Inventory Transitions

• US 20140350715A1
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gopalakrishnan, Varadarajan, Narasimhan, Subram, Zakaria, Omar FawazHashim, Kumar, Dilip, Boyapati, Sridhar, Kim, Jin Dong
• Granted Patent: US 10,984,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system for managing inventory as it transitions into a materials handling facility, as it transitions between locations within a materials handling facility and/or as it transitions out of a materials handling facility. In some instances, a user (e.g., picker or picking agent) may retrieve an item from an inventory location and place the item into a tote. The systems described herein detect the item when it is added to or removed from the tote.

Claims

1. A materials handling facility item management system, comprising:

an antenna configured to detect a plurality of item identifiers located in a tote;

a computing system in communication with the receiving component, the computing system including;

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

receive from the antenna first information, the first information including the plurality of item identifiers;

compare the plurality of item identifiers with a tote item list; and

for each item identifier of the plurality of item identifiers included in both the first information and the tote item list, transition a stored position of an item associated with the item identifier from a first position within the materials handling facility to a second position.

2. The materials handling facility item management system of claim 1, wherein the tote item list is provided by a second computing system positioned within the tote.

3. The materials handling facility item management system of claim 1, wherein the first position within the materials handling facility is a storage location.

4. The materials handling facility item management system of claim 1, wherein the second position is within the materials handling facility.

5. The materials handling facility item management system of claim 1, wherein the second position is external to the materials handling facility.

6. The materials handling facility item management system of claim 1, wherein the second position is an entity that is taking the item from the materials handling facility.

7. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

obtain a tote item list for a tote located in a materials handling facility;

identify a plurality of item identifiers included in the tote and the tote item list; and

for each of the plurality of item identifiers, transition a stored position of item identifier from the materials handling facility.

8. The computing system of claim 7, the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:

identify an item identifier included in the identified plurality of item identifiers that is not in the tote item list;

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is included in the tote; and

transition a stored position of the item identifier from the materials handling facility.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to confirm that the item identifier is included in the tote, further cause the one or more processors to:

present the item identifier to a user; and

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is included in the tote.

10. The computing system of claim 7, the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:

identify an item identifier included in the identified plurality of item identifiers that is not in the tote item list;

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is not included in the tote; and

not transition a stored position of the item identifier from the materials handling facility.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to determine that the item identifier is not included in the tote, further cause the one or more processors to:

present the item identifier to a user; and

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is not included in the tote.

12. The computing system of claim 7, the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:

identify an item identifier included in the tote item list that is not in the identified plurality of item identifiers;

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is included in the tote; and

transition a stored position of the item identifier from the materials handling facility.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to receive a confirmation that the item identifier is included in the tote, further cause the one or more processors to:

present a representation of the item associated with the item identifier to a user; and

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is included in the tote.

14. The computing system of claim 7, the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:

identify an item identifier included in the tote item list that is not in the identified plurality of item identifiers;

receive a confirmation that that the item identifier is not included in the tote; and

not transition a stored position of the item identifier from the materials handling facility.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to receive a confirmation that the item identifier is not included in the tote, further cause the one or more processors to:

present the item identifier to a user; and

receive a confirmation that the item identifier is not included in the tote.

16. A computer-implemented method for transitioning items of a materials handling facility, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

detecting a presence of a tote within a transition area;

identifying an item identifier included in the tote, wherein the item identifier is associated with an item;

confirming that the item identifier is included on a tote item list; and

transitioning a stored position of the item identifier from a first inventory position within the materials handling facility to a second inventory position.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a second item identifier included in the tote, wherein the second item identifier is associated with a second item;

determining that the second item identifier is not included on the tote item list; and

notifying an agent that the second item identifier included in the tote is not included in the tote item list.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein notifying the agent includes presenting the item identifier on a display located in the transition area.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a resolution from the agent confirming that the second item is included in the tote; and

transitioning a stored position of the second item from a third inventory position within the materials handling facility to the second inventory position.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a second item identifier included in the tote item list, wherein the second item identifier is associated with a second item;

determining that the second item identifier is not included in the tote; and

notifying an agent that the second item identifier included in the tote item list is not included in the tote.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a resolution from the agent confirming that the second item is included in the tote; and

transitioning a stored position of the second item from a third inventory position within the materials handling facility to the second inventory position.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a resolution from the agent confirming that the second item is not included in the tote.