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NZ798065B2 - Sequence adjustment for executing functions on items in an order - Google Patents
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NZ798065B2 - Sequence adjustment for executing functions on items in an order - Google Patents

Sequence adjustment for executing functions on items in an order

Info

Publication number
NZ798065B2
NZ798065B2 NZ798065A NZ79806521A NZ798065B2 NZ 798065 B2 NZ798065 B2 NZ 798065B2 NZ 798065 A NZ798065 A NZ 798065A NZ 79806521 A NZ79806521 A NZ 79806521A NZ 798065 B2 NZ798065 B2 NZ 798065B2
Authority
NZ
New Zealand
Prior art keywords
robot
item
order
regions
location
Prior art date
Application number
NZ798065A
Other versions
NZ798065A (en
Inventor
Rick Faulk
Michael Charles Johnson
Sean Johnson
Original Assignee
Locus Robotics Corp
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US17/017,758 external-priority patent/US11741564B2/en
Application filed by Locus Robotics Corp filed Critical Locus Robotics Corp
Publication of NZ798065A publication Critical patent/NZ798065A/en
Publication of NZ798065B2 publication Critical patent/NZ798065B2/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J9/00—Program-controlled manipulators
    • B25J9/16—Program controls
    • B25J9/1679—Program controls characterised by the tasks executed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/137—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
    • B65G1/1373—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed for fulfilling orders in warehouses
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D1/00—Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots
    • G05D1/02—Control of position or course in two dimensions
    • G05D1/021—Control of position or course in two dimensions specially adapted to land vehicles
    • G05D1/0287—Control of position or course in two dimensions specially adapted to land vehicles involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling
    • G05D1/0291—Fleet control
    • G05D1/0297—Fleet control by controlling means in a control room
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
    • G06Q10/063—Operations research, analysis or management
    • G06Q10/0631—Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
    • G06Q10/06315—Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
    • G06Q10/063—Operations research, analysis or management
    • G06Q10/0631—Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
    • G06Q10/06316—Sequencing of tasks or work
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/083—Shipping
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/083—Shipping
    • G06Q10/08355—Routing methods
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/20—Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

method for executing orders assigned to a plurality of robots operating in a warehouse, including receiving an order with a plurality of items, each item associated with an item location. The method includes defining a plurality of regions and identifying the regions which include at least one item location associated with the order received by the robot. The method also includes determining, from the regions identified, which regions which include at least one operator and assessing criteria relating to a current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the regions having at least one operator. The method further includes selecting an item location to which the robot is to navigate from a current location based on an assessment of criteria relating to the current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator.

Claims (10)

What is claimed is:
1. A method for executing orders assigned to a plurality of robots operating in a warehouse, wherein the robots interact with a warehouse management system to execute orders with the assistance of a plurality of operators, each order including a plurality of items and each item being located in the warehouse, the method comprising: grouping one or more items of the plurality of items from an order queue of the warehouse management system to form an order, each item being associated with a pose location in the warehouse; receiving, by a robot of the plurality of robots, the order to be executed by the robot; defining a plurality of regions within the warehouse; identifying the regions of the plurality of regions that include at least one item location associated with an item in the order received by the robot; determining, from the regions identified to include at least one item location associated with an item in the order received by the robot, the regions that include at least one operator of the plurality of operators; assessing criteria relating to a current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator; selecting an item location of an item in the order to which the robot navigates from a current location, the step of selecting being based on an assessment of the criteria relating to the current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator; wherein the step of assessing criteria includes assessing one or both of a distance of travel or a travel time between the current location of the robot and each of the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator; wherein the step of selecting the item location to which the robot navigates is determined based in part on one or both of a region of the plurality of regions that have a higher number of operators or a higher operator to robot ratio; and wherein the step of grouping the order for the robot from the order queue of the warehouse management system, comprises: retrieving, by a warehouse management system processor from a data structure, two dimensional coordinates (x, y) of each of the items in the order in a coordinate space defined by the warehouse associated with the pose location of each of the items in the warehouse; forming, by the warehouse management system processor for the order, at least one cluster region defined by a radius, R, about the two dimensional coordinates (x, y) of at least one item from the order; grouping, by the warehouse management system processor, the order based on the physical locations of the cluster regions in the warehouse to form the order; and assigning, by the warehouse management system processor, the order to the robot by electronically transmitting the order to an onboard electronic device for the robot.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein executing orders includes performing one or more of a pick, a place or a maintenance function on the items in the orders.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the robot determines an initial order execution sequence for the plurality of items in each order and wherein the step of assessing a criteria further includes assessing one or more of the order in the order sequence of each item in a region in which are located at least one operator, or the distance of travel or the travel time between the current location of the robot and each of the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of selecting the item location to which the robot navigates is based on the shortest travel distance or shortest travel time between the current location of the robot and each of the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of assessing includes determining the item locations which are within a predetermined distance or travel time between the current location and the respective item locations; and wherein the step of selecting the item location to which the robot navigates is determined based on which of the item locations within the predetermined distance or travel time are next in order in the initial order execution sequence.
6. A robot configured to execute orders assigned by a warehouse management system, each order including a plurality of items and each item being located at an item location within one of a plurality of regions in a warehouse, the robot comprising: a mobile base; a communication device enabling communication between the robot and the warehouse management system, wherein the warehouse management system is configured to group a plurality of orders from an order queue of the warehouse management system to form an order set, each order set including one or more items and each item being associated with a pose location in the warehouse; and a processor and memory, responsive to communications with the management system, configured to: receive the order set to be executed by the robot; identify one or more regions of the plurality of regions that include at least one item location associated with an item in the order set received by the robot; determine, from the one or more regions identified to include at least one item location associated with an item in the order set received by the robot, the region or regions that include at least one operator of the plurality of operators; assess criteria relating to a current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the one or more regions in which are located at least one operator, the criteria including one or both of a distance of travel or a travel time between the current location of the robot and each of the item locations associated with the one or more regions in which are located at least one operator; and select an item location of an item in the order set to which the robot navigates from a current location, the selection being based on an assessment of the criteria relating to the current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the one or more regions in which are located at least one operator, the selection being further based in part on one or both of a region of the plurality of regions that have a higher number of operators or a higher operator to robot ratio; wherein the step of grouping by the warehouse management system the plurality of orders for each robot from the order queue to form the order set, includes: retrieving, by a processor of the warehouse management system from a data structure, two dimensional coordinates (x, y) of each of the items in the order set in a coordinate space defined by the warehouse associated with the pose location of each of the items in the warehouse; forming, by the warehouse management system processor for the order set, at least one cluster region defined by a radius, R, about the two dimensional coordinates (x, y) of at least one item from the order set; grouping, by the warehouse management system processor, the order set based on the physical locations of the cluster regions in the warehouse to form the order set; and assigning, by the warehouse management system processor, the order set to the robot by electronically transmitting the order set to an onboard electronic device for the robot.
7. The robot of claim 6 wherein executing orders includes performing one or more of a pick, a place or a maintenance function on the items in the orders.
8. The robot of claim 7 wherein the processor and memory are configured to determine an initial order execution sequence for the plurality of items in each order and to assess one or more of the order in the order sequence of each item in the one or more regions in which are located at least one operator, or the distance of travel or the travel time between the current location of the robot and each of the item locations associated with the one or more regions in which are located at least one operator.
9. The robot of claim 8 wherein the processor and memory are configured to select the item location to which the robot navigates based on the shortest travel distance or shortest travel time between the current location of the robot and each of the item locations associated with the one or more regions in which are located at least one operator.
10. The robot of claim 8 wherein the processor and memory are configured to determine the item locations which are within a predetermined distance or travel time between the current location and the respective item locations and to select the item location to which the robot navigates based on which of the item locations within the predetermined distance or travel time are next in order in the initial order execution sequence. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
NZ798065A 2021-09-07 Sequence adjustment for executing functions on items in an order NZ798065B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US17/017,758 US11741564B2 (en) 2020-09-11 2020-09-11 Sequence adjustment for executing functions on hems in an order
PCT/US2021/049239 WO2022055851A1 (en) 2020-09-11 2021-09-07 Sequence adjustment for executing functions on items in an order

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
NZ798065A NZ798065A (en) 2025-02-28
NZ798065B2 true NZ798065B2 (en) 2025-06-04

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