# US 12,112,293 B2 · Dispensing and tracking system

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- Number: US 12,112,293 B2
- Document ID: US12112293B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/739,852
- Filed: 2020-01-10
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-11
- Assignees: Apex Industrial Technologies LLC
- Applicants: Benjamin V. Savage; Edward A. Fullman; Saurabh Sarkar; Christopher M. Hodapp; Richard Mathias Alden
- Inventors: Benjamin V. Savage; Edward A. Fullman; Saurabh Sarkar; Christopher M. Hodapp; Richard Mathias Alden
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112293B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/0836: Recipient pick-ups
- G06Q 10/0832: Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders}
- 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

## Abstract

A dispensing system including a sensor configured to identify a position of an item on a surface of a component, a controller operatively coupled to the sensor, and a display device operatively coupled to the controller. The display device is configured to dynamically display information relating to the item. The display device is configured to display the information at a location physically associated with the item.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dispensing system comprising:
a dispensing component;
a sensor coupled to the component and configured to identify a position of a unique item on a surface of the component;
a controller operatively coupled to the sensor; and
a display device coupled to the component and operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the display device is configured to dynamically display information relating to said item, wherein the display device is configured to display the information at a location physically associated with the item, wherein the controller is configured to automatically track, after initial placement of a plurality of unique items on the surface, the location of one or more of the plurality of unique items that are repositioned on the surface and that are part of a single order, wherein the controller is configured to associate each unique item with the associated order before and after repositioning, and wherein the displayed information conveys that the plurality of unique items are part of the single order.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to identify the item based upon an output from the sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the component includes the surface in the form of a generally flat dispensing surface, wherein the sensor is positioned above the dispensing surface, and wherein the display device is configured to display the information along or adjacent to at least one of a front or rear edge of the dispensing surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the dispensing surface is a shelf, wherein the component further includes a supplemental shelf oriented generally parallel to said shelf and at a different vertical location than the shelf, and a supplemental sensor configured to track the position of an item on said supplemental shelf, and wherein said supplemental sensor is operatively coupled to said controller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the display device extends generally laterally, wherein the item has a lateral location on the dispensing surface, and wherein the displayed information at least partially laterally overlaps with the location of the item.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the display device is configured to project the displayed information on the dispensing surface of the component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein the dispensing surface is oriented generally horizontally, and wherein the at least one of a front or rear edge is oriented generally vertically, and wherein the display device is configured to display the information on least one of the front or rear edge of the dispensing surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the displayed information includes an identity of a recipient of the order.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said sensor includes at least one optical sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes an optical recognition device and wherein the controller is configured to track the position of the item on the surface by object recognition and background subtraction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the displayed information relating to the plurality of items is displayed on two different shelves of the component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to track the plurality of items when the plurality of items are not located immediately adjacent to each other.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to identify spillage positioned on the component and to identify the location and extent of the spillage on the component, and to track the identified spillage to ensure the spillage is not identified as an item.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to transmit information to a mobile device of a recipient of the item, wherein the transmitted information is human readable and conveys information relating to the position of the item on the component.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to transmit a pickup code to a recipient, wherein the pickup code is subsequently transmittable by the recipient to the system as proof of authorization of the recipient.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is coupled to the component.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensor or controller is configured to identify the unique items based upon geometric features of the items.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to create a virtual compartment within which are positioned the plurality of items that are part of the order, and wherein the compartment is dynamically adjustable, after the items that are part of the order are placed on the surface, to accommodate movement relative to the surface of any of the items that are part of the order such that after the movement the plurality of items are within the virtual compartment.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein the display device is configured to dynamically display information relating to the order, and wherein the display device is configured to display the information at a location physically associated with the virtual compartment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to track each unique item as a separate item separate from any other item, and wherein the controller is configured to associate each unique item with single order.

### Claim 21

A dispensing system comprising:
a dispensing component;
a sensor configured to automatically sense an item on a surface of the dispensing component without any manual input;
a controller operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to automatically identify the item based upon an output from the sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to, based upon the identification of the item based upon the output from the sensor, automatically associate the identified item with a recipient without any manual input, wherein the controller is configured to automatically track, after initial placement of a plurality of items on the surface, the location of one or more of the plurality of items that are repositioned on the surface and that are part of a single order, and wherein the controller is configured to associate each item with the associated order before and after repositioning; and
a display device operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the display device is configured to dynamically display information relating to said item, wherein the display device is configured to display the information on a portion of the dispensing component at a location physically associated with the item.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the controller is configured to automatically associate the identified item with at least one other item of the same order based on the output of the sensor.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22 wherein the controller is configured to automatically associate the identified item with at least one other item of the same order, based upon the automatic association of the item with a recipient by the controller, and without any manual input.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the controller is configured to identify the item by comparing the output of the sensor to a database that correlates certain physical qualities with certain items.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the display device is configured to vary the location of the displayed information for a single order based upon at least one of a space occupied by items associated with an order, or a presence or absence of any adjacent items.

### Claim 26 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the sensor and the display device are both directly coupled to the component.

### Claim 27 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the information relating to the item, that the display device is configured to display, includes an identity of the recipient.

### Claim 28 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the portion of the dispensing component is a vertically oriented portion.

### Claim 29 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the portion of the dispensing component is a front, vertically oriented, edge of a shelf of the dispensing component.

### Claim 30 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the display device is a display screen.

### Claim 31 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21 wherein the display device is a single, continuous display screen.

### Claim 32

A method for dispensing items comprising:
identifying, via a sensor, a position of a plurality of items, that are part of a single order on a component;
displaying, via a display device that is operatively coupled to said sensor, information relating to said order, wherein the information is displayed at a location physically associated with the order, and wherein the displayed information includes an identity of a recipient of the order;
tracking, after initial placement of the plurality of items on the component, the location one or more of the plurality of items that are repositioned on the component and that are part of the single order, wherein the tracking includes associating each item with the associated order before and after repositioning; and
after the identifying and displaying steps, adjusting at least one of the positioning or extent of the displayed information based upon movement of at least one of the plurality of items that are part of the single order.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of removing the displayed information after one of the sensor or a controller determines that all items of the order have been removed from the component.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 further including the step of receiving a code from a recipient, and in response, causing the display device to call attention to the order at a location of at least one of the order or the component.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34 wherein the code is transmitted via at least one of sms or text message to a cellular phone of the recipient.

### Claim 36 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 wherein the displayed information relates to the identity of a recipient that is intended to pick up the order.

### Claim 37 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 further comprising, prior to the identifying step, a dispensing entity positioning the order on the component, and after the displaying step, the dispensing entity detecting that a recipient has removed the order from the component.

### Claim 38 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 wherein the displaying step includes varying the location of the displayed information based upon at least one of a presence or absence of any adjacent items, or a space occupied by items associated with the order.

### Claim 39 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 wherein the displaying step includes automatically varying at least one of a size or font of the displayed information to adjust a size of the displayed information to match the outermost lateral dimensions of the order.

### Claim 40 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 wherein the method further includes receiving information that the plurality of items are part of the single order, wherein the movement includes removal or addition of the at least one of the plurality of items that are part of the single order from or to the component, and wherein the adjusting of at least one of the positioning or extent of the displayed information includes expanding the size of the displayed information to account for an added item that is part of the single order, or reducing the size of the displayed information to account for a removed item that is part of the single order.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40 wherein the plurality of items of a single order includes different types of items.

### Claim 42 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32 further comprising transmitting information to a cellular phone of a recipient of the plurality of items, wherein the information relates to the positioning of the item on the display device, and wherein the method further includes mobile device displaying said information relating to the positioning of the item in a human readable form.