RANDOM-ACCESS ROBOTIC INVENTORY DISPENSARY: OPERATION PRIORITIZATION

摘要

The present application is directed to a robotic system for maintaining product inventory and dispensing products upon request from a customer or other user. Product items are stored in an inventory storage unit (ISU), one item per bin. Controller logic allows items to be stored in, and retrieved from, arbitrarily-assigned storage locations. The bins hang on rails within drawers. Upon a request from a consumer (or other user) in a fulfillment operation, the robot retrieves a bin holding the first item from the ISU. Upon a request from an operator (or other user) in a replenishment operation, the robot transfers an empty bin to an operator station (such as a replenishing unit). The controller logic allows the fulfillment operations to be prioritized over the replenishment operations, in addition to the implementation of other prioritizations.

主权项

1. A robotic inventory dispensary, comprising:
a storage unit that provides a plurality of storage locations, the storage unit to store a plurality of products using a respective plurality of storage bins placed among respective locations of the plurality of storage locations; a replenishing unit to receive a plurality of additional products in a respective plurality of additional storage bins; robotics to operate upon the storage unit and the replenishing unit, the robotics to:
perform fulfillment operations from the storage unit, to retrieve a respective storage bin of the plurality of storage bins placed among the storage locations; andperform replenishment operations from the replenishing unit, to stock the additional storage bins among the storage locations; and a controller to prioritize operations of the robotics, the controller to prioritize the fulfillment operations over the replenishment operations.