Control system for storage and retrieval systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442622-B2
Application number	US-201816051212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2018
Priority date	Apr 10, 2009
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a storage and retrieval system having an array of multilevel storage racks, each level of the multilevel storage racks having storage spaces configured to hold a respective load;
providing at least one vertical lift at a fixed planform location within the array of multilevel storage racks;
transporting, with the at least one vertical lift, a plurality of loads from the levels of the multilevel storage racks, each level having a vertical lift transfer location corresponding to the fixed planform location of the at least one vertical lift; and
selecting, with a controller, a vertical lift transfer location for transport of at least one load from the plurality of loads from a respective level of the multilevel storage racks based on:
looking ahead a predetermined number of order lines in the load fill sequence, and
determining if at least one load from the plurality of loads in one of the predetermined number of order lines exists and is accessible on fewer than a number of levels on which at least another load, in another of the predetermined number of order lines, exists and is accessible,
wherein the at least another load is transferred to a corresponding vertical lift, from a level that is different from a level on which the at least one load is located.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring one or more of the plurality of loads between the storage spaces on a respective level and the vertical lift with at least one autonomous vehicle disposed on the respective level.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, with the controller, inventory levels at the end of at least one predetermined order fulfillment time period and scheduling inventory replenishment orders based on the determined inventory levels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one load and the at least another load are differing loads, the method further comprising variably sizing, with the controller, the storage spaces of the multilevel storage racks so that the storage spaces are sized to hold the differing loads.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising assigning, with the controller, each of the variably sized storage spaces to a corresponding differing load.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising transporting the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage spaces assigned by the controller.

7. A storage and retrieval system comprising:
an array of multilevel storage racks, each level of the multilevel storage racks having storage spaces configured to hold a respective load;
at least one vertical lift at a fixed planform location within the array of multilevel storage racks, the least one vertical lift being configured to transport a plurality of loads from the levels of the multilevel storage racks, each level having a vertical lift transfer location corresponding to the fixed planform location of the at least one vertical lift; and
a controller configured to select a vertical lift transfer location for transport of loads from a respective level of the multilevel storage racks, wherein the controller looks ahead a predetermined number of order lines in the load fill sequence, and determines if at least one load of the plurality of loads in one of the predetermined number of order lines exists and is accessible on fewer than a number of levels on which at least another load, in another of the predetermined number of order lines, exists and is accessible,
wherein the at least another load is transferred to a corresponding vertical lift, from a level that is different from a level on which the at least one load is located.

8. The storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one autonomous vehicle configured to transfer one or more of the plurality of loads between the storage spaces on a respective level and the vertical lift.

9. The storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the controller determines inventory levels at the end of at least one predetermined order fulfillment time period and schedules inventory replenishment orders based on the determined inventory levels.

10. The storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one load and the at least another load are differing loads, wherein the controller variably sizes the storage spaces of the multilevel storage racks so that the storage spaces are sized to hold the differing loads.

11. The storage and retrieval system of claim 10 , wherein the controller assigns each of the variably sized storage spaces to a corresponding differing load.

12. The storage and retrieval system of claim 11 , wherein the differing loads are transported by at least one autonomous vehicle for placement in the variably sized storage spaces assigned by the controller.

13. A storage and retrieval system comprising:
an array of multilevel storage racks, each level of the multilevel storage racks having storage spaces configured to hold a respective load;
at least one vertical lift at a fixed planform location within the array of multilevel storage racks, the at least one vertical lift being configured to transport a plurality of loads from each level of the multilevel storage racks, each level having a vertical lift transfer location corresponding to the fixed planform location of the at least one vertical lift; and
a controller configured to select a vertical lift transfer location for transport of the plurality of loads from a respective level of the multilevel storage racks based on at least one predetermined characteristic of each load in a load fill sequence with respect to each other load of the plurality of loads in the load fill sequence;
wherein the at least one vertical lift outputs each load with respect to each other load of the plurality of loads in a predetermined sequence corresponding to a pallet building order.

14. The storage and retrieval system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one predetermined characteristic is a scarcity of levels on which a predetermined load in the load fill sequence is located.

15. The storage and retrieval system of claim 14 , wherein:
the controller is configured to determine a number of levels where a stock keeping unit of a first of each of the at least one load is located; and
the at least one predetermined characteristic is a ratio of a number of levels where a stock keeping unit of the first of each of the at least one load is located, and a number of levels that a stock keeping unit of each of the at least another load is located, where each of the at least another load is downstream from the first load in the load fill sequence.

16. The storage and retrieval system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to
look ahead a predetermined number of order lines in the load fill sequence;
determine if at least one load of the plurality of loads in one of the predetermined number of order lines exists and if the at least one load is accessible on fewer than a number of levels on which at least another load, in another of the predetermined number of order lines, exists and is accessible; and
select a vertical lift transfer location, for transferring the at least another load to a corresponding vertical lift, from a level that is different from a level on which the at least one load is located.

17. The storage and retrieval system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one autonomous vehicle disposed on each level, wherein the at least one autonomous vehicle is configured to transfer one or more of the plurality loads between the storag

Assignees

• Symbotic Llc

Inventors

• Lert John
• Toebes Stephen
• Sullivan Robert
• Hinshaw Foster D
• Ulrich Nathan
• Peters Eric

Classifications

• B65G1/065

  with self propelled cars · CPC title

• B65G1/045

  in a circular arrangement, e.g. towers · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B65G1/127

  the circuit being confined in a vertical plane · CPC title