Instrumented item stowage system with modular elements

• US 10,001,402 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gyori, Benjamin Jozef, Medrano, Ismael, Frenkel, Alexander Michael, Java, Punit Narendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy
• Application Number:
  US14/745,045
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0025 having separate display containers or trays on shelves or on racks
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/42 for counting by weighing G01G19/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/22 Weigh pans or other weighing receptacles; Weighing platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/28 Frames, Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/045 provided with perforations or slots permitting introduction or exit of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/388 in modular walls, e.g. wall panels

Abstract

Inventory locations such as shelves in a materials handling facility may be used to store items of various shapes and sizes. Described is a modular item stowage system with hardware that incorporates several components that may be readily reconfigured to accommodate changes in store layout, product presentation, and so forth. The components may include one or more of an instrumented auto-facing unit, divider, spacer, and so forth. The hardware may also support onboard electronics such as sensors to acquire sensor data and computing devices to process the sensor data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a platform having a front and a back, the platform including;

a plurality of weight sensors to measure weight distribution of a load on a shelf base;

a plurality of back engagement slots arranged along the back of the platform;

a cable recess including one or more connectors;

a plurality of front engagement slots arranged along the front of the platform; and

a first modular element to mount to the platform by engaging one or more of the plurality of back engagement slots and one or more of the plurality of front engagement slots, the first modular element including one or more of;

an auto-facing unit to hold one or more items;

or

an instrumented auto-facing unit to hold the one or more items and including a data cable terminated in a plug to couple to one of the one or more connectors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the first modular element comprises a first instrumented auto-facing unit mounted to the platform and having a first data cable plugged into a first of the one or more connectors;

and

further comprising;

a second modular element comprising a second instrumented auto-facing unit mounted to the platform and having a second data cable plugged into a second of the one or more connectors, wherein the first modular element and the second modular element have a common depth from front to back and different widths.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an upright support member with a plurality of slots; and

a platform base to support the platform, the platform base including;

a first set of one or more engagement features to engage one or more of the plurality of slots in the upright support member, and

a second set of one or more engagement features to engage one or more of the plurality of weight sensors of the platform.

4. A system comprising:

a platform including;

a plurality of weight sensors to measure weight of a load on the platform;

at least one engagement feature along at least a portion of a width of the platform; and

a first modular element mounted to the at least one engagement feature, the first modular element to hold one or more items and the first modular element comprising one or more sensors.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a controller to:

determine one or more first weight values from the weight of the load measured by the plurality of weight sensors;

determine a change in weight of the load associated with mounting the first modular element to the platform that is empty of the one or more items; and

determine one or more tare weight values of the load on the platform including the empty first modular element.

6. The system of claim 4, the at least one engagement feature including one or more of:

a slot,

a hook,

a tab,

a bar,

a rod,

a tube,

a ferrous material, or

a magnet.

7. The system of claim 4, the first modular element comprising an instrumented auto-facing unit including

a sled to push the one or more items to a front of the instrumented auto-facing unit;

and

wherein the one or more sensors include a linear position sensor to report a value indicative of a position of the sled relative to the instrumented auto-facing unit, wherein the value is represented by one or more of;

an analog signal wherein amplitude of the analog signal is indicative of the position, or

a digital signal in which one or more bits of data are indicative of the position.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the first modular element extends from a front of the platform to a back of the platform;

wherein the at least one engagement feature comprises slots along the back of the platform and magnets along the front of the platform; and

wherein the first modular element mounts to the platform by engaging one or more of the slots and one or more of the magnets.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein a width of the first modular element is a first integer multiple of a minimum dimension;

and

the system further comprising a second modular element mounted to the at least one engagement feature, wherein a width of the second modular element is a second integer multiple of the minimum dimension.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a second modular element mounted to the platform adjacent to the first modular element, wherein the second modular element is a flat spacer to cover a portion of the platform from a front of the platform to a back of the platform.

11. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a second modular element mounted to the platform adjacent to the first modular element, the second modular element including a divider extending upwards to maintain the one or more items held by the first modular element separate from an adjacent modular element on a side opposite the first modular element, wherein the divider comprises one or more solid sheets, wires, or slats.

12. A system comprising:

a platform including;

a plurality of weight sensors to measure weight of a load on the platform;

a first plurality of engagement features along at least a portion of a width of the platform at a first elevation, the first plurality of engagement features to engage one or more modular elements;

a cable recess arranged proximate to a front of the platform and with a second elevation below the first elevation; and

at least one electrical connector arranged within the cable recess.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first modular element to hold one or more items, the first modular element mounted to the platform using at least a portion of the first plurality of engagement features.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a width of the first modular element is a first integer multiple of a minimum dimension;

and

the system further comprising a second modular element mounted to the platform using at least a second portion of the first plurality of engagement features, wherein a width of the second modular element is a second integer multiple of the minimum dimension.

15. The system of claim 13, the first modular element comprising:

one or more sensors to generate sensor data; and

a cable extending from an underside of the first modular element, wherein a first end of the cable is affixed to the first modular element at a front half of a base and a second end of the cable terminates in a plug to engage the at least one electrical connector and transfer the sensor data between the one or more sensors and one or more devices in the platform.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the cable recess contains at least one incursion having at least one of the plurality of weight sensors emplaced within the incursion.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a platform base;

and wherein the platform is supported above the platform base using the plurality of weight sensors.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first modular element mounted to the platform using at least a first portion of the first plurality of engagement features, wherein the first modular element is a first flat spacer having a first width and covering a first portion of the platform from a front of the platform to a back of the platform; and

a second modular element mounted to the platform using at least a second portion of the first plurality of engagement features, wherein the second modular element is a second flat spacer having a second width and covering a second portion of the platform from the front of the platform to the back of the platform.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first modular element to hold one or more items, the first modular element mounted to the platform using at least a portion of the first plurality of engagement features; and

a second modular element having a divider extending upwards to constrain movement of the one or more items held by the first modular element, wherein the divider comprises one or more solid sheets, wires, or slats.

20. The system of claim 12, the first plurality of engagement features including one or more of:

a slot,

a hook,

a tab,

a bar,

a rod,

a tube,

a ferrous material, or

a magnet.

21. A system comprising:

a platform including;

a plurality of weight sensors to measure weight distribution of a load on a shelf base;

a plurality of back engagement slots arranged along the back of the platform;

a cable recess including one or more connectors;

a plurality of front engagement slots arranged along the front of the platform; and

a first modular element to mount to the platform by engaging one or more of the plurality of back engagement slots and one or more of the plurality of front engagement slots, the first modular element including one or more sensors to generate sensor data and a data cable terminated in a plug to couple to one of the one or more connectors and transfer the sensor data.