B65G1/1378

Warehousing management system and method
11584589 · 2023-02-21 · ·

Provided are a warehousing management system and method. The system includes: a control server, an inventory container, an access device, a temporary container, a workstation and a carrying device. The control server is configured to, in response to a current task, determine a first target inventory container in which a target storage container hit by the current task is located, a first target access device, a target temporary container, a target workstation, and a first target carrying device, and control the first target access device to take out the target storage container from the first target inventory container, carry and store the target storage container to the target temporary container; and control the first target carrying device to move the target temporary container to the target workstation for operation.

Parcel and article sorting system and method with destination container removal

System includes an article supply location that includes a plurality of articles to be sorted, first and second transport vehicles, each having a first position in which an article is stowed about the vehicle and a second position in which the article is deposited into a proximal container, and one or more removal devices that transport the container to a location of further processing. System further includes a control system configured to receive an order for a plurality of disparate articles, determine one destination container of a plurality of destination containers to direct the transport vehicle to deposit a selected article, direct the first transport vehicle to transport a selected article to the destination container, deposit the article in the destination container, and transport the destination container to a location for further processing by manipulation of the removal device.

Data object information processing methods, apparatuses, and systems
11498770 · 2022-11-15 · ·

Data object information processing methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided. The data object information processing system includes a suspension chain conveyance subsystem. The suspension chain conveyance subsystem is deployed in an offline store including first operation regions and second operation regions. The suspension chain conveyance subsystem includes a control component and a conveying track. The conveying track is configured to connect the first operation regions and the second operation regions. The control component is configured to assign a second operation region according to the wave identifier after receiving a notification message from a first operation execution subsystem. First operation tasks of the wave correspond to the same second operation region. A conveyance instruction is sent to the conveying track according to the assignment result, for conveying the first operation container to the corresponding second operation region.

Palletizer-depalletizer system for distribution facilities

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage array of storage locations for case units. An in-out case conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting case units to and from the storage array, and an in-out loaded pallet conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting loaded pallets towards and away from the storage array. A palletizer-depalletizer cell includes a bi-directional pallet transport system with more than one independently driven pallet transports, each with a different pallet holder independently movable relative to a cell frame. Placement of case units commissioning a pallet layer loading a pallet, and removal of case units decommissioning a pallet layer unloading another pallet are both effected at the common pallet layer interface at a predetermined level of the cell frame. The pallet transports independently index a first and a second of the different pallet holders, each independently holding the pallet loading at the common pallet layer interface.

Warehousing and order fulfillment systems and methods

Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to streamline order fulfillment. For example, according to some embodiments described herein, a method includes: causing a first mobile robot to engage with and transport a mobile storage unit to a robotic picking cell, causing a second mobile robot to engage with and transport an outbound container to the robotic picking cell, and causing the picking robot to transfer a sellable unit from the mobile storage unit to the outbound container.

Parcel sorting system and method

Provided are a parcel sorting system and method. The parcel sorting system is arranged in layers and includes: a parcel sorting layer located on an upper layer of the parcel sorting system, a moveable container carrying layer located on a lower layer of the parcel sorting system, a parcel delivery robot and a control device. The parcel sorting layer includes a modular entity platform that is a physical platform formed by splicing multiple splicable units and used for sorting parcels. The modular entity platform includes multiple delivery lattices arranged in an array and a traveling area constituted by gaps between the lattices and used for the parcel delivery robot traveling. One delivery lattices corresponds to one or more delivery path directions. The moveable container carrying layer includes multiple moveable containers, and a part of the containers are located below the lattices and receive the parcel from the parcel sorting layer.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY MANAGING THE LOCATION OF INVENTORY ITEMS IN AN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT FACILITY
20230046794 · 2023-02-16 ·

An inventory management system includes pick stations, automated vehicles having an onboard power source, a first drive system configured to horizontally displace the vehicle, a second drive system configured to vertically displace the vehicle along a guide system, and a platform for supporting an item during displacement of the vehicle. A first plurality of storage locations store inventory items at a first zone of vehicle operation and a second plurality of storage areas store inventory items at a second zone of vehicle operation. A first pick station is closer to the first storage locations than to the second storage locations, Vehicles are configured to transfer a selected item from one of the second plurality of storage locations to the first pick station or to transfer the selected item from the second plurality of storage locations to the first plurality of storage locations.

Coordinated conveyers in an automated system

Coordinated conveyors in an automated system. In an embodiment, the system comprises transport conveyor(s) and storage conveyors, wherein each storage conveyor comprises a plurality of segments configured to hold at least one item, and a portion that is aligned with a portion of a transport conveyor, such that items are moveable from the storage conveyor to the transport conveyor. Software module(s), executed by a processor, receive an instruction to collect item(s) at a single destination location, and, for each of the item(s), identify a segment on a storage conveyor on which the item is held, control that storage conveyor to align the segment with the transport conveyor, move the item from the segment onto the transport conveyor, control the transport conveyor to align the item with the destination location, and move the item from the transport conveyor to the destination location.

Storage system
11498757 · 2022-11-15 · ·

The present invention provides a storage system (1) comprising a storage grid structure (104) having a top rail grid upon which container handling vehicles (200,300) work to store and retrieve storage containers (106) in and from storage columns (105) beneath the top rail grid, wherein the storage system comprises multiple transfer rails (110′,111′) forming a horizontal transfer rail grid (5) arranged at a level below the top rail grid, at least one transport vehicle (19) operating on the transfer rail grid, a picking/stocking station (8) for picking/stocking items between a storage container (106) and a packaging box (24), and an unloading/loading assembly (23) for unloading/loading packaging boxes containing such items, the transport vehicle (19) is arranged to move upon the transfer rail grid (5) in two perpendicular directions and comprises a carrier platform (20), wherein the transfer rail grid is arranged to allow access for the transport vehicle (19) to transport one or more packaging boxes at a time between the picking/stocking station and the unloading/loading assembly (23).

FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION METHOD AND DEVICE FOR WAREHOUSE, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM
20220358452 · 2022-11-10 ·

The present disclosure relates to a flexible production method and device for a warehouse, and a computer readable storage medium. The method comprises dividing the warehouse into a human-machine collaborative operation area and an automated guided vehicle operation area, wherein in the automated guided vehicle operation area, the automated guided vehicle performs operations, and in the human-machine collaborative operation area, the automated guided vehicle and the operator perform collaborative operations.