Container holding fixtures

• US 10,438,030 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramon, Nelson Andres, Bartol, Matthew, Martin, James Gregory, Bathurst, Allan Scott, Seidelman, Will
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelly, Rafferty D
• Application Number:
  US15/280,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 235385
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/06 Use of order trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• 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

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are described that relate to location-based indications. An apparatus may include a frame, a sensing device, and a computing device. The frame may include a first set of members spaced apart and oriented in a first direction. At least one member of the first set of members may include an indicator area. The frame may also include a second set of members spaced apart and oriented in a second direction. At least two members of the second set of members may extend between the first set of members to define a container receiving area. The sensing device may be disposed adjacent to the container receiving area and configured to detect movement of containers with respective to the container receiving area. The computing device may be communicatively coupled to the sensing device and configured to cause presentation of indicators within the indicator area.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a container holding fixture adapted for removable placement on a moveable inventory cart that is separate from the container holding fixture, the container holding fixture comprising;

a pair of elongate light rails, each elongate rail comprising;

a groove on a bottom side comprising a light strip disposed therein; and

a light window formed from a transparent material and configured to allow light from the light strip to emit therethrough;

a pair of elongate dividers extending between the pair of elongate light rails, the pair of elongate dividers and the pair of elongate light rails defining a plurality of slots each configured to receive a container, the light window of each elongate rail associated with a particular slot of the plurality of slots and disposed between first ends of the pair of elongate dividers;

at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna disposed below the particular slot;

an RFID reader communicatively coupled to the RFID antenna and configured to read, via the RFID antenna, RFID tags; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to the RFID reader and the light strip, and configured to at least;

instruct the RFID reader to read the RFID tags via the RFID antenna; and

cause the light strip to selectively emit light through the light window.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the moveable inventory cart comprises an upper surface, and the moveable inventory cart is configured to receive and retain the container holding fixture, with the container holding fixture resting on the upper surface.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a mobile power source in electrical communication with the RFID reader, the light strip of each elongate rail, and the computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the container holding fixture further comprises a plurality of horizontal layers comprising an upper horizontal layer, a middle horizontal layer, and a lower horizontal layer;

the pair of elongate light rails and the pair of elongate dividers are disposed in the upper horizontal layer;

the RFID reader and the computing device are disposed in the lower horizontal layer; and

the at least one RFID antenna is disposed within the middle horizontal layer located between the upper horizontal layer and the lower horizontal layer.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a frame, comprising;

a first set of members spaced apart and oriented in a first direction, each member of the first set of members comprising an indicator area; and

a second set of members spaced apart and oriented in a second direction, at least two members of the second set of members extending between the first set of members to define a container receiving area, the frame adapted for removable placement on a moveable cart that is separate from the frame;

a sensing device disposed adjacent to the container receiving area and configured to detect movement of containers with respect to the container receiving area; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to the sensing device and configured to cause presentation of indicators within the indicator area of each member.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

other members of the second set of members extend between the first set of members to define other container receiving areas; and

the apparatus further comprises other sensing devices disposed adjacent to the other container receiving areas, the other sensing devices respectively configured to detect movement of the containers with respect to the other container receiving areas.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

each indicator area of the first set of members is associated with the container receiving area; and

the at least one member of the first set of members comprises other indicator areas that are respectively associated with the other container receiving areas.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensing device comprises at least one of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensing device, a weight sensing device, or an optical sensing device.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the sensing device is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna; and

the apparatus further comprises an RFID reader communicatively coupled to the RFID antenna and the computing device, the RFID reader configured to cause the RFID antenna to detect the movement of the containers with respect to the container receiving area by at least;

detecting the presence of RFID tags attached to the containers;

or

detecting the absence of the RFID tags.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

each member of the first set of members comprises an area configured to receive a light source; and

each indicator area of the first set of members comprises a light window formed from a transparent material and configured to allow light from the light source to emit therethrough.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light window is configured to allow the light from the light source to emit laterally and upwardly.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED) light strip capable of emitting light in a plurality of different colors; and

the computing device is communicatively coupled to the LED light strip and configured to cause the LED light strip to selectively emit light in the plurality of different colors.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a device support structure comprising a top surface and an interior chamber, the top surface configured to support the frame, the sensing device and the computing device disposed within the interior chamber.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the frame is releasably coupled to the device support structure; and

the frame and the device support structure are configured to rest on an upper surface of the moveable cart.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

each of the first set of members comprises an inward sloping face; and

the at least two members of the second set of members extend between respective inward sloping faces of the first set of members.

16. A method, comprising:

providing a fixture that comprises;

a first set of members spaced apart and oriented in a first direction, each member of the first set of members comprising an indicator area;

a second set of members spaced apart and oriented in a second direction, at least two members of the second set of members extending between the first set of members to define a plurality of container receiving areas; and

a device support structure comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, and an interior cavity, the first set of members and the second set of members resting on the upper surface, the interior cavity comprising at least one of a sensing device, a reader device, or a computing device;

placing the fixture on a moveable inventory cart such that the lower surface of the device support structure rests on the moveable inventory cart, the moveable inventory cart comprising a power supply; and

connecting the power supply to at least one of the sensing device, the reader device, or the computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising securing the fixture to the moveable inventory cart.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the moveable inventory cart comprises a set of wheels and a handle, the moveable inventory cart moveable by a human pushing or pulling the moveable inventory cart via the handle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a first container receiving area of the plurality of container receiving areas is configured to receive a removable container that is filled or emptied with items as the moveable inventory cart is moved throughout an inventory storage system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein indications are presented in the indicator area of each member to selectively identify the removable container from other removable containers held by other container receiving areas of the plurality of container receiving areas.