Storage and Retrieval Systems

Abstract

Storage and Retrieval Systems The present disclosure provides a storage and retrieval system that can be operated to efficiently deliver goods, such as groceries, using two different methods: Capacity within one or more delivery vehicles may be allocated to pre-placed orders for later delivery and to expedited orders for prompt delivery.

Description

Related Applications

[0001]

[0001] This application claims priority to UK Provisional Patent Application No. 2200940.1, filed January 25, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] This disclosure relates to a method for efficiently retrieving items from an automated storage and retrieval system and delivering them to a delivery location.

[0003]

[0003] Typically, a customer of an online grocery delivery service selects the date and time slot for their delivery. Typically, the delivery date is from the next day to within a few weeks of the date the order was placed. The customer selects the items they want delivered and saves the order. The customer can update the order thereafter, for example, by adding more items or removing items from the existing order, until a cut-off time. Typically, this cut-off time occurs the day before the delivery date. Once the cut-off time has passed, the order for the next day can no longer be changed and the order can be assigned to a delivery vehicle so that the delivery vehicle route can be optimized, for example, to reduce travel time, to minimize the number of vehicles required to deliver all of the order, for vehicle emissions, etc. The order is then picked and the delivery container is loaded into the appropriate delivery vehicle, and the vehicle can then deliver the ordered items in the requested time slot. Fulfillment centers typically used for such advance delivery services can offer a wide range of products similar to those found in supermarkets, for example, 30,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) or more. Typically, a pre-delivery order equates to a trip to the supermarket for your weekly shopping.

[0004]

[0004] An alternative form of customer delivery is often referred to as expedited delivery services. In such cases, the customer selects a time slot, usually later on the same day, or chooses to have the order delivered as soon as possible. The customer then completes the order by selecting the items they want delivered. There is no opportunity for the customer to update the order afterwards. Once placed, the order is picked and then delivered at the appropriate time slot. Typically, orders are hand picked in darkened stores that carry a similar range of goods as found in a traditional convenience store, e.g., around 1000 SKUs. Typically, a quick delivery order is equivalent to a trip to a local store for ingredients for a meal.

[0005]

[0005] Once picked, the order is delivered in a selected time slot. Typically, expedited delivery delivers a single order, but it is possible to deliver orders that are geographically close to each other and have similar time slots together. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method of allocating delivery orders to one or more delivery vehicles is provided, the method comprising allocating, for each of a plurality of vehicles, a first portion of a vehicle load capacity for use in a first reservation method and allocating a second portion of the vehicle load capacity for use in a second reservation method. Requests made according to the first reservation method may be processed until a first cut-off time. After the first cut-off time, the remaining vehicle load capacity allocated for use in the first reservation method may be reallocated for use in the second reservation method. After the one or more requests made according to the first reservation method have been processed, routes of the one or more delivery vehicles may be optimized.

[0007]

[0007] This allows a single fulfillment center to be able to supply goods to customers using both the advanced order delivery service and the expedited order delivery service. This reduces the need to provide expedited order delivery service facilities. Furthermore, the range of goods that can be offered using the expedited order delivery service is significantly expanded. By adding expedited delivery to the optimized delivery route, the environmental impact of making the delivery is reduced.

[0008]

[0008] Requests made according to the second booking method may be processed up to a second cut-off time. Routes of one or more delivery vehicles may be optimized after the second cut-off time. The optimization of the delivery routes may be based on requests made according to the second booking method for the associated delivery vehicles. The delivery routes may be optimized such that deliveries associated with requests made according to the second booking method occur during an outbound portion of the delivery route.

[0009]

[0009] An order associated with a request made according to a first reservation method may be picked after a first cut-off time. In particular, an order associated with a request made according to a first reservation method may be picked before a second cut-off time. An order associated with a request made according to a second reservation method may be picked after a second cut-off time. An order associated with a delivery vehicle may be loaded onto the delivery vehicle.

[0010]

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for determining the load capacity of each of a plurality of vehicles, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more data storage units, the apparatus being configured, when in use, to perform the method described above.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage system comprising: a first set of parallel tracks extending in an X direction in a substantially horizontal plane, and a second set of parallel tracks extending in a Y direction across the first set to form a grid pattern with a plurality of grid spaces; a plurality of stacks of containers located below the tracks and arranged such that each stack is located within the footprint of a single grid space; at least one transport device; the at least one transport device arranged to selectively move laterally in the X and Y directions above the stacks on the tracks, arranged to transport the storage containers; and a picking station configured to receive the storage containers transported by the at least one transport device and transport items from the storage containers to a delivery container, the storage system being configured to perform the method as described above. The at least one transport device may have a footprint occupying only a single grid space in the storage system, such that a transport device occupying one grid space does not obstruct a transport device occupying or crossing an adjacent grid space in the X and / or Y directions.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of allocating delivery orders to one or more delivery vehicles is provided, the method including, for each of a plurality of vehicles, allocating a first portion of a vehicle payload for use in a first reservation method and allocating a second portion of the vehicle payload for use in a second reservation method.

[0013]

[0013] The method of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: Requests made according to the first reservation method may be processed until a first cut-off time. After the first cut-off time, remaining vehicle payload allocated for use by the first reservation method may be reallocated for use by the second reservation method. After one or more requests made according to the first reservation method have been processed, routes of one or more delivery vehicles may be optimized. Requests made according to the second reservation method may be processed until a second cut-off time. Routes of one or more delivery vehicles may be optimized after the second cut-off time. The optimization of the delivery route may be based on requests made according to the second reservation method for the associated delivery vehicles. The delivery route may be optimized such that deliveries associated with requests made according to the second reservation method are made during an outbound portion of the delivery route. Orders related to requests made according to the first reservation method may be picked after the first cut-off time. Orders related to requests made according to the first reservation method may be picked before the second cut-off time. Orders associated with requests made according to the second reservation method may be picked after the second cutoff time. Orders associated with a delivery vehicle may be loaded onto the delivery vehicle.

[0014] According to a further aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus is provided for determining a payload of each of a plurality of vehicles. The apparatus may include one or more processors and one or more data storage units. The apparatus may be configured, in use, to perform the method of any of the two preceding paragraphs. Thus, according to a further aspect of the present invention, a storage system is provided. The storage system may include a first set of parallel tracks, a second set of parallel tracks, a plurality of stacks of storage containers, at least one transport device, and a picking station. The first set may extend in an X direction and the second set may extend in a Y direction transverse to the first set in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces. The plurality of stacks of storage containers are positioned below the tracks and arranged such that each stack is located within the footprint of a single grid space. The at least one transport device may be arranged to selectively move in the X and / or Y directions above the stacks on the tracks and arranged to transport the storage containers. The picking station may be configured to receive the storage containers transported by the at least one transport device and to transfer items from the storage containers to a delivery container. The storage system may be configured to carry out the method of either of the previous two paragraphs. At least one transport device may have a footprint that occupies only a single grid space in the storage system, such that a transport device occupying one grid space does not impede a transport device occupying or traversing an adjacent grid space in the X and / or Y directions.

[0015] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of managing delivery orders is provided that can include, for each of a plurality of delivery vehicles, allocating, by one or more hardware processors, a first portion of vehicle payload capacity for filling by a first reservation method, and allocating, by the one or more hardware processors, a second portion of the vehicle payload capacity for filling by a second reservation method.

[0016]

[0016] The method of the preceding paragraph may include one or more of the following features: The method may further include processing, by one or more hardware processors, a first request made according to a first reservation method before but not after the first cutoff time, indicating that the first request is to pick a first item. The method may further include reallocating, by the one or more hardware processors, a remaining capacity of a first portion of a vehicle load capacity for one of the plurality of delivery vehicles to be filled by a second reservation method rather than the first reservation method, following the first cutoff time. The method may further include optimizing, by the one or more hardware processors, a route for the plurality of delivery vehicles following processing the first request. The method may further include processing, by the one or more hardware processors, a second request made according to a second reservation method before but not after the second cutoff time, indicating that the second request is to pick a second item. The method may further include reoptimizing, by the one or more hardware processors, routes for the multiple delivery vehicles subsequent to processing the second request. Reoptimizing routes for the multiple delivery vehicles may be performed based on the second request. The routes for the multiple delivery vehicles may be reoptimized such that deliveries associated with the second request are assigned to occur during an outbound portion of the route. Processing the first request may include instructing the multiple transport devices to pick a first item from the multiple stacks of the storage container subsequent to a first cutoff time. Instructing the multiple transport devices to pick the first item may include instructing the multiple transport devices to pick the first item prior to a second cutoff time. Processing the second request may include instructing the multiple transport devices to pick a second item from the multiple stacks of the storage container prior to the second cutoff time.The method may further include loading one of the plurality of delivery vehicles with (i) some of the first items based on allocating a first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating a second portion of the vehicle load capacity. The method may further include allocating, by the one or more hardware processors, to one of the plurality of delivery vehicles with (i) some of the first items based on allocating a first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating a second portion of the vehicle load capacity. The method may further include loading one of the plurality of delivery vehicles with (i) some of the first items based on allocating a first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating a second portion of the vehicle load capacity and reallocating the remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle load capacity. The method may further include allocating, by the one or more hardware processors, to one of the plurality of delivery vehicles: (i) some of the first items based on allocating the first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating the second portion of the vehicle load capacity and reallocating the remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle load capacity. The second reservation method may provide faster delivery of the items picked from the warehouse than the first reservation method. The first reservation method may service advanced delivery orders and the second reservation method may service expedited delivery orders.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a storage system is provided. The storage system may include a first set of parallel tracks, a second set of parallel tracks, a plurality of stacks of storage containers, a transport device, a picking station, and one or more hardware processors. The first set may extend in an X direction. The second set may extend in a Y direction across the first set in a substantially horizontal plane, the first set and the second set forming a grid pattern including a plurality of grid spaces. The plurality of stacks of storage containers may be located below the first set and the second set and arranged such that each of the plurality of stacks is located within the footprint of a single grid space of the plurality of grid spaces. The transport device may move in the X direction and the Y direction above the plurality of stacks on the first set and the second set and transport a storage container from the plurality of stacks. The picking station may receive the storage containers transported by the transport device and transfer items from the storage containers to a delivery container. The one or more hardware processors may perform the method of any of the two preceding paragraphs. The transport device may have a footprint that occupies only a single grid space. According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided non-transitory physical computer storage comprising stored computer-executable instructions configured, when executed by one or more hardware processors, to perform a process including the method of either of the above two paragraphs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018]

[0018] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to examples. [Figure 1]

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a storage structure and container. [Diagram 2]

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic of a track on top of the storage structure illustrated in FIG. [Diagram 3]

[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates diagrammatically a load handling device on the storage structure illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4]

[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically a single load handling device with the container lifting devices in a lowered configuration. [Diagram 5]

[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates diagrammatically a cut-away view of a single load handling device with the container lifting devices in a raised and lowered configuration. [Figure 6]

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a computing device for use in implementing the methods of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]

[0025] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]

[0026] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of an advanced delivery method. [Figure 9]

[0027] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of the rapid delivery method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019]

[0028] 1 illustrates a storage structure 1 comprising upright members 3 and horizontal members 5, 7 supported by upright members 3. The horizontal members 5 extend parallel to each other and to an illustrated x-axis. The horizontal members 7 extend parallel to each other and to an illustrated y-axis and transverse to the horizontal members 5. The upright members 3 extend parallel to each other and to an illustrated z-axis and transverse to the horizontal members 5, 7. The horizontal members 5, 7 form a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells. In the illustrated example, the containers 9 are arranged in stacks 11 below the grid cells defined by the grid pattern, one stack 11 of containers 9 per grid cell.

[0020]

[0029] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged plan view of a section of a track structure 13 that forms part of the storage structure 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 and is located on top of the horizontal members 5, 7 of the storage structure 1 illustrated in FIG. The track structure 13 may be provided by the horizontal members 5, 7 themselves (e.g., formed in or on a surface of the horizontal members 5, 7) or by one or more additional components attached to the top of the horizontal members 5, 7. The illustrated track structure 13 comprises an X-direction track 17 and a Y-direction track 19, i.e., a first set 17 of tracks extending in the X-direction and a second set 19 of tracks extending in the Y-direction transverse to the tracks 17 in the first set 17 of tracks. The tracks 17, 19 define openings 15 in the center of the lattice cells. The openings 15 are sized to allow containers 9 located below the lattice cells to be lifted and lowered through the openings 15. The X-direction tracks 17 are provided in pairs separated by channels 21, and the Y-direction tracks 19 are provided in pairs separated by channels 23. Other arrangements of the track structures are possible.

[0021]

[0030] Figure 3 shows multiple load handling devices 31 moving on top of the storage structure 1 illustrated in Figure 1. The load handling devices 31, which may also be referred to as robots 31 or bots 31, are provided with a set of wheels for engaging with corresponding X-direction tracks 17 or Y-direction tracks 19 to enable the bots 31 to move across the track structure 13 and reach a particular grid cell. The illustrated pair of tracks 17, 19 separated by channels 21, 23 allows the bots 31 to occupy adjacent grid cells (or pass each other) without colliding with each other.

[0022]

[0031] 4, the bot 31 comprises a body 33 having one or more components therein or attached thereto that enable the bot 31 to perform its intended functions. These functions may include moving throughout the storage structure 1 on the track structure 13 and raising or lowering containers 9 (e.g., from or to stacks 11) so that the bot 31 can retrieve or place containers 9 at specific locations defined by a grid pattern.

[0023]

[0032] The illustrated bot 31 includes a first set of wheels 35 and a second set of wheels 37 that are attached to the body 33 of the bot 31 and allow the bot 31 to move in the X and Y directions, respectively, along the tracks 17 and 19. In particular, two wheels 35 are provided on the short side of the bot 31 that is visible in FIG. 4, and two more wheels 35 are provided on the opposite short side of the bot 31 (the side and the two more wheels 35 are not visible in FIG. 4). The wheels 35 engage the tracks 17 and are rotatably attached to the body 33 of the bot 31, allowing the bot 31 to move along the tracks 17. Similarly, two wheels 37 are provided on the long side of the bot 31 that is visible in FIG. 4, and two more wheels 37 are provided on the opposite long side of the bot 31 (the side and the two more wheels 37 are not visible in FIG. 4). The wheels 37 engage the track 19 and are rotatably mounted to the body 33 of the bot 31 to enable the bot 31 to move along the track 19.

[0024]

[0033] The bot 31 also comprises a container lifting means 39 configured to raise and lower the container 9. The illustrated container lifting device 39 comprises four tapes or reels 41, which are connected at their lower ends to a container gripping assembly 43. The container engagement assembly 43 comprises an engagement device configured to engage a feature of the container 9, which may for example be provided at a corner of the assembly 43, near the tapes 41. For example, the containers 9 may be provided with one or more openings on their upper side into which the engagement device may engage. Alternatively or additionally, the engagement device may be configured to hook under a rim or lip of the container 9 and / or to pinch or grip the container 9. The tape 41 may be wound up or unwound to raise or lower the container engagement assembly as required. One or more motors or other devices may be provided to perform or control the winding or unwinding of the tape 41.

[0025]

[0034] As can be seen in FIG. 5 , the body 33 of the illustrated bot 31 has an upper portion 45 and a lower portion 47 disposed below the upper portion 45. The upper portion 45 is configured to accommodate one or more operating components (not shown). The lower portion 47 is disposed below the upper portion 45. The lower portion 47 comprises a container receiving space or cavity for receiving at least a portion of the container 9 lifted by the container lifting device 39. The container receiving space is sized such that the container 9 can fit sufficiently inside the cavity to allow the bot 31 to move across the track structure 13 on top of the storage structure 1 without the underside of the container 9 getting caught on the track structure 13 or another part of the storage structure 1. When the bot 31 reaches its intended destination, the container lifting device 39 controls the tape 41 to lower the container gripping assembly 43 and the corresponding container 9 out of the cavity in the lower portion 47 and into the intended position. The intended location may be a stack 11 of containers 9 or an exit point of the storage structure 1 (or an entrance point of the storage structure 1 if the bot 31 moves to collect a container 9 for storage within the storage structure 1). In the illustrated example, the upper portion 45 and the lower portion 47 are separated by a physical partition, however, in other embodiments, the upper portion 45 and the lower portion 47 may not be physically separated by a particular component or part of the body 33 of the bot 31.

[0026]

[0035] To enable the bot 31 to move in first and second directions on different wheels 35, 37, the bot 31 includes a wheel positioning mechanism for selectively engaging the first set of wheels 35 with the first set of tracks 17 or the second set of wheels 37 with the second set of tracks 19. The wheel positioning mechanism is configured to raise and lower the first set of wheels 35 and / or the second set of wheels with respect to the body 33, thereby enabling the load handling device 31 to selectively move in either a first direction or a second direction across the tracks 17, 19 of the storage structure 1.

[0027]

[0036] The wheel positioning mechanism may include one or more linear actuators, rotary components, or other devices for raising and lowering at least one set of wheels 35, 37 relative to the body 33 of the bot 31 to move the at least one set of wheels 35, 37 away from and into contact with the tracks 17, 19. In some examples, only one set of wheels is configured to raise and lower, such that the act of lowering one set of wheels may effectively lift the other set of wheels away from the corresponding tracks, while the act of raising one set of wheels may effectively lower the other set of wheels into contact with the corresponding tracks. In other examples, both sets of wheels may be raised and lowered, advantageously meaning that the body 33 of the bot 31 remains at substantially the same height, thus not requiring the weight of the body 33 and components mounted thereon to be raised and lowered by the wheel positioning mechanism.

[0028]

[0037] To remove a container 9 from the top of the stack 11, the bot 31 is moved in the X and Y directions as necessary so that the container gripping assembly 43 is positioned above the stack 11. The container gripping assembly 43 is then lowered vertically in the Z direction to engage the top container 9 of the stack 11. The container gripping assembly 43 grips the container 9 and then pulls the tape 41 upwards with the container 9 attached. At the top of its vertical travel, the container 9 is housed within the vehicle body and held above the level of the truck. In this way the load handling device 30 can be moved to different positions in the XY plane, carrying the container 9 together with the load handling device 30, in order to transport the container 9 to another location. The tape 41 is long enough to allow the load handling device 30 to pick up and place a container from any level of the stack 11, including the floor level. The weight of the vehicle 32 may comprise part of the battery used to power the drive mechanism of the wheels 35, 37.

[0029]

[0038] As shown in Fig. 3, multiple load handling devices 31 may be provided, with each bot 31 operating simultaneously to increase the throughput of the system. The system illustrated in Fig. 3 may include specific locations known as ports, where containers 9 may be transported into or out of the system. Additional conveyor systems (not shown) are associated with each port, so that containers 9 transported by bots 31 to the ports may be transported by the conveyor system to another location, e.g., a picking station (not shown). Similarly, containers 9 may be moved by the conveyor system from an external location to a port, e.g., a container filling station (not shown), and transported by bots 31 to stacks 11 to replenish inventory in the system.

[0030]

[0039] Each bot 31 can lift and move one container 9 at a time. When a container 10 that is not positioned on top of a stack 11 (a "target container") needs to be removed, the overlying containers 10 (the "non-target containers") must first be moved to allow access to the target container 10. This is accomplished in an operation referred to below as "digging." During a dig operation, one of the bots 31 sequentially lifts each non-target container 10a from the stack 11 containing the target container 9b and places them in an empty position in another stack 11. The target container 9b can then be accessed by the bot 31 and moved to a port for further transport.

[0031]

[0040] Each of the bots 31 is under the control of a grid controller. Each individual container 9 in the system is tracked so that the appropriate container 9 can be retrieved, transported, and replaced as necessary. For example, the location of each of the non-target containers 10a is logged so that the non-target containers 10a can be tracked during excavation operations.

[0032]

[0041] 6 shows a schematic diagram of a computing device 600 used in implementing the methods of the present disclosure, which may include a central processing unit ("CPU") 602 connected to a storage unit 614 and a random access memory 606. The CPU 602 may process an operating system 601, application programs 603, and data 623. The operating system 601, application programs 603, and data 623 may be stored in the storage unit 614 and loaded into the memory 606 as needed. The computing device 600 may further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 622 operatively connected to the CPU 602 and the memory 606 to offload intensive image processing operations from the CPU 602 and perform these operations in parallel with the CPU 602.

[0033]

[0042] An operator 607 may interact with the computing device 600 using a video display 608 connected by a video interface 605, and various input / output devices, such as a keyboard 615, a mouse 612, and a disk drive or solid state drive 614, connected by an I / O interface 604. In a known manner, the mouse 612 may be configured to control cursor movement on the video display 608 and to operate various graphic user interface (GU) controls appearing in the video display 608 with mouse buttons. The disk drive or solid state drive 614 may be configured to accept a computer readable medium 616. The computing device 600 may form part of a network via a network interface 611 to enable the computing device 600 to communicate with other suitably configured data processing systems (not shown). One or more different types of sensors 635 may be used to receive input from various sources.

[0034]

[0043] Although the control of the storage system may be performed by a suitably configured industrial computing device, it should be understood that the features disclosed herein may be implemented using virtually any manner of computing device, including desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, wireless handhelds, or cloud computing platforms. The computing device may execute one or more software instances, e.g., virtual machines and / or containers. The system and method may also be realized as a computer readable / usable medium including computer program code for enabling one or more computing devices to implement each of the various process steps in the method according to the present disclosure. In the case of more than one computing device performing the entire operation, the computing devices are networked to distribute the various steps of the operation.

[0035]

[0044] The term computer readable medium or computer usable medium should be understood to comprise one or more of any type of physical embodiment of program code. In particular, computer readable / usable medium can comprise program code embodied on one or more portable storage articles of manufacture (e.g., optical disks, magnetic disks, tapes, etc.), on one or more data storage portions of a computing device, such as memory associated with a computer and / or storage system. In a further aspect, the present disclosure provides systems, devices, methods, and computer program products including non-transitory machine-readable instruction sets for use in implementing such methods and enabling the functionality previously described.

[0036]

[0045] The system described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 has many advantages and is suitable for a wide range of storage and retrieval operations. In particular, it allows for very dense storage of products and provides a very economical way of storing a large range of different items in the containers 9 whilst allowing reasonably economical access to all of the containers 9 when required for picking.

[0037]

[0046] The system described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 may be used to fulfill customer orders. A customer may place an order that includes a number of different product items. The customer order may be picked by removing an appropriate storage container from a stack in the storage system and then transferring the storage container to a picking station. The ordered items are picked from the storage container and then transferred to a delivery container. To facilitate operation, the delivery container may hold one or more bags or cartons in which the ordered items may be packed. The delivery container that stores all of the items that comprise the customer order may then be routed to a loading point so that they may be loaded onto a loading frame. The loading frame holds the delivery container that includes the number of different orders. Once all of the delivery containers are loaded onto the loading frame, the loading frame may be transferred to a delivery vehicle for subsequent onward delivery to the customer.

[0038]

[0047] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, which uses the automated storage and retrieval system described above with respect to Figures 1 through 6. For a given day and for each delivery vehicle, a percentage of the delivery vehicle capacity is reserved for use for expedited delivery services, and the remainder of the delivery vehicle capacity is allocated for use with advance delivery orders (step S700).

[0039]

[0048] For advance delivery, several time slots for a given delivery date are made available for customers to book. The time slots may be made available several weeks before the delivery date. When advance delivery customer orders are received, they are assigned to delivery vehicles that can deliver to the respective customer addresses within the selected time slots (see below). Advance delivery customer orders are accepted (S710) until a first cut-off time, i.e., the cut-off time for advance delivery orders. Typically, this first cut-off time occurs the day before the delivery date (or alternatively a fixed time before the delivery time slot). Usually, the first cut-off time is the same for all delivery vehicles and is advertised to customers so that they have the opportunity to renew their orders before the time limit.

[0040]

[0049] Once the first cutoff time has elapsed, any excess delivery capacity that was allocated for use in advance delivery is reallocated so that it may be used for expedited delivery services (step S720). When all of the delivery capacity allocated for use in advance delivery has been used, the vehicle capacity available for use in expedited delivery is the capacity allocated in step S700.

[0041]

[0050] Expedited delivery orders may be accepted up to a second cutoff time (S730). For each delivery vehicle, it is known how many advance delivery orders have been received, their respective time slots and delivery locations, and the remaining vehicle capacity available for expedited delivery service orders. This information may then be used to provide expedited delivery slots (see below). As expedited delivery orders are accepted, the delivery route is reoptimized.

[0042]

[0051] Once the second cut-off time has passed, no further expedited delivery service orders will be accepted. The second cut-off time may vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the planned route and the distance of the customer location from the fulfillment center. The second cut-off time may not be advertised to customers, but once it has passed, no further delivery slots will be offered for the delivery vehicle in question.

[0043]

[0052] Once the second cutoff time for the delivery vehicle has passed, the delivery route may be optimized to the final time. Each of the orders to be delivered by the delivery vehicle may be picked (S740), loaded into a delivery container, and then loaded into the delivery vehicle. The orders may then be delivered to their respective customer locations according to the planned route and delivery time slot (S750).

[0044]

[0053] The method allows a single fulfillment center to deliver goods for both advanced order delivery and expedited order delivery, reducing the need to build dedicated expedited order delivery fulfillment centers. Additionally, it allows expedited delivery orders to include products selected from a much wider range of goods than could be achieved using conventional expedited order delivery fulfillment centers.

[0045]

[0054] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the advanced delivery method. In step S800, a customer selects a delivery slot, which is a predefined time slot on a given date. Typically, retailers allow customers to reserve slots up to two or three weeks in advance (although this period can vary). Once a time slot is selected, the customer can add the products they want to purchase to a basket and add the order (S810). When the customer finishes adding items, the customer can save their basket (S820) and if the customer does not take any further action, when a first cut-off time is reached (S830), the order is finalized and the customer cannot make any further changes. The customer order may then be picked ready to be loaded into the respective delivery vehicle when it is time for the vehicle to leave to make the delivery.

[0046]

[0055] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of the expedited delivery method. In step S900, the customer selects a delivery slot, usually for later in the day. The customer's location is known by the retailer, so it is possible to determine which delivery vehicles have delivery routes that can be used to service that customer and have sufficient delivery capacity for the expedited delivery order. This information can be used to determine available expedited delivery slots, some or all of which can be displayed to the customer so that a selection can be made. If no slots are available, this information can be displayed to the customer. After selecting a expedited delivery slot, the customer selects the desired products (S910) and places the order (S920). In contrast to advanced delivery, there is no opportunity for the customer to save and then edit a basket of goods.

[0047]

[0056] It is possible for expedited delivery orders to be picked and then stored in grid cells of the storage system before being loaded onto the respective delivery vehicles, but this takes more time as the stored picked orders need to be removed to be sent for loading. It is preferred that expedited delivery orders are picked and then loaded onto the delivery vehicles after the second cutoff time. All of the expedited delivery orders to be carried by a single vehicle may be picked in a parallel process and then loaded onto the vehicle to reduce the time during the second cutoff time.

[0048] Modifications and Variations

[0057] It is envisioned that any one or more of the variations described in the preceding paragraphs may be implemented in the same embodiment of the storage system.

[0049]

[0058] One advantage of the storage and retrieval system described above with reference to Figures 1 to 9 is that advance delivery orders are known in advance and can be picked and packed into delivery containers at a time between a first cut-off time and a second cut-off time. The advance delivery orders can then be stored in the storage system grid until the second cut-off time. For example, if the first cut-off time is 10:00 p.m. the day before the delivery date, expedited delivery orders can be picked and stored overnight.

[0050]

[0059] Once the second cutoff time has passed and the expedited delivery order has been picked, the advance delivery order may be removed from the grid of the storage system such that it may be loaded onto the delivery vehicle in parallel with the expedited delivery order. The operation of the storage system may be configured to minimize the time between the second cutoff time and the time the delivery vehicle is ready to depart the fulfillment center.

[0051]

[0060] Expedited delivery orders are preferably fulfilled during the outbound portion of the delivery vehicle route from the fulfillment center.

[0052]

[0061] When a delivery route is optimized based on multiple advanced delivery orders, one or more dummy route nodes may be added to the delivery route, and the or each dummy node may then be assigned to an expedited delivery order. These dummy routes are preferably added to the outbound portion of the delivery vehicle route.

[0053]

[0062] Optimizing vehicle delivery routes may include moving orders from a first route to a second route or swapping orders between two routes. Advanced delivery orders may be moved from a first delivery route to a second delivery route such that expedited delivery orders may be inserted onto the first delivery route.

[0054]

[0063] The percentage of delivery vehicle capacity allocated to expedited delivery may be changed according to customer demand. Some customer locations are too far from the fulfillment center to allow expedited delivery. In this case, the delivery vehicles used to deliver to those customer locations may not have vehicle capacity allocated to expedited delivery.

[0055]

[0064] While the above description focuses on the delivery of groceries using both advanced and expedited delivery services, it should be understood that such delivery services may be used to deliver other items in addition to or instead of groceries.

[0056]

[0065] In this document, the phrase "movement in the n-direction", where n is one of x, y, and z (and related phrases) is intended to mean movement substantially along or parallel to the n-axis, in either direction (i.e., toward the positive end of the n-axis or toward the negative end of the n-axis).

[0057]

[0066] As used herein, the term "connect" and its derivatives are intended to include the possibilities of direct and indirect connections. For example, "x is connected to y" is intended to include the possibilities of x being directly connected to y without any intervening components, and the possibilities of x being indirectly connected to y with one or more intervening components. When a direct connection is intended, "directly connected," "directly connected," or similar terms are used. Similarly, the term "support" and its derivatives are intended to include the possibilities of direct and indirect contact. For example, "x supports y" is intended to include the possibilities of x directly supporting and directly contacting y without any intervening components, and the possibilities of x indirectly supporting y with one or more intervening components that contact x and / or y. The term "attach" and its derivatives are intended to include the possibilities of direct and indirect attachment. For example, "x is attached to y" is intended to include the possibility that x is directly attached to y, with no intervening components, and the possibility that x is indirectly attached to y, with one or more intervening components.

[0058]

[0067] As used herein, the term "comprise" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive, rather than exclusive, meaning. For example, "x comprises y" is intended to include the possibility that x includes one and only one y, multiple y, or one or more y and one or more other elements. When an exclusive meaning is intended, the phrase "x consists of y" is used, meaning that x includes only y and nothing else.

[0059]

[0068] In this document, a "controller" is intended to include any hardware suitable for controlling (e.g., providing instructions to) one or more other components. For example, a processor with one or more memories and appropriate software may process data for one or more components and send appropriate instructions to the components to enable the components to perform their / their intended function.

[0060]

[0069] According to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a storage and retrieval system that can be operated to deliver goods, such as groceries, using two different methods. Capacity within a delivery vehicle can be allocated to pre-placed orders for later delivery and to expedited orders for immediate delivery.

Claims

1. A method for managing a delivery sequence, comprising: For each of the multiple delivery vehicles, allocating, by one or more hardware processors, a first portion of the vehicle payload capacity for filling by a first reservation method; and allocating, by the one or more hardware processors, a second portion of the vehicle payload capacity for filling by a second reservation method.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing, by the one or more hardware processors, a first request made according to the first reservation method before a first cutoff time but not after the first cutoff time, the first request indicating to pick a first item.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: reallocating, by the one or more hardware processors, a remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle payload capacity for one of the plurality of delivery vehicles for filling by the second reservation method rather than the first reservation method following the first cutoff time.

4. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising optimizing, by the one or more hardware processors, routes for the plurality of delivery vehicles subsequent to processing the first request.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising processing, by the one or more hardware processors, a second request made according to the second reservation method before a second cutoff time but not after the second cutoff time, the second request indicating to pick a second item.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: subsequent to processing the second request, re-optimizing, by the one or more hardware processors, the routes for the plurality of delivery vehicles.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein re-optimizing the routes for the plurality of delivery vehicles is performed based on the second request.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the routes for the plurality of delivery vehicles are reoptimized such that deliveries associated with the second requests are assigned to occur during an outbound portion of the routes.

9. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the first request includes instructing a plurality of transport devices to pick the first item from a plurality of stacks of a storage container following the first cutoff time.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein instructing the plurality of transport devices to pick the first item comprises instructing the plurality of transport devices to pick the first item before a second cutoff time, and further comprising processing, by the one or more hardware processors, a second request made according to the second reservation method before the second cutoff time but not after the second cutoff time, the second request indicating to pick a second item.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the second request comprises instructing the plurality of transport devices to pick the second item from a stack of a plurality of storage containers before the second cutoff time.

12. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising loading one of the plurality of delivery vehicles with (i) some of the first items based on allocating the first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating the second portion of the vehicle load capacity.

13. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising allocating, by the one or more hardware processors, to one of the plurality of delivery vehicles: (i) some of the first items based on allocating the first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating the second portion of the vehicle load capacity.

14. reallocating, by the one or more hardware processors, a remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle payload capacity for one of the plurality of delivery vehicles for filling by the second reservation method rather than the first reservation method following the first cutoff time; 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising loading one of the plurality of delivery vehicles with (i) some of the first items based on allocating the first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating the second portion of the vehicle load capacity and reallocating the remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle load capacity.

15. reallocating, by the one or more hardware processors, a remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle payload capacity for one of the plurality of delivery vehicles for filling by the second reservation method rather than the first reservation method following the first cutoff time; 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising allocating, by the one or more hardware processors, to one of the plurality of delivery vehicles: (i) some of the first items based on allocating the first portion of the vehicle load capacity, and (ii) some of the second items based on allocating the second portion of the vehicle load capacity and reallocating the remaining capacity of the first portion of the vehicle load capacity.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second reservation method provides faster delivery of items picked from a warehouse than the first reservation method.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reservation method services advanced delivery orders and the second reservation method services expedited delivery orders.

18. 1. A storage system comprising: a first set of parallel tracks extending in an X-direction; a second set of parallel tracks extending in a Y direction across the first set in a substantially horizontal plane, the first set and the second set forming a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces; a stack of storage containers positioned beneath the first set and the second set such that each of the stacks is positioned within the footprint of a single grid space of the plurality of grid spaces; a transport device configured to move above the first and second sets in an X-direction and a Y-direction above the plurality of stacks to transport a storage container from the plurality of stacks; a picking station that receives the storage container delivered by the transport device and transports items from the storage container to a delivery container; and one or more hardware processors configured to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. 20. The storage system of claim 18, wherein the transport device has a footprint that occupies only the single grid space.

20. 18. A non-transitory physical computer storage comprising stored computer-executable instructions configured, when executed by one or more hardware processors, to perform a process comprising the method of any one of claims 1 to 17.

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