# US 11,907,898 B2 · Electronic inventory tracking system and associated user interfaces

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- Number: US 11,907,898 B2
- Document ID: US11907898B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/197,779
- Filed: 2021-03-10
- Published: 2021-06-24
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-02
- Assignees: Coupang Corp.
- Applicants: Coupang, Corp.
- Inventors: Byung Suk Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907898B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/08772: {Inventory counting methods}
- G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
- G06Q 10/0833: Tracking
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A computer-implemented system for tracking items in a supply chain. The system may comprise a memory storing instructions and at least one processor configured to execute instructions. Those stored instructions include receiving a first input that an item has entered a first station, the input comprising a first location identifier; assigning an inventory identifier to the item; storing the location identifier and the inventory identifier in a data store, associating the location identifier with the inventory identifier; receiving a second input comprising the inventory identifier and a second location identifier when the item is moved to a new station: storing the new location identifier when the item is moved to a new station; storing the new location identifier such that the new location identifier is associated with the inventory identifier with at least one previous station associated with the inventory identifier; receiving a request for a diagram; generating a diagram tracking the item using at least the inventory identifier and at least one location identifier, wherein the diagram tracks the item from the inbound station to the most recent station; and transmitting the diagram for display.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented system for tracking items in a supply chain, the system comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, from a first user device and in response to the first user device scanning an indicator on an item associated with an inventory identifier, a first input comprising a first location identifier associated with a first station;
associate the inventory identifier with the first location identifier;
receive a second input comprising the inventory identifier and a second location identifier;
associate the second location identifier with the inventory identifier;
generate, by a processor, a linked list comprising a plurality of pointers identifying data store entries;
create, based on the linked list, a data structure tracking the item movement;
receive a request from a second user device;
generate, in response to the request, a diagram tracking scans of the item performed at multiple locations, based on the linked list, the diagram depicting movement of the item from the first station; and
transmit the diagram for display at the second user device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein at least one of associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier or associating the second location identifier with the inventory identifier comprises storing an inventory data entry, the inventory data entry comprising the inventory identifier and at least one of the first or second location identifiers in a data store.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein inventory data entry comprises at least one of the inventory identifier, a package identifier, a user identifier, an employee identifier, a device identifier, an International Mobile Subscription Identifier, a phone number, a Universal Unique Identifier, a Globally Unique Identifier, a date, a time, or a location identifier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the second input is received from a third user device and in response to the third user device scanning the indicator on the item.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented system of claim 4, wherein:
associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier comprises:
generating first scan data associated with the first user device scanning the indicator on the item; and
storing the first scan data in a data store; and
associating the inventory identifier with the second location identifier comprises:
generating second scan data associated with the third user device scanning the indicator on the item; and
storing the second scan data in the data store.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer-implemented system of claim 5, wherein the data store entries include the first and second scan data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer-implemented system of claim 7, wherein the visual indicator is a barcode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the diagram comprises visual elements corresponding to locations, each visual element having at least one of an inventory identifier, a location identifier, a type of item move, a user identifier, a number of subitems associated with the item, a date the item was moved, or a time the item was moved.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein:
the item is associated with multiple subitems, the subitems being associated with respective subitem identifiers;
associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier comprises associating the subitem identifiers with the first location identifier; and
associating the inventory identifier with the second location identifier comprises associating the subitem identifiers with the second location identifier.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the inventory identifier accounts for subitems by creating a subitem inventory identifier that appends additional information to the end of the inventory identifier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The computer-implemented system of claim 10, wherein the diagram is a tree diagram with branches of the tree diagram representing different subitems.

### Claim 13

A method for tracking items in a supply chain, comprising:
receiving, from a first user device and in response to the first user device scanning an indicator on an item associated with an inventory identifier, a first input comprising a first location identifier associated with a first station;
associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier;
receiving a second input comprising the inventory identifier and a second location identifier;
associating the second location identifier with the inventory identifier;
generating, by a processor, a linked list comprising a plurality of pointers identifying data store entries;
creating, based on the linked list, a data structure tracking the item movement;
receiving a request from a second user device;
generating, in response to the request, a diagram tracking scans of the item performed at multiple locations, based on the linked list, the diagram depicting movement of the item from the first station; and
transmitting the diagram for display at the second user device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier or associating the second location identifier with the inventory identifier comprises storing an inventory data entry, the inventory data entry comprising the inventory identifier and at least one of the first or second location identifiers in a data store.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the second input is received from a third user device and in response to the third user device scanning the indicator on the item.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier comprises:
generating first scan data associated with the first user device scanning the indicator on the item; and
storing the first scan data in a data store; and
associating the inventory identifier with the second location identifier comprises:
generating second scan data associated with the third user device scanning the indicator on the item; and
storing the second scan data in the data store.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the indicator is a visual indicator.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the diagram comprises visual elements corresponding to locations, each visual element having at least one of an inventory identifier, a location identifier, a type of item move, a user identifier, a number of subitems associated with the item, a date the item was moved, or a time the item was moved.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
the item is associated with multiple subitems, the subitems being associated with respective subitem identifiers;
associating the inventory identifier with the first location identifier comprises associating the subitem identifiers with the first location identifier; and
associating the inventory identifier with the second location identifier comprises associating the subitem identifiers with the second location identifier.