US 11,893,535 B2
Hybrid modular storage fetching system
Daniel Jarvis, Orlando, FL (US); Paolo Gerli Amador, Framingham, MA (US); Michael Bhaskaran, Seattle, WA (US); Vikranth Gopalakrishnan, Hoboken, NJ (US); and Rodney Gallaway, Little Rock, AR (US)
Assigned to Staples, Inc., Framingham, MA (US)
Filed by Staples, Inc., Framingham, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/940,138.
Application 16/940,138 is a continuation of application No. 15/721,472, filed on Sep. 29, 2017, granted, now 10,803,420.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/403,001, filed on Sep. 30, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0012284 A1, Jan. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/08 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0875 (2023.01); G01C 21/20 (2006.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); B65G 43/00 (2006.01)
CPC G06Q 10/0875 (2013.01) [G01C 21/206 (2013.01); G05D 1/0225 (2013.01); G05D 1/0274 (2013.01); G05D 1/0285 (2013.01); G05D 1/0297 (2013.01); B65G 43/00 (2013.01); B65G 2209/06 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0216 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
20. A storage fetching automated guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:
a drive unit adapted to provide motive force to the storage fetching AGV, a guidance system adapted to locate the storage fetching AGV in an operating environment, a storage unit holder adapted to hold one or more storage units, and a retrieval mechanism adapted to move a storage unit between the storage unit holder and an external storage unit support structure, the storage fetching AGV executing instructions that cause the storage fetching AGV to:
autonomously navigate to two or more locations of two or more storage units in a storage area, the two or more storage units at the two or more locations including a first storage unit at a first location and a second storage unit at a second location, the first storage unit holding a first plurality of items and the second storage unit holding a second plurality of items, the first storage unit being selected based on the first plurality of items including a quantity of a first item in one or more orders, the second storage unit being selected based on the second plurality of items including a quantity of a second item in the one or more orders;
autonomously retrieve each of the two or more storage units from the two or more locations in storage area including retrieving the first storage unit from the first location and the second storage unit from the second location, the storage unit holder holding the first storage unit during navigation from the first location to the second location in the storage area; and
autonomously navigate from the storage area to an end point.