Systems and methods for object storage and retrieval

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753244-B2
Application number	US-202217568264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

Described in detail herein are object storage and retrieval systems and methods. A storage receptacle can be configured to receive an input from an electronic device including a decoded identifier from a unique optical machine-readable element associated with one or more physical objects, via an input device, and cause the one or more physical objects to be available via at least one opening of the storage receptacle.

First claim

We claim:

1. An autonomous storage and retrieval system comprising:
a first electronic device disposed in a facility, the first electronic device including an interactive display and a communications interface, the first electronic device configured to:
execute an instance of a first application configured to communicate with a second application executing on a second electronic device;
receive a first input corresponding to one or more physical objects associated with the facility;
generate a unique optical machine-readable element encoded with an identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;
communicatively pair with the second electronic device, via interaction between the first application of the first electronic device and the second application of the second electronic device; and
transmit the unique optical machine-readable element to the second electronic device; and

a storage receptacle, the storage receptacle including an input device and at least one opening, the storage receptacle configured to store a plurality of physical objects and to:
receive, using the input device, a second input from the second electronic device from which the one or more physical objects are identified; and
cause the one or more physical objects to be available via the at least one opening of the storage receptacle.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a terminal disposed in the facility and in communication with the storage receptacle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the terminal is configured to:
receive a third input from the second electronic device including the unique optical machine-readable element encoded with the identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;
determine the one or more physical objects are disposed in the storage receptacle; and
transmit an authorization to dispense the one or more physical objects to the storage receptacle.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the terminal is configured to:
receive identifiers associated with the one or more physical objects; and
generate a new optical machine-readable element associated with the one or more physical objects.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device generates a print-out of the unique optical machine-readable element.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input device is an optical scanner configured to scan and decode the unique optical machine-readable element rendered on a display of the second electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is a Near Field Communications (NFC) device.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a local computing system associated with the facility and including a first database and a remote computing system including a second database.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein in response to transmitting the unique optical machine-readable element to the second electronic device, the first electronic device receives a fourth input associated with delivering the one or more physical objects to a specified location.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein in response to the first electronic device receiving the fourth input, the first electronic device is configured to generate a communications bridge between the first electronic device and the remote computing system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the remote computing system is configured to update the second database.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein in response to the dispensing of the one or more physical objects the local computing system is configured to update the first database.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of electronic devices are disposed in the facility, the plurality of electronic devices include the first electronic device, each of the plurality of electronic devices are associated with a different section of the facility.

14. An autonomous storage and retrieval method comprising:
executing, via a first electronic device disposed in a facility, the first electronic device including an interactive display and a communications interface, an instance of a first application configured to communicate with a second application executing on a second electronic device;
receiving, via the first electronic device, a first input corresponding to one or more physical objects associated with the facility;
generating, via the first electronic device, a unique optical machine-readable element encoded with an identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;
communicatively pairing, via the first electronic device, with the second electronic device, via interaction between the first application of the first electronic device and the second application of the second electronic device; and
transmitting, via the first electronic device, the unique optical machine-readable element to the second electronic device;
receiving, via a storage receptacle including an input device and at least one opening, the storage receptacle configured to store a plurality of physical objects using the input device, a second input from the second electronic device from which the one or more physical objects are identified; and
causing, via the storage receptacle, the one or more physical objects to be available via the at least one opening of the storage receptacle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a terminal is disposed in the facility and is in communication with the storage receptacle.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, via the terminal, a third input from the second electronic device including the unique optical machine-readable element encoded with the identifier associated with the one or more physical objects;
determining, via the terminal, the one or more physical objects are disposed in the storage receptacle; and
transmitting, via the terminal, an authorization to dispense the one or more physical objects to the storage receptacle.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, via the terminal, identifiers associated with the one or more physical objects; and
generating, via the terminal, a new optical machine-readable element associated with the one or more physical objects.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising generating, via the first electronic device, a print-out of the unique optical machine-readable element.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the input device is an optical scanner configured to scan and decode the unique optical machine-readable element rendered on a display of the second electronic device.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the communications interface is a Near Field Communications (NFC) device.

21. The method of claim 14 , a local computing system is associated with the facility and includes a first database and a remote computing system includes a second database.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising receiving, via the first electronic device, a fourth input associated with delivering the one or more physical objects to a specified location, in response to transmitting the unique optical machine-readable element to the second electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising generating, via the first electronic device, a communications bridge between the first electronic device and the remote computing system, in response to the first electronic device receiving the fourth input.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising, upda

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Seo Frank
• Bell Alexander

Classifications

• B65G1/1371 Primary

  with data records · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• B65G2209/02

  Batch order forming, e.g. several batches simultaneously · CPC title

• G07C9/00896

  specially adapted for particular uses · CPC title