US 12,479,664 B2
Automated unit load fulfillment methods and systems
David Lin, San Jose, CA (US); David Dymesich, New York, NY (US); Uwe Meister, El Dorado, CA (US); Mason Cole, Lambertville, MI (US); Lonai Anthraper, San Jose, CA (US); Sarah Elliott, San Jose, CA (US); Louis Abastas, San Jose, CA (US); Robert Lang, San Jose, CA (US); Melonee Wise, San Jose, CA (US); Stefan Nusser, Palo Alto, CA (US); and David Robson, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Zebra Technologies Corporation, Lincolnshire, IL (US)
Filed by FETCH ROBOTICS, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/590,666.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/144,913, filed on Feb. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0242667 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 1/137 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/1373 (2013.01) [B65G 2201/0267 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0233 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0283 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
obtaining a task definition for a mobile robot, the task definition including (i) a position on an item support carried by the mobile robot, and (ii) an identifier of an item to be placed at the position to form a unit load with the item support;
controlling the mobile robot carrying the item support to travel to a pick location for receiving the item from a picker;
controlling an output device to render an indication of the position for the picker at the pick location; and
responsive to placement of the item at the position by the picker, controlling the mobile robot to travel to a handling location;
wherein the mobile robot includes a platform for carrying the item support, and light emitters adjacent to the platform; and
wherein controlling the output device includes activating a segment of the light emitters corresponding to the position on the item platform.