Walmart Apollo, LLC

Brian C Roth

Paul Edward Durkee

James Benjamin Edwards

Ben Edwards

Jason D Shaffer

Ragen Turner

A parent tote container is segmented into smaller, child tote containers. Each of the child tote containers includes products that are commonly sold together and are removed from the tote containers at picker stations with the same type of picker mechanism. Items are moved from the child tote containers to a customer order tote container at a picker station.

System and method for warehouse picking using tote containers

The contents of totes and the amount a tote container is filled are monitored. A central database stores product dimensions and tote dimensions as well as a percentage of which a tote is to be filled. Image scanners that obtain three-dimensional images are used to determine if the actual dimensions of the tote, the product, and the fill amount are consistent with the expected or optimal values of these characteristics. When there is a discrepancy between measured and expected values, then one or more actions can be taken.

System and method for optimizing container contents

There are provided systems and methods for assembling merchandise ordered by customers, such as at shopping facilities. In one form, the system includes: a shopping order interface for receiving merchandise orders; a shopping facility including a merchandise pickup area and a merchandise assembly area; an automated retrieval system for transporting merchandise to the assembly area; an automated retrieval inventory database; an offline retrieval inventory database; and a merchandise database containing dimensions of merchandise. The system also includes a control circuit configured to: receive a merchandise order, determine dimensions of the items in the order, determine an arrangement of the items in order containers, instruct retrieval of items by the automated retrieval system; instruct retrieval of a second set of items not capable of retrieval by the automated retrieval system; and instruct transfer and deposit of the items in the order containers.

Systems and methods for assembling merchandise ordered by customers and subject to multiple retrieval systems

Apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful in retail store inventory storage and retrieval. Some embodiments provide systems, comprising: a rack system positioned above a dropdown ceiling and extending over the sales floor, and comprising: a plurality of racks, a rail system and the plurality of access passages; a plurality of unmanned vehicles; a plurality of access stations, wherein the access stations physically cooperate with one of the access passages; each rack comprises storage cells to receive a reusable tote; and wherein the central control circuit is configured to receive a request for a first product, identify a first access station, access the inventory tracking system to identify a first storage cell in which the first product is stored, identify an available unmanned vehicle, and communicate to the unmanned vehicle directing the unmanned vehicle to retrieve the tote and transport the tote to the first access station.

Systems and methods of storing and retrieving retail store product inventory

Autonomous carriers or totes that include vacuum units are provided. As the totes move or are moved through a warehouse carrying products, they collect debris. The debris can be analyzed at the tote, and actions can be performed based upon the analysis.

System and method for removing debris from a storage facility

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to processing online orders. In some embodiments, a system for processing online order comprises an order processing server configured to receive an online order including grocery items and transmit, to a control circuit, the online order, the control circuit configured to receive the online order, determine the grocery items included in the online order, determine a number of grocery items that require refrigeration and a number of grocery items that require freezing, determine a number of totes required for the online order, assign to the online order the number of totes required, transmit, to the totes, a command, wherein each of the number of totes is configured to receive, from the control circuit, the command, and in response to the receipt of the command, one of maintain its temperature, enter the refrigeration state, and enter the freezer state.

Systems and methods for fulfilling product orders

An automated in-rack picking solution enables improved efficiency by permitting automatic reconfiguration of automated picking system (APS) deployments within an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). The storage volume of an ASRS can be more thoroughly utilized, even with a smaller number of APSs, when at least one APS is operable to autonomously relocate within the ASRS based at least on a stored item's location and/or property (e.g., suitability for handling by a particular end effector). An exemplary solution includes an APS positioned to reach stored items within a first subset of storage locations when affixed to a first attachment point; a transport component operable to relocate the APS to a second attachment point, wherein the APS is positioned to reach stored items within a second subset of the storage locations when affixed to the second attachment point; and a controller operable to instruct relocation of the APS.

Automated in-rack picking

Examples provide a method and system for customized item decanting. A decant manager, implemented on a processor, identifies a destination tote in a set of totes for placement of a selected item. The decant manager controls a robotic decanting device to remove the selected item from a selected case and places the selected item into the destination tote. The decant manager analyzes sensor data and item data associated with the selected item to confirm an identification of the selected item placed into the destination tote for inventory update.

Integrated item decanting system

Examples provide a system and method for autonomously placing items into non-rigid containers. An image analysis component analyzes image data generated by one or more cameras associated with picked items ready for bagging and/or a non-rigid container, such as, but not limited to, a bag. The image analysis component generates dynamic placement data identifying how much space is available inside the bag, bag tension, and/or contents of the bag. A dynamic placement component generates a per-item assigned placement for a selected item ready for bagging based on a per-bag placement sequence and the dynamic placement data. Instructions, including the per-item assigned placement designating a location within the interior of the non-rigid container to the selected item and an orientation for the selected item after bagging, is sent to at least one robotic device. The robotic device places the selected item into the non-rigid container in accordance with the instructions.

System for item placement into non-rigid containers

A solution for automated food selection includes: an order processing component operable to receive an order identifying an item; a selection component comprising: a first hyperspectral sensor operable to sense a reflection from the item and produce a sensor output based at least on the reflection; and a picking mechanism; a control component operable to: based at least on identification of the item, select a hyperspectral profile from a set of hyperspectral profiles; compare the sensor output with the selected hyperspectral profile; and based at least on the comparison, determine whether to select the item for fulfillment of the order, wherein the picking mechanism is operable to divert the item to a selection output based at least on a determination to select the item for fulfillment of the order; and a transport component operable to transport the item to an order storage zone.

Automated food selection using hyperspectral sensing

Examples provide a system for system for customized item decanting. A robotic picker device is configured to remove a selected item from a selected case in an open configuration on a conveyor device. A decan manager, implemented on a processor, is configured to identify a destination tote in a set of totes for placement of the selected item, The robotic picker device places the selected item into the destination tote and the decant manager analyzes sensor data and item data associated with the selected item to confirm an identification of the selected item placed into the destination tote for inventory update.

Examples provide a system and method for managing non-notifying customer orders for pickup. An order manager component identifies orders received from customers that typically do not provide advance notification prior to arrival at an order pickup location. A prioritization component assigns a priority to each order based on a per-customer confidence level. Customers providing notification and new customers receive the highest priority. Non-notifying customers having consistent pickup times associated with a threshold minimum number of previous orders receive a second highest priority. Non-notifying customers having inconsistent pickup arrival times and/or fewer than the threshold number of previous orders receive lower priority. A routing schedule is generated for pre-staging the orders based on the assigned priorities, pre-staging area capacity, and/or bot capacity. Totes are moved to the prestaging area based on instructions provided in the routing schedule.

Growing community of inventors

Bentonville, AR, United States of America

Brian C Roth