Autostore Technology As

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Ingvar Fagerland

Ragnar Stuhaug

Trond Austrheim

Øystein Gjerdevik

Karl Hatteland

Jørgen Djuve Heggebø

Ole Alexander Mæhle

HeggebØ Jørgen Djuve

A method controls the operation of container handling vehicles and remotely operated specialized container handling vehicles. A specified storage container is to be transferred from a storage column and its corresponding grid cell to a specialized container handling vehicle. The method includes determining, by an operational controller, which container handling vehicle shall be assigned for the job; sending instructions to a first controller in the selected container handling vehicle instructing the selected container handling vehicle to pick up the storage container from the grid cell and to lower the storage container to a selected port; assigning a specific specialized container handling vehicle of the remotely operated specialized container handling vehicles to retrieve the specified storage container from the port; and transmitting instructions from the operational controller to a second controller in the specific specialized container handling vehicle to retrieve the specified storage container at the selected port. The specific specialized container handling vehicle is selected based on minimizing the total elapsed time for transferring the storage container between the selected container handling vehicle and the specific specialized container handling vehicle.

Method and system for controlling the operation of container handling vehicles and drones serving an automated storage and retrieval system

A method of operating an automated storage and retrieval system includes: a rail system including a first set of parallel rails arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel rails arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of rails form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane including a plurality of adjacent grid cells, a central control unit configured to receive, transmit and process data signals of a plurality of container handling vehicles for handling storage containers of the automated storage and retrieval system. Each container handling vehicle includes a vehicle body, a wheel assembly provided on the vehicle body, the wheel assembly being configured to move the vehicle along the rail system in both of the first direction and the second direction, a vehicle control unit configured to receive data signals from, transmit data signals to and process data signals of the central control unit, and a proximity sensor system configured to detect another container handling vehicle of said plurality of container handling vehicles and determine whether or not it is within a predetermined distance. The method includes detecting with the central control unit that access of a first container handling vehicle to a target cell, which is one of the plurality of grid cells, is blocked by a second container handling vehicle, transmitting a data signal from the central control unit to the vehicle control unit of the first container handling vehicle commanding the first container handling vehicle to move into the target cell when the second container handling vehicle is beyond said predetermined distance.

Method of operating an automated storage and retrieval system

The operation of container handling vehicles and remotely operated specialized container handling vehicles are controlled by a method such that total elapsed time or waiting time cost for transferring specified storage containers between them is minimal or optimal. The specialized container handling vehicles are operating at a level below an automated storage and retrieval system having a framework structure defining a storage grid for storing storage containers in grid cells. The storage containers are stored and retrieved by container handling vehicles running on top of the storage grid. At least one operational controller, which is in communication with a first type of controller in each container handling vehicle and a second type of controller in each specialized container handling vehicle, performs the followings steps: when a specified storage container is to be transferred from a storage column and its corresponding grid cell to a specialized container handling vehicle: assigning and instructing a container handling vehicle to pick up the storage container from the grid cell and lower it to a selected port, located at the lower end of an identified free delivery column by transmitting instructions to the first type of controller of the assigned container handling vehicle, where the port selected is included as a variable in a weighting function together with time and waiting cost to derive a trade-off of the container handling vehicle and the specialized container handling vehicle having the best matching travel time to the port; moving the container handling vehicle to the grid cell, picking up the storage container and transporting it to a grid cell of the delivery column where the port is; transmitting a signal to the specialized container handling vehicles comprising information of the selected port at a first location and when the storage container will be available at the port; based on responses from the specialized container handling vehicles, assigning and instructing a specialized container handling vehicle to retrieve the specified storage container at the selected port; moving the assigned specialized container handling vehicle to the selected port at the first location, picking up the storage container and bringing it to a second location; and/or, when a specified storage container is to be transferred to a grid cell, for storage in its corresponding storage column, by a specialized container handling vehicle: determining which port at a first location that is to be used, where the port selected is included as a variable in a weighting function together with time and waiting cost to derive a trade-off of the container handling vehicle and the specialized container handling vehicle having the best matching travel time to the port; transmitting instructions to the second type of controller of the specialized container handling vehicle, to transport the storage container from its current location representing the second location, to said determined port at the first location; moving the specialized container handling vehicle from the second location to the determined port at the first location; transmitting a signal to the container handling vehicles comprising information of the determined port to retrieve the storage container from; based on responses from the container handling vehicles, assigning and instructing a container handling vehicle to lift and retrieve the specified storage container from the determined port to be used at the first location; lifting the storage container from the determined port through the delivery column and moving the container handling vehicle for transporting the storage container to a grid cell corresponding to the storage column the specified storage container is to be transferred to.

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