INTER-FACILITY TRANSPORT IN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND FULFILLMENT SYSTEMS

摘要

In an infrastructure that uses a mobile order fulfillment system, robotic drive units may be dispatched and instructed to bring inventory holders to a workstation where at least one of the inventory holders is packed and prepared for shipment. The robotic drive units are then instructed to move the prepared inventory holder to a transport vehicle such as a truck. Fiducial marks may be removably placed within the transport vehicle to aid navigation of the robotic drive units. At a destination facility, additional robotic drive units may be instructed to move the inventory holders from the truck and place the inventory holders at appropriate storage locations.

主权项

1. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
a plurality of portable inventory holders configured to store inventory items in first and second inventory facilities; first unmanned drive units configured to move the portable inventory holders within the first inventory facility; second unmanned drive units configured to move the portable inventory holders within the second inventory facility; control logic configured to direct the first unmanned drive units to perform first actions comprising:
moving a receiving one of the portable inventory holders to a workstation of the first inventory facility;moving one or more stocked ones of the portable inventory holders to the workstation for transfer of specified inventory items from the one or more stocked ones of the portable inventory holders to the receiving one of the portable inventory holders; andplacing the receiving one of the portable inventory holders on an inter-facility freight transporter for transport to the second inventory facility by entering the inter-facility freight transporter with one of the first unmanned drive units; and the control logic being further configured to direct the second unmanned drive units to perform one or more second actions, the one or more second actions comprising:
removing the receiving one of the portable inventory holders from the inter-facility freight transporter by entering the inter-facility transporter with one of the second unmanned drive units.