How Overhead Robots Pick Items in a Warehouse
This patent describes a warehouse system where robots suspended from overhead rails move across tall storage racks to pick and place containers for customer orders, making order fulfillment faster.
Original patent title: “Order fulfillment systems and methods”
This patent describes a warehouse system where robots suspended from overhead rails move across tall storage racks to pick and place containers for customer orders, making order fulfillment faster. Granted to Target Brands in 2023 with 23 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2042.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent outlines an order fulfillment system that uses robots moving on overhead rails to manage inventory. The system includes many fixed storage units, like tall shelves or racks (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 2), each holding multiple containers of items (sellable unit containers). Robotic actuators, which are like robotic arms, hang from these overhead rails (Claim 1). When a customer places an order, a central control system tells a robot to go to a specific shelf, grab a container with the requested item, and move it to a designated spot for further processing (Claim 1). For orders with multiple items, different robots can work simultaneously to retrieve various containers (Claim 5). The system can also provide instructions on how to pack the individual items from these retrieved containers into a final outbound box, even suggesting an efficient loading sequence for retail store stocking (ClaimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → 6, 7, 8).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems where robots move on the floor to retrieve storage units. The robots are "suspended from the respective overhead rail" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover systems where the storage units themselves are mobile and move to a picking station. The patent specifies "static storage units" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover robots that pick individual items directly from shelves. The robots "couple with a first sellable unit container" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover manual picking processes where humans retrieve items from shelves. The system relies on "robotic actuators" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in combining vertically expanded, static storage with overhead, suspended robotic actuators. This allows robots to access items stored high up without needing to navigate aisles on the ground, effectively increasing storage density and throughput in a smaller footprint.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS)
Micro-fulfillment centers
Warehouse automation by companies like Dematic or Swisslog
E-commerce fulfillment centers (e.g., Amazon, Walmart)
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent addresses a core challenge in modern retail and e-commerce: efficiently fulfilling a high volume of diverse orders. By using overhead robots and vertically expanded storage, it aims to maximize warehouse space and speed up the "picking" process, which is a major bottleneck. This approach can reduce the physical effort for human workers and improve delivery times for customers, making supply chains more responsive.
Filed
January 11, 2022
Granted
August 29, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major retailers like Target Brands Inc. (the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →) are actively investing in and deploying such automation in their distribution centers. Companies specializing in warehouse automation and logistics, such as Knapp AG, AutoStore, and Exotec, are continually developing and implementing similar high-density, robot-driven fulfillment solutions.
Market impact
This type of automation has significantly changed how retailers manage inventory and fulfill online orders. It enables faster processing times, reduces labor costs, and allows for more efficient use of warehouse space, directly impacting the speed and cost of e-commerce delivery. It contributes to the broader trend of increased automation in logistics and supply chain management.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent outlines an order fulfillment system that uses robots moving on overhead rails to manage inventory. The system includes many fixed storage units, like tall shelves or racks (Claim 2), each holding multiple containers of items (sellable unit containers). Robotic actuators, which are like robotic arms, hang from these overhead rails (Claim 1). When a customer places an order, a central control system tells a robot to go to a specific shelf, grab a container with the requested item, and move it to a designated spot for further processing (Claim 1). For orders with multiple items, different robots can work simultaneously to retrieve various containers (Claim 5). The system can also provide instructions on how to pack the individual items from these retrieved containers into a final outbound box, even suggesting an efficient loading sequence for retail store stocking (Claims 6, 7, 8).
The clever bit
The novelty lies in combining vertically expanded, static storage with overhead, suspended robotic actuators. This allows robots to access items stored high up without needing to navigate aisles on the ground, effectively increasing storage density and throughput in a smaller footprint.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems where robots move on the floor to retrieve storage units. The robots are "suspended from the respective overhead rail" (Claim 1).
- Does not cover systems where the storage units themselves are mobile and move to a picking station. The patent specifies "static storage units" (Claim 1).
- Does not cover robots that pick individual items directly from shelves. The robots "couple with a first sellable unit container" (Claim 1).
- Does not cover manual picking processes where humans retrieve items from shelves. The system relies on "robotic actuators" (Claim 1).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$21K – $67K
Midpoint $42K · 15.2 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Lisso, G. (2023). How Overhead Robots Pick Items in a Warehouse (U.S. Patent No. 11,738,949). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11738949/order-fulfillment-systems-and-methods
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Overhead Robots Pick Items in a Warehouse cover?
This patent describes a warehouse system where robots suspended from overhead rails move across tall storage racks to pick and place containers for customer orders, making order fulfillment faster.
Who owns patent US 11738949?
Target Brands owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on January 11, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent addresses a core challenge in modern retail and e-commerce: efficiently fulfilling a high volume of diverse orders. By using overhead robots and vertically expanded storage, it aims to maximize warehouse space and speed up the "picking" process, which is a major bottleneck. This approach can reduce the physical effort for human workers and improve delivery times for customers, making supply chains more responsive.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems where robots move on the floor to retrieve storage units. The robots are "suspended from the respective overhead rail" (Claim 1).
Same assignee
More from Target Brands
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