Method and apparatus for sensing correct item placement for multi-destination picking
First Claim
1. A materials handling facility, comprising:
- a plurality of destinations for items picked from the materials handling facility;
a control system configured to;
assign a list of items to be picked from the materials handling facility to an agent of the materials handling facility, wherein the list of items includes items for two or more of the destinations in the materials handling facility;
assign a receptacle to each of the destinations for the list of items to be picked, wherein each receptacle has a mote comprising a communications interface for communicating with the control system, wherein the mote is coupled to a sensor configured to detect placement of an item in the receptacle;
direct the agent to a location in the materials handling facility for a particular item to be picked;
determine if the item is placed in the correct receptacle assigned to the destination of the item in response to detection of placement of the item in one of the receptacles by the sensor on the receptacle; and
if the item is placed in an incorrect receptacle, indicate to the agent that the item was placed in the incorrect receptacle.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for multi-destination pick using motes. In embodiments, each receptacle may be assigned to a destination and may have a sensor that detects when an item is placed in the receptacle to deactivate the indicator and/or to verify that the item was placed in the correct receptacle. The sensor may be coupled via a wired or wireless connection to a mote that may include a communication interface for communicating with a control system and with other motes in an ad-hoc network. In some embodiments, each mote may also include an indicator that may be activated by a control system to indicate to the agent that the receptacle is the destination receptacle for a picked item. The agent may then place the item in the indicated destination receptacle. In one embodiment, the mote on the destination receptacle may be activated when the picked item is scanned by the agent.
28 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A materials handling facility, comprising:
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a plurality of destinations for items picked from the materials handling facility; a control system configured to; assign a list of items to be picked from the materials handling facility to an agent of the materials handling facility, wherein the list of items includes items for two or more of the destinations in the materials handling facility; assign a receptacle to each of the destinations for the list of items to be picked, wherein each receptacle has a mote comprising a communications interface for communicating with the control system, wherein the mote is coupled to a sensor configured to detect placement of an item in the receptacle; direct the agent to a location in the materials handling facility for a particular item to be picked; determine if the item is placed in the correct receptacle assigned to the destination of the item in response to detection of placement of the item in one of the receptacles by the sensor on the receptacle; and if the item is placed in an incorrect receptacle, indicate to the agent that the item was placed in the incorrect receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method, comprising:
performing, by one or more computing devices in a materials handling facility; identifying a plurality of destinations for items picked from the materials handling facility; assigning a list of items to be picked from the materials handling facility to the agent, wherein the list of items includes items for two or more of the plurality of destinations for picked items in the materials handling facility; assigning a receptacle to each of the destinations for the list of items to be picked, wherein each receptacle has a mote comprising a communications interface for communicating with the control system, wherein the mote is coupled to a sensor configured to detect placement of an item in the receptacle; directing the agent to a location in the materials handling facility for a particular item to be picked; determining if the item is placed in the correct receptacle assigned to the destination of the item in response to detection of placement of the item in one of the receptacles by the sensor on the receptacle; and if the item is placed in an incorrect receptacle, indicate to the agent that the item was placed in the incorrect receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:
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identifying a plurality of destinations for items picked from the materials handling facility; assigning a list of items to be picked from the materials handling facility to the agent, wherein the list of items includes items for two or more of the plurality of destinations for picked items in the materials handling facility; assigning a receptacle to each of the destinations for the list of items to be picked, wherein each receptacle has a mote comprising a communications interface for communicating with the control system, wherein the mote is coupled to a sensor configured to detect placement of an item in the receptacle; directing the agent to a location in the materials handling facility for a particular item to be picked; determining if the item is placed in the correct receptacle assigned to the destination of the item in response to detection of placement of the item in one of the receptacles by the sensor on the receptacle; and if the item is placed in an incorrect receptacle, indicate to the agent that the item was placed in the incorrect receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification