Patent Description:
Picking of items in a warehouse is typically a labor-intensive activity. A number of pickers are provided instructions, using visual displays, voice commands, or the like, that directs the pickers to retrieve a certain number of items from a particular location at a picking shelf or bin. The pickers pick the items to receptacles which are then conveyed to order assembly stations, such as a put-station where individual orders are collected and packaged by yet more persons. Also, replenishment of the items stocked at the picking facility requires facilities to convey the goods from a decant area where the goods are received in larger containers, such as cases and/or pallets.

<CIT> discloses a method according to the preamble of claim <NUM>. In particular, the document discloses a physical distribution facility capable of sorting different types of products to pallets without the need of an intermediate buffer. This physical distribution facility is provided with storage-retrieval machine for storing a single-item pallet loading with a single type of product for every pallet, depalletizing and palletizing parts directly transferring the product from the single pallet carried out of the storage-retrieval machine to a storing pallet, and a carrier carrying the signal-item pallet from the storage-retrieval machine to the depalletizing an depalletizing parts, carries out the single-item pallet loaded with the product thereon from the storage-retrieval machine, and carries it by the carrier to the position of the depalletizing and palletizing parts in the loading order of the products loaded on the storing pallet.

The present invention is directed to an order-picking method with a material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility that is capable of autonomous mobile picking yet is capable of augmentation with humans according to claim <NUM>. In this manner, labor costs can be reduced while the installed capital equipment can be sized for a base-line level of orders and capacity added by adding additional humans.

An order-picking method, according to an embodiment, includes autonomously routing a plurality of mobile robotic units in an order fulfillment facility and picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility.

The picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units may include manually picking product to or putting product from pick stations in said facility. The robotic units may be adapted to alter the planned path of movement in order to function in the presence of the persons, wherein said robotic units and the persons can function together in said order fulfillment facility.

The robotic unit(s) may include a plurality of receptacle supports, and the method may include picking articles to receptacles at the supports and/or putting articles from the receptacles. The indicator system may indicate which of the receptacles to pick an article to or put an article from. The indicator system may include a plurality of visual indicators, each associated with one of said receptacles.

At least one of the robotic units may include a robotic arm and the method include picking articles or putting articles with the robotic arm. The method may include picking articles to or putting articles with the robotic arm from another of the robotic units. At least one of the robotic units may be coupled to travel with the another of the robotic units as a pair of robotic units.

The material-handling facility may include at least one pick station and the picking articles may include picking articles from the at least one pick station. The putting articles may include putting articles to the at least one pick station in order to replenish the at least one pick station. The putting articles may include putting articles to the pick station(s) in order to replace articles returned by a consumer.

The material-handling facility may have a stationary automated order-picking station and the putting of articles includes docking the robotic units to the order-picking station wherein the order-picking station pick receives articles put from said robotic units. The automated order-picking station may pick articles directly from said robotic vehicles.

A plurality of the robotic units may be coupled in a train of robotic units. At least one of the robotic units in the train of robotic units may be a tow vehicle that propels the other of said robotic units in the train of robotic units. At least one of the robotic units may be configured to carry at least one pallet and the method may include transporting pallets in the facility with one of the mobile robotic units. The facility may include at least one decanting station and picking stations and the method may include picking items to the mobile robotic units at the decanting station and putting items from the mobile robotic units to the picking stations for replenishment of the picking stations. The facility may include an article storage station and the method may include picking articles to the mobile robotic units from the storage station and putting articles from the robotic units to the storage station. The article storage station may include a manual station, an automated storage and retrieval system, a shuttle-based automated three-dimensional warehouse and/or a mini-load station. The method may include picking documents to and putting documents from the mobile robotic units.

The order fulfilment facility includes a stationary robotic system conducting order fulfilment and/or inventory replenishment operations. The stationary robotic system includes a stationary robot and vision equipment to store with the robot to an assignment location product that is retrieved from a receptacle with the robot, or vice versa. Receptacles are supplied to the mobile robotic unit with a conveyor system and a human operator transfers inventory receptacles between the conveyor system and the mobile robotic unit. Alternatively or additionally, a human operator transfers receptacles between the mobile robotic unit and the stationary robotic system. The vision equipment may locate the position of the product in two-dimensional (2D) coordinates and using the 2D coordinates as a common reference frame for the vision equipment and the robot and create a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of product with the vision equipment. The vision equipment may use a blob algorithm to identify connected surfaces to identify product. A human operator or the stationary robot may retrieve an empty receptacle from the stationary robotic system and move the empty receptacle to or from the assignment location. A human operator loads an empty receptacle from the assignment location as directed by an indicator system to complete the order. A rail-supported vehicle may remove a completed receptacle from the pick or put operation.

These and other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, an order-picking method <NUM> is carried out in an order fulfillment facility <NUM> using a plurality of mobile robotic units <NUM> operating autonomously or semi-autonomously in order fulfillment facility <NUM>. The term "order fulfillment facility" is intended to be used in a broad sense of the term to include fulfillment of orders placed by individuals, which typically involve one or more individual items ordered on-line or through a catalog, as well as full case and split case orders that are bound for individual stores of a chain of retail establishments, or the like. Robotic units <NUM> are especially configured to facilitate picking articles to the robotic unit. It may also be used for putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility. Method <NUM> may include manually picking product to or putting product from receptacles in facility <NUM> using humans illustrated at <NUM>. This is feasible because robotic units <NUM> are adapted to alter planned path of movement in the presence of the humans. In this manner, robotic units <NUM> and humans <NUM> can function together in said order fulfillment facility. In the illustrated embodiment, robotic units <NUM> include an autonomous vehicle base <NUM> that is marketed by Adept Technology, Inc. under the Lynx brand, although other autonomous vehicles may be used. Autonomous vehicle base <NUM> is capable of self-navigation from any starting point in fulfillment facility <NUM> to any utilization point without special infrastructure, such as magnets, stationary lasers, or the like. Also, autonomous vehicle base <NUM> is capable of sensing humans and unanticipated obstructions and modifying its path plan to avoid the human/obstruction without any further intervention.

Robotic units <NUM> include a plurality of receptacle supports <NUM> that may be positioned on one or both sides of the vehicle. Articles may be picked to receptacles, such as totes or cartons placed on supports <NUM>, such as part of a pick function. For example, split case and item level pick functions <NUM> may be carried out. Articles may also be taken from receptacles on supports <NUM>, such as part of a put function. For example, articles may be taken from receptacles on supports <NUM> and combined as customer orders in a put operation, such as at a conventional put wall, goods-to-person station, or the like. Moreover, supports <NUM> can be at a horizontal position thereby allowing the receptacles supported thereon to be horizontal. This allows the receptacles to interface with other material-handling equipment, such as conveyors, vehicles, or the like. In order to facilitate such pick and put function, robotic units <NUM> may include an indicator system <NUM>. Indicator system <NUM> indicates which of receptacles on supports <NUM> to pick an article to or which of receptacles on supports <NUM> to take, or put, an article from. In the illustrated embodiment, indicator system <NUM> includes a series of visual indicators, such as lamps, each associated with one of supports <NUM> to inform an operator which receptacle to put item(s) to or retrieve item(s) from. In addition, or alternatively, robotic units <NUM> include an interface unit <NUM> that may be used to display to an operator information, such as a number of each item to be picked. It may also receive operator input, such as confirmation of the number of units picked, or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, interface unit <NUM> is a portable digital device, such as a computer table of the type known in the art and marketed by various companies, such as the Apple iPad, and the like. Additionally, instructions to a pick/put operator may be supplied using voice picking as is known in the art.

Method <NUM> may include robotic units <NUM> that include a robotic arm <NUM>. Robotic arm <NUM> is capable of picking articles to a robotic unit <NUM> or putting articles from a robotic unit <NUM>. Robotic arm is a <NUM>-axis articulated robot, such as marketed by various manufactures, such as Adept Technologies, Inc. under a Viper mark. However, <NUM>-axis robots can be used for some applications. Robotic arm <NUM> uses machine vision to identify the position of an item to pick up and/or to identify the item to be picked. A robotic unit <NUM> having an arm <NUM> may be coupled with a robotic unit <NUM> and operated as a combined unit with arm <NUM> picking to or putting from receptacles on supports <NUM> on robotic unit <NUM>, as best illustrated in <FIG> illustrates robotic arm <NUM> picking articles from a pick station <NUM>. Thus, the entire pick and/or put function can be carried out automatically without human intervention. However, for peak flow periods, humans <NUM> may be added to method <NUM> and used alongside the robotic units.

Method <NUM> may further include a plurality of trains <NUM> made up of slave robotic units <NUM> that are coupled in a train of robotic units with a master robotic unit <NUM>. In this fashion, master robotic unit <NUM> functions as a tow vehicle to propel slave units <NUM>. Other variations of robotic units are deemed to be comprehended herein. For example, at least one of the robotic units may be configured to carry at least one pallet and the method including transporting pallets in facility <NUM>.

A split case/item level pick function <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG>. In such function, the robotic units are used in a pick tunnel <NUM> with or without humans to pick from pick stations <NUM>. Other mobile robotic units are used in replenishment aisles <NUM> in order to replenish at least one pick stations <NUM>. Function <NUM> is useful for picking discrete sort orders where each receptacle represents a store destination. It may also be used to batch pick to a tote or carton whether the tote/carton is destined to a put wall or a goods-to-person station for multi-line order consolidation. It was also to be used to batch pick to a tote or carton for single line orders where the tote or carton is destined to a packing and shipping function. Higher levels of warehouse management software may be used to establish priority level of control of method <NUM> for managing overall material flow and order fulfillment.

A full case pick function <NUM> can be added as seen in <FIG>. Function <NUM> includes a full case pick station <NUM> that utilizes the mobile robotic units to carry a pallet to pick locations <NUM>. This function may be used for discrete store orders where a tote or carton represents a store destination or where the pallet is built in a store or aisle-ready format. Replenishment of pick locations <NUM> can take place by mobile robotic vehicles in a replenishment aisle <NUM>.

As can be seen in <FIG>, replenishment function <NUM> involves items being placed in a receptacle <NUM>, such as a tote or carton, and routed to pick station <NUM> or to a storage area <NUM>. A decant and de-trash function <NUM> may be provided.

The mobile robotic units can also be used with an automated pick station <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. Pick station <NUM> includes a stationary picking arm <NUM> for use in picking items from a supply tote or carton and placing the items in order totes or cartons. A mobile robotic unit <NUM> (not shown in <FIG>) can be docked alongside of pick station <NUM> with picking arm <NUM> picking directly from receptacles <NUM> and placing the picked items directly to an order tote, or the like. Other functions are possible. For example, method <NUM> may include picking of documents to a robotic unit <NUM> and putting documents from the robotic units to a destination.

The mobile robotic units can also be used with an order picking method <NUM> having a stationary robotic system <NUM> with a stationary robot, such as stationary picking arm <NUM> that is used for conducting order fulfilment and/or inventory replenishment operations (<FIG> and <FIG>). Stationary robotic system <NUM> includes vision equipment, or system, <NUM> to identify items to be picked from a receptacle <NUM> and to instruct arm <NUM> to pick the item and move the item to an assignment location <NUM> in a put wall <NUM>. While the embodiment is illustrated as moving items from a receptacle to a put wall <NUM>, the opposite could be provided, wherein items are identified in assignment locations <NUM>, retrieved by the robot arm and placed into receptacles <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, receptacles <NUM> are received from conveyor system <NUM>, such as from a batch picking operation in which pickers pick all or a portion of items for a customer order, thereby making receptacles <NUM> "dirty pick" receptacles, meaning that they contain a number of heterogeneous items that are destined for more than one customer order and may contain only portions of a number of orders. Receptacles <NUM> are moved by a human operator from conveyor system <NUM> to mobile robotic unit <NUM> that has the same general characteristics as mobile robotic unit <NUM>. Mobile robotic unit <NUM> transports receptacles to a conveyor system <NUM> where the receptacles are unloaded for conveying, such as past vision system <NUM>. Conveyor system <NUM> may utilize a variety of conveying techniques, such as segmented belts, powered roller and/or a right angle transfer <NUM>. The transfer from mobile robotic unit <NUM> can be by a human operator or by a robot (not shown). Conveyor system <NUM> transports the receptacles past vision system <NUM> where the items in the receptacle are identified and picked by robot <NUM>. Robot <NUM> places the items in assignment locations <NUM>, which are open on opposite sides to be accessible on one side by robot <NUM> and the opposite side by a human. A warehouse management system (not shown) instructs robot <NUM> which assignment location <NUM> to place the item picked from the receptacle. When all of the items are removed from a receptacle in this manner, the empty receptacle is then transported to a conveyor system <NUM> where an operator can use the empty receptacle to unload a completed order from an assignment location <NUM>. Interlocks, such as proximity detectors, light curtains, or the like, prevent robot arm <NUM> from entering an assignment location <NUM> that has is being accessed by an operator. Similarly, a warning system, such as a light on put wall <NUM>, informs the operator when the robot is placing an item in an assignment location so that the operator does not try to retrieve items from any assignment location while the robot arm is entering any assignment location. Other lights or a display may be used to inform the operator when a group of items, such as an order, is complete and ready to be loaded from its assignment location <NUM> to an empty receptacle. The processed receptacle is then transported by conveyor system <NUM> to a rail-supported vehicle <NUM> to be transported, such as to a pack-out station, automated storage or to replenish items in a pick-to-light fulfillment system. In the illustrated embodiment, rail supported vehicle <NUM> is a belt-shuttle as disclosed in International Patent Application Publication No. <CIT>.

Claim 1:
An order-picking method (<NUM>), comprising:
autonomously routing at least one mobile robotic unit (<NUM>) in a facility having a stationary robotic system (<NUM>); and
conducting at least one chosen from order fulfilment and inventory replenishment operations with stationary robotic system (<NUM>), said stationary robotic system (<NUM>) including a stationary robot (<NUM>) and vision equipment (<NUM>) to (i) store product with the stationary robot (<NUM>) to a receptacle (<NUM>), the product being retrieved from an assignment location (<NUM>) or (ii) retrieve product from a receptacle (<NUM>) with the stationary robot (<NUM>), the product being stored to an assignment location (<NUM>), including supplying the receptacle (<NUM>) to the stationary robotic system (<NUM>) with the at least one mobile robotic unit (<NUM>) and including supplying receptacles (<NUM>) to the mobile robotic unit (<NUM>) with a conveyor system (<NUM>),
characterized in that the method further includes
at least one chosen from a human operator transferring inventory receptacles (<NUM>) between the conveyor system (<NUM>) and the mobile robotic unit (<NUM>) and a human operator transferring receptacles (<NUM>) between the mobile robotic unit (<NUM>) and the stationary robotic system (<NUM>), and
moving an empty receptacle (<NUM>) from the stationary robotic system (<NUM>) to or from the assignment location (<NUM>), wherein a human operator loads an empty receptacle (<NUM>) from the assignment location (<NUM>) as directed by an indicator system to complete the order.