Robot Task Partitioning and Coalescing for Warehouse Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

In warehouse and inventory management, existing robotic systems face inefficiencies due to uncoordinated operations, leading to increased time and distance traveled by robots, collisions, and reduced task completion rates, which result in higher costs and error rates.

Innovation Solution

The system partitions robotic operations into specific regions, using a robot coordinator to assign tasks and dynamically adjust boundaries, allowing robots to operate independently in designated sections without conflicts, and then coalesces results through coordinated transfer operations to maximize task completion rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If robots operate independently without coordination in warehouse spaces, then each robot can perform tasks autonomously, but travel distance increases and collisions occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous task executionVSAvoidtravel distance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The warehouse space is divided into multiple partitioned sections, and robots are assigned to operate within specific sections. This segmentation of the workspace reduces unnecessary travel distance between sections while maintaining autonomous task execution capabilities within each partitioned area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The robot coordinator dynamically adjusts robot assignments and space partitioning based on real-time task requirements and robot locations. This dynamic coordination optimizes travel paths and reduces collisions while preserving autonomous operation, allowing the system to adapt to changing warehouse conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Extent of automation

If robots operate independently without coordination, then autonomous execution is maintained, but collisions and conflicts increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous executionVSAvoidcollision avoidance

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A robot coordinator acts as an intermediary between multiple autonomous robots, managing their interactions and coordinating their movements. This intermediary maintains the autonomous execution capability of individual robots while preventing collisions through centralized oversight and dynamic task assignment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts robot assignments and space partitioning based on real-time conditions. This dynamic coordination ensures that autonomous robots operate in a coordinated manner, reducing conflicts and collisions while preserving their autonomous execution capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If robots operate without coordinated task assignment, then operational flexibility is maintained, but task completion efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational flexibilityVSAvoidtask completion rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The robot coordinator dynamically assigns tasks to robots based on real-time requirements, robot capabilities, and current locations. This dynamic task assignment maintains operational flexibility by adapting to changing conditions while improving task completion efficiency through optimized resource allocation and coordinated execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The robot coordinator provides universal management capabilities across multiple robots and task types. It can assign diverse tasks to different robots based on their capabilities, maintaining operational flexibility while improving overall productivity through coordinated multi-robot execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Device complexity

If uncoordinated robotic operations are used, then system complexity is reduced, but efficiency and accuracy decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidefficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A robot coordinator serves as an intermediary layer that manages complexity centrally while allowing individual robots to operate autonomously. This approach improves efficiency and accuracy through coordinated task assignment and space management, without requiring complex modifications to each individual robot's hardware or software architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11734646B2Partitioning and coalescing operation of robots for coordinated autonomous execution

Publication Date: 2023.08.22 INVIA ROBOTICS INC

AI summary

Robots and/or a robot coordinator are provided to execute an overall task by partitioning the task into subtasks and by coalescing results and/or output of the subtasks. The robot coordinator may coordinate, control, and/or program a set of robots to operate within different sections of a site and to execute subtasks associated with different tasks that fall within their respective sections in parallel. The robot coordinator may coordinate, control, and/or program the same or different set of robots to coalesce results and/or output for subtasks for a particular task from the different sections to complete the overall task. For instance, a first set of robots may retrieve objects that are stored at storage locations within the sections in which each robot operates, and a second set of robots may rotate moveable storage apparatus across the sections so that each storage apparatus stores all objects of a particular order.