Automatic transportation of pallets of goods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10809727-B1
Application number	US-202016843772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2020
Priority date	Apr 8, 2019
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A layer pick system optimizes usage of a layer picker gantry or robotic arm by arranging and/or displacing the gantry or arm in optimal locations with respect to one or more groups of pallets, and/or by grouping pallets by their attributes and arranging the same group of pallets close to each other. In some implementations, a plurality of pallets is categorized into multiple groups by different velocities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatically assembling pallets of goods, the method comprising:
driving a first automated pallet mover to move to a supply area in which a plurality of pallets are unloaded and positioned;
identifying a target supply pallet from the plurality of pallets in the supply area;
controlling the first automated pallet mover to grasp the target supply pallet;
determining a target supply cell on an assembly area, the assembly area defining a plurality of cells including the target supply cell;
determining an optimal inbound path for the first automated pallet mover to reach the target supply cell on the assembly area;
driving the first automated pallet mover to move to the target supply cell along the optimal inbound path on the assembly area;
controlling the first automated pallet mover to place the target supply pallet on the target supply cell of the assembly area;
controlling a layer picking apparatus to palletize and/or depalletize between the target supply pallet and a target output pallet, the target output pallet arranged on a target output cell of the assembly area;
determining an optimal outbound path for a second automated pallet mover to reach the target output cell on the assembly area;
driving the second automated pallet mover to move to the target output cell along the optimal outbound path on the assembly area;
controlling the second automated pallet mover to grasp the target output pallet; and
driving the second automated pallet mover to exit the assembly area along the optimal outbound path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer picking apparatus includes a layer picking gantry and/or a robotic arm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first automated pallet mover and the second automated pallet mover include automated vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first automated pallet mover is the same as the second automated pallet mover.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells are defined in a gridded arrangement on the assembly area.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the target supply cell is determined such that the target supply cell is always accessible by the first automated pallet along at least one path defined through the gridded arrangement of the plurality of cells on the assembly area.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the target supply cell for the supply pallet and the target output cell for the output pallet are determined such that every pallet is always accessible along at least one path defined through the gridded arrangement of the plurality of cells on the assembly area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a target supply cell on an assembly area comprises:
determining that the target supply pallet is a first pallet having one or more layers of goods to be moved onto or out from the first pallets less than a first threshold number of times per a predetermined period of time; and
determining the target supply cell in a first zone of the assembly area.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining a target supply cell on an assembly area further comprises:
determining that the target supply pallet is a second pallet having one or more layers of goods to be moved onto or out from the second pallets more than the first threshold number of times per the predetermined period of time; and
determining the target supply cell in a second zone of the assembly area, the first zone being at least partially surrounded by the second zone.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a target supply cell on an assembly area further comprises:
determining that the target supply pallet is a third pallet having one or more layers of goods to be moved onto or out from the third pallets less than a second threshold number of times per the predetermined period of time, the second threshold number of times being smaller than the first threshold number of times; and
determining the target supply zone in a third zone of the assembly area, the second zone being at least partially surrounded by the third zone.

11. A method for automatically assembling pallets of goods, the method comprising:
determining a first zone and a second zone in an assembly area, the first zone being at least partially surrounded by the second zone;
placing first pallets in the first zone, the first pallets having one or more layers of goods to be moved onto or out from the first pallets less than a first threshold number of times per a predetermined period of time;
placing second pallets in the second zone, the second pallets having one or more layers of goods to be moved onto or out from the second pallets more than the first threshold number of times per the predetermined period of time; and
controlling a layer picking apparatus to palletize or depalletize among the first pallets and the second pallets.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a third zone in the assembly area, the second zone being at least partially surrounded by the third zone;
placing third pallets in the third zone, the third pallets having one or more layers of goods to be moved onto or out from the third pallets less than a second threshold number of times per the predetermined period of time, the second threshold number of times being smaller than the first threshold number of times; and
controlling the layer picking apparatus to palletize or depalletize among the first pallets, the second pallets, and the third pallets.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein placing first pallets in the first zone comprises:
driving one or more automated pallet movers to move the first pallets from a storage area to the first zone of the assembly area; and
driving the automated pallet movers to move the second pallets from the storage area to the second zone of the assembly area.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third zone is arranged on a periphery of the assembly area.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
driving one or more automated pallet movers to move the third pallets between the third zone of the assembly area and a buffer area, the buffer area disposed at least partially around the assembly area.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the automated pallet movers move along straight routes between the third zone of the assembly area and the buffer area.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the assembly area includes a plurality of cells in a gridded arrangement.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the layer picking apparatus includes a layer picking gantry.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the automated pallet movers includes AGV and/or SDV.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
driving the automated pallet movers to remove the first pallets from the first zone of the assembly area; and
driving the automated pallet movers to remove the second pallets from the second zone of the assembly area.

Assignees

• Lineage Logistics Llc

Inventors

• Eckman Christopher Frank
• Walet Daniël
• Wolf Elliott Gerard
• Baijens Frank
• Thattai Sudarsan

Classifications

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B65G61/00

  Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

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