INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An inventory management system, comprisinga vehicle for moving objects, the vehicle comprising a control interface configured to generate messages indicating actions of the vehicle and a wireless transmitter coupled to the control interface for transmitting the messages;
- a camera directed at a floor on which the vehicle is able to move;
a computing system coupled to the camera and configured to detect positions of the vehicle from images captured by the camera and to receive the messages from the wireless transmitter, the computing system being configured to update information about locations of objects using the detected positions of the vehicle at time points indicated by the received messages.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The location of objects in a building is recorded in the inventory management system. The objects are moved through the building with a vehicle. The vehicle transmits wireless messages indicating actions of the vehicle, such as loading or unloading of objects. A camera captures images of an area in which the vehicle moves. Positions of the vehicle are automatically detected from the captured images. The information about locations of objects is updated using the detected positions at time points indicated by the messages. In an embodiment the actions of the vehicle are signalled with light signals and picked up via the camera.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An inventory management system, comprising
a vehicle for moving objects, the vehicle comprising a control interface configured to generate messages indicating actions of the vehicle and a wireless transmitter coupled to the control interface for transmitting the messages; -
a camera directed at a floor on which the vehicle is able to move; a computing system coupled to the camera and configured to detect positions of the vehicle from images captured by the camera and to receive the messages from the wireless transmitter, the computing system being configured to update information about locations of objects using the detected positions of the vehicle at time points indicated by the received messages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An inventory management system part, for maintaining information about locations of object that are moved by at least one vehicle that is configured to generate messages indicating actions pertaining to the objects, the inventory management system part comprising:
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a camera; a computing system coupled to the camera and configured to detect positions of the vehicle from images captured by the camera and to receive the messages from the vehicle, the computing system being configured to update information about locations of objects using the detected positions of the vehicle at time points indicated by the received messages. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A vehicle comprising a control interface configured to generate messages indicating actions of the vehicle and a light source located on the vehicle to be visible from above, the control interface being configured to cause the light source to transmit the messages indicating actions of the vehicle as temporally modulated patterns of transmitted light.
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12. An inventory management method, comprising:
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moving an object with a vehicle; transmitting wireless messages indicating actions of the vehicle from the vehicle; receiving the wireless messages in a computing system; capturing images of an area in which the vehicle moves; detecting positions of the vehicle from the captured images; updating information about locations of objects using the detected positions of the vehicle at time points indicated by the received messages. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium comprising a program of executable instructions which, when executed by a programmable computer, will cause the programmable computer to:
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detect positions of a vehicle from images captured by a camera; receive messages from the vehicle, and update information about locations of objects using the detected positions at time points indicated by the received messages.
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Specification