Validating item placement

• US 8,201,737 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rowley, Peter D., Al-Kazily, Riyadth F., Palacios Durazo, Ramon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/506,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/383, 700/215
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for validating item placement. An item is placed on a platform. A load cell is configured to measure weight applied to the platform. Placement of the item in a correct one of a plurality of container positions on the platform is verified. The verification is based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the load cell.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a platform with a plurality of container positions, the platform configured to pivot about a base, the base dividing the platform into a first portion and a second portion, with at least one of the container positions being on each of the first portion and the second portion;

a first load cell configured to measure a weight applied to the first portion along a first axis less a weight applied to the second portion along the first axis;

a second load cell configured to measure a weight applied to the first portion along a second axis less a weight applied to the second portion along the second axis;

at least one computer system, including a processor circuit and a memory; and

an item placement validation application executable in the at least one computer system, the item placement validation application comprising logic that verifies that an item associated with a group of items has been placed in a correct one of the container positions based at least in part on the group of items, a location of each one of the container positions relative to the first load cell and the second load cell, a weight associated with the item, the weight detected by the first load cell, and the weight detected by the second load cell.

2. A system, comprising:

a platform with a plurality of container positions;

a single load cell configured to measure a weight applied to the platform, wherein the single load cell simultaneously detects a weight applied in a plurality of the container positions; and

a system that verifies that an item has been placed in a correct one of the container positions based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the single load cell.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the positional requirement is based at least in part on at least one rule associated with the item.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the positional requirement is based at least in part on a group of items, where the item is associated with the group of items.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the positional requirement is based at least in part on a container position dedicated to the group of items.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a processor circuit and a memory.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the weight associated with the item is obtained from at least one server.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the system that verifies performs the verification in at least one server.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein each one of the container positions is configured to receive at least one sortation container.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one sortation container is selected from a group consisting of:

a tote, a bag, a bin, or a box.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the system that verifies determines in which one of the container positions the item has been placed based at least in part on a previous weight measured by the single load cell.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the system that verifies determines in which one of the container positions the item has been placed based at least in part on the container positions, the weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the single load cell.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the platform is modular and configured to receive at least one additional container position.

14. A system, comprising:

a platform with a plurality of container positions;

a load cell configured to measure a weight applied to the platform;

a system that verifies that an item has been placed in a correct one of the container positions based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the load cell; and

wherein the platform is configured to pivot about a base that divides the platform into a first portion and a second portion, with at least one of the container positions being on each of the first portion and the second portion, wherein the load cell is configured to measure a weight placed on the first portion less a weight placed on the second portion.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first portion is preloaded with a preload weight defining a maximum allowable weight for a first item to be placed on the second portion.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a system that directs placement of at least one item so that the first portion is preloaded.

17. A system, comprising:

a platform with a plurality of container positions;

a first load cell configured to measure a weight applied to the platform;

a system that verifies that an item has been placed in a correct one of the container positions based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the first load cell; and

a second load cell configured to measure a weight causing displacement of the platform along a first axis, wherein the first load cell is configured to measure a weight causing displacement of the platform along a second axis.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system that verifies determines in which one of the container positions the item has been placed based at least in part on the container positions, the weight associated with the item, the weight detected by the first load cell, and the weight detected by the second load cell.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the container positions are arranged on the platform in a grid arrangement.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the container positions are arranged on the platform in a radial arrangement.

21. A method for determining placement of an item on a platform having a single load cell configured to measure weight applied to the platform, the method comprising the steps of:

simultaneously detecting, by the single load cell, a weight applied to the platform in a plurality of container positions on the platform; and

verifying that the item has been placed in a correct one of the container positions based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the single load cell.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of determining in which one of the container positions the item has been placed based at least in part on the container positions, the weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the single load cell.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the platform is modular and configured to receive at least one additional container position.

24. A method for determining placement of an item on a platform having a load cell configured to measure weight applied to the platform, the method comprising the step of:

verifying that the item has been placed in a correct one of a plurality of container positions on the platform based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the load cell; and

wherein the platform is configured to pivot about a base that divides the platform into a first portion and a second portion, at least one of the container positions being on each of the first portion and the second portion, wherein the load cell is configured to measure a weight placed on the first portion less a weight placed on the second portion.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of preloading the first portion with a preload weight defining a maximum allowable weight for a first item to be placed on the second portion.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the preloading step further comprises the step of directing placement of at least one item so that the first portion is preloaded.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of determining in which one of the container positions the item has been placed based at least in part on a previous weight measured by the load cell.

28. A method for determining placement of an item on a platform having a first load cell configured to measure weight applied to the platform, the method comprising the step of:

verifying that the item has been placed in a correct one of a plurality of container positions on the platform based at least in part on a positional requirement associated with the item, a weight associated with the item, and the weight detected by the load cell; and

wherein the platform has a second load cell configured to measure a weight causing displacement of the platform along a first axis, wherein the first load cell is configured to measure a weight causing displacement of the platform along a second axis.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of determining in which one of the container positions the item has been placed based at least in part on the container positions, the weight associated with the item, the weight detected by the first load cell, and the weight detected by the second load cell.

30. A method, comprising:

obtaining an item from a storage location, the item being associated with a group of items to be placed in a correct sortation container;

placing the item in one of a plurality of sortation containers on a cart, each of the sortation containers being positioned on a platform; and

obtaining an indication from the cart whether the one of the sortation containers is the correct sortation container for the item, the indication based at least in part on the group, a position of the one of the sortation containers on the platform, a weight associated with the item, and a weight detected by a single load cell configured to simultaneously measure weight applied to the platform in a plurality of sortation container positions of the platform.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the group of items comprises items that are associated with at least one rule.