Granted Patent B2

US 12,286,301 · App. 16/973,260 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventors: Scott Gravelle (Calgary, CA); Robert Winston (Calgary, CA); Darin Rousseau (Calgary, CA)

Assignee: Attabotics Inc.

B65G1/1373B65G1/0464B65G1/0471B65G1/0478B65G1/0492B65G1/065B65G1/12B65G1/137B65G2203/0283B65G2203/041

Abstract

Claims (18)

1. A storage system comprising:

one or more storage/retrieval vehicles;

a gridded three-dimensional structure comprising:

a gridded track layout that occupies a two-dimensional area and on which the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles are conveyable in two directions;

a plurality of storage columns residing above or below the gridded track layout and distributed within the two-dimensional area of said gridded track layout, each of the storage columns comprising a plurality of storage locations arranged one over another and sized to accommodate placement and storage of storage units;

a plurality of upright shafts residing above or below the gridded track layout in spaced distribution within the two-dimensional area of said gridded track layout, each of the storage columns neighboured by a respective one of the upright shafts through which the storage locations of said each of the storage columns are accessible by the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles to place or remove the storage units to or from said storage locations of said each of the storage columns;

a set of detectable markers and a set of sensors operable to detect said detectable markers, wherein a first of either said detectable markers or said sensors are supported within the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near spots in the gridded track layout that overlie or underlie the upright shafts, and a second of either said detectable markers or said sensors are carried on said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles; and

wherein, during arrival of any one of said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles at a respective spot overlying or underlying a targeted shaft for which said one of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is destined, detection of a respective detectable marker by one of the sensors is used to check and selectively adjust an alignment of said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles with the targeted shaft before attempting transition of said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles from said gridded track layout into the targeted shaft.

2. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein the detectable markers are statically supported within the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near said spots in the gridded track layout, and the sensors are carried on the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles.

3. The storage system of claim 2 , further configured to, during travel of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles towards the respective spot underlying or overlying the targeted shaft, scan additional detectable markers located within the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near respective other spots past which the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is passing during said travel, and use results of said scans to dynamically adjust travel instructions under which the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is operating to precisely target the respective spot underlying or overlying the targeted shaft.

4. The storage system of claim 1 , wherein each of the sensors comprises an image capture device having a field of view that exceeds a size of the detectable markers and is aimed to encompass a predetermined position at which the detectable markers are expected to reside under proper alignment of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles with the targeted shaft, and wherein the storage system is configured to check for an agreement between a position of said one of the detectable markers within the field of view and a predetermined sub-region of the field of view in which said one of the detectable markers is expected, whereby said agreement indicates proper alignment of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles relative to the targeted shaft.

5. A method for controlling positioning of one or more storage/retrieval vehicles in a gridded three-dimensional structure in which said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles are conveyable in two dimensions on a gridded track layout and in a third dimension through upright shafts whose upright axes intersect said gridded track layout, said method comprising:

(a) having a first of either a set of detectable markers or a set of sensors supported on the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near spots of the gridded track layout that overlie or underlie the upright shafts, and having a second of either said set of detectable markers or said set of sensors carried on said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles, wherein said sensors are operable to detect said detectable markers;

(b) during arrival of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles at a respective spot overlying or underlying a targeted shaft for which said any one of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is destined, using one of the sensors to detect one of the detectable markers; and

(c) using detection of the one of the detectable markers by said one of the sensors to check, and selectively adjusting alignment of said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles with the targeted shaft before attempting transition of said one or more storage/retrieval vehicles from said gridded track layout into the targeted shaft.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method further includes a step of statically supporting the detectable markers within the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near the spots of the gridded track layout, and carrying the sensors on the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, during travel of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles towards the respective spot underlying or overlying the targeted shaft, scanning additional detectable markers located within the gridded three-dimensional structure at or near other spots past which the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is passing during said travel, and using results of said scans to dynamically adjust travel instructions under which the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles is operating to precisely target the respective spot underlying or overlying the targeted shaft.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein step (b) comprises using said one of the sensors to capture digital images from a field of view containing said one of the detectable markers, and step (c) comprises checking for agreement between a position of said one of the detectable markers within the field of view and a predetermined sub-region of the field of view in which said one of the detectable markers is expected, whereby said agreement indicates proper alignment of the one or more storage/retrieval vehicles relative to the targeted shaft.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (359)