Modular material handling system for order fulfillment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9428295-B2
Application number	US-201414543801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 29, 2011
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for material handling in an order fulfillment center. An order fulfillment system may include inventory storage, a processing area, and a control system. The inventory storage may in some instances include two storage areas, and in some cases the processing area may be disposed between the two storage areas. The processing area may include a router module that is configured to receive inventory items that have been picked from the inventory storage. Inventory items may be received by the router module via conveyance receptacles (e.g., totes, bins) that are conveyed using a conveyor mechanism. The processing area may also include a plurality of processing modules that may be configured to receive inventory items from the router module. In some instances, the processing modules may receive the inventory items via conveyance receptacles that are conveyed using the conveyor mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
inventory storage, comprising two inventory storage areas;
a processing area disposed between the two inventory storage areas, wherein a conveyance mechanism conveys conveyance receptacles holding inventory items from the inventory storage to the processing area, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism;
the processing area configured to receive inventory items from the two inventory storage areas and to process the received inventory items for shipment, wherein the processing area comprises a router module configured to route items received from inventory storage to a plurality of different processing modules;
a receiving module corresponding to at least one of the two inventory storage areas and configured to receive replenishment inventory into the order fulfillment system; and
a control system implemented by one or more computer processors and configured to direct conveyance of a replenishment supply of an inventory item from the receiving module to one or more inventory storage zones of the corresponding inventory storage area for storing the replenishment supply.

2. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inventory storage zones for storing the replenishment supply are determined based at least in part on optimization criteria.

3. The order fulfillment system of claim 2 , where the optimization criteria is based at least in part on at least one of inventory throughput, cost, or storage density.

4. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein to direct conveyance of the replenishment supply from the receiving module to one or more inventory storage zones of the corresponding inventory storage area, the control system is further configured to direct the conveyance mechanism to convey the replenishment supply from the receiving module to the one or more inventory storage zones of the corresponding inventory storage area such that the same conveyance mechanism that conveys the receptacles to the processing area also conveys the replenishment supply to the one or more inventory storage zones.

5. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein to direct conveyance of the replenishment supply from the receiving module to one or more inventory storage zones of the corresponding inventory storage area, the control system is further configured to direct conveyance of the replenishment supply from the receiving module to a replenishment sorter between the receiving module and the one or more inventory storage zones, the replenishment sorter controlled by the control system to sort the replenishment supply such that storage of the replenishment supply is optimized based at least in part on minimization of pick or stow times.

6. A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory, coupled to the one or more processors, having instructions stored thereon that in response to execution by the one or more processors implement a control system configured to:
determine one or more inventory storage zones of one of two inventory storage areas of a facility, the determined inventory storage zones for storing a replenishment supply of inventory items, and the facility comprising a processing area disposed between the two inventory storage areas, wherein the processing area is configured to receive inventory items from the two inventory storage areas and to process the received inventory items for shipment, and wherein the processing area disposed between the two inventory storage areas comprises a router module configured to route items received from inventory storage to a plurality of different processing modules; and
direct a conveyance mechanism to convey the replenishment supply from a receiving module of the facility to the determined one or more inventory storage zones;
wherein a conveyance mechanism conveys conveyance receptacles holding inventory items from inventory storage to the processing area, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism.

7. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more inventory storage zones for storing the replenishment supply are determined based at least in part on optimization criteria.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , where the optimization criteria is based at least in part on at least one of item throughput, cost, or storage density.

9. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the conveyance mechanism that conveys the receptacles to the processing area is the same conveyance mechanism that conveys the replenishment supply from the receiving module.

10. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein to direct the replenishment supply from the receiving module to the determined one or more inventory storage zones, the control system is further configured to direct conveyance of the replenishment supply from the receiving module to a replenishment sorter between the receiving module and the determined one or more inventory storage zones, the control system further configured to direct the replenishment sorter to sort the replenishment supply prior to conveyance to the one or more inventory storage zones.

11. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the control system is further configured to direct a conveyance mechanism to convey another replenishment supply of an inventory item from another receiving module of the facility to one or more inventory storage zones of the other of the two inventory storage areas.

12. A method, comprising:
determining one or more inventory storage zones of one of two inventory storage areas of a facility, the one or more inventory storage zones determined for storing a replenishment supply of inventory items, and the facility comprising a processing area disposed between the two inventory storage areas, wherein the processing area is configured to receive inventory items from the two inventory storage areas and to process the received inventory items for shipment, and wherein the processing area disposed between the two inventory storage areas comprises a router module configured to route items received from inventory storage to a plurality of different processing modules; and
directing a conveyance mechanism to convey the replenishment supply from a receiving module of the facility to the determined one or more inventory storage zones;
wherein a conveyance mechanism conveys conveyance receptacles holding inventory items from inventory storage to the processing area, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more inventory storage zones for storing the replenishment supply are determined based at least in part on optimization criteria.

14. The method of claim 13 , where the optimization criteria is based at least in part on at least one of inventory item throughput, cost, or storage density.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the conveyance mechanism that conveys the replenishment supply from the receiving module to the determined one or more inventory storage zones is the same conveyance mechanism that conveys conveyance receptacles from inventory storage to the processing area.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said directing the replenishment supply from the receiving module to the determined one or more inventory storage zones comprises directing conveyance of the replenishment supply from the receiving module to a replenishment sorter between the receiving module and the determined one or more inventory storage zones, and wherein the method further compris

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Vliet Kevin R
• Kiser Wayne A
• Holland Michael A
• Battles Jonathan S

Classifications

• B65C2009/401

  for detecting the height of articles to be labelled · CPC title

• G06Q10/08 Primary

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

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