Systems and methods for providing analytics regarding a plurality of object processing systems

Abstract

An analysis system for providing real-time analytics data regarding operational characteristics of a plurality of object handling systems that handle objects is disclosed. The analysis system includes a communication system for accessing a warehouse management system and obtaining object specific data; a data acquisition system for receiving real-time data regarding handling at each of the plurality of object handling systems, each of the plurality of object handling systems including a programmable motion device programmed to handle objects independently of other handling systems in the plurality of handling systems; an integration system for integrating the real-time data with the object assignment data; and a graphical display system for displaying the real-time data in association with the assignment data.

Description

[0001] priority

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 107,324, filed October 29, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] This invention relates generally to object processing systems, and more particularly to object processing systems for processing various objects, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, distribution center systems, and sorting systems.

[0004] Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS / RS) typically include, for example, computer-controlled systems for automatically storing (placing) and retrieving items from defined storage locations. Traditional AS / RS often use bags (or boxes), which are the smallest unit of load in the system. In these systems, the bags are delivered to a person who selects individual items from them. Once a person has selected the required number of items from the bag, the bag is returned to the AS / RS.

[0005] In these traditional systems, a bag is brought to a person, who can either remove an item from the bag or add an item to it. The bag is then returned to its storage location. Such systems are used, for example, in library and warehouse storage facilities. AS / RS does not involve handling the items in the bag, because that person handles the objects when the bag is brought to them. This separation of tasks allows any automated transport system to do what it does best—moving the bags—while people do what they do best—picking items from the jumbled bags. This also means that when the transport system brings a bag to a person, that person can stand in one place, which increases the speed at which they can select items.

[0006] However, conventional object processing systems are limited in terms of the time and resources required to move packages to and from each person, and in applications where each person may need to handle a large number of packages, as well as how quickly a person can process packages in this way. Therefore, there remains a need for an object processing system that can store and retrieve objects more efficiently and economically, while also facilitating the handling of a wide variety of objects. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect, the present invention provides an analysis system for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of multiple object processing systems that process objects according to a warehouse management system. The analysis system includes a communication system for accessing the warehouse management system and acquiring object-specific data; a data acquisition system for receiving real-time data regarding processing at each of the multiple object processing systems, each of the multiple object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the multiple processing systems; an integration system for integrating the real-time data with object allocation data; and a graphical display system for displaying the real-time data associated with the allocation data.

[0008] According to another aspect, the present invention provides an analysis system for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of a plurality of object processing systems connected by at least one conveyor, which process objects according to a warehouse management system. The analysis system includes a data acquisition system for receiving real-time data regarding processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems, each of the plurality of object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the plurality of processing systems; an aggregation system for aggregating and storing aggregated data regarding processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems over a period of time; an integration system for integrating the real-time data with the aggregated data; and a conveyor control system for adjusting the speed of the at least one conveyor in response to the aggregated data.

[0009] According to another aspect, the present invention provides an analysis system for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of multiple object processing systems that use programmable motion devices to process objects according to a warehouse management system. The analysis system includes a video data acquisition system for receiving video data regarding processing at each of the multiple object processing systems, each of the multiple object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the multiple processing systems; a video tagging system for associating portions of the video data with each of the multiple objects processed at each of the multiple object processing systems and providing object-specific video data; an integration system for integrating the object-specific video data with the warehouse management system; and a programmable motion device controller for controlling the operation of at least one of the programmable motion devices in response to the aggregated data.

[0010] According to another aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of a plurality of object processing systems connected by at least one conveyor, which process objects according to a warehouse management system. The method includes accessing the warehouse management system and acquiring object-specific data; receiving real-time data regarding processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems, each object processing system including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the plurality of processing systems; integrating the real-time data with object allocation data; and controlling the speed of the at least one conveyor in response to the allocation data. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Please refer to the attached diagram for further understanding of the following description, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an object processing system for use in an analysis system, according to one aspect of the present invention, is shown.

[0013] Figures 2A-2C A schematic diagram of a box view according to one aspect of the invention is shown, illustrating a camera view. Figure 2A ), box volume scan ( Figure 2B ) and 3D scanning using edge detection ( Figure 2C );

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a plurality of object processing systems for an analysis system according to one aspect of the present invention is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 A metrics dashboard for a multi-object processing system for analyzing a system is shown according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 A functional diagram of an analysis system according to one aspect of the present invention is shown;

[0017] Figure 6A and Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a complex processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is shown, illustrating an operator station ( Figure 6A ), and shows the areas of interest between operator stations ( Figure 6B );

[0018] Figure 7A and Figure 7B A schematic operation flowchart related to an analysis system according to one aspect of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 8 A relational data acquisition graph used in an analysis system according to one aspect of the present invention is shown; and

[0020] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of an analysis system having multiple object processing stations according to one aspect of the present invention is shown.

[0021] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only. Detailed Implementation

[0022] According to various aspects, the present invention provides an analysis system for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of multiple object processing systems that process objects according to a warehouse management system. The analysis system includes a communication system for accessing the warehouse management system and acquiring object-specific data; a data acquisition system for receiving real-time data regarding processing at each of the multiple object processing systems, each of the multiple object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the multiple processing systems; an integration system for integrating real-time data with object allocation data; and a graphical display system for displaying real-time data associated with the allocation data.

[0023] According to another aspect, the present invention provides an analysis system comprising an aggregation system for aggregating and storing aggregated data concerning processing at each of a plurality of object processing systems over a period of time; an integration system for integrating real-time data with the aggregated data; and a graphics display system for displaying the real-time data together with the aggregated data. According to yet another aspect, the analysis system includes a video data acquisition system for receiving video data concerning processing at each of a plurality of object processing systems, each of the plurality of object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the plurality of processing systems; and the system further includes a video tagging system for associating portions of the video data with each of a plurality of objects processed at each of the plurality of object processing systems, and providing object-specific video data; an integration system for integrating the object-specific video data with a warehouse management system; and a graphics display system for displaying the real-time data together with the aggregated data.

[0024] Figure 1An object processing system 10 is shown, comprising an object processing station 14 and a site entry sensing system 12. A feed conveyor 16 carries a feed bin 18, while a destination conveyor 20 carries a destination container 22. The object processing station 14 includes a programmable motion device (e.g., an articulated arm 24) with an attached end effector and an associated sensing system 26. The sensing system 26 is positioned to sense objects (and / or associated markings) in selected feed bins 18', which are turned (selected) by a bidirectional conveyor 30 to move onto selected feed conveyor sections 16'. The sensing system 26 is also positioned to sense destination containers 22' disposed on the destination conveyor section 22' of the destination conveyor 22' via one or more deflectors that selectively turn the selected destination containers 22' onto the destination conveyor section 20'. The operation of the system is controlled by one or more computer processing systems 100 that communicate with the conveyors and programmable motion devices (including end effectors) disclosed herein, as well as the sensing system.

[0025] The object processing station 14 includes a feed conveyor section 16' that uses a bidirectional conveyor 30 to circulate selected supply boxes 18' in and out of the feed conveyor 16'. The end effector of a programmable motion device 24 is programmed to grab objects from the supply boxes 18' and move them to the desired destination box 22' on the destination conveyor loading area 20' by placing or dropping the objects into destination containers 130' on the destination conveyor 128'. The supply boxes 18' can then be returned to the input conveyor 16 and optionally carried to another processing station. Thus, at processing station 14, one or more supplier supply boxes 18' are sent to the input area, the programmable motion device 24 is activated to grab objects from the boxes 18' and place them into the selected destination container 22'. The processed supplier boxes 18' are then returned to the common input stream on the conveyor 16, and the destination container 22' moves further along the destination conveyor 20.

[0026] The site entrance sensing system 12 of system 10 includes one or more sensing units 32 located on or near the feed conveyor 16 for identifying markings on the exterior of each box 18, providing sensing data from which the contents of the box can be identified, then knowing its relative position on the conveyor 16, and tracking its position. According to one aspect, it is assumed that the boxes of objects are marked with visually unique markings, such as barcodes (e.g., providing UPC codes), QR codes, or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags or mailing tags, at one or more locations on their exterior, so that they can be fully identified by a scanner for processing. The type of marking depends on the type of scanning system used but may include 1D or 2D code symbols. Various symbols or marking methods can be employed. It is assumed that the type of scanner used is compatible with the marking methods. The marking, such as via barcodes, RFID tags, mailing tags, or other means, encodes an identification mark (e.g., a string of symbols), which is typically a string of letters and / or numbers. The string of symbols uniquely associates the supplier box with a specific set of homogeneous objects. Based on the identification code on the feed box 18, the system can allow the box 18 to continue along the feed conveyor 16, or can guide the selected box 18' onto the selected feed conveyor 16'.

[0027] At object processing station 14, sensing system 26 (using central control system 100—e.g., one or more computer processing systems) and programmable motion device 24, including an end effector, assist in locating and grasping objects in feed bin 18'. According to another aspect, each object can also be marked with a visually unique identifier, such as a barcode (e.g., providing a UPC code), QR code, or radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or mailing label, making them readily identifiable by a scanner for processing. The type of identifier depends on the type of scanning system used but can include 1D or 2D code symbols. Similarly, multiple symbols or marking methods can be used for each object.

[0028] The site entrance sensing system 12 also includes a top sensing unit 40 pointing downwards at one or more objects in each feed bin 18 on the feed conveyor 16, as well as multiple sensing units 42, 44, 46, and 48, and a weight sensing section 34 of the conveyor 16 below the sensing system 12. Furthermore, the weight sensing section 34 may also include a vibration device 36 for vibrating the bins to separate objects within the bins, as discussed in more detail below. The sensing system is mounted on the conveyor to each bin of objects to be processed, and then looks down at each bin 18. For example, the sensing units may include cameras, depth sensors, and lights. A combination of 2D and 3D (depth) data is acquired. The depth sensor can provide depth information, which can be used in conjunction with camera image data to determine depth information about various objects in the view. The lights can be used to remove shadows and help identify object edges, and can be all turned on during use, or can be illuminated in a desired order to aid in object identification. The system uses imaging and various algorithms to generate a set of candidate grab positions for objects in the bins, as discussed in more detail below.

[0029] Figure 2A A view of box 18 according to sensing system 12 (including sensing units 42, 44, 46 and 48) is shown. Figure 2A The image view shows bin 18 (e.g., on conveyor 16), and bin 18 contains objects 50, 52, 54, 56, and 58. While in some systems the objects in each bin may be non-homogeneous (multiple SKUs), in other systems, such as... Figure 2A As shown, the objects may be homogeneous (single SKU). The system will identify candidate gripping positions on one or more objects, and may not have yet attempted to identify gripping positions for objects partially occluded by other objects. Candidate gripping positions can be indicated using a 3D model of the robot's end effector placed at the location where the actual end effector will be used as the gripping position. For example, a gripping position may be considered good if it is close to the object's center of mass to provide greater stability during gripping and transport, and / or if the gripping position is avoided on objects such as lids, seams, etc., where a good vacuum seal may not be possible. The system may also include multiple cameras 11, 13, 15, 17 at processing station 14 for monitoring the operation of the processing station. In particular, the cameras may be used in conjunction with a computer processing system (e.g., including one or more processors 100) to view the programmable motion device 24 as it selects, grips, moves, and places each object.

[0030] The sensing system 12 further includes a scanning and receiving unit and an edge detection unit in sensing units 42-48 for capturing various characteristics of the selected object throughout the box. Similarly, Figure 2AA view of a capture system is shown, which, according to one embodiment, may include a group of similar or dissimilar objects 50, 52, 54, 56, 58. Volumetric differences during scanning (if any) are shown. Figure 2B As shown, the scanned volume is compared with the recorded data of the identified items provided by the detection system of the SKU sensing system, or the recorded object data. In particular, the scanned volume is compared with the volume of the identified SKU multiplied by the known number of objects in the box.

[0031] According to another aspect, the scanning and receiving unit can also be used to determine the density of the object set in the box, which is compared with the known density of the identified SKU multiplied by the known number of objects in the box to understand the mass and volume of the objects. For example, volume data can be obtained using any of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanner, a pulse time-of-flight camera, a continuous wave time-of-flight camera, a structured light camera, or a passive stereo camera.

[0032] According to another aspect, the system can additionally use the edge detection sensors already employed (again used with processing system 100) to detect the edges of any object in the box, for example using data on intensity, shadow detection, or echo detection, and can be used, for example, to determine any size, shape, and / or contour, such as Figure 2C As shown, this helps to confirm the number of objects in the box. In some respects, the system can identify specific objects in the box and confirm their shape and size through edge detection. Therefore, the system described above can be used to confirm the number of objects in the box, and in some respects, to initially estimate the number of (single SKU) objects in the box, and / or to confirm recorded data for any particular SKU.

[0033] Sensing units 62, 64, 66, and 68 can also be used to detect activity at object processing station 14. These sensing units (and associated processing) allow the system to monitor various activities at processing station 14, as well as feed and output box flow rates. Similarly, the operation of the above system is coordinated with a central control system 100, which also communicates (e.g., wirelessly) with articulated arm 24, sensing systems 32, 42-48, 62-68, and feed conveyors 16, 16', bidirectional conveyor 30, destination conveyors 20, 20', and any steering mechanisms. The system determines the UPC associated with the supplier box and the outbound destination for each object based on a symbol string. Central control system 100 includes one or more workstations or central processing units (CPUs). For example, the mapping between UPCs or mail tags and outbound destinations is maintained by the central control system in a database called a manifest. The central control system maintains the manifest by communicating with a warehouse management system (WMS). The manifest provides an outbound destination for each inbound object.

[0034] Therefore, according to another aspect, the present invention provides an analysis system for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of multiple object processing systems that process objects according to a warehouse management system. The analysis system includes a data acquisition system for receiving real-time data regarding processing at each of the multiple object processing systems, each of the multiple object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the multiple processing systems; an aggregation system for aggregating and storing aggregated data regarding processing at each of the multiple object processing systems over a period of time; an integration system for integrating the real-time data with the aggregated data; and a graphical display system for displaying the real-time data together with the aggregated data.

[0035] Therefore, according to another aspect, the present invention provides an analysis system for providing real-time analytical data regarding the operational characteristics of multiple object processing systems processing objects according to a warehouse management system. The analysis system includes a video data acquisition system for receiving video data regarding processing at each of the multiple object processing systems, each of the multiple object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems within the multiple processing systems; a video tagging system for associating portions of the video data with each of the multiple objects processed at each of the multiple object processing systems, and providing object-specific video data; an integration system for integrating the object-specific video data with the warehouse management system; and a graphics display system for displaying real-time data together with aggregated data.

[0036] Figure 3 A system is shown at point 110, which includes multiple object processing systems 112, 116, 117, 118, and 119, as referenced above. Figure 1 The system discussed in system 14, and any one or two or more (e.g., all) such processing systems may include associated site entry sensing systems 114, 115, as referenced above. Figure 1 The site entry sensing system 12 discussed herein. Each site entry sensing system 114, 115 can provide an inspection of the bag as it passes through each system 112, 116, not only visually and volumetarily inspecting the contents, but also providing information about the weight of the contents of the bag, and redistributing objects within the bag for later grasping by the robot. Each object handling system 112, 116, 117, 118, 119 communicates with a common feed conveyor 94 (on which the feed bags 92 are disposed) and a common output conveyor 98 (on which the output containers 96 are disposed).

[0037] For example, the system can provide acquired data, graphic data, and video data about objects being processed at multiple object processing stations, including data about each processing station and data about the acquisition of objects being processed at multiple processing stations. Figure 4 A dashboard displaying a collection of current and acquired metrics regarding the processing of multiple programmable motion devices across multiple facilities is shown at point 60. As shown in box 62, for example, the system can display the size of a selected vacuum cup (S-small, M-medium, and L-large), which is averaged over time by a single processing station at the facility, any of the multiple processing stations, or across multiple processing stations. As shown in dashboard box 64, the system can display the current vacuum pressure at the multiple programmable motion devices, as shown in 63 and 65. For example, the system can display the real-time value of the vacuum pressure at each of the multiple programmable motion devices and can allow analysts to select specific programmable motion devices for viewing, or can continuously and automatically display each programmable motion device at one or more facilities.

[0038] Referring to the dashboard frame at 66, the analytics system can display activity data 67 regarding the hourly shuttle pick count 67 for each of multiple programmable motion devices, or the hourly pick count at each of multiple facilities. The dashboard can also, for example, at frame 68, display multiple sums of pick counts 69 at multiple facilities, and can, for example, at frame 70, display real-time video images of the programmable motion device activity. For example, the system can display real-time video data for multiple programmable motion devices and can allow analysts to select specific programmable motion devices for viewing, or can continuously and automatically display each programmable motion device at one or more facilities.

[0039] The analysis system can also monitor the activity of each programmable motion device by evaluating the placement accuracy of the vacuum gripper on the object (e.g., using cameras 11, 13, 15, 17). This monitoring can be acquired over time and displayed as an average over time periods such as hourly intervals, which can average out any variations resulting from grip programming that intentionally seeks out off-center positions on the object for gripping. For example, if certain objects are selected for gripping in specific off-center positions (not the center of the exposed viewing surface), the average over time should be balanced even considering different orientations of the objects presented to the processing system 12. A graphical display 73, as shown in the dashboard frame 72, can provide visual data on the average gripping values ​​for off-center (represented as a central cross) positions.

[0040] According to another aspect, the dashboard may include box 74, which includes data on termination error codes presented at each of the plurality of programmable motion devices, for example, displaying the termination error codes of each of the four programmable motion devices in bar chart formats 80, 82, 84, and 86. According to another aspect, each chart format 80, 82, 84, and 86 may be compiled into an average over time of the termination error codes of each of the plurality of multiprocessing facilities. Referring to dashboard box 76, the system can provide a real-time visual image of the entire facility (or a portion thereof), allowing analysts to continuously view each of the plurality of facilities over time again by selecting or based on a rotational timing reference (e.g., changing the view every 15 seconds). According to another aspect, the dashboard may include various further real-time data and collected (e.g., average) data about the shuttles (part of the processing system facility), including the number of successful transfers (e.g., all shuttles), successful transfers per shuttle, average picks per bag, multi-pick results (all shuttles), number of picks that fell into the pick (fast and slow), cumulative number of transfers, PPM per shuttle, successful pick status grab count, return to position per shuttle, automatic exchange count, robot recovery, transfer results, non-item picks and non-item transfers.

[0041] Depending on the aspects, the analytics system can further provide proactive alerts and anomaly detection, which involves the use of early real-time analytics data. In one aspect, the system can proactively alert the processing system to unexpected or anomalous data. Examples of this include observed overall system performance degradation, non-standard gripper sensor data exceeding 'normal' expectations, and item (SKU) attribute or packaging changes not reported to the system by the warehouse management system.

[0042] On another front, the analysis system may use systems operating in a near-serial manner with non-standard or unknown equipment to provide scarce or blocking inference. Therefore, the solution may be affected by scarcity, i.e., the inability to provide the necessary input to our system, such as a bag carrying the product. Furthermore, this can also occur downstream in the system (called blocking), which prevents the solution / system from producing the expected output in a non-blocking manner. Both of these can impact not only the processing system but also the performance of the entire facility. The analytical data described here provides metrics to quantify these scarcity and blocking events. This can be used to inform clients about bottlenecks, problems, and workflow deficiencies in their operations on 2D and 3D image data. Object processing system data includes video data, encompassing both 2D and 3D image data.

[0043] refer to Figure 5According to one aspect of the invention, system 120 may include an analysis and processing system 122 communicating with a warehouse management system (WMS) 126 and a warehouse processing system 128 at warehouse facility 124. The analysis and processing system 122 also communicates with feed conveyor controllers 150 (which individually controls the speed of each feed conveyor), destination conveyor controllers 151 (which individually controls the speed of each destination conveyor), and a plurality of object processing systems 132, 134, 136, and 138, wherein each object processing system includes data acquisition units 142, 144, 146, and 148, and programmable motion devices 152, 154, 156, and 158. The data acquisition units provide acquired and video data to the analysis and processing system 122, which provides interactive display information 160 on an output dashboard to analysts or supervisors.

[0044] Specifically, and firstly refer to Figure 6A The facility may include a complex processing system 200, which includes multiple processing shuttle sections 202, 204, 206, and 208. Each processing shuttle section includes multiple programmable motion devices 224, as well as a feed conveyor 216 and an output conveyor 220. (Reference) Figure 6B The analysis system of certain aspects of the present invention can monitor system 200 to provide information on the relative scarcity of boxes or containers (as shown at 218), blockage of boxes or containers (as shown at 226), the increase in the level of damaged gripping at the programmable motion device (as shown at 210), and the increase in the level of unidentifiable objects at the processing station (as shown at 228). The system can also monitor the rate of change of conveyor speed, the rate of change of the processing rate of the programmable motion device, and the rate of change of box completion.

[0045] refer to Figure 7A and Figure 7BProcess control in a system according to one aspect of the invention may involve the use of the aforementioned sensing system (on the conveyor, at the inlet sensing system, and at the processing station). Specifically, the sensing system is used to monitor motion (e.g., conveyor flow as shown in step 1000) by using motion rate detection, continuously using motion detection over standard time intervals, and continuously determining the rate of change (motion rate). Such a detection system can detect motion changes much smaller than those detectable by a human, e.g., less than 5% or even less than 2% of the motion speed. The sensing system can also use motion rate detection to monitor the movement of a programmable motion device (PMD), wherein the rate of change of the monitored PMD's movement speed (step 1002) is also less than 5% or even less than 2%. When the PMD moves objects between bins and boxes at the processing station, the direction of movement of the PMD is less important than any rate of change of the PMD's movement speed. The system can even focus directly on the movement of the PMD, as the PMD is used at all processing stations to transfer objects from one container (e.g., bin) to another (e.g., shipping box) (step 1004), recording any instances of transfer problems.

[0046] At each processing station (step 1006), the system can then monitor any issues related to picking (step 1008), and can monitor downtime (shortage) at each processing station (step 1010) and any backlog at each processing station using motion rate detection as described above (step 1012). The system can also monitor any instances of damaged items (step 1014) and any issues regarding item identification (step 1016).

[0047] Further reference Figure 7B The system can then adjust the overall processing at the processing station (step 1018). The system then performs an iterative process, monitoring all traffic flow while motion rate detection is performed (step 1020), and the system reroutes boxes and containers to direct them away from areas of severe congestion / blockage (step 1022). More subtly, however, the system makes small incremental changes to the conveyor speeds, incrementally reducing the speed of some conveyors for congested areas (step 1024), identifying problem areas (step 1026), clamping problem areas (step 1028), and / or incrementally increasing the speed of other conveyors in scarce areas (step 1030), while monitoring the movement of all conveyors and PMDs via motion rate detection. This system allows for adjustments to conveyor speeds and processing at the processing station at very small levels during MRD monitoring to detect changes in overall efficiency (positive and negative). For example, an adjustment of less than 1% in conveyor speed at different locations can significantly improve efficiency, an efficiency that human responses to video monitors or other data cannot replicate.

[0048] refer to Figure 8 The data acquisition diagram 300 shows that the analysis system can receive data at the data acquisition unit 304 on inbound (310), outbound (312), item transfer issues (314), robot picking issues (316), damaged items during transfer (318), unexpected containers (320), and order inventory not arriving (322) data from the object processing system, as well as managed data 302 from the warehouse management system, and provide the analysis output to the central analysis unit 306. Inbound data 310 may include data related to unscanned containers, mismatched container IDs, mismatched container quantities, mismatched container properties, damaged containers / contents, unsafe container transport, failed container ID lookup, and container property lookup issues. Outbound data 312 may include data related to unscanned containers, mismatched container properties, damaged containers, conveyor problems / blockages, inability to further select containers, unsafe container transport, and containers with mismatched contents. Item transfer issue data may include data related to items stationary in inbound containers, incorrect parts of inbound containers, and uncertain ending positions. Robot selection problem data may include data related to preventing container movement and not preventing container movement. Item damage data during transfer may include data related to items remaining stationary in inbound containers, incorrect parts of inbound containers, and items with uncertain destinations. Unexpected container data may include data related to unexpected containers at the outbound barcode reader, and order inventory not arriving data may include data related to unavailable next stock.

[0049] The analysis system can collect data from multiple facilities, such as Figure 9 As shown in 400, facilities 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, and 412 all provide hosted data to aggregation server 420, which communicates with the hosted visualization analytics tool system 422. A central control system 424 can further communicate with the hosted visualization tool system 422.

[0050] Therefore, real-time analytics options include: 1) facility hosting and central reporting, 2) central hosting and facility management dashboards, and 3) facility hosting and central planning procedures. The facility hosting and central reporting system provides facility hosting analytics and central reporting, with facilities responsible for hosting and management, creating and managing views / dashboards, and user authentication. The central reporting role involves real-time reporting of metrics (pipeline delivery).

[0051] The Central Hosting and Facilities Management dashboard involves facilities responsible for user authentication, and a central reporting role responsible for hosting and management, creating and managing views / dashboards, and providing real-time reporting of metrics (pipeline delivery). The Facilities Hosting and Central Planning system provides a central role responsible for pipeline delivery metrics and planning dashboards, and creating and managing views, facilities responsible for hosting and management, and user authentication. In each of these systems, dashboard views can provide key metrics and subsystem performance, shortages, and statistics to understand how to fully utilize BG systems (and repositories), as well as congestion and shortages.

[0052] Non-real-time reporting options include central reporting at a certain frequency, providing centralized hosting and management services for data acquisition-supported analysis (when facilities are inaccessible), where a central role creates and provides reports to the facility / customer at a certain frequency. Report creation and provisioning can be manual to some extent, and / or automated, and the scope of the reports may vary.

[0053] Depending on the aspect, the report may involve non-metric image / video data, including, for example, queryable images (returns) and queryable videos (returns) of products processed by the central system. The report may also involve real-time anomaly detection, such as SKU changes involving packaging variations: graphic changes, size changes, weight changes, and combinations (linking other products together). Depending on another aspect, the system may provide facility insights (possibly from the WMS system or a central system) as well as product speed and destination. Further variations include metrics such as application metrics, infrastructure (CPU, memory) metrics, and maintenance metrics. Further variations may also include proactive alarms, such as those centrally located or directly to the facility.

[0054] The various aspects of such systems offer numerous benefits. The use of integrated data and image aggregation can provide information on all potential issues related to packaging and logistics automation equipment. The use of facility- or third-party-agnostic systems facilitates faster diagnostics and coordination in multi-facility or multi-vendor environments. The use of efficient storage systems provides rapid response times and long-term data retention to support trend analysis. The use of such scalable systems offers a proven ability to handle very high volumes of logistics operations. The use of such scalable systems leverages a robust core that facilitates the addition of new data sources and types. The use of easily customizable dashboards streamlines the process of generating new reports. The use of current IT standards allows for connectivity with enterprise security infrastructure and compliance with IT security and network standards.

[0055] Facility compliance is provided by capturing label images and data and sharing this information with each facility to ensure adherence to standards that allow automated equipment to operate efficiently. Order fulfillment quality assurance is provided by capturing images of contents and packaged goods to quickly detect and resolve delivery issues and identify the root causes of recurring problems. Camera and laser tunneling health monitoring provides data capture to better trigger maintenance and isolate the root causes of problems more quickly, thereby improving system uptime and facility relationships. The provision of planned statistics provides workflow planners with accurate and up-to-date data on package size and label integrity. Ad-hoc queries allow for easy extraction of data and images for queries beyond those expected by the default dashboard.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications and variations can be made to the aspects disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for providing real-time analytical data on the operational characteristics of multiple object processing systems based on objects processed by a warehouse management system, the system comprising: A data acquisition system is used to receive real-time data on processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems, each of the plurality of object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems in the plurality of object processing systems, the programmable motion device including an articulated arm, an attached end effector, and an associated sensing system positioned to sense objects in a selected feed bin and to sense destination containers set on a destination conveyor by means of one or more steering modules; An analysis and processing system that monitors real-time data from the data acquisition system and adjusts the object processing procedures of one or more of the plurality of object processing systems in response to the real-time data; An integrated system for integrating the real-time data and the allocated data; and A graphical display system for displaying the real-time data from the data acquisition system, the real-time data being integrated with allocation data from the analysis and processing system relating to object processing in one or more of the plurality of object processing systems; The analysis and processing system further provides data related to recording and operating the plurality of object processing systems, and performs at least one of the following: Identify relative changes or anomalies in the operation of the subject object processing system among the multiple object processing systems; The relative change or anomaly is related to whether the subject processing system successfully grasps the object; and The analysis and processing system further includes a predictive alert system for providing proactive alerts of the relative changes or anomalies before processing the interruption event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time data includes data representing objects captured by one of the plurality of object processing systems.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time data includes data representing objects moved by one of the plurality of object processing systems.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time data includes video data of objects processed at one or more of the plurality of object processing systems.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time data includes a plurality of selections of objects.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the real-time data includes any one of video data, two-dimensional data, and three-dimensional data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphics display system displays object processing system-specific data concerning the operation of a particular object processing system, the object processing system-specific data including multiple objects that the particular object processing system cannot recognize.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphics display system displays object processing system-specific data concerning the operation of a specific object processing system, the object processing system-specific data including multiple objects that the specific object processing system cannot capture.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the graphics display system is interactive.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the analysis and processing system further provides for monitoring the movement rate of any of the boxes, bags, or containers to identify a relative decrease in the movement rate of such boxes, bags, or containers, thereby identifying any blockage or deficiency of the subject object processing system among the plurality of object processing systems.

11. A system for providing real-time analytical data on the operational characteristics of a plurality of object processing systems connected by at least one conveyor, according to an object being processed by a warehouse management system, the system comprising: A data acquisition system is used to receive real-time data on processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems, each of the plurality of object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other processing systems in the plurality of object processing systems, the programmable motion device including an articulated arm, an attached end effector, and an associated sensing system positioned to sense objects in a selected feed bin and to sense destination containers set on a destination conveyor by means of one or more steering modules; An analysis and processing system for aggregating real-time data from the data acquisition system over a period of time and storing aggregated real-time data about the processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems; as well as A conveyor control system is configured to adjust the speed of at least one conveyor connected to the plurality of object processing systems in response to aggregated real-time data relating to processing in each of the plurality of object processing systems.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a graphics display system that displays real-time data on the aggregation of processing by the plurality of object processing systems.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the aggregated real-time data includes data representing the grab position of an object by any one of the plurality of object processing systems.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the aggregated real-time data includes data representing the velocity or volume of an object processed by any one of the plurality of object processing systems.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphics display system displays real-time video of the programmable motion device at one of the plurality of object processing systems.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphics display system displays object-processing system-specific data relating to the operation of a particular object processing system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the object processing system-specific data includes a plurality of selections of any one of the objects.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the object processing system-specific data includes any one of video data, two-dimensional data, and three-dimensional data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the object processing system-specific data includes a plurality of objects that the specific object processing system cannot recognize.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the object processing system-specific data includes multiple objects that the specific object processing system cannot capture.

21. The system according to any one of claims 11-20, wherein the data acquisition system includes a motion rate detection system for monitoring the speed of the at least one conveyor.

22. The system of any one of claims 11, wherein the analysis and processing system further identifies relative changes or anomalies in the operation of the subject object processing system among the plurality of object processing systems.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the change or anomaly is related to whether an object is identified at the subject processing system.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the change or anomaly is related to whether the subject processing system successfully grasps the object.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a predictive alarm system for providing proactive alerts of the relative change or anomaly before processing the interruption event.

26. A method for providing real-time analytical data on the operational characteristics of a plurality of object processing systems connected by at least one conveyor, based on objects processed by a warehouse management system, the method comprising: Receive real-time data on processing at each of the plurality of object processing systems, each of the plurality of object processing systems including a programmable motion device programmed to process objects independently of other object processing systems in the plurality of object processing systems, the programmable motion device including an articulated arm, an attached end effector, and an associated sensing system positioned to sense objects in a selected feed bin and to sense destination containers set on a destination conveyor by means of one or more steering modules; Monitor real-time data about objects being processed at one or more of the plurality of object processing systems; Record and manipulate data related to the multiple object processing systems; Identify relative changes or anomalies in the operation of the subject object processing system among the multiple object processing systems; as well as In response to the real-time data, control the speed of at least one conveyor connected to the plurality of object processing systems; At least one of the following must be satisfied: The relative change or anomaly is related to whether the subject processing system can recognize the object; The relative change or anomaly is related to whether the subject processing system successfully grasps the object; Furthermore, the method also includes providing proactive alerts for the relative changes or anomalies before processing an interruption event occurs.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying the real-time data regarding the processing of a specific object.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the real-time data includes data representing objects captured by one of the plurality of object processing systems.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the real-time data includes data representing objects moved by one of the plurality of object processing systems.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the real-time data includes video data of objects processed by one or more of the plurality of object processing systems.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the real-time data includes a plurality of selections of objects.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the real-time data includes any one of video data, two-dimensional data, and three-dimensional data.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying object processing system-specific data relating to the operation of a particular object processing system, wherein the object processing system-specific data includes a plurality of objects that the particular object processing system cannot recognize.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying object processing system-specific data regarding the operation of a particular object processing system, wherein the object processing system-specific data includes a plurality of objects that the particular object processing system cannot capture.

35. The method according to any one of claims 26-34, wherein the real-time data includes motion rate detection data regarding the speed of any one of the at least one conveyor or at least one programmable motion device.

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