Task-Indicating Shelf
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsNicholaus Adam Jones, Matthew Allen Jones, Aaron James Vasgaard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A task-indicating shelf that includes a supporting surface for supporting one or more physical objects and one or more visual indicators associated with the shelf and indicative of a task to be performed with respect to the one or more physical objects is described. The task-indicating shelf includes a docking station electrically coupled to the one or more visual indicators and configured to receive a handheld device. Docking the handheld device within the docking station powers an electric circuit between the handheld device and the one or more visual indicators to selectively energize or de-energize the one or more visual indicators.
Claims20
A task-indicating shelf, comprising:
- a shelf including a supporting surface for supporting one or more physical objects;
- one or more visual indicators associated with the shelf and indicative of a task to be performed with respect to the one or more physical objects, each of the one or more visual indicators corresponding to a particular type of physical object on the shelf;
- and
- a docking station electrically coupled to the one or more visual indicators and configured to receive a handheld device;
- wherein docking the handheld device within the docking station powers an electric circuit between the handheld device and the one or more visual indicators to selectively energize or de-energize the one or more visual indicators.
A task-indicating shelf system, comprising:
- a shelf including:
- a supporting surface for supporting one or more physical objects;
- one or more visual indicators associated with the shelf and indicative of a task to be performed with respect to the one or more physical objects, each of the one or more visual indicators corresponding to a particular type of physical object on the shelf;
- and
- a docking station electrically coupled to the one or more visual indicators and configured to receive a handheld device;
- and
- a server in communication with the handheld device;
- wherein docking the handheld device within the docking station triggers the handheld device to communicate with the server and receive a specification of tasks to be performed at the shelf from the server;
- and
- wherein docking the handheld device within the docking station powers an electric circuit between the handheld device and the one or more visual indicators to selectively energize or de-energize the one or more visual indicators based on the task to be performed at the shelf.
A method of indicating tasks to be performed on a shelf, comprising:
- providing a shelf including:
- a supporting surface for supporting one or more physical objects;
- one or more visual indicators associated with the shelf and indicative of a task to be performed with respect to the one or more physical objects, each of the one or more visual indicators corresponding to a particular type of physical object on the shelf;
- and
- a docking station electrically coupled to the one or more visual indicators and configured to receive a handheld device;
- docking the handheld device within the docking station of the shelf;
- transmitting tasks to be performed at the shelf from a server to the handheld device;
- and
- powering an electric circuit from the handheld device to selectively energize or de-energize the one or more visual indicators based on the tasks to be performed at the shelf.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.