Warehouse automated cart priority notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12014622-B2
Application number	US-202217670249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Feb 11, 2022
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for monitoring operations of autonomous vehicles within a warehouse. The autonomous vehicle's processing unit may detect when the autonomous vehicle is delayed based on one or more timers or time thresholds, such as an amount of time that the autonomous vehicle has been located at a particular location or the amount of time between when the autonomous vehicle received product picking instructions and a shipping deadline. The autonomous vehicle may also use various types of data to detect potential problems, such as determining an amount remaining battery life. Once the autonomous vehicle identified a particular triggering condition, then the autonomous vehicle may trigger an annunciator (e.g., flashing lights, sounding horn) or transmit a notification to other devices, such as client devices. The annunciators or notifications attempt to capture personnel attention to resolve the identifier problem.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a processor coupled to an autonomous vehicle, a pick instruction;
obtaining, by the processor, a priority for the pick instruction; and
triggering, by the processor, an annunciator based upon the priority obtained for the pick instruction,
wherein triggering the annunciator includes triggering a second annunciator coupled to the second autonomous vehicle based upon the priority obtained for the pick instruction, and
wherein the priority is based upon a time threshold and a remaining battery charge, and wherein the priority is escalated in response to expiration of the time threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the obtained priority is based on an accumulation of a status for the autonomous vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the priority is based on an expiration of a time threshold before executing the pick instruction, wherein the priority is obtained responsive to determining the expiration of the time threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the priority is based on the time threshold and a packout deadline, and wherein the priority is escalated in response to expiration of the time threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pick instruction indicates a meeting location for the autonomous vehicle to meet with a picker.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the expiration of the time threshold corresponds to the autonomous vehicle having exceeded a dwell time without executing the pick instruction.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising halting the annunciator based upon an input received from a picker.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating a notification indicating the priority of the pick instruction of the autonomous vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the processor coupled to the autonomous vehicle is physically positioned in at least one of the autonomous vehicle and an orchestrator server.

10. A system comprising:
a processor coupled to an autonomous vehicle and configured to:
receive a pick instruction;
obtain a priority for the pick instruction; and
trigger an annunciator based upon the priority obtained for the pick instruction,
wherein triggering the annunciator includes triggering a second annunciator coupled to the second autonomous vehicle based upon the priority obtained for the pick instruction, and
wherein the priority is based upon a time threshold and a remaining battery charge, and wherein the priority is escalated in response to expiration of the time threshold.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the priority for the pick instruction is based upon an accumulation of a status for the autonomous vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the priority is based upon an expiration of the time threshold before executing the pick instruction, wherein the priority is obtained responsive to determining the expiration of the time threshold.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the priority is based upon the time threshold and a packout deadline, and wherein the priority is escalated in response to expiration of the time threshold.

14. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the pick instruction indicates a meeting location for the autonomous vehicle to meet with a picker, and wherein the expiration of the time threshold corresponds to the autonomous vehicle having exceeded a dwell time at the meeting location without executing the pick instruction.

15. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the annunciator is positioned on a second autonomous vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 9 , wherein annunciator halts based upon an input received from a picker.

17. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate a notification indicating the priority of the pick instruction of the autonomous vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor coupled to the autonomous vehicle is physically positioned in at least one of the autonomous vehicle and an orchestrator server.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from an orchestrator server, a pick instruction;
obtaining a priority for the pick instruction; and
triggering an annunciator based upon the priority obtained for the pick instruction,
wherein triggering the annunciator includes triggering a second annunciator coupled to the second autonomous vehicle based upon the priority obtained for the pick instruction, and
wherein the priority is based upon a time threshold and a remaining battery charge, and wherein the priority is escalated in response to expiration of the time threshold.

Assignees

• Ocado Innovation Ltd

Inventors

• Goossens Spencer
• Crouch Michael
• Deignan Timothy

Classifications

• G05D1/692

  involving a plurality of disparate vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/644

  Optimisation of travel parameters, e.g. of energy consumption, journey time or distance · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• G05D1/0217

  in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria · CPC title