Automated transporter fleet control in order fulfillment facilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12459739-B2
Application number	US-202217856705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 23, 2021
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A method includes: obtaining a batch of item group definitions, each item group definition having one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities; for each item identifier, retrieving (i) a location of a corresponding item in a facility, and (ii) a dimensional attribute of the corresponding item; based on the locations and dimensional attributes, assigning sets of the item group definitions to respective receptacle configurations, each receptacle configuration including, for each item group definition in the set, a receptacle type with a predefined capacity; monitoring availability of a plurality of transporters in the facility, each transporter having a chassis configured to support a selectable set of receptacles; and responsive to detecting that a transporter is available, selecting one of the receptacle configurations, and presenting the selected receptacle configuration via an output device, to initiate placement of receptacles onto the chassis of the transporter according to the selected receptacle configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
obtaining a batch of item group definitions, each item group definition having one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities; for each item identifier, retrieving (i) a location of a corresponding item in a facility, and (ii) a dimensional attribute of the corresponding item; based on the locations and dimensional attributes, assigning sets of the item group definitions to respective receptacle configurations, each receptacle configuration including, for each item group definition in the set, a receptacle type with a predefined capacity; monitoring availability of a plurality of transporters in the facility, each transporter having a chassis configured to support a selectable set of receptacles; and responsive to detecting that a transporter is available, selecting one of the receptacle configurations, and presenting the selected receptacle configuration via an output device, to initiate placement of receptacles onto the chassis of the transporter according to the selected receptacle configuration.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that placement of the receptacles onto the chassis of the transporter is complete; and controlling the transporter to initiate travel in the facility to collect items identified in the set of item group definitions assigned to the selected receptacle configuration.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting that collection of the items identified in the set of item group definitions assigned to the selected receptacle configuration is complete; and controlling the transporter to travel to a packout location in the facility for removal of the receptacles.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the detecting includes: receiving, from a client computing device, a set of receptacle identifiers complying with the selected receptacle configuration.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a plurality of orders, each containing one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities; and selecting a portion of the orders, based on a time window; and generating the batch of item group definitions from the selected portion of the orders.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a plurality of orders, each containing one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities; generating a corresponding item group definition for each order containing multiple item identifiers; identifying a set of orders containing single item identifiers; and generating a single item group definition for the set of orders, the single item group definition having a quantity equal to the sum of the quantities from the set of orders.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dimensional attribute for each item includes at least one of (i) a volume, (ii) a linear dimension, or (iii) a mass.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the receptacle type by:
for each item group definition, generating a group dimensional attribute, based on the dimensional attributes and quantities of the corresponding items; and selecting the receptacle type based on comparison between capacities and group dimensional attribute.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning sets of the item group definitions to respective receptacle configurations includes:
associating each item group definition with one of a plurality of receptacle types having respective capacities, based on a comparison of the dimensional attributes with the capacities; and combining receptacle types and associated item group definitions into the receptacle configurations.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein combining receptacle types and associated item group definitions into the receptacle configurations includes:
combining item group definitions based on a proximity metric derived from the locations of the corresponding items.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein combining receptacle types and associated item group definitions into the receptacle configurations includes: combining the receptacle types according to preconfigured combinations of receptacle types.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the selected receptacle configuration includes: causing the transporter to render the selected receptacle configuration on a display of the transporter.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the receptacle configurations is based on at least one of: (i) priority levels associated with each receptacle configuration, or (ii) a congestion metric associated with at least one location in the facility.

14 . A computing device, comprising:
a communications interface; a memory; and a processor configured to:
obtain a batch of item group definitions, each item group definition having one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities;
for each item identifier, retrieve (i) a location of a corresponding item in a facility, and (ii) a dimensional attribute of the corresponding item;
based on the locations and dimensional attributes, assign sets of the item group definitions to respective receptacle configurations, each receptacle configuration including, for each item group definition in the set, a receptacle type with a predefined capacity;
monitor availability of a plurality of transporters in the facility, each transporter having a chassis configured to support a selectable set of receptacles; and
responsive to detecting that a transporter is available, select one of the receptacle configurations, and present the selected receptacle configuration via an output device, to initiate placement of receptacles onto the chassis of the transporter according to the selected receptacle configuration.

15 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect that placement of the receptacles onto the chassis of the transporter is complete; and control the transporter to initiate travel in the facility to collect items identified in the set of item group definitions assigned to the selected receptacle configuration.

16 . The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect that collection of the items identified in the set of item group definitions assigned to the selected receptacle configuration is complete; and control the transporter to travel to a packout location in the facility for removal of the receptacles.

17 . The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured, to detect that placement of the receptacles is complete, to: receive, from a client computing device, a set of receptacle identifiers complying with the selected receptacle configuration.

18 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
obtain a plurality of orders, each containing one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities; and select a portion of the orders, based on a time window; and generate the batch of item group definitions from the selected portion of the orders.

19 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
obtain a plurality of orders, each containing one or more item identifiers and corresponding quantities; generate a corresponding item group definition for each order containing multiple item identifiers; identify a set of orders containing single item identifiers; and generate a single item group definition for the set of orders, the single item group definit

Assignees

• Fetch Robotics Inc
• Zebra Tech Corp

Inventors

• King Derek
• Elliott Sarah
• Fuchs Steffen
• Raimbert Charles
• Robson David J
• Hunt Steve
• Clune Brendan
• Villers Paul
• Guergah Jenna
• Pruitt Annelise
• Wise Melonee

Classifications

• B65G2209/06

  Use of order trucks · CPC title

• B65G2209/02

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

• G06Q10/087

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

• G05D1/0217

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

• G05D1/0291

  Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127) · CPC title