US 11,954,641 B2
Systems and methods for optimizing space utilization of containers at retail storage facilities
Vivek Tomar, Cincinnati, OH (US); Rei E. Siew Hew Sam, New York, NY (US); Sunada S N Chakravarthy, Metuchen, NJ (US); and Kaiwen Luo, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed by Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed on Jan. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/101,791.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/304,919, filed on Jan. 31, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0281557 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/087 (2023.01); G06Q 10/047 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/087 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated storage and retrieval system for managing storage of inventory at a retail facility, the system comprising:
a storage structure including a plurality of storage locations configured to store a plurality of containers, each of the containers containing a plurality of products;
a container transport system including at least one conveyor configured to transport the containers between the storage locations and at least one picking station, where one or more products are removed from one or more of the containers;
a control unit operatively coupled to the container transport system and configured to control movement of the at least one conveyor of the container transport system; and
a control circuit communicatively coupled to the control unit, the control circuit being configured to:
analyze at least one business rule governing product merging between the containers stored at the storage locations in the storage structure to identify at least two containers that are eligible for the product merging therebetween;
analyze the containers being transported by the container transport system and workload at the at least one picking station to determine whether the at least one picking station is available to accommodate the product merging between the at least two containers identified as being eligible for the product merging therebetween;
upon an identification of the at least two containers that are eligible for the product merging therebetween and upon a determination that the at least one picking station is available to accommodate the product merging between the at least two containers identified as being eligible for the product merging therebetween, transmit a first signal to the control unit to cause the container transport system to remove the at least two containers identified as being eligible for the product merging therebetween from their storage locations in the storage structure and to transport the at least two containers removed from their storage locations in the storage structure on the at least one conveyor of the container transport system toward the at least one picking station determined to be available to accommodate the product merging between the at least two containers; and
in response to receipt of a signal from at least one sensor positioned adjacent the at least one picking station, the signal indicating that the at least one sensor detected that the at least two containers identified as being eligible for the product merging arrived at the at least one picking station determined to be available to accommodate the product merging between the at least two containers, transmit a second signal to the control unit to cause the control unit to stop movement of the at least one conveyor of the container transport system to keep the at least two containers that are eligible for the product merging at the at least one picking station until the product merging between the at least two containers is complete.