Product location method utilizing product bar code and aisle-situated, aisle-identifying bar code

• US 7,747,342 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lamson Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Glynn, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGESS, RAMYA PRAKASAM
• Application Number:
  US11/607,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 700/215, 700/213, 700/214, 700/225, 235/385, 235/383, 235/462.01, 235/375
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An item location directory method and system involves the use of item-identifying bar codes on the items to be included in the directory, and location-identifying bar codes physically applied to the corresponding locations. These are read in a preset manner with a bar code reader and inputted into a processor for creation of item/corresponding location data for the directories.

Claims

1. A method of creating an item location directory, comprising:

reading, by a bar code reading device, a location-identifying bar code a first time, wherein the location-identifying bar code identifies a location;

reading, by the bar code reading device, one or more item-identifying bar codes corresponding to one or more items associated with the location;

reading, by the bar code reading device, the location-identifying bar code a second time, wherein reading the location-identifying bar code the second time creates one or more location-identifying and item-identifying bar code pairs that associate the one or more items with the location; and

generating, based on the readings, the item location directory that includes the one or more location-identifying and item-identifying bar code pairs, wherein the item location directory is configured to facilitate subsequent location of the one or more items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reading, by the bar code reading device, the location-identifying bar code a second time comprises reading the location-identifying bar code from a same bar code tag in the vicinity of the location where the location-identifying bar code identifying the location was read for the first time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reading, by the bar code reading device, the location-identifying bar code the second time comprises reading the location-identifying bar code from a bar code tag that is different from a bar code tag where the location-identifying bar code was read the first time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the readings of the location-identifying bar code comprises reading a location code created for the location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is an aisle and the location-identifying bar code is disposed on at least one bar code tag situated near at least one end of the aisle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the readings of the location-identifying bar code comprises reading a location-identifying bar code that includes genus and species data, wherein the genus data identifies the aisle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the bar code reading device or a computing device coupled to the bar code reading device, the generated item location directory to an operation unit to enable the operation unit to determine a location of an item of the one or more items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises generating the item location directory by a computing device coupled to the bar code reading device, and the method further comprising transmitting by the bar code reading device, the location-identifying bar code and the one or more item-identifying bar codes to the computing device.

9. An apparatus for creating an item location directory, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and having stored therein a plurality of instructions, that if executed by the processor, enable the apparatus to generate the item location directory having one or more pairs of an associated item-identifying bar code and a location-identifying bar code, the one or more pairs identifying one or more items as being located at a location, wherein the one or more items are identified by the item-identifying bar codes of the one or more pairs, and the location is identified by the location-identifying bar codes of the one or more pairs, and wherein the generating is based on receipt of the one or more item-identifying bar codes and a first and a second receipt of the location-identifying bar code.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location is an aisle, the location-identifying bar code identifies the aisle, and the first and second receipt of the location-identifying bar code is from a single bar code tag including the location-identifying bar code.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the location is an aisle, the location-identifying bar code identifies the aisle, and the first and second receipt of the location-identifying bar code is from a first and a second bar code tag including the location-identifying bar code, the first and second bar code tag being disposed at different locations on the aisle.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises a bar code reader, and the bar code reader further includes a reader configured to read the one or more item-identifying bar codes, and the location-identifying bar code.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises a computing device, and the computing device further comprises a communication interface coupled to the memory and configured to receive the one or more item-identifying bar codes and the first and second receipts of the location-identifying bar code from a bar code reader.

14. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

generating an item location directory having one or more pairs of an associated item-identifying bar code and location-identifying bar code, wherein the one or more pairs identify one or more items as being located at a location, wherein the one or more items are identified by the item-identifying bar codes of the one or more pairs, and the location is identified by the location-identifying bar code of the one or more pairs, and wherein the generating is based on receipt of the one or more item-identifying bar codes and a first and second receipt of the location-identifying bar code.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the location is an aisle, the location-identifying bar code identifies the aisle, and the first and second receipt of the location-identifying bar code is from a single bar code tag including the location-identifying bar code.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the location is an aisle, the location-identifying bar code identifies the aisle, and the first and second receipt of the location-identifying bar code is from a first and a second bar code tag including the location-identifying bar code, the first and second bar code tag being disposed at different locations on the aisle.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the instructions, if executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method further comprising transmitting the generated item location directory to an operation unit to enable the operation unit to locate a location of an item of the one or more items.