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US 10,769,581 B1Granted
Overhanging item background subtraction
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorJeremiah David Brazeau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments are directed to an inventory system that comprises sensors and a management module to automatically determine an inventory item and its location without requiring hand-scanners. The system may determine that the object being handled is an inventory item at the location of the obstruction based at least on the inventory holder information and the location of the obstruction, and update a relative location of the inventory item based at least in part on the handling of the inventory item.
Claims13
An inventory management system, comprising:
- inventory holders configured to store inventory items;
- mobile drive devices configured to move the inventory holders;
- a station configured for performance of a task related to one or more inventory items associated with an inventory holder based at least in part on the inventory holder being positioned at the station;
- storage locations that are stationary and remote from the station and that facilitate storage of the inventory holders;
- a sensor located at a distance from the station and configured to sense objects;
- and
- one or more computer processors communicatively coupled with the station and the sensor and configured to:
- access, from a data store associated with the inventory management system, inventory holder information describing at least an attribute of the inventory holder;
- determine that an object has moved between the inventory holder and the sensor based at least in part on sensed data by the sensor about an obstruction by the object of a portion of the inventory holder;
- determine a location of the obstruction by the object based at least in part on the sensed data;
- identify a first inventory bin associated with the inventory holder based at least in part on the inventory holder information and the location of the obstruction;
- access item information associated with an inventory item stored in the first inventory bin, the item information identifying a color or size of the inventory item;
- determine that the object moved between the inventory holder and the sensor before an interaction with the inventory item at the station based at least in part on second sensed data, the second sensed data obtained from a different sensor of a different station and indicating, initially, the interaction with the inventory item and, subsequently, that the different sensor is clear of the object, the different station being one of a plurality of stations associated with the inventory management system;
- based at least in part on the inventory holder information, the location of the obstruction, a comparison of the item information and the sensed data by the sensor about the obstruction by the object, and the second sensed data, determine that the object is associated with handling the inventory item at the location of the obstruction or that the object is an overhanging inventory item;
- and
- update, at the data store associated with the inventory management system, the inventory holder information to include a relative location of the inventory item in the inventory holder based at least in part on determining that the object is associated with the handling of the inventory item or that the object is the overhanging inventory item.
13 more elements
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- accessing, by an inventory management system, inventory holder information associated with an inventory holder, the inventory holder configured to store an inventory item, the inventory management system comprising the inventory holder and a sensor;
- determining, by the inventory management system, that an object has moved between the inventory holder and the sensor based at least in part on sensed data by the sensor about an obstruction by the object of a portion of the inventory holder;
- determining, by the inventory management system, a location of the obstruction by the object based at least in part on the sensed data;
- identifying, by the inventory management system, an inventory bin associated with the inventory holder based at least in part on the inventory holder information and the location of the obstruction;
- accessing, by the inventory management system, item information associated with the inventory item stored in the inventory bin, the item information identifying an attribute of the inventory item;
- determining, by the inventory management system, that the object moved between the inventory holder and the sensor before an interaction with the inventory item at a particular station based at least in part on second sensed data, the second sensed data obtained from a different sensor of the particular station and indicating, initially, the interaction with the inventory item and, subsequently, that the different sensor is clear of the object, the particular station being one of a plurality of stations associated with the inventory management system;
- determining, by the inventory management system and based at least in part on the inventory holder information, the location of the obstruction, a comparison of the item information and the sensed data by the sensor about the obstruction by the object, and the second sensed data that the object is associated with handling the inventory item at the location of the obstruction or that the object is an overhanging inventory item;
- and
- updating, by the inventory management system, a relative location of the inventory item in the inventory holder based at least in part on determining that the object is associated with the handling of the inventory item or that the object is the overhanging inventory item.
6 more elements
One or more computer-readable storage media collectively storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems, configure the one or more computer systems to collectively perform operations comprising:
- accessing, from a data store associated with an inventory management system, inventory holder information, the inventory management system comprising a sensor and an inventory holder, the inventory holder information associated with the inventory holder, the inventory holder configured to store an inventory item;
- determining that an object has moved between the inventory holder and the sensor based at least in part on sensed data by the sensor about an obstruction by the object of a portion of the inventory holder;
- determining a location of the obstruction by the object based at least in part on the sensed data;
- identifying an inventory bin associated with the inventory holder based at least in part on the inventory holder information and the location of the obstruction;
- accessing item information associated with the inventory item stored in the inventory bin, the item information identifying a color or size of the inventory item;
- determining that the object moved between the inventory holder and the sensor before an interaction with the inventory item at a particular station based at least in part on second sensed data, the second sensed data obtained from a different sensor of the particular station and indicating, initially, the interaction with the inventory item and, subsequently, that the different sensor is clear of the object, the particular station being of a plurality of stations associated with the inventory management system;
- based at least in part on the inventory holder information, the location of the obstruction, a comparison of the item information and the sensed data by the sensor about the obstruction by the object, and the second sensed data, determining that the object is associated with handling the inventory item at the location of the obstruction or that the object is an overhanging inventory item;
- and
- updating, at the data store, a relative location of the inventory item in the inventory holder based at least in part on determining that the object is associated with the handling of the inventory item or that the object is the overhanging inventory item.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.