RF light directed inventory system

• US 5,812,986 A
• Filed: 02/23/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Picking Technologies, Inc. (Matthews International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Darin L. Danelski
• Inventors: Danelski, Darin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GROUTT, PHILLIP J
• Application Number:
  US08/604,804
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

An RF light directed inventory system includes a host computer, a host RF transmitter/receiver, at least one RF processor panel, and a plurality of light directed modules. The host computer receives a customer order. The customer order contains a plurality of SKU numbers with item quantities which are converted into a light directed module address. The plurality of light directed module addresses and corresponding quantities are assigned an RF process panel address. The plurality of light directed module addresses, item quantities and RF process panel addresses are converted into a plurality of serial data packets. Each serial data packet is transmitted to one RF processor panel. The serial data packet is input by the RF processor panel and decoded into a plurality of light directed module addresses and item quantities. The item quantities will be displayed on each light directed module. After servicing the proper quantity of items, an inventory specialist will press a button on the light directed module which indicates that all items have been serviced. When the RF processor panel has determined that each bin location has been serviced, the RF processor panel will send a message to the host computer that all the bin locations have been serviced. When the host computer receives a message from all the RF processor panels, the host computer will be ready to send another customer order.

Claims

1. An RF light directed inventory system comprising:

a host computer;

a host RF receiver/transmitter which communicates with said host computer;

at least one RF processor panel which communicates with said host RF receiver/transmitter, said at least one RF processor panel receiving an order from said host RF receiver/transmitter; and

a plurality of light directed modules which communicate with said at least one RF processor panel, wherein a wireless communication existing between said host computer and said plurality of light directed modules, said light directed modules receiving instructions from said RF processor panel in response to an order sent by the host computer, and automatically returning an order complete signal to said host computer via said wireless communication.

2. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of light directed modules which are to be serviced, displaying the number of items to be serviced from said corresponding bin, a button on said light directed modules being pressed when said bin is serviced.

3. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 2, further comprising:

each said light directed module having a light which is turned on when items are to be serviced from a corresponding bin, said light directed module being a light based module.

4. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one rack containing said plurality of light directed modules and said corresponding bins.

5. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

a bar code scanner being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said bar code scanner being used to scan an item with a bar code into said host computer.

6. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

said RF processor panel receiving an order from said host computer, said RF processor panel decoding said order into a plurality of light directed module addresses and a plurality of item quantities, each said item quantity corresponding to each said light directed module address, wherein no further communication being required between said host computer and said at least one RF processor panel until a new order is received.

7. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

a printer being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said host computer printing a message at said printer.

8. An RF light directed inventory system comprising:

a host computer;

a host RF receiver/transmitter which communicates with said host computer;

at least one RF processor panel which communicates with said host RF receiver/transmitter, each said RF processor panel having a RF receiver/transmitter and an RF processor board, each said RF receiver/transmitter receiving an order from said host RF receiver/transmitter, said RF processor board decoding said order into a plurality of light based module addresses and a plurality of item quantities, each said item quantity corresponding to each said light based module address;

a plurality of light based modules which communicate with said at least one RF processor panel, said plurality of light based modules which are to be serviced emitting light and displaying the number of items to be serviced from a corresponding bin, a button on said light based modules being pressed when said bin is serviced, said RF panel processor sending a communication to said host computer when all light based modules have been serviced, wherein no further communication being required between said host computer and said at least one RF processor panel until a new order is received; and

wherein a wireless communication existing between said host computer and said plurality of light directed modules.

9. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 8, further comprising;

at least one rack containing said plurality of light based modules and said corresponding bins,

said plurality of light directed modules which are to be serviced, displaying the number of items to be serviced from said corresponding bin, a button on said light directed modules being pressed when said bin is serviced.

10. The RF light directed inventory system of claim 8, further comprising:

a bar code scanner being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said bar code scanner being used to scan an item with a bar code into said host computer; and

a printer, said printer being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said host computer printing a message at said printer.

11. An RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart comprising:

a host computer;

a host RF receiver/transmitter which communicates with said host computer;

an RF processor panel which communicates with said host RF receiver/transmitter, said RF processor panel receiving an order from said host RF receiver/transmitter; and

a moveable cart having a plurality of light directed modules, each said light directed module having a corresponding bin, wherein depression of buttons of every light directed module associated with the order causing an order complete signal to be gent to Said host computer via said RF processor panel.

12. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 11, wherein:

said plurality of light directed modules of said cart which are to be serviced displaying the number of items to be serviced, a button on said light directed modules of said cart being pressed when said bin is serviced.

13. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one rack, each said rack containing a plurality of light directed modules and corresponding bins, each said rack having an RF processor panel which communicates with said host .RF receiver/transmitter, said at least one RF processor panel receiving an order from said host RF receiver/transmitter;

said plurality of light directed modules of said rack which are to be serviced displaying the number of items to be serviced from a corresponding bin, a button on said light directed modules of said rack being pressed when said bin is serviced;

wherein transfers between said bins in said rack and said bins in said moveable cart being indicated by the number display of each said light based module.

14. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 13, further comprising:

said RF processor panels receiving an order from said host computer, said RF processor panels decoding said order into a plurality of light directed module addresses and a plurality of item quantities, each said item quantity corresponding to each said light directed module address, wherein no further communication being required between said host computer and said at least one RF processor panel until a new order is received.

15. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 13, further comprising:

each said light directed module having a light source which is illuminated when items are to be serviced from said bins, said light directed module being a light based module.

16. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 11, further comprising;

a bar code scanner being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said bar code scanner being used to scan an item with a bar code into said host computer.

17. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 11, further comprising:

a printer being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said host computer printing a message at said printer.

18. An RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart comprising:

a host computer;

a host RF receiver/transmitter which communicates with said host computer;

an RF processor panel which communicates with said host RF receiver/transmitter, said RF processor panel having an RF receiver transmitter and an RF processor board, said RF receiver/transmitter receiving an order from said host RF receiver/transmitter, said RF processor board decoding said order into a plurality of light based module addresses and a plurality of item quantities, each said item quantity corresponding to each said light based module address;

a moveable cart having a plurality of light based modules, each light based module having a corresponding bin, said plurality of light based modules which are to be serviced emitting light and displaying the number of items to be serviced, a button on said light based modules being pressed when said bin is filled, wherein no further communication being required between said host computer and said at least one RF processor panel until a new order is received; and

wherein said RF panel receiving a batch order and not requiring communication with said host computer until said batch order is completed.

19. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one rack, each said rack containing a plurality of light based modules and corresponding bins, each said rack having an RF processor panel which communicates with said host RF receiver/transmitter, said at least one RF processor panel receiving an order from said host RF receiver/transmitter;

said plurality of light based modules of said rack which are to be serviced displaying the number of items to be serviced from a corresponding bin, a button on said light based modules of said rack being pressed when said bin is serviced;

wherein transfers between said bins in said rack and said bins in said moveable cart being indicated by the number display of each said light based module.

20. The RF light directed inventory system utilizing a moveable cart of claim 18, further comprising:

a bar code scanner being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said bar code scanner being used to scan an item with a bar code into said host computer, and

a printer being connected to said RF processor panel, wherein said host computer printing a message at said printer.