US 10,769,579 B1Granted

Tote association

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsKorwin Jon Smith, Amber Autrey Taylor, Alexander Michael McNamara, Sridhar Boyapati, Jason Michael Famularo, Thomas Meilandt Mathiesen

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system for associating multiple totes with a single profile so that items placed into any of the multiple totes are identified on a profile item identifier list. For example, if two users located in a materials handling facility are picking items that are to be consolidated or otherwise treated together, each user may select a different tote and move separately through the materials handling facility. As either user picks items and places those items into a corresponding tote, a profile item identifier list is updated to include an item identifier for each picked item.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions, determining a first user positioned within a materials handling facility;
determining a second user positioned within the materials handling facility;
determining a selection of a first tote by at least one of the first user or the second user;
determining a selection of a second tote by at least one of the first user or the second user;
associating the first tote, the second tote, the first user, and the second user with a profile that includes a profile item identifier list that indicates items placed into the first tote or the second tote;
determining an item place of a first item into the first tote, wherein the first item is not identified on the profile item identifier list prior to determining the item place of the first item into the first tote;
in response to determining the item place of the first item into the first tote, updating the profile item identifier list associated with the profile to include a first item identifier representative of the first item;
determining an item place of a second item into the second tote, wherein the second item is not identified on the profile item identifier list prior to determining the item place of the second item into the second tote;
and
in response to determining the item place of the second item into the second tote:
updating the profile item identifier list associated with the profile to include a second item identifier representative of the second item;
and
sending for display to at least one of the first tote or the second tote, the profile item identifier list.

10 more elements

A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
determine a first user positioned within a materials handling facility;
determine a second user positioned within the materials handling facility;
associate a first tote, a second tote, the first user, and the second user with a profile item identifier list;
detect an item place of a first item into the first tote, wherein the first item is not identified on the profile item identifier list prior to detection of the item place of the first item into the first tote;
and
in response to detection of the item place of the first item into the first tote:
update the profile item identifier list to include a first item identifier representative of the first item;
and
send for display to at least one of the first tote or the second tote, the profile item identifier list.

9 more elements

A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
determine a first user positioned within a materials handling facility;
determine a second user positioned within the materials handling facility;
associate a first tote with a profile item identifier list;
associate the first tote with a first user;
associate a second tote with the profile item identifier list;
associate the second tote with a second user;
associate the first user and the second user with the profile item identifier list
receive from the first tote, a first item identifier representative of a first item located in the first tote, wherein the first item is not identified on the profile item identifier list prior to receipt from the first tote of the first item identifier representative of the first item located in the first tote;
in response to receipt from the first tote of the first item identifier representative of the first item located in the first tote, update the profile item identifier list to include the first item identifier;
receive from the second tote, a second item identifier representative of a second item located in the second tote, wherein the second item is not identified on the profile item identifier list prior to receipt from the second tote of the second item identifier representative of the second item located in the second tote;
and
in response to receipt from the second tote of the second item identifier representative of the second item located in the second tote:
update the profile item identifier list to include the second item identifier;
and
send for display, the profile item identifier list.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/479,942Filed 8 Sep 2014
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B65G 1/1373
With arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed: for fulfilling orders in warehouses
B65G 1/1375
For fulfilling orders in warehouses: the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
B65G 1/1371
With arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed: with data records
G05B 15/02
Systems controlled by a computer: electric

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key