Inventory system with connectable inventory holders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9008829-B2
Application number	US-201313751635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2013
Priority date	Jan 28, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

A system includes a first mobile drive unit and a second mobile drive unit. The first mobile drive unit is operable to dock with a first item holder at a first end of a column of connected item holders. The second mobile drive unit is operable to dock with a second item holder at a second end of the column of connected item holders. The system also includes a management module that is operable to instruct the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive units to transport the column of connected item holders from a first location to a second location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first inventory holder comprising:
one or more inventory shelves operable to store inventory items;
a sensor operable to detect that a second inventory holder is proximate to the first inventory holder; and
a connection module operable to connect the first inventory holder to a second inventory holder based at least in part upon the sensor detecting that the second inventory holder is proximate to the first inventory holder; and

a mobile drive unit operable to:
dock with the first inventory holder;
while docked with the first inventory holder, move the first inventory holder towards the second inventory holder;
determine that the first inventory holder is connected with the second inventory holder at a first location; and
move the first inventory holder and the second holder from the first location towards a second location while docked with the first inventory holder and while the first inventory holder is connected with the second inventory holder.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connection module comprises one or more connection elements and the connection module is operable to connect the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder operable by clamping the one or more connection elements onto a portion of the second inventory holder.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile drive unit is further operable to:
establish a communication session with the first inventory holder;
instruct the first inventory holder to connect to the second inventory holder when the second inventory holder is proximate to the first inventory holder; and
after moving the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder to the second location, instruct the second inventory holder to connect to a third inventory holder.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a management module operable to:
determine to process an order at an inventory station using a first inventory item stored by the first inventory holder and a second inventory item stored by the second inventory holder;
select the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder for transportation to the inventory station;
instruct the mobile drive unit to connect the first inventory holder with the second inventory holder and transport the connected inventory holders to the inventory station.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first inventory holder further comprises a plurality of faces, the connection module is mounted on a face of the first inventory holder, and at least one other connection module is mounted on one of the other faces of the first inventory holder.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile drive unit comprises a first mobile drive unit and the system further comprises a second mobile drive unit operable to move a group of connected inventory holders arranged to form a column while the second mobile drive unit is docked with an inventory holder at a first end of the column and the first mobile drive unit is docked with another inventory holder at the second end of the column.

7. A system, comprising:
a first mobile drive unit operable to dock with a first item holder at a first end of at least one column of at least two connected item holders, wherein the first item holder comprises a connection module configured to physically connect to one or more other item holders;
a second mobile drive unit operable to dock with a second item holder at a second end of the at least one column of at least two connected item holders; and
a management module operable to instruct the first mobile drive unit and the second mobile drive units to transport the at least one column of at least two connected item holders from a first location to a second location.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one column includes at least a third item holder connected between the first item holder and the second item holder.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first mobile drive unit is further operable to:
determine to disassemble the at least one column of connected item holders;
instruct the second item holder to disconnect from the third item holder; and
instruct the third item holder to disconnect from the first item holder.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein disconnecting the second item holder from the third item holder comprises:
instructing the second item holder to release one or more second connection elements from the third item holder;
instructing the third item holder to release one or more third connection elements from the second item holder; and
verifying that the second item holder is disconnected from the third item holder.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first mobile drive unit docking with the first item holder comprises connecting to an interface for communicating with a connection module of the first item holder, wherein the connection module is operable to connect the first item holder to the second item holder.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the interface is located on a docking head of the first mobile drive unit and includes a first communication interface that engages with a second communication interface of the first item holder while the docking head is engaged against a portion of the first item holder.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first mobile drive unit is further operable to communicate with the first item holder and the second item holder while docked with the first item holder and while the second item holder is connected to the first item holder.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first item holder is operable to communicate status information associated with a connection module to the first mobile drive unit, the status information indicating whether the connection module is connected to the second item holder.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the status information further indicates a repair status of the connection module.

16. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first item holder is operable to communicate status information associated with a connection module to the first mobile drive unit, the status information indicating one or more of a weight of the first item holder and a weight distribution to a plurality of legs of the first item holder.

17. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first item holder is operable to communicate status information associated with a connection module to the first mobile drive unit, the status information indicating a unique identification of the first item holder.

18. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first item holder interconnects with the second item holder by engaging one or more connection elements onto at least a portion of the second item holder based at least in part upon a command from the first mobile drive unit.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first item holder engaging the one or more clamping elements is further based upon detecting a proximity of the second item holder to the first item holder.

20. A method comprising:
docking, by a mobile drive unit, to a first inventory holder;
moving, by the mobile drive unit, to a second inventory holder at a first location while docked with the first inventory holder;
physically connecting, by at least one connection module of the first inventory holder, the first inventory holder to the second inventory holder at the first location; and
moving, by the mobile drive unit, the connected first and second inventory holders to a second location while docked with the first inventory holder.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Worsley Timothy Craig

Classifications

• B65G1/1378 Primary

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title

• B65G1/10 Primary

  with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles {(cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02)} · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• G05D1/0287

  involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16) · CPC title

• G06Q10/08743

  using optimisation of routes · CPC title