Back to results
US 2014/0350710 A1Published application
Tote Based Item Tracking
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsVaradarajan Gopalakrishnan, Subram Narasimhan, Omar FawazHashim Zakaria, Dilip Kumar, Sridhar Boyapati, Jin Dong Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure describes a system for managing inventory as it transitions into a materials handling facility, as it transitions between locations within a materials handling facility and/or as it transitions out of a materials handling facility. In some instances, a user (e.g., picker or picking agent) may retrieve an item from an inventory location and place the item into a tote. The systems described herein detect the item when it is added to or removed from the tote.
Claims22
A tote configured to identify items contained in the tote, the tote comprising:
- a base surface;
- a plurality of side surfaces coupled to the base surface and positioned to define a cavity;
- a first antenna coupled to at least one of side surfaces and defining a first plane substantially parallel with the base surface, the first antenna configured to detect an interruption of the first plane as an item passes through the first plane;
- a second antenna coupled to at least one of side surfaces and defining a second plane substantially parallel with the base surface, the second antenna configured to detect an interruption of the second plane as the item passes through the second plane;
- a computing system coupled to the tote and in communication with the first antenna and the second antenna, the computing system including:
- 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:
- receive from the first antenna first information, the first information identifying that the first plane was interrupted;
- receive from the second receiving component second information, the second information identifying that the second plane was interrupted;
- determine, based at least in part on the first information and the second information, that the item was added to the tote or removed from the tote;
- and
- based on a determination that the item was added to the tote, add an item identifier to a tote item list.
10 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a base surface;
- a plurality of side surfaces coupled to the base surface and positioned to define a cavity;
- a first receiving component positioned within the cavity and defining a first plane, the first receiving component configured to detect an interruption of the first plane as an item passes through the first plane;
- a second receiving component positioned within the cavity and defining a second plane, the second receiving component configured to detect an interruption of the second plane as the item passes through the second plane;
- a computing system coupled to the apparatus and in communication with the first receiving component and the second receiving component, the computing system including:
- 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:
- receive from the first receiving component a first information, the first information identifying that the first plane was interrupted;
- receive from the second receiving component second information, the second information identifying that the second plane was interrupted;
- determine based at least in part on the first information and the second information, whether an item was added to the apparatus or removed from the apparatus;
- and
- based on a determination that the item was added to the apparatus, add an item identifier to a tote item list.
10 more elements
A computer-implemented method for managing a tote item list for a tote, comprising:
- under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
- scanning a cavity of the tote to identify a plurality of item identifiers included in the tote;
- identifying an item identifier of the plurality of item identifiers included in the tote that is included in the tote item list;
- determining that at least one item identifier of the identified plurality of item identifiers is not included in the tote item list;
- and
- updating the tote item list to include the at least one item identifier.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.