Automatic transportation of pallets of goods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767168-B2
Application number	US-202217946540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2022
Priority date	Apr 8, 2019
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

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 system for automatically assembling pallets of goods, the system comprising:
a computing system configured to perform operations comprising controlling an automated pallet mover to place a first pallet in a first location in an assembly area, wherein the automated pallet mover is mobile and is configured to move in and out of the assembly area; and
a layer picking apparatus in the assembly area and in communication with the computing system, the layer picking apparatus including a robotic arm, wherein the layer picking apparatus is affixed to a support structure and is configured to reach pallets located within the assembly area, wherein the layer picking apparatus is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from the computing system, instructions to relocate at least a portion of goods from the first pallet to a second pallet, the first pallet being located at the first location in the assembly area and the second pallet being located at a second location in the assembly area;
moving, based on the instructions, to the first location of the first pallet in the assembly area;
picking, based on the instructions, at least the portion of goods from the first pallet;
moving, based on the instructions, to the second location of the second pallet in the assembly area; and
placing, based on the instructions, at least the portion of goods from the first pallet onto the second pallet in the second location of the assembly area.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pallet is a target supply pallet and the second pallet is a target output pallet.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second location is a target output location within the assembly area.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is configured to perform operations comprising: defining a grid arrangement for the assembly area where the pallets are selectively placed, by the layer picking apparatus, in the grid arrangement, wherein the first location is a first location in the grid arrangement and the second location is a second location in the grid arrangement.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling the automated pallet mover to move to a supply area in which a plurality of pallets are unloaded and positioned, the plurality of pallets including the first pallet;
identifying the first pallet from the plurality of pallets in the supply area;
controlling the automated pallet mover to grasp the first pallet;
determining the first location in the assembly area;
determining an optimal inbound path for the automated pallet mover to reach the first location in the assembly area; and
controlling the automated pallet mover to move the first pallet to the first location along the optimal inbound path in the assembly area.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the automated pallet mover is an automated vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is configured to perform operations comprising:
determining an optimal outbound path for a second automated pallet mover to reach the second location in the assembly area; and
controlling the second automated pallet mover to move the second pallet along the optimal outbound path and exit the assembly area with the second pallet.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining an optimal outbound path for the second automated pallet mover to reach the second location in the assembly area;
controlling the second automated pallet mover to move to the second location along the optimal outbound path in the assembly area;
controlling the second automated pallet mover to grasp the second pallet; and
controlling the second automated pallet mover to exit the assembly area along the optimal outbound path with the second pallet.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second automated pallet mover is different than the automated pallet mover.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first location for the first pallet and the second location for the second pallet are determined such that every pallet is always accessible along at least one path defined, by the computing system, through the assembly area.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is part of the layer picking apparatus.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is remote from the layer picking apparatus.

13. A layer picking apparatus for automatically assembling pallets of goods, the layer picking apparatus configured to perform operations comprising:
determining instructions to relocate at least a portion of goods from a first pallet to a second pallet, the first pallet being located at a first location in an assembly area and the second pallet being located at a second location in the assembly area, wherein the first pallet was placed in the first location in the assembly area by an automated pallet mover, wherein the automated pallet mover is mobile and is configured to move in and out of the assembly area;
moving, based on the instructions, to the first location of the first pallet in the assembly area;
picking, based on the instructions, at least the portion of goods from the first pallet;
moving, based on the instructions, to the second location of the second pallet in the assembly area; and
placing, based on the instructions, at least the portion of goods from the first pallet onto the second pallet in the second location of the assembly area.

14. The layer picking apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
the layer picking apparatus includes a robotic arm, and
the layer picking apparatus is affixed to a support structure and is configured to reach pallets located within the assembly area.

15. The layer picking apparatus of claim 13 , the operations further comprising: defining a grid arrangement for the assembly area where the pallets are selectively placed, by the layer picking apparatus, in the grid arrangement, wherein the first location is a first location in the grid arrangement and the second location is a second location in the grid arrangement.

16. The layer picking apparatus of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:
determining an optimal outbound path for a second automated pallet mover to reach the second location in the assembly area; and
controlling the second automated pallet mover to move the second pallet along the optimal outbound path and exit the assembly area with the second pallet.

17. The layer picking apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second automated pallet mover is different than the automated pallet mover.

18. A robotic arm for palletizing and depalletizing pallets of goods, the robotic arm configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving instructions to relocate at least a portion of goods from a first pallet to a second pallet, the first pallet being located at a first location in an assembly area and the second pallet being located at a second location in the assembly area, wherein the first pallet was placed in the first location in the assembly area by an automated pallet mover, wherein the automated pallet mover is mobile and is configured to move in and out of the assembly area;
moving, based on the instructions, to the first location of the first pallet in the assembly area;
picking, based on the instructions, at least the portion of goods from the first pallet;
moving, based on the instructions, to the second location of the second pallet in the assembly area; and
placing, based on the instructions, at least th

Assignees

• Lineage Logistics Llc

Inventors

• Eckman Christopher Frank
• Walet Daniél
• 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