Automated order pick process

Details Automated order pick process Automated order pick process

1999-01-27

2001-09-11

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Article handling

C414S273000, C414S280000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06289260

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an automated order pick process and, more particularly, a control method which automatically and efficiently fills a large quantity of orders, many of which contain multiple but different articles, by controlling devices which can respectively supply both high as well as low demand articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous control methods for automated storage and retrieval systems have been developed, particularly for permitting storage and retrieval of containers of articles such as cases or boxes in a warehousing arrangement. Such control methods usually inventory and locate the containers in horizontally and vertically disposed storage racks. The control method controls an automated stacker crane or the like which is movable horizontally and vertically along one side of the storage rack and has a carton transfer mechanism associated therewith which can remove the carton or container from the storage rack and deliver it to a shipping or use location. Such arrangements are conventionally tied to a central controller or computer which stores the inventory locations and control instructions for the stacker crane. When an order for a particular container is received in the controller, it moves the stacker crane to the associated position in the storage rack and retrieves the particular container. Such systems are generally suitable for handling only a low quantity of containers or articles, and typically handle large containers and not individual small articles.
Dispensers which are particularly suitable for dispensing a high volume of high-demand articles are also known, and examples thereof are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,000,821 and 5,271,703. The structural complexity and overall cost of these dispensers, however, do not make them cost effective for handling articles and filling orders where the articles are in low demand, particularly where there is a large inventory of different low demand articles from which particular individual articles must be selected to fill an order.
Accordingly, there is a need for an automated storage and retrieval system which can handle a large quantity of different low demand articles, typically small articles, and more desirably a combination of high, medium and low demand articles, in large enough quantities to automatically dispense particular articles needed to fulfill a large number of orders. In view of this need, the Assignee hereof developed an improved order pick system as described in application Ser. No. 09/019,274 (hereafter the '274 application), filed Feb. 5, 1998, and the entirety of the disclosure of the '274 application is herein incorporated by reference. A brief description of the system of the '274 application is provided below in conjunction with
FIGS. 18 and 19
.
Referring to
FIGS. 18-19
, the automated article storage and retrieval system
610
includes an order pick system
611
which cooperates with an article storage system
612
. The filled orders from the pick system
611
are typically supplied to a packaging station
613
. The system
610
also includes a conveyor system
645
for moving article-receiving orders through dispensing zones
641
,
642
,
643
, and a tote replenishment station
614
wherein stacks of typically small articles (such as CDs, video cassettes, etc.) are moved into storage cells in boxlike totes. The storage system
612
stores individual articles
616
in vertical stacks within cells
618
which in turn are defined within movable containers or storage totes
630
(FIG.
19
). Each stack normally contains only identical articles stacked vertically on top of one another.
The storage totes
630
are disposed on tiered rows of shelves defined by storage racks
631
associated with the storage system
612
, and can be accessed using automated storage and retrieval devices
635
such as conventional stacker cranes or carousals. The totes
630
, in the illustrated arrangement, provide articles to three different dispensing zones
641
,
642
,
643
which respectively handle low demand articles, high demand articles, and high/moderate demand articles. The high demand zone
642
contains known high-speed dispensers for dispensing the articles onto an order-collecting conveyor system. The high/moderate demand zone
643
contains moderate demand dispensers for dispensing articles onto the order-collecting conveyor system
645
. The low demand dispensing zone
641
contains a gantry-type dispenser system
655
which can access a large number of different low demand articles
616
contained in pick totes
500
disposed in preassigned locations adjacent the order-collecting conveyor system
645
to permit transfer of individual articles from the totes to preassigned order collecting areas on the conveyor system (FIG.
19
). The low demand picking zone
641
typically involves several gantry subzones
652
arranged along the conveyor system
645
. Each gantry subzone
652
includes a respective gantry mechanism
655
and a plurality of active pick face totes
500
supported along at least one side of the conveyor system
645
, and the cells
618
of the pick face totes have a plurality of articles stacked therein which can be accessed by the gantry mechanism
655
. The gantry mechanism
655
moves to a specific cell of a specific pick face tote, removes the ordered article
616
from the cell
618
, and transfers the article for deposit onto a preassigned area of the conveyor system
645
. This article retrieval process is repeated several times within one subzone and sequentially within the several subzones as the conveyor system moves the order-collecting areas sequentially through the subzones to permit filling of a single order with the desired low demand articles. The conveyor system
645
may also move the order receiving area sequentially through the high and moderate demand dispensing zones
642
,
643
, if necessary, to receive ordered articles from these zones into the preassigned order receiving areas. After the orders have received the articles from the order fulfillment system
611
, then the order receiving areas are sent to the packaging system
613
for packaging and shipping.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for controlling an article storage and retrieval system which can efficiently and substantially automatically fulfill a plurality of orders with a plurality of low-demand articles selected from an inventory containing a very large number of different low-demand articles. A further object of the invention is to provide a method, as aforesaid, wherein stacks of articles are efficiently handled and located within the article storage and retrieval system so that movement of order fulfillment devices are efficiently operated. A still further object of the invention is to control the fulfillment of orders requiring high, moderate and/or low demand articles.
In the controlling process of the present invention, according to one aspect thereof, a large number of different orders each identifying one or more different type article thereon are inputted into a control system to create an order list for the next order fulfillment cycle. The individual articles stored in the system are also assigned an identification code which reflects the frequency of demand of the specific type article, which identification code is automatically determined from historical order analysis. The different type articles are contained in stacks disposed in individual cells of upwardly-opening containers known as totes. A first plurality of active pick totes are associated with individual article dispensing zones, and other inactive pick totes are disposed in replenishment zones positioned adjacent the individual dispensing zones. Based on historical order analysis, and an analysis of the available articles contained in the active totes, sufficient articles are transferred into inactive totes so as to anticipate the next order list, and the inactive totes are interchanged with selected active totes so as to position needed a

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