SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECEIVING SHIPMENT PARCELS

• US 20130188039A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mishra, Devesh, Young, Eric C., Shah, Sameer Vinod, Tien, Timothy Jesse, Zhao, Jun
• Application Number:
  US13/800,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188039A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/129
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments of systems and methods for receiving shipment parcels at materials handling facilities. A system comprises a tunnel and at least one sensor located in the tunnel. The system further comprises logic that obtains data that is correlated with an identifier for a shipment parcel. The logic causes the at least one sensor to collect sensor data for the shipment parcel in the tunnel. The logic further compares the sensor data with the data that is correlated with the identifier to determine whether there is an exception for the shipment parcel.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a tunnel;

at least one computing device;

at least one camera in communication with the at least one computing device; and

logic executable by the at least one computing device, the logic configured to;

cause the at least one camera to capture at least one image of a shipment parcel in the tunnel;

obtain an identifier for the shipment parcel using the at least one image;

obtain data that is correlated with the identifier; and

compare the at least one image and the data that is correlated with the identifier to determine whether there is an exception for the shipment parcel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to cause the shipment parcel to be diverted from a first path to a second path in response to the exception.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera comprises a camera that is positioned within the tunnel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a conveyor system that comprises a transparent path segment positioned within the tunnel; and

the at least one camera comprises a camera that is configured to capture an image through the transparent path segment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the exception comprises at least one of damage to the shipment parcel, defective tracking information, or a shipment error caused by a vendor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a sensor; and

the logic is further configured to;

cause the sensor to collect sensor data; and

compare the sensor data with the data that is correlated with the identifier to determine whether there is the exception for the shipment parcel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a curtain configured to cover an opening in the tunnel; and

the logic is further configured to cause the curtain to move so that the shipment parcel exits the tunnel without interference from the curtain.

8. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device;

at least one sensor in communication with the at least one computing device; and

logic executable by the at least one computing device, the logic configured to;

obtain data that is correlated with an identifier for a shipment parcel;

cause the at least one sensor to collect sensor data for the shipment parcel; and

compare the sensor data with the data that is correlated with the identifier to determine whether there is an exception for the shipment parcel.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the system further comprises at least one camera located in a tunnel; and

the logic is further configured to;

cause the at least one camera to capture at least one image of the shipment parcel in the tunnel; and

obtain the identifier for the shipment parcel using the at least one image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to process the at least one image to determine whether there is an additional exception for the shipment parcel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the system further comprises a conveyor system that comprises a transparent path segment positioned within the tunnel; and

the at least one camera comprises a camera that is configured to capture an image through the transparent path segment.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a weight sensor configured to sense a weight of the shipment parcel; and

the logic is further configured to compare the weight to an expected weight range to determine whether there is the exception for the shipment parcel.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the at least one sensor is configured to determine a dimension of the shipment parcel; and

the logic is further configured to compare the dimension to an expected dimension range to determine whether there is the exception for the shipment parcel.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to:

identify a quantity of a plurality of items in the shipment parcel; and

compare the quantity of the items to an expected quantity to determine whether there is the exception for the shipment parcel.

15. A method, comprising:

capturing, using at least one computing device, at least one image of a shipment parcel;

obtaining, using the at least one computing device, an identifier for the shipment parcel using the at least one image;

obtaining, using the at least one computing device, data that is correlated with the shipment parcel;

obtaining, using the at least one computing device, sensor data using at least one sensor; and

comparing, using the at least one computing device, the sensor data with the data that is correlated with the shipment parcel to determine whether there is an exception for the shipment parcel.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, using the at least one computing device, the shipment parcel to be diverted from a first path to a second path in response to the exception.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, using the at least one computing device, the shipment parcel to move to an exception bin in response to the exception.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

causing, using the at least one computing device, the shipment parcel to move into a tunnel; and

causing, using the at least one computing device, a curtain to move so that the curtain does not interfere with the shipment parcel as it moves into the tunnel.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

causing, using the at least one computing device, the shipment parcel to move out of a tunnel; and

causing, using the at least one computing device, a curtain to open so that the curtain does not interfere with the shipment parcel as it moves out of the tunnel.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, using the at least one computing device, a movable arm to move the shipment parcel from a transparent path segment in a tunnel to a conveyor belt.