Efficient shuffling of mobile drive units for inventory holders
US8965562B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 9, 2013 |
| Grant date | Feb 24, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 9, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S901/01
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An inventory system has mobile drive units that freely and independently move about a facility to transport inventory holders. The mobile drive units may operate through communications with other drive units, or under a more centralized control of a management module. For various operating scenarios, the mobile drive units are directed to shuffle the inventory holders in a manner that minimizes travel of the mobile drive units, thereby improving overall system efficiency. One or more single mobile drive units may be used to transport inventory holders to and from a region, and to sequentially reposition or slide each of the inventory holders within the region according to a priority ordering.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.