US 12,227,358 B1
Automated warehouse order picking
Nicholas Mitchell Saunders, Rye, NH (US); Bruce Edward Welty, Amherst, MA (US); David Scott Barrett, Needham, MA (US); Christopher Mark Griffin, Hampton, NH (US); Jonathan Davis Taylor, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Aaron John Emerick, Gibsonia, PA (US)
Assigned to Hummingbird IP Holdco, LLC, Rye, NH (US)
Filed by Hummingbird IP Holdco, LLC, Rye, NH (US)
Filed on May 3, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/654,870.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/463,938, filed on May 4, 2023.
Int. Cl. G06F 7/00 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/1373 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0485 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for retrieving an item from a bin, comprising:
controlling one or more propellers of a drone to cause the drone to fly to a position near the bin;
controlling the drone to cause a distal end of a picking arm to extend away from the drone;
controlling the drone to cause a magnetic component at the distal end of the picking arm to engage a ferromagnetic component attached to the item; and
controlling the drone to cause the distal end to move toward the drone while the magnetic component is engaged with the ferromagnetic component.
 
7. A method for retrieving an item from a bin comprising:
controlling a robot to move to a position near the bin;
using an ultraviolet light source on the robot to illuminate a fluorescent material of a tag that is adhered to packaging of the item using an adhesive;
using one or more sensors of the robot to detect the tag in the bin and read a code on the tag;
determining, by the robot, that the code corresponds to the item;
controlling the robot to cause a distal end of a picking arm to extend away from the robot;
controlling the robot to cause a magnetic component at the distal end of the picking arm to engage a ferromagnetic component included in the tag; and
controlling the robot to cause the distal end to move toward the robot while the magnetic component is engaged with the ferromagnetic component.