US-12617618-B2 - Automatic warehouse and a method for managing an automatic warehouse based on popularity of items

Abstract

An automated warehouse that may include a storage configured to store multiple items, wherein the multiple items are stored in item containers; a plurality of picking stations that comprise an asynchronous picking station and a synchronous picking station; one or more robots that are configured to convey item containers to the plurality of picking stations; and at least one computerized system configured to control the conveying of the item containers based on a popularity of items included in the item containers.

Inventors

• Reuven DELLA TORRE
• Henri GARIH

Assignees

• CAJA ELASTIC DYNAMIC SOLUTIONS LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20210823

Claims (18)

1. 1 . An automated warehouse that comprises: a storage configured to store multiple items, wherein the multiple items are stored in item containers; a plurality of picking stations that comprise an asynchronous picking station and a synchronous picking station; one or more robots that are configured to convey item containers to the plurality of picking stations; wherein the synchronous picking station is a picking station in which the one or more robots are configured and operable to: (i) wait for a picker to pick multiple items from one or more item containers, and thereafter (ii) leave the synchronous picking station with the conveyed item container; wherein the asynchronous picking station is a picking station in which the one or more robots are configured and operable to leave the conveyed item container in the asynchronous picking station and continue to its next task with another item container; and at least one computerized system configured to control the conveying of the item containers based on a popularity of items included in the item containers.
2. 2 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one computerized system is configured to control at least one of (i) a conveying of items of a first popularity range to the asynchronous picking station and control a conveying of items of a second popularity range to the synchronous picking station, wherein a first popularity range comprises popularity levels that are higher than popularity levels of the second popularity range; (ii) an evacuation of item containers from the plurality of picking stations based on the popularity of the items included in the item containers; (iii) a duration of stay of the item containers in the plurality of picking stations so that an item container provided to the asynchronous picking station stays in the asynchronous picking station for a duration that well exceeds a duration of stay of another item container stored in the synchronous picking station; (iv) a provision and an evacuation of popular items based on orders per a certain period of time that has a duration equivalent of a duration of fulfillment of multiple orders by the picking station, and to control a provision and evacuation of an unpopular item based on an order for the unpopular item; (v) an initial storage of at least the asynchronous picking station before a start of a shift.
3. 3 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 wherein the at least one computerized system is configured to enable a stay of an item container that stores a popular item within the asynchronous picking station even during a gap in orders for the item.
4. 4 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 wherein the at least one computerized system is configured to control storage locations of popular items.
5. 5 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 wherein the at least one computerized system is configured to determine at least one of (i) a popularity of items based on at least one out of open orders, and one or more order triggering events; (ii) an allocation of items per one or more item container; (iii) an allocation of concurrently ordered items per item container.
6. 6 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of picking stations comprises different picking stations for different types of items.
7. 7 . The automated warehouse according to claim 6 wherein the at least one computerized system is configured to independently control a provision of items of different types to different picking stations.
8. 8 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 comprising a buffering type synchronous picking station.
9. 9 . The automated warehouse according to claim 8 wherein the buffering type synchronous picking station comprises a conveyor that is configured to concurrently support multiple item containers.
10. 10 . The automated warehouse according to claim 9 wherein the at least one computerized system is configured to independently control a first robot to provide a container to an input of the buffering type synchronous picking station and to take the item conveyor, from an output of the buffering type synchronous picking station.
11. 11 . The automated warehouse according to claim 1 wherein the one or more robots are also configured to convey item containers from the plurality of picking stations.
12. 12 . A method for managing a provision of items within an automated warehouse, the method comprises: obtaining, by at least one computerized system, information regarding items to be outputted from the automated warehouse; and controlling, based on the information, a provision, by one or more robots, of item containers to a plurality of picking stations of the automated warehouse, based on a popularity of items included in the item containers; wherein the plurality of picking stations comprise an asynchronous picking station and a synchronous picking station, wherein the synchronous picking station is a picking station in which the one or more robots are configured and operable to: (i) wait for a picker to pick multiple items from one or more item container; and thereafter (ii) leave the synchronous picking station with the conveyed item container; wherein the asynchronous picking station is a picking station in which the one or more robots are configured and operable to leave the conveyed item container in the asynchronous picking station and continue to its next task with another item container.
13. 13 . The method according to claim 12 comprising controlling at least one of (i) a provision of the item containers from the plurality of picking stations; (ii) by the at least one computerized system, a conveying of items of a first popularity range to the asynchronous picking station and controlling a conveying of items of a second popularity range to the synchronous picking station, wherein a first popularity range comprises popularity levels that are higher than popularity levels of the second popularity range; (iii) by the at least one computerized system, an evacuation of item containers from the plurality of picking stations based on the popularity of the items included in the item containers; (iv) by the at least one computerized system, a duration of stay of the item containers in the plurality of picking stations so that an item container provided to the asynchronous picking station stays in the asynchronous picking station for a duration that well exceeds a duration of stay of another item container stored in the synchronous picking station; (v) by the at least one computerized system, a provision and an evacuation of popular items based on orders per a certain period of time that has a duration equivalent of a duration of fulfillment of multiple orders by the picking station, and controlling a provision and evacuation of an unpopular item based on an order for the unpopular item; (vi) by the at least one computerized system, storage locations of popular items; (vii) by the at least one computerized system, an initial storage of at least the asynchronous picking station before a start of a shift.
14. 14 . The method according to claim 12 comprising enabling a stay of an item container that stores a popular item within the asynchronous picking station even during a gap in orders for the item.
15. 15 . The method according to claim 12 , comprising determining at least one of (i) a popularity of items based on at least one out of open orders, and one or more order triggering events; (ii) an allocation of items per one or more item container; (iii) an allocation of concurrently ordered items per item container.
16. 16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein when the plurality of picking stations comprises different picking stations for different types of items, comprising independently controlling a provision of items of different types to different picking stations.
17. 17 . The method according to claim 12 , comprising independently controlling a first robot to provide a container to an input of a buffering type synchronous picking station and to take an item conveyor, from an output of the buffering type synchronous picking station.
18. 18 . At least one non-transitory computer readable medium for managing a provision of items within an automated warehouse, the non-transitory computer readable medium stores instructions for: obtaining, by at least one computerized system, information regarding items to be outputted from the automated warehouse; and controlling, based on the information, a provision, by one or more robots, of item containers to a plurality of picking stations of the automated warehouse, based on a popularity of items included in the item containers; wherein the plurality of picking stations comprise an asynchronous picking station and a synchronous picking station.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a national phase filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of and claims priority to PCT Patent Application No. PCT/IB2021/057706, filed on Aug. 23, 2021, which claims priority benefit under 35. U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/068,930, filed on Aug. 21, 2020, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated in their entireties by reference. BACKGROUND Order fulfilment of orders placed over the Internet must take place within a relatively short period of time in order to be commercially competitive. The same could be said for orders received by phone, facsimile or by the mail based on catalogue or television-based merchandizing. Such order fulfilment is known as E-commerce and places demands on an order fulfilment system to meet such obligations. This is compounded by the fact that E-commerce usually involves a large number of small orders (each containing as few as one item in the order) that are selected from a large number of potential items. Each unique item has a specific inventory identification, known in the industry as a stock-keeping unit (SKU). Each item usually bears an optical code, such as a barcode or radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that identifies the SKU of the item. A picking stations in automated warehouses work in a way that the box arrives (by a robot) from storage to a particular station, the picker (human or robotic), picks from said box one or several items and places the items in a put wall so that packers can packages the one or more items to provide one or more packages that are outputted from the automated warehouse. The box awaits till the picker picks the one or several items and then immediately return the box to the storage. This kind of picking stations requires the robot and the picker to be synchronized—as the robot provides the currently requested one or several items—each time that item (or several items) are required. However, when a box includes a highly popular item (also referred to as a high runner), and the box that includes the highly popular item is brought to the picking station multiple times—which is inefficient. There is a need to provide an efficient method for managing the supply of highly popular items. SUMMARY There may be provide an automated warehouse and/or a method one or more and/or non-transitory computer readable medium as illustrated in the application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates examples of an automated warehouse: FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a buffering type synchronous picking station; FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a flow of information; FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a method; FIG. 6 illustrates asynchronous picking station; and FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a hybrid picking station. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Because the illustrated embodiments of the present invention may for the most part, be implemented using electronic components and circuits known to those skilled in the art, details will not be explained in any greater extent than that considered necessary as illustrated above, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying concepts of the present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings of the present invention. Any reference in the specification to a method should be applied mutatis mutandis to a device or system capable of executing the method and/or to a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for executing the method. Any reference