Conveyance modulation based on fragility ratings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511417-B1
Application number	US-202016876982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 18, 2020
Priority date	May 18, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A system for moving items in a facility may be described herein. The system may instruct components of the system to move the items at different speeds or velocities based on an item's fragility rating. A fragility rating may indicate an amount of force that an item withstands prior to damaging the item. A fragility rating for an item may be determined based on known fragility ratings of items with similar item metrics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an inventory conveyance system configured to move a plurality of items via one or more conveyance mechanisms;
a sensor for interacting with a machine-readable code of an item of the plurality of items, the machine-readable code associated with a fragility rating that represents an amount of force that the item withstands prior to damaging the item;
a robotic manipulator having at least two dimensions of freedom and configured to grasp at least a first item and a second item; and
a computer system configured to:
receive first information from the sensor including an interaction with the machine-readable code of the first item, the first information including the fragility rating for the first item;
determine a first movement rate for moving the first item from the one or more conveyance mechanisms based at least in part on the fragility rating of the first item from the first information;
instruct the robotic manipulator to move the first item from the one or more conveyance mechanisms at the first movement rate;
receive second information from the sensor including the interaction with the machine-readable code of the second item, the second information including the fragility rating for the second item;
determine a second movement rate for moving the second item from the one more conveyance mechanisms based at least in part on the fragility rating of the second item from the second information, the second movement rate being different than the first movement rate; and
instruct the robotic manipulator to move the second item from the one or more conveyance mechanisms at the second movement rate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fragility rating includes a range of values that each correspond to a different amount of force.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is further configured to generate a queue time based at least in part on the fragility rating of the first item and the fragility rating of the second item, the queue time utilized to restrict movement to and from the one or more conveyance mechanisms.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the computer system is further configured to instruct the robotic manipulator to move the second item from the one or more conveyance mechanisms upon expiration of the queue time.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
maintaining, by a computer system, first information about a plurality of items, each of the plurality of items having one of a plurality of fragility ratings associated therewith, a fragility rating of the plurality of fragility ratings representing an amount of force that a corresponding item of the plurality of items withstands prior to damaging the item;
maintaining, by the computer system, second information about the plurality of items, the second information comprising item metrics for the corresponding item of the plurality of items;
receiving, by the computer system, an indication of a new item, the new item not associated with one of the plurality of fragility ratings;
obtaining, by the computer system, the item metrics for the new item based at least in part on the indication; and
determining, by the computer system, the fragility rating for the new item based at least in part on the item metrics for the new item, the first information, and the second information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the item metrics include one or more of a weight of an item of the plurality of items, dimensions of the item, material composition of the item, packaging of the item, an item category of the item, or density of the item.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising generating, by the computer system, a machine-readable code that comprises the determined fragility rating for the new item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting, by the computer system, instructions for printing the machine-readable code on the new item.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising updating, by the computer system, the second information to include the item metrics for the new item and the first information to include the determined fragility rating for the new item.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the computer system, third information that includes test data, the test data indicating an actual amount of force the new item withstands prior to sustaining damage; and
updating, by the computer system, the fragility rating for the new item based at least in part on the third information.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising generating, by the computer system, instructions for storing the new item with other items in a facility based at least in part on the fragility rating for the new item and fragility ratings of the other items.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising generating, by the computer system, instructions for storing a set of items for conveyance through a facility in response to receiving an order for the set of items and corresponding fragility ratings for the set of items.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising generating, by the computer system, packaging for the set of items based at least in part on the corresponding fragility ratings for the set of items.

14. An inventory system, comprising:
an inventory conveyance system configured to move a plurality of items in a facility via one or more conveyance mechanisms;
a sensor for interacting with a machine-readable code of an individual item of the plurality of items, the machine-readable code comprising a fragility rating that represents an amount of force that the individual item withstands prior to damaging the individual item;
a sorting apparatus configured to:
receive at least a first item of the plurality of items and a second item of the plurality of items; and
transition at least the first item and the second item to one of a plurality of conveyance routes for moving the plurality of items in the facility; and

a computer system configured to:
maintain the plurality of conveyance routes for moving the plurality of items in the facility, a conveyance route of the plurality of conveyance routes comprising a subset of the one or more conveyance mechanisms, the subset of the one or more conveyance mechanisms operating at different speeds;
receive first information from the sensor including an interaction with a first machine-readable code of the first item;
determine a first conveyance route of the plurality of conveyance routes for moving the first item in the facility based at least in part on the first information and the plurality of conveyance routes; and
instruct the sorting apparatus to transition the first item to the first conveyance route.

15. The inventory system of claim 14 , further comprising one or more actuators for modulating a speed of movement of the one or more conveyance mechanisms.

16. The inventory system of claim 15 , wherein the computer system is further configured to determine a particular speed of modulation for the one or more conveyance mechanisms based at least in part on the first machine-readable code of the first item.

17. The inventory system of claim 16 , wherein the computer system is further configured to instruct the one or more actuators to modulate the speed of movement of the one or more conveyance mechanisms in accordance with the determined particular speed of modulation.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Meiswinkel Kent Belden
• Kalm William Scott

Classifications

• B25J9/0093 Primary

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B65G2203/0258

  Weight of the article · CPC title

• B25J9/1653

  parameters identification, estimation, stiffness, accuracy, error analysis · CPC title

• B65G2811/0621

  by modifying the orientation or position of articles · CPC title