# How Robots and Mobile Shelves Fulfill Orders in Warehouses > Target's patent describes an automated warehouse system where mobile robots bring shelves and shipping containers to a central robot that picks items directly into orders, all without human hands. - **Patent:** US 10947045 - **Original title:** Warehousing and order fulfillment systems and methods - **Owner:** Target Brands - **Granted:** 2021 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** ecommerce, robotics, software, telecommunications, mechanical ## What it does The patent describes an order fulfillment system that uses robots to move inventory and assemble orders. A control system, upon receiving an order, directs a "first mobile robot" to pick up a "mobile storage unit" (like a portable shelf) containing the desired item (a "sellable unit"). Simultaneously, a "second mobile robot" brings an "outbound container" (like a shipping box) to a "robotic picking cell." The key mechanism is that a "picking robot" within this cell transfers the item from the mobile storage unit directly into the outbound container while both the storage unit and the container remain engaged with their respective mobile robots. For example, if you order a specific toy, a robot brings the shelf with the toy, another robot brings your shipping box, and a third robot picks the toy from the shelf into your box. ## What it does NOT cover - Systems where items are picked by humans instead of a robotic picking cell. - Systems where the mobile storage unit or outbound container are detached from their respective mobile robots before the picking robot transfers the item. - Warehouses where mobile storage units contain multiple different types of sellable units, as each unit must contain 'one or more of a single type'. - Systems that do not use separate mobile robots for transporting the mobile storage units and the outbound containers. - Systems without a 'dense inventory storage system' where mobile storage units are consolidated in an area. ## The clever bit The novelty lies in the specific choreography: the mobile storage unit and the outbound container are both brought to the picking robot by their own dedicated mobile robots, and the picking occurs while they remain engaged with those robots. This avoids extra steps of docking or transferring units, potentially speeding up the process. ## Real-world examples 1. Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) in e-commerce warehouses 2. Kitting operations in distribution centers 3. Micro-fulfillment centers 4. Target's own fulfillment operations ## Why it matters This patent addresses the growing need for speed and efficiency in e-commerce order fulfillment. By automating the movement of inventory and the picking process, companies can reduce labor costs and process orders much faster. This type of system is crucial for retailers like Target to compete with online-only giants and meet customer expectations for rapid delivery. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Robots and Mobile Shelves Fulfill Orders in Warehouses cover? Target's patent describes an automated warehouse system where mobile robots bring shelves and shipping containers to a central robot that picks items directly into orders, all without human hands. ### Who owns patent US 10947045? Target Brands owns this patent, granted in 2021. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on November 14, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 10947045 cited by? This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent addresses the growing need for speed and efficiency in e-commerce order fulfillment. By automating the movement of inventory and the picking process, companies can reduce labor costs and process orders much faster. This type of system is crucial for retailers like Target to compete with online-only giants and meet customer expectations for rapid delivery. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Systems where items are picked by humans instead of a robotic picking cell. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10947045/warehousing-and-order-fulfillment-systems-and-methods **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US10947045 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Warehouses Sort Items with Magnetic Levitation Shuttles](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12077385/systems-and-methods-for-high-speed-warehouse-order-sortation) — This patent describes a warehouse system that uses magnetic levitation shuttles to quickly sort individual items for customer orders, guided by a control system that directs shuttles based on item type and order needs. - [How Warehouses Plan Pallet Stacks for Incoming Shipments](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11767169/warehousing-systems-and-methods) — This patent describes an automated warehouse system that plans how to stack incoming items onto pallets to perfectly fit available storage racks, and automatically sorts out incorrect items. - [Automated System for Emptying and Sorting Items from Shipping Containers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11648589/systems-and-methods-to-enhance-the-utilization-of-order-sortation-systems) — This patent describes an automated system for quickly emptying items from shipping containers, like totes, by inverting them onto a conveyor belt for scanning and sorting into customer orders. - [How One Person Can Control Two Robots as a Team](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11794345/unified-robotic-vehicle-systems-and-methods-of-control) — This patent describes a system where a single operator can control two separate robots together as one unified machine, or switch to control them individually, using a master control system. - [How Amazon Tracks Warehouse Workers' Hands Using Radio Waves](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9881277/amazon-robotics-kiva-systems) — A system that uses radio frequency signals to track the exact 3D position of a warehouse worker's hand to ensure they pick or place items in the correct bins.