Systems and methods of storing and retrieving retail store product inventory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10769587-B2
Application number	US-201916435735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful in retail store inventory storage and retrieval. Some embodiments provide systems, comprising: a rack system positioned above a dropdown ceiling and extending over the sales floor, and comprising: a plurality of racks, a rail system and the plurality of access passages; a plurality of unmanned vehicles; a plurality of access stations, wherein the access stations physically cooperate with one of the access passages; each rack comprises storage cells to receive a reusable tote; and wherein the central control circuit is configured to receive a request for a first product, identify a first access station, access the inventory tracking system to identify a first storage cell in which the first product is stored, identify an available unmanned vehicle, and communicate to the unmanned vehicle directing the unmanned vehicle to retrieve the tote and transport the tote to the first access station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retail store inventory storage and retrieval system, comprising:
a rack system positioned above a dropdown ceiling of a retail store and extending over at least a majority of a sales floor comprising product support devices supporting products offered for sale and separated by aisles along which customers move in order to locate and select desired products for purchase from the retail store, wherein the rack system comprises: a plurality of racks, a rail system and a plurality of access passages;
a retail store inventory central control circuit;
an inventory tracking system communicatively coupled with the central control circuit;
a plurality of unmanned vehicles in wireless communication with the central control circuit, wherein each of the unmanned vehicles comprises a vehicle control circuit, at least one motor controlled by the vehicle control circuit, a propulsion system operatively coupled with the at least one motor and configured to induce movement of the unmanned vehicle in response to being driven by the motor, and a tote retrieval system;
a plurality of access stations each positioned at various different locations throughout the sales floor and an exterior of the retail store, wherein each of the access stations is physically cooperated with one of the plurality of access passages of the rack system, and each of the access stations is accessible by customers for use by customers in requesting products while at the retail store; and
a plurality of sensor systems, separate from the plurality of unmanned vehicles, communicatively coupled with at least the central control circuit and configured to detect at least totes as they are moved through the rack system;
wherein the plurality of racks are organized in a plurality of rows with each row having multiple aligned racks of the plurality of racks, wherein each rack comprises a plurality of storage cells configured to receive a reusable storage tote that is configured to receive and maintain at least one product of thousands of products offered for sale by the retail store;
wherein the rail system comprises a grid of a plurality of pairs of rails that are cooperated and extending at least vertically and horizontally between rows of racks of the plurality of racks and the storage cells of racks;
wherein each of the access passages cooperates the plurality of racks with at least one of the access stations and comprise some of the rail system enabling the unmanned vehicles to transport the totes between the racks and the access stations; and
wherein the central control circuit is configured to receive a request for a first product, identify a first access station of the plurality of access stations to which the first product is to be routed, access the inventory tracking system to identify a first storage cell in which the first product is stored within a first tote, identify an available first unmanned vehicle of the plurality of unmanned vehicles, and communicate to the first unmanned vehicle directing the first unmanned vehicle to retrieve the first tote and transport the first tote to the first access station.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a first set of multiple totes of a plurality of totes comprise multiple compartments each configured to receive one product;
wherein the access stations each comprises an access system comprising an access system controller and at least one access door movably positioned to prevent access and allow access at least a portion of a product retrieval opening within the access station that is configured to align with a tote when placed within the access station; and
wherein the access system controller is configured to obtain a mapping of the compartments of a first multiple compartment tote, obtain an identifier of at least one compartment and less than all of the compartments to which a requesting individual is to be granted access to the tote, and controls the access door to align with the at least one compartment in response to instructions from the central control circuit enabling the requesting individual to access and retrieve each product within the at least one compartment of the first multiple compartment tote while simultaneously preventing access to the remainder of the multiple compartments of the first multiple compartment tote.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central control system in identifying the first access station is configured to identify the first access station is exterior to the retail store, and is configured to direct the first unmanned vehicle to a first access passage of the plurality of access passages that links the first access station with the racks.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first access passage of the plurality of access passages comprising:
a first length extending from the racks positioned above the dropdown ceiling to a subterranean passage positioned below at least a portion of the retail store; and
a second length extending between the first length of the first access passage along the subterranean passage to the first access station located at an exterior of the retail store.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of suspension beams extending from a ceiling support of the retail store and secured with the rack system such that the rack system is suspended from the ceiling support.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
support columns distributed throughout the sales floor and extending from the sales floor through the dropdown ceiling and supporting the rack system.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first temperature zone surrounding a first portion of the rack system positioned above the dropdown ceiling;
a first temperature control system cooperated with the first temperature zone and configured to maintain the first temperature zone below a first temperature threshold;
a second temperature zone surrounding a second portion of the rack system positioned above the dropdown ceiling, wherein the second temperature zone is separated from the first temperature zone by at least a first insulating barrier;
a second temperature control system cooperated with the second temperature zone and configured to maintain the second temperature control zone within a threshold of a second temperature which is different than the first temperature threshold;
a first movable barrier cooperated with the first insulating barrier and positioned relative to at least a first pair of rails of the plurality of pairs of rails enabling the plurality of unmanned vehicles to move between the first temperature zone and the second temperature zone;
a first access passage of the plurality of access passages extending between the first temperature zone and the first access station positioned on the sales floor; and
a second movable barrier of the first temperature zone and positioned along a length of the first access passage.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inventory tracking system is configured to maintain a mapping of locations on the sales floor of different products; and
the central control circuit is configured to communicate with the inventory tracking system to obtain mapping location information and to direct the placement of totes to locations within the plurality of racks to be positioned above the sales floor corresponding to where that product is mapped on the sales floor.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein a set of multiple access passages of the plurality of access passages are positioned to each provide access to one of a plurality of predefined zones of the sales floor corresponding to an organization of products.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurali

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Durkee Paul E
• Roth Brian C

Classifications

• B64U2101/20

  for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2101/66

  for retrieving parcels · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

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