Method and apparatus for multi-destination item selection using motes

• US 10,040,631 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shakes, Jonathan J., Rouaix, Francois M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US15/231,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Method and apparatus for multi-destination pick using motes. In embodiments, each receptacle may be assigned to a destination and may have a mote that may include an indicator that may be activated by a control system to indicate to the agent that the receptacle is the destination receptacle for a picked item. The agent may then place the item in the indicated destination receptacle. A mote may include a communication interface for communicating with a control system and with other motes in an ad-hoc network. In one embodiment, the mote on the destination receptacle may be activated when the picked item is scanned by the agent. In some embodiments, each receptacle may also have a sensor that detects when an item is placed in the receptacle to deactivate the indicator and/or to verify that the item was placed in the correct receptacle.

Claims

1. A materials handling facility, comprising:

a plurality of destinations for items picked in the materials handling facility; and

a control system configured to;

assign to an agent a list of items to be picked in the materials handling facility, wherein the list of items includes at least one item to be sent to a different one of the destinations in the materials handling facility than another one of the items on the list;

assign a each receptacle of a group of receptacles to respective destinations of the destinations to which items on the list of items are to be sent after being picked, wherein at least two receptacles of the group of receptacles are assigned to different destinations, wherein each receptacle of the group of receptacles has a mote comprising a communications interface for communicating with the control system, wherein the mote is coupled to an indicator;

direct the agent to a location in the materials handling facility for a particular item to be picked according to the list, wherein the group of receptacles also travels to the location;

send a message to the mote on one of the receptacles assigned to the destination for that particular item to activate the indicator coupled to the mote to indicate to the agent that the particular item is to be placed in the indicated receptacle, wherein the activated indicator distinguishes the corresponding receptacle from other receptacles in the groups of receptacles.

2. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein the different destinations to which at least two receptacles of the group of receptacles are assigned include at least two of a sorting station, a packing station, and a station for performing a value-added service.

3. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein each receptacle further has a sensor for detecting placement of an item in the receptacle, and wherein the control system is further configured to deactivate the activated indicator in response to detection of placement of the item in the receptacle by the sensor.

4. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein each receptacle further has a sensor for detecting placement of an item in the receptacle, and wherein the control system is further configured to verify and indicate placement of the item in the correct receptacle assigned to the destination of the item in response to detection of placement of the item in the receptacle by the sensor.

5. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to activate the indicator on the receptacle assigned to the destination for the item in response to the agent entering information about the item on a communications device configured to communicate the entered information to the control system.

6. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein the motes and the control system are configured to participate in an ad-hoc network in the materials handling facility.

7. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein each receptacle is a compartment in one of a partitioned tote, a partitioned basket, a partitioned box, a partitioned bin, or a partitioned shelf.

8. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

cause the list of items to be picked in the materials handling facility to be provided to the agent of the materials handling facility; and

receive information about the item from a communications device configured to send the information entered by the agent.

9. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 1,

wherein the mote for each receptacle of the group of receptacles comprises:

a mote core comprising;

a processor;

a memory; and

the communications interface; and

wherein the indicator is coupled to the mote core;

wherein the mote is configured to communicate with the control system to activate said indicator in response to information about an item received by the control system to indicate that the item is to be placed in the receptacle.

10. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 9, wherein each receptacle further comprises a sensor configured to detect placement of the item in the receptacle.

11. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 10, wherein the mote is further configured to deactivate the activated indicator in response to the sensor detecting placement of the item in the receptacle.

12. The materials handling facility as recited in claim 9, wherein the indicator comprises a light, wherein said activating the indicator comprises activating the light.