is nonzero, or exceeds a permissible threshold, then the vehicle 14 is known to be misaligned. In response, the processor 512 initiates a corrective wheel rotation action by transmitting a drive signal to the wheel drive motors 524 that is proportional to the calculated amount of pixel offset VPO 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 drive motors 524, 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 512 sends a “position accomplished” confirmation signal to the master control system 502, which includes the unique identifier encoded in the visually detectable location marker 64 and read by the scanner 66 as feedback to the master control system 502 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 502 can update the dynamic location record of the vehicle 14 with the unique identifier of the spot at which the vehicle 14 has now arrived. The gridded lower tracks 36 of the working stations 18 use the same visually detectable location marker 64 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 visually detectable location markers 64 past which the vehicle 14 is travelling on its way to the targeted spot beneath the targeted shaft (i.e. a shaft 13 for which the vehicle 14 is destined). The original travel instructions assigned and transmitted to the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 by the computerized control system 500 are based on actual physical distance to the targeted shaft 13 based on the known grid dimensions of the gridded three-dimensional structure 17. Where the vehicle 14 is travelling through more than one pass-through spot to reach the targeted grid spot below the targeted shaft 13, the scanner 66 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 visually detectable location markers 64 located in the gridded three-dimensional structure 17 at fixed positions relative to the targetable spots on the lower track layout 28, and moving scanners 66 carried on the travelling storage/retrieval vehicles 14, this arrangement may be reversed by having statically positioned scanners in the three-dimensional grid structure 17 and detectable markers on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14, though having the scanning and associated image processing carried out on the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 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 28 to ensure that a vehicle 14 is properly aligned at a targeted launching spot of the lower track layout 28 before the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 is lifted up into the shaft 13 above such launching spot SLCH, the same tool may also be employed on the upper track layout 10 to ensure alignment of a vehicle 14 at a targeted drop-down spot overtop of a respective shaft 13 before lowering of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 down into said shaft 13.
The lifting mechanism 72 is seated atop the same ground surface as the support legs 30 of the lower track layout 28 within the rectangular footprint of the launching spot SLCH. Shown in isolation from the lower track layout 28 in
The base frame is of a lesser height than the lower track layout 28 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 28, and for example slightly below the undersides of these rails so that when the lifting platform 80 is in the lowered position adjacent the upper panel 78 of the base frame, it does not protrude above the rails of the lower track layout 28. In the followed position of the lifting platform 80, the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 can thus travel freely over the launching spot SLCH in either track direction. Mounting brackets 88 reach outward from the upper panel 78 of the base frame of the lifting mechanism 72 at two or more sides thereof and are fastened to the rails of the lower track layout 28, for example at the undersides thereof, thus fixing the position of the lifting platform 80 in a properly squared relation to the lower track layout 28 and in properly centered position within the square area of the launching spot SLCH.
The lifting mechanism 72 is communicable with the computerized control system 500 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 14 now borne by the lifting mechanism 72 rather than by riding of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle's conveyance wheels on the rails of the lower track layout 28, the master control system 502 now sends a mode-transition command to the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 at Step 4007, in response to which the local processor 512 thereof initiates a transition of the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 from track-riding mode to the shaft traversing mode. As part of this transition, the vehicle's local processor 512 drives the wheel-shifting motor(s) or actuator(s) 528 in the appropriate direction to draw the conveyance wheels of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 inwardly in a horizontally inboard direction to reduce the overall robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 footprint to a reduced size capable of entering the shaft so that the pinion wheels can engage with the rack teeth 90 on the upright frame members 12 at the corners of the up-shaft 13, thereby enabling climbing of the storage/retrieval vehicle 14 therethrough. 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 90 when the vehicle 14 is fully raised by the lifting mechanism 72 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 12 in
After such retraction of the wheels, and raising of the height-adjustable wheels if necessary, the vehicle 14 sends a confirmation to the master control system 502 at Step 4008 that the transition of the vehicle 14 from track-riding mode to shaft-traversing mode has been successfully completed. In response, at Step 4009, the master control system 502 instructs the workstation controller 506 to command further extension of the lifting mechanism actuator to lift the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 into a raised position in which the teeth (not shown) of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle's pinion wheels are brought into engagement or immediate adjacency with lowermost rack teeth 90 on the upright frame members 12 of the three-dimensional grid structure 17. On completion of this further extension at Step 4010, the lifting mechanism 72 sends a full-stage extension confirmation signal to the local workstation computer 506, which is reported onward to the master control system 502 as confirmation that the vehicle 14 is now in fully raised position to ascend the up-shaft. In response, at Step 4011, the master control system 502 commands the vehicle to climb through the up-shaft to the upper track layout 10, in response to which, at Step 4012, the local processor 512 of the vehicle 14 activates the wheel drive motors 524 to drive the vehicle's pinion wheels and thereby initiate climbing of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 upwardly through the up-shaft of the three-dimensional grid structure 17.
The lifting mechanism 72, 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 14 in its travel from the lower track layout 28 up the upper track layout 10, 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 90. To maintain the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 in alignment with the up-shaft 13 during lifting, the lifting platform 80 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 14 is properly centered on the launching spot SLCH of the track, whereby raising of the lifting platform 80 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 80 as it is raised. In on example, four male nipples protrude upwardly from the topside of the lifting platform 80 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 96 allows pulling of storage units 92 onto the support platform 94 and pushing of storage units 92 off the support platform 94 at all four sides of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 so that each vehicle 14 can access a storage unit 92 on any side of any shaft 13 in the three-dimensional grid structure 17. That is, each robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 is operable in four different working positions inside any of the shafts 13 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 96 and deck surface 98 are shown in simplified form without detail for illustrative simplicity. While the use of a rotatable turret 96 with a single extendable/retractable arm is one example of a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 operable in four different working positions to access any side of any shaft 13, including fully-surrounded shafts 13 of the three-dimensional storage grid 17 that have storage locations on all four sides thereof, it will be appreciated that other vehicles 14 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 14.
The turret 96 and surrounding deck surface 98 collectively define a square landing area atop which the storage unit 92 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 92 in the three-dimensional grid structure 17, as shown by
One embodiment uses reflective optical sensors for load status detection, where light energy transmitted by an optical beam emitter of the load status sensor 100 is reflected off the underside of the storage unit 92 back to an optical receiver of the load status sensor 100 when the storage unit 92 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 14 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 92, or magnetic sensors actuated by presence of cooperating magnetic elements emitting detectable magnetic fields at the underside of the storage unit 92. However, optical sensors may be preferable to avoid moving parts or need for magnetic integration or other specialized configuration of the storage units 92.
As disclosed above, the three-dimensional grid structure 17 used to store inventory items in an order fulfillment center can also be used to buffer fully or partially completed orders within the same three-dimensional inventory storage grid structure 17.
In the illustrated example of
One or more intake stations 202 may be provided at any one or more perimeter sides of the upper track layout, though as illustrated, the intake stations 202 may all reside at a common side of the upper track layout that's nearest to an on-site three-dimensional inventory storage grid 17 from which the packed shipping containers are arriving, or nearest to one or more intermediate packing stations at which order items amalgamated at the three-dimensional inventory storage grid 17 working stations 18 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 14 on the lower track layout. Each output station 208 may comprise an output conveyor 212 on which a series of outgoing shipping containers 210 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 14 reside when riding on the lower track layout. This way, a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 at a drop-off spot situated at the outer perimeter of the lower track layout in alignment with the inlet end of the output conveyor 210 can slide or drop a shipping container from said robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 onto the inlet end of the output conveyor 210. One or more output stations 208 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 202 by a robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 assigned to this pickup task by the computerized control system 500, and then carried to an available (i.e. currently unoccupied) storage location in the sortation/buffering grid 200 via the respective shaft 13 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 14 to store the incoming shipping container, the computerized control system 500 may command the robotic storage/retrieval vehicle 14 to deliver the shipping container directly to one of the output stations 208 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 500 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 208 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 are not any other orders of higher priority ranking, then the currently picked-up container may be put directly through to the appropriate output station 208 to which the order is assigned by the computerized control system 500. 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 208, 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 intake stations 202.
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 three-dimensional inventory storage grid 17 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 200 for temporary storage (i.e. buffering) as each such picked group of items is picked and packaged. Exiting the three-dimensional inventory storage grid 17, the connected working stations 18 thereof, or subsequent packing station(s) located further downstream from the three-dimensional inventory storage grid 17 at different times, the shipping containers arrive at the sortation/buffering grid 200 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 200, at least until such time as the remainder of containers are received by or imminently approaching the sortation/buffering grid 200. 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 208 by one or more of the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14 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 17 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 17 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 14 to control the navigation thereof through the gridded three-dimensional storage structure 17, and through the working stations 18 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 17 by the robotic storage/retrieval vehicles 14, 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.
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