KR102419968B1 - Robot queuing in order-taking tasks - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for queuing robots heading to one or more target locations in an environment includes determining whether a plurality of robots heading to one or more target locations have entered a predefined target area proximate to one or more target locations. The method also includes assigning each of the robots to its target location or one of a plurality of queue locations based on the assigned priority. The plurality of queue locations are grouped into one or more queue groups.

Description

Robot queuing in order-taking tasks

This application claims priority to U.S. Application Serial No. 15/697,759, filed September 7, 2017, and this application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Serial No. 15/628,751, filed June 21, 2017; This application is a continuation of U.S. Application No. 15/081,124, filed March 25, 2016, and was issued as U.S. Patent No. 9,776,324, on October 3, 2017, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. incorporated herein.

The present invention relates to a system and method for robot-assisted product order-fulfillment, and more particularly to queuing robots destined to a common location(s) using one or more queue groups. ) is about

Ordering products over the Internet for home delivery is a very popular shopping method. Fulfilling these orders in a timely, accurate and efficient manner is a logistically challenging task. Clicking the "check out" button in the virtual shopping cart creates an "order". An order contains a list of items to be shipped to a specific address. The process of “fulfillment” involves physically fetching or “picking” these items from a large warehouse, packaging them, and shipping them to a designated address. Accordingly, an important goal of the order creation process is to ship as many items as possible in the shortest possible time.

The order creation process is typically performed in a large warehouse where many products are stored, including those listed in the order. Accordingly, one of the tasks of creating an order is to walk around the warehouse to find and collect various items listed in the order. In addition, products that will ultimately be shipped first need to be obtained at the warehouse and stored or "placed" in storage bins or "placed" throughout the warehouse in an orderly fashion so that they can be easily retrieved for delivery. .

In large warehouses, goods that are being shipped and ordered can be stored very far from each other within the warehouse and distributed among a large number of different goods. An order creation process that uses only a human operator to place and select goods requires a lot of walking and can be inefficient and time consuming. Since the efficiency of the creation process is a function of the number of items shipped per unit time, increasing the time decreases the efficiency.

To increase efficiency, robots can be used to perform human functions, or they can be used to complement human activities. For example, a robot may be assigned to "place" a plurality of items at various locations distributed throughout a warehouse, or a robot may be assigned to "pick" items from various locations for packaging and shipping. Selection and placement can be performed by the robot alone or with the assistance of a human operator. For example, in the case of a selection task, a human operator will select items from a shelf and place them on the robot, or in the case of a batch task, a human operator will select items from the robot and place them on a shelf.

With so many robots navigating through space, the robots will be more or more likely to attempt to navigate to a location occupied by another robot, resulting in a race condition. Such a competitive situation is when two robots move to the same location and are bound by a processor when trying to adjust to a changing external environment. This competitive situation is highly undesirable and may prevent the robots from performing additional tasks until these situations are resolved.

In one aspect, the invention features a method for queuing robots directed to one or more target locations in an environment. The method includes determining whether a plurality of robots directed to the one or more target locations have entered a predefined target area proximate to the one or more target locations. The method also includes assigning each of the robots to its own target location or one of the plurality of queue locations based on the assigned priority. The plurality of cue positions are grouped into one or more cue groups.

In another aspect of the invention, one or more of the following features may be included. The environment may be a warehouse space that holds items for filling out customer orders. The assigned priority may be determined by the order of entry of each of the plurality of robots into the target area, and the robot that first enters the target area is assigned the highest priority. The assigned priority may be determined by one or both of an order of entry of each of the plurality of robots into the target area and an order priority associated with a customer order to be processed by each of the plurality of robots. An order priority, which may be associated with a customer order to be processed by each of the plurality of robots, is determined by one or more of a shipping priority, an item type, a customer type, or a retailer. The plurality of queue locations may be grouped into at least two queue groups spaced apart from each other within the environment. A first plurality of queue locations may be included in the first group and a second plurality of queue locations may be included in a second queue group, wherein the first plurality of queue locations in the first group and the second plurality of queue locations in the second group The cue positions are all associated with one target position. A plurality of cue positions may be grouped into one cue group, and a plurality of cue positions may be associated with a plurality of target positions. A first plurality of queue locations in the first group and a second plurality of queue locations in the second queue group may be associated with a plurality of target locations. One or more target positions and a plurality of cue positions may each be defined by a pose that the robot can navigate.

In another aspect, the invention features a robot capable of navigating to a predefined location within an environment comprising a plurality of other robots, the robot and the plurality of other robots capable of interacting with a management system. The robot includes a mobile base and a communication device that enables communication between the robot and the management system. In response to communication with the management system, there is a processor configured to navigate the robot to a target location in the environment. The processor may also be configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of other robots is occupying the target location. If it is determined that at least one of the plurality of other robots is occupying the target location, the processor determines whether the robot has entered a predefined target area proximate to the target location. If it is determined that the robot has entered the predefined target area, the processor is configured to assign the robot to one of the plurality of queue positions based on the assigned priority. The plurality of cue positions are grouped into one or more cue groups.

In a further aspect of the invention, one or more of the following features may be included. The environment may be a warehouse space that holds items for filling out customer orders. The assigned priority may be determined by the order of entry of each of the plurality of robots into the target area. The first robot to enter the target area may be assigned the highest priority. The assigned priority may be determined by one or both of an order of entry of each of the plurality of robots into the target area and an order priority associated with a customer order to be processed by each of the plurality of robots. An order priority associated with a customer order to be processed by each of the plurality of robots may be determined by one or more of a shipping priority, item type, customer type, or retailer. The plurality of queue locations may be grouped into at least two queue groups spaced apart from each other within the environment. A first plurality of queue locations may be included in the first group, and a second plurality of queue locations may be included in a second queue group, a first plurality of queue locations in the first group and a second plurality of queue locations in the second group All of the cue positions of may be associated with one target position. A plurality of cue positions may be grouped into one cue group, and a plurality of cue positions may be associated with a plurality of target positions. A first plurality of queue locations in the first group and a second plurality of queue locations in the second queue group may be associated with a plurality of target locations. One or more target positions and a plurality of cue positions may each be defined by a pose that the robot can navigate.

These and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

1 is a plan view of an order creation warehouse;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base of one of the robots used in the warehouse shown in FIG. 1 ;
3 is a perspective view of the robot in FIG. 2 erected in front of the shelf shown in FIG. 1 and equipped with an armature; FIG.
Fig. 4 is a partial map of the warehouse of Fig. 1 created using a laser radar on the robot;
5 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for locating fiducial markers distributed throughout a warehouse and archiving fiducial marker poses.
6 is a table of mapping between fiducial identification and poses.
7 is a table of mappings between storage locations and reference identifications.
8 is a flowchart illustrating the mapping process between product SKUs and poses.
9 is a schematic diagram of target positions and queue positions used in a queuing process in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
10 is a flow diagram illustrating a robotic queuing process in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
11 is a schematic diagram of a target position and queue position in accordance with another aspect of the present invention in which robots are directed to designated queue positions based on assigned priorities;
12 is a schematic diagram of target positions and queue positions in another aspect of a queuing process in accordance with the present invention in which a shared queue is used;
13 is a schematic diagram of target positions and queue positions in another aspect of a queuing process in accordance with the present invention in which both shared and split queues are used.

The specification and its various features and advantageous details are elucidated in greater detail with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the description below. Features shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and even if not explicitly recited herein, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that features of one embodiment may be employed in conjunction with other embodiments. that should be noted. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are merely intended to facilitate understanding of the ways in which the present disclosure may be practiced, and to further enable a person skilled in the art to practice the embodiments of the present disclosure. . Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. It is also noted that like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

The present invention relates to a system and method for queuing robots directed to a common target location. Although not limited to any particular robotic application, one suitable application in which the present invention may be used is customization. The use of robots will be described in this application to provide context for a system and method for queuing robots, but is not limited to their application.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a typical order fulfillment warehouse 10 includes a shelf 12 filled with various items that may be included in an order 16 . In operation, an order 16 from the warehouse management server 15 arrives at the order server 14 . The order server 14 delivers the order 16 to a robot 18 selected from among a plurality of robots roaming the warehouse 10 .

In a preferred embodiment, the robot 18 shown in FIG. 2 comprises an autonomous wheeled base 20 with a laser radar 22 . The base 20 also features a transceiver 24 and a camera 26 that enable the robot 18 to receive commands from the ordering server 14 . The base 20 is also on the shelf 12, and a processor 32 that receives data from the laser radar 22 and camera 26 to capture information representative of the robot's environment, as shown in FIG. 3 . It features a memory 34 that cooperates to perform various tasks associated with navigation within the warehouse 10 as well as navigating to a fiducial marker 30 placed in the warehouse 10 . A fiducial marker 30 (eg, a two-dimensional barcode) corresponds to a bin/location of an ordered item. The navigation approach of the present invention is described in detail below with respect to Figures 4-8.

Although the initial description provided herein focused on selecting items from storage locations within a warehouse to fulfill an order for delivery to a customer, the system may be located throughout the warehouse for later retrieval and delivery to the customer. The same is applicable to the storage or placement of items obtained from storage locations across the warehouse into warehouses. The present invention is also applicable to inventory control tasks associated with such warehouse systems, such as product consolidation, counting, verification, inspection and clean-up.

As described in more detail below, the robot 18 may be used to perform multiple tasks of different task types in an interleaved fashion. This means that the robot 18 can select items, place items, and perform inventory control tasks while traversing the warehouse 10 and executing a single order. This kind of interleaved business approach can greatly improve efficiency and performance.

Referring again to FIG. 2 , the upper surface 36 of the base 20 features a coupling 38 that engages any one of a plurality of interchangeable stiffeners 40 , one of the interchangeable stiffeners 40 . One is shown in FIG. 3 . The particular stiffener 40 of FIG. 3 features a tote holder 42 for carrying a tote 44 from which items are obtained, and a tablet holder 46 for supporting a tablet 48 . In some embodiments, stiffener 40 supports one or more totes for carrying items. In other embodiments, the base 20 supports one or more totes for carrying the obtained items. As used herein, the term "tote" includes, without limitation, a cargo holder, storage, cage, shelf, rod, caddy, crate, rack on which items are hung. , stands, trestles, containers, boxes, canisters, vessels and repositories.

Although the robot 18 is excellent at moving around the warehouse 10 with current robotic technology, it can quickly and efficiently select items from the shelf and place the items onto the tote 44 due to the technical difficulties associated with robotic manipulation of objects. Layout is not very good. A more efficient way to select items is to use a local operator ( 50) (which is usually human). The robot 18 may transmit an order to the local operator 50, either via a tablet 48 readable by the local operator 50, or by sending an order to a handheld device used by the local operator 50. forward the order to

Upon receiving the order 16 from the order server 14 , the robot 18 proceeds to the first warehouse location shown in FIG. 3 , for example. This is based on navigation software stored in memory 34 and performed by processor 32 . The navigation software obtains data about the environment, such as that collected by the laser radar 22, a reference identification (“ID”) of a fiducial marker 30 corresponding to a location in the warehouse 10 where a particular item may be found. It relies on internal tables in memory 34 to identify, and camera 26 for navigating.

When the correct position is reached, the robot 18 stops in front of the shelf 12 where the items are stored, and a local operator 50 retrieves the items from the shelf 12 and places the items into the tote 44 . wait for If the robot 18 has other items to retrieve, it proceeds to that location. The item(s) retrieved by the robot 18 are then delivered to a packing station 100 of FIG. 1 , where the items are packed and shipped.

One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that each robot may process one or more orders, and each order may consist of one or more items. Typically, some form of path optimization software will be included to increase efficiency, but this is beyond the scope of the present invention and is therefore not described herein.

To simplify the description of the present invention, a single robot 18 and operator 50 are described. However, as is evident from FIG. 1 , a typical processing operation involves many robots and operators working with each other within a warehouse to process a series of orders.

The navigation approach of the present invention, as well as the semantic mapping of the SKU of the item to be retrieved, to the reference ID/pose associated with the fiducial marker in the warehouse where the item is located, is described in detail below with respect to FIGS. do.

Using one or more robots 18, a map of the warehouse 10 must be created, and the locations of various fiducial markers distributed throughout the warehouse must be determined. To this end, one of the robots 18 navigates the warehouse and, using its laser radar 22 and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), builds the map 10a of FIG. 4 , which is an unknown environment. It is a computational problem to build or update a map of Widely used SLAM approximation solution methods include particle filter and extended Kalman filter. Although the SLAM GMapping approach is the preferred approach, any suitable SLAM approach may be used.

The robot 18 moves around the space, based on reflections it receives as the laser radar 22 scans the environment, and the open space 112 , the wall 114 , the object 116 , and the shelf within the space. By identifying other static obstacles, such as (12), it utilizes its laser radar (22) to generate a map (10a) of the warehouse (10).

During or after constructing the map 10a, one or more robots 18 may be proximate to repositories, such as 32 and 34 in FIG. 3 , where items are stored by scanning the environment using the camera 26 . Navigate inside the warehouse 10 to locate reference markers (two-dimensional barcodes) distributed throughout the warehouse on the shelf. Robot 18 uses a known starting point or origin for reference, such as origin 110 . When a fiducial marker, such as fiducial marker 30 of FIGS. 3 and 4 , is positioned by robot 18 using camera 26 , its position in the warehouse relative to origin 110 is determined.

By use of a wheel encoder and heading sensor, the vector 120 , the position of the robot in the warehouse 10 can be determined. Using the captured image of the fiducial marker / 2D barcode and its known size, the robot 18 can determine the orientation of the fiducial marker / 2D barcode with respect to the robot and its distance from the robot, i.e. the vector 130 . have. Once the vectors 120 and 130 are known, the vector 140 between the origin 110 and the fiducial marker 30 can be determined. From the determined orientation of the fiducial marker/two-dimensional barcode relative to the vector 140 and the robot 18, the pose (position) defined by the quaternion (x, y, z, ω) relative to the fiducial marker 30 . and orientation) can be determined.

A flowchart 200 of FIG. 5 is described illustrating the fiducial marker location process. This is done in the initial mapping mode and when the robot 18 encounters new fiducial markers in the warehouse while performing selection, placement and/or other tasks. At step 202 , the robot 18 captures an image using the camera 26 , and at step 204 retrieves the fiducial marker within the captured image. In step 206 , if a fiducial marker is found in the image (step 204 ), it is determined whether the fiducial marker is already stored in the fiducial table 300 of FIG. 6 located in the memory 34 of the robot 18 . If the reference information is already stored in memory, the flow returns to step 202 to capture another image. If the reference information is not in memory, a pose is determined according to the process described above, and at step 208, the pose is added to the reference-to-pause lookup table 300 .

In the lookup table 300 that may be stored in the memory of each robot, reference identification information 1, 2, 3, etc. for each reference marker, and poses for reference markers/barcodes associated with each reference identification information are included. A pose consists of x,y,z coordinates within the warehouse with an orientation or quaternion (x, y, z, ω).

In another lookup table 400 of FIG. 7 that may also be stored in the memory of each robot, the storage locations within the warehouse 10 correlated with a particular reference ID 404 such as the number “11” for example. (eg, 402a-f). The storage locations, in this example, consist of 7 alpha-numeric characters. The first six letters (eg L01001) relate to a shelf location within the warehouse, and the last letter (eg, A-F) identifies a particular store at the shelf location. In this example, there are 6 different storage locations associated with reference ID "11". There may be one or more repositories associated with each criterion ID/marker.

Alpha-numeric storage locations are understandable to a person, for example an operator 50 ( FIG. 3 ), since they correspond to physical locations within the warehouse 10 where the items are stored. However, these have no meaning for the robot 18 . By mapping positions to reference IDs, robot 18 can use the information in table 300 of FIG. 6 to determine the pose of the reference ID and then navigate to the pose as described herein. have.

An order creation process in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in flowchart 500 of FIG. 8 . In step 502, the warehouse management system 15 of FIG. 1 obtains an order, which may consist of one or more items to be retrieved. In step 504, the SKU number(s) of the item(s) are determined by the warehouse management system 15, and in step 506, from the SKU number(s), the storage location(s) is determined. A list of storage locations for the order is then sent to the robot 18 . In step 508 the robot 18 correlates the storage location with the reference IDs, and in step 510 the pose of each reference ID is obtained from the reference IDs. At step 512 , the robot 18 navigates to a pose as shown in FIG. 3 , where the operator can select items to be retrieved from the appropriate storage and place the items on the robot.

Item-specific information, such as SKU numbers and storage locations, obtained by warehouse management system 15, allows robot 18 to be notified of specific items to be retrieved by operator 50 when the robot reaches each fiducial marker location. may be transferred to the tablet 48 on the

As the poses of the SLAM map and reference ID are known, the robot 18 can easily navigate to any one of the reference IDs using a variety of robotic navigation techniques. The preferred approach is the initial path for the fiducial marker pose, given knowledge of the open space 112 and walls 114 within the warehouse 10 , shelves (such as shelf 12 ) and other obstacles 116 . includes setting When the robot starts navigating the warehouse using the robot's own laser radar 26, the robot detects if there are any fixed or dynamic obstacles in its path, such as other robots 18 and/or workers 50. It determines and iteratively updates its path to the pose of the fiducial marker. The robot replans its path about once every 50 milliseconds, continuously searching for the most efficient and effective path while avoiding obstacles.

Using the mapping technique between the product SKU/reference ID and reference pose combined with the SLAM navigation technology all described herein, the robot 18 is a general, It is possible to navigate the warehouse space very efficiently and effectively, without using the more complex navigation approaches used as

As mentioned above, a problem that can arise with multiple robots navigating a space is called a "competition situation", which can occur when one or more robots attempt to navigate into a space occupied by another robot. have. In accordance with the present invention, an alternative destination is created for the robots to place them in a queue and prevent a race situation from occurring. The process is illustrated in FIG. 9 , where the robot 600 is shown positioned in a target position/pose 602 . Pose 602 may correspond to any location within the warehouse space, eg, a location near a packaging or loading station or a particular store. When other robots, such as robots 604 , 606 and 608 , attempt to navigate to pose 602 (indicated by a dotted line from the robots and terminated at pose 602 ), these robots may be placed in positions or cues. It is redirected to temporary holding positions such as slots 610 , 612 and 614 .

Cue slots or positions 610 , 612 and 614 are offset from pose 612 . In this example, cue slot 610 is offset from pose 602 by a distance x, which may be, for example, one (1) meter. Queue slot 612 is offset from queue slot 610 by an additional distance x, and queue slot 614 is offset from queue slot 612 by another distance x. In this example, the distances are evenly spaced along a straight line emanating from pose 602 , although this is not a requirement of the present invention. The position of the queue slots may be non-uniform and variable given the dynamic environment of the warehouse. Cue slots can be offset according to a queuing algorithm observing the existing obstacles and constraints of the underlying global map and local map. The queuing algorithm may also take into account the practical limitations of queuing in space close to the target position/pose to avoid blocking traffic, interfering with other locations, and creating new obstacles.

Also, proper queue slotting of the robots into the queue must be managed. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , a robot having a first priority to occupy a pose 602 is queued in a first queue slot 610 , while other robots are queued in a different queue slot based on their respective priorities. is queued Priorities are determined by the order of entry of the robots into area 618 proximate pose 602 . In this case, area 618 is defined by a radius R for pose 602 , which in this case is approximately three (3) meters (or 3x). In this case 604, the robot that first enters the area has the highest priority and is assigned a first queue slot (queue slot 610). When robot 606 closer to area 618 than robot 608 enters area 618 , robot 600 is still in pose 602 and robot 604 is positioned in cue slot 610 . Assuming that, robot 606 has the next highest priority and is therefore assigned to queue slot 612 . Then, when robot 608 enters area 618, assuming robot 600 is still in pose 602 and robots 604 and 606 are still positioned in cue slots 610 and 612, respectively: Robot 608 is assigned to queue slot 614 .

As robot 600 moves from pose 602 (target position), robot 604 moves from cue slot 610 to pose 602 . Robots 606 and 608 move to cue slot positions 610 and 612, respectively. The robot that next enters area 618 will be positioned at cue slot location 614 . Of course, an additional number of queue slot positions may be included to accommodate the expected traffic flow.

The manner in which the robots are navigated to the cue slots and ultimately to the target position is achieved by temporarily redirecting them from the pose at the target position to the pose(s) in the cue slot(s). In other words, when it is determined that the robot should be placed in the cue slot, the target pose of the robot is temporarily adjusted to a pose corresponding to the position of the cue slot assigned to the robot. When the robot moves to a higher position in the queue, the pose is temporarily adjusted back to the pose in the queue slot with the next highest priority until the robot's original target position can be reached, at which time the pose is reset to the original target pose.

Flowchart 700 of FIG. 10 depicts a robot queuing process implemented by WMS 15 for a specific pose (target pose) within a warehouse. In step 702, it is determined whether the target pose is occupied by the robot. Otherwise, the process returns to step 702 until there is a robot occupying the target pose. When the robot is occupying the target pose, at step 704, the process determines whether there are other robots in the target area or robots in one or more queue slots. If it is determined that there are no robots in the target area or one or more queue slots, the process returns to step 702 . If it is determined that there is a robot occupying the target pose, or if the cue slot(s) is occupied, then at step 706 the robots are assigned to the appropriate cue slot.

If there is a robot in the target area but no robot in the cue slot, the robot at the target area is directed to occupy the first cue slot, ie, cue slot 610 in FIG. 9 . If there is a robot in the target area and there are robots (or multiple robots in the cue slots), the robot in the target area is slotted into the next available cue slot, as described above. If there is no robot in the target area but robot(s) in the cue slot(s), the slotted robots remain in the same positions. In step 708 , if it is determined that the target pose is not occupied, the robots in the cue slots move to an upper position, ie, from cue slot 610 to the target pose, and from cue slot 612 to cue slot 610 . go to etc. If the target pose is still occupied, the process returns to step 704 .

In FIG. 9 , queue positions 610 , 612 and 614 are in line and adjacent to each other. While this is acceptable for many situations, it may be desirable to use a “split” queue if many queue locations or areas within a warehouse environment with limited space or congested traffic are needed. An example of this is shown in FIG. 11 . Here, a station 800 with a target location 802 is shown. Station 800 may be an induction station accompanied by an operator, where the robot is assigned a customer order to process and the robot is provided with a tote for carrying the order, or the robot may be packed and unloaded by the operator. It may be a packing station that drops off customer orders for delivery. A target location need not be associated with a station, but it is a typical situation where multiple robots may be simultaneously competing for a common target location.

Referring again to FIG. 11 , the queue locations 804 , 806 and 808 are shown as being part of the first queue group 810 and spaced apart from the target location 802 . In this example, additional queue locations are required, but there is limited space as the queue group 810 is adjacent to a busy path of traffic traversed by robots and operators, such as robot 814 . . To overcome this problem, a second queue group 816 is formed that includes additional queue locations 818 , 820 and 822 physically spaced apart from the queue group 810 across the path 812 . The queue locations of the two queue groups 810 and 816, though physically separate, together form a single queue for the target location 802 . It should be noted that although there are two queue groups each having three queue positions, any number of queue groups having any number of queue positions may be used in accordance with the disclosure herein.

As in FIG. 9 , in the example of FIG. 11 , assuming that the target location 802 (labeled “T”) is occupied by a robot served at the station 802 , it is located in a predefined target area 803 . Incoming robots (defined by the dotted line) are assigned to queue positions based on the priority assigned to them by the system. Queue position 804 labeled "1" is the highest priority queue position. Queue positions 806 - 822 have lower/descending priority levels, as indicated by labels "2" - "6". Thus, the robot with the first or highest priority to occupy the target location 802, if available, is directed to the queue location 804, and the other robots have different queue slots based on their respective priorities. queued in the fields. The priority may be determined by the order of entry of the robots into the predefined target area. In other words, the earlier it enters into the target area, the higher the priority assigned to the robot, and therefore the lower the queue number.

The assigned priority may be set in another way. For example, instead of or in combination with time to enter a target area, a priority may be assigned based on customer orders to be processed by the robots. Customer orders for each robot may be assigned a priority based on one or more of the following criteria: for example, shipping priority, item type, customer type, or retailer. Customer orders or preferred customers requiring expedited delivery may be assigned a higher priority and thus placed in a higher priority queue position to ensure faster processing. Similarly, specific products or retailers may be given priority based on contractual relationships. The prioritization of customer orders, alone or in combination with priorities based on time of entry into the target area, can be used to assign priorities and thus queue positions to robots competing for a common target position. .

With continued reference to FIG. 11 , two robots 824 and 826 are shown entering a predefined target area 803 . The robot 824 is assigned a priority of (1, B), and the robot 826 is assigned a priority of (2, A). In this example, the first priority criterion is a number, and indicates the order in which the robot entered the target area 803 , that is, the robot 824 entered first and the robot 826 entered the second. If the order of entry is the only criterion, then robot 824 will be assigned to queue position 804 and robot 826 will be assigned to queue position 806 . However, in this example, there is a second criterion related to a customer order, such as, for example, shipping priority, item type, customer type, or retailer. Robot 824 is assigned a “B” priority for its customer orders while robot 826 is assigned “A” priority. In this example, customer order priorities trump the order of entry into the target area, so that, as indicated by lines 825 and 827 , robot 824 moves into queue position 806 (position "2). "), and robot 826 is directed to cue position 804 (position "1").

This example described above is just one simple example of priority assignment, and any suitable method for assigning priorities is described below in the standard queue shown in Fig. 9, the split queue in Fig. 11 and in Figs. The use of shared/split queues may be used in conjunction with the present invention.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 , another aspect of the present disclosure is described. Here, a “shared” queue 830 may be used. As meant by “shared” in this context, a cue group 830 is associated with and proximate to stations 838 , 840 and 842 , respectively, from multiple targets, such as target locations 832 , 834 and 836 . It is shared between target locations. Robots directed to any target position 832, 834, or 836 are directed to one of the queue positions 850 to 858 having priorities 1 to 9, respectively. This means that queue position 850 (priority “1”) is the position at which the robot with the highest priority will be located regardless of the target position it is facing, and queue position 9 (priority “9”) has the lowest priority It means that the robot with the rank is the queue position to be directed.

Stations 838 (“A”), 840 (“B”), and 842 (“C”) may be configured to perform the same or different functions. For example, they may all consist of an induction station or a packing station, or they may consist of a combination of an induction and packing station. Also, any number of stations and any number of queue positions in queue group 830 may be used. In one scenario, stations 838 , 840 and 842 may be configured such that any robot from a queue position may advance to any target position/station. In that case, as indicated by solid line 864 , the robot positioned at queue position 850 will advance to the first available target position, which in this example is target position 832 . Target positions 834 and 836 are shown occupied by robots 860 and 862, respectively. Robots in other queue positions will all move up to the next highest priority queue position.

Alternatively, for various reasons, certain robots may only advance to a particular station/target location. This scenario is illustrated by dashed line 866 in FIG. 12 , which is queued position 851 (priority) advancing to open target position 832 instead of the robot at queue position 850 (priority “1”). The robot in "2") is shown. This is because the robot at the queue position 850 cannot be serviced by the station 838 (eg, the robot needs to be admitted but the station 838 is dedicated to packaging/delivery). As shown by dashed line 868 , when robot 860 leaves target position 834 (assuming robot 860 leaves before robot 862 ), the robot at queue position 850 will It will proceed to the target location 834 to be served by the station 840 .

In another embodiment, it is shown in FIG. 13 that the shared queue 830 of FIG. 12 is partitioned into a split queue having queue groups 830a and 830b. This shared queue will work in the same way as shared queue 830 of FIG. 12 , but it will be split into two queue groups due to the proximity of path 870 traversed by a robot and an operator, such as robot 872 . do. A first queue group 830a has queue locations 850 - 855 on one side of the path 870 , and a second queue group 830b has queue locations 856 on the opposite side of the path 870 . to 858). The queue positions in the two cue groups 830a and 830b, though physically separate, together form a single queue for the target positions 832, 834 and 836.

While the foregoing description of the present invention enables one of ordinary skill in the art to achieve and use what is presently considered the optimal embodiment, one of ordinary skill in the art will It will be understood and appreciated that the specific embodiments and examples of variations, combinations, and equivalents exist. The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative only. Changes, modifications and variations can be effected in the specific embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto. The present invention is therefore not limited by the embodiments and examples described above.

While the present invention and its preferred embodiments have been described, what is novel and patented to the letter follows.

Claims (20)

A method for queuing mobile robots destined to one or more occupancy target locations in a warehouse space, the method comprising:
determining whether a plurality of mobile robots moving toward the one or more occupancy target locations within the warehouse space have entered a predefined target area proximate to the one or more occupancy target locations; and
moving each of the plurality of mobile robots to one of a plurality of queue locations in the warehouse space and occupying the one queue location based on the assigned priority;
including,
The assigned priority may be one or both of an order of entry of each of the plurality of mobile robots into the predefined target area and an order priority associated with a customer order to be processed by each of the plurality of mobile robots. determined by;
wherein the plurality of queue locations are grouped into one or more queue groups spaced apart from the one or more occupancy target locations within the warehouse space. According to claim 1,
wherein the warehouse space holds items for customer order fulfillment. The method of claim 1,
The assigned priority is determined by the order of entry of each of the plurality of mobile robots into the predefined target area,
The method for queuing mobile robots, wherein the mobile robot first entering the predefined target area is assigned the highest priority. According to claim 1,
wherein an order priority associated with a customer order to be processed by each of the plurality of mobile robots is determined by one or more of a shipping priority, an item type, a customer type, or a retailer. way for. According to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of queue locations are grouped into at least two queue groups spaced apart from each other within the warehouse space. 6. The method of claim 5,
the plurality of queue locations comprises a first plurality of queue locations of a first queue group and a second plurality of queue locations of a second queue group;
wherein the first plurality of queue positions of the first queue group and the second plurality of queue positions of the second queue group are both associated with one target position in the warehouse space. According to claim 1,
The plurality of queue positions are grouped into one queue group,
wherein the plurality of queue locations are associated with a plurality of target locations within the warehouse space. 7. The method of claim 6,
wherein the first plurality of queue positions of the first queue group and the second plurality of queue positions of the second queue group are associated with a plurality of target positions in the warehouse space. The method of claim 1,
wherein the one or more occupancy target positions and the plurality of queue positions are each defined by a pose the mobile robots may navigate. A mobile robot capable of navigating to predefined locations within a warehouse space comprising a plurality of other mobile robots, wherein the mobile robot and the plurality of other mobile robots are capable of interacting with a management system, the mobile robot comprising: ,
mobile base;
a communication device enabling communication between the mobile robot and the management system;
processor
including,
The processor, in response to communication with the management system,
navigating the mobile robot to a target location within the warehouse space;
determine whether at least one of the plurality of other mobile robots is occupying the target location;
if it is determined that at least one of the plurality of other mobile robots is occupying the target location, determine whether the mobile robot has entered a predefined target area proximate to the target location;
If it is determined that the mobile robot has entered the predefined target area, move the mobile robot to one of a plurality of queue positions in the warehouse space based on the assigned priority and move the one queue configured to occupy a location;
The assigned priority is determined according to the order of entry of the mobile robot for each of the plurality of other mobile robots into the predefined target area, each of the plurality of other mobile robots and a customer to be processed by the mobile robot. determined by one or both of the order priorities associated with the order;
wherein the plurality of queue locations are grouped into one or more queue groups spaced apart from the target location in the warehouse space. 11. The method of claim 10,
The warehouse space will store items for customer order creation, the mobile robot. 11. The method of claim 10,
The assigned priority is determined by each of the plurality of other mobile robots and the order of entry of the mobile robot into the predefined target area,
A mobile robot that first enters the predefined target area is assigned the highest priority. 11. The method of claim 10,
and an order priority associated with each of the plurality of other mobile robots and a customer order to be processed by the mobile robot is determined by one or more of a shipping priority, an item type, a customer type, or a retailer. 11. The method of claim 10,
wherein the plurality of queue locations are grouped into at least two queue groups spaced apart from each other within the warehouse space. 15. The method of claim 14,
the plurality of queue locations comprises a first plurality of queue locations of a first queue group and a second plurality of queue locations of a second queue group;
wherein the first plurality of queue positions of the first queue group and the second plurality of queue positions of the second queue group are both associated with one target position in the warehouse space. 11. The method of claim 10,
The plurality of queue positions are grouped into one queue group,
wherein the plurality of queue locations are associated with a plurality of target locations within the warehouse space. 16. The method of claim 15,
wherein the first plurality of queue positions of the first queue group and the second plurality of queue positions of the second queue group are associated with a plurality of target positions in the warehouse space. 11. The method of claim 10,
wherein the target position and the plurality of queue positions are each defined by a pose that the mobile robot can navigate. delete delete

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