Computer controlled article classification and processing system

• US 8,825,501 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leblang, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, TONYA S
• Application Number:
  US13/242,033
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.4, 700213-216
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system for processing and classifying articles that classifies a set of articles based at least upon the locations of the articles within a structure. The system provides a notification over a computer network to a user, wherein the notification informs the user that the user has a time period within which to select a first article from the set of classified articles to add to a pre-existing order by the user, wherein the time period is based at least in part on the anticipated time to transfer at least one article in the set of articles to a different location within the structure.

Claims

1. A system, including one or more computing devices, for classifying articles stored in a structure, comprising:

one or more computing devices;

a first module stored in tangible, non-transitory memory that, when executed, is configured to cause the system to accept an order for an article that is placed by a user during an order session, and track a location of the article within a structure in which the article is stored;

a second module stored in tangible, non-transitory memory that, when executed, is configured to cause the system to classify a set of articles stored in the structure based at least upon their ability to be used in conjunction with the ordered article;

a third module stored in tangible, non-transitory memory that, when executed, is configured to cause the system to cause a notification to be provided to the user after the order session is complete, wherein the notification indicates to the user that the user can add at least one additional article to the order; and

a fourth module stored in tangible, non-transitory memory that, when executed, is configured to cause the system to, in response to a user action, inform the user that the user has a time period within which to request that at least one article from the classified set of articles be shipped with the previously ordered article,

wherein the fourth module is configured to calculate an estimated time comprising an estimate of how much time it would take to retrieve the at least one article from a stack, the stack having more than one level, and how much time it would take to transfer the at least one article in the set of articles to a first location within the structure and to set the time period of which the user is informed to be less than the calculated estimated time.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising an article database that stores article location information.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the time period is based in part on article size.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the time period is based in part on an anticipated ship date for the order.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the time period is based in part on an anticipated packing date for the order.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the time period is based in part on a charge date for the order.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first location is a packing area.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first location is a loading dock.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification is provided to the user at least partly in response to determining that a terminal associated with the user is online.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification is provided to the user via a toolbar displayed on a user terminal.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification includes a link to a list of at least a portion of the set of articles.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the notification includes a list of at least a portion of the set of articles, wherein the size of the portion is based at least in part on a terminal type used to receive the notification.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the set of articles is selected at least in part using collaborative filtering.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second module is configured to cause the system to classify the set of articles at least in part based on the operability of the articles in the set to power, encase, or connect with the ordered article.

15. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second module is configured to cause the system to classify the set of articles based at least in part on information related to location.

16. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second module is configured to cause the system to classify the set of articles based at least in part on information related to profit margin.

17. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second module is configured to cause the system to classify the set of articles based at least in part on information related to the time the articles have been stored in the structure.

18. A method for classifying articles stored in a structure, comprising:

accepting an order at a computer system for an article that is placed by a user during an order session;

tracking, by the computer system, a location of the article within a structure in which the article is stored;

classifying a set of articles stored in the structure based at least upon their ability to be used in conjunction with the ordered article;

providing, by the computing system, a notification to the user after the order session is complete, wherein the notification indicates to the user that the user can add at least one additional article to the order; and

in response to a user action, transmitting a notification by the computer system informing the user that the user has a time period within which to request that at least one article from the classified set of articles be shipped with the previously ordered article,

wherein an estimated time is calculated comprising an estimate of how much time it would take to retrieve the at least one article from a stack, the stack having more than one level, and how much time it would take to transfer the at least one article in the set of articles to a first location within the structure, wherein the time period included in the notification is set to be less than the calculated estimated time.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the time period is based in part on article size.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the time period is based in part on an anticipated ship date for the order.

21. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the time period is based in part on an anticipated packing date for the order.

22. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the time period is based in part on a charge date for the order.

23. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the first location is a packing area.

24. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the notification includes a link to a list of at least a portion of the set of articles.

25. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the set of articles is selected at least in part using collaborative filtering.

26. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the set of articles is selected at least in part based on the operability of the articles in the set to be used to power, encase, or electronically connect with the ordered article.

27. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the act of classifying the set of articles is based at least upon information related to location.

28. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the act of classifying the set of articles is based at least upon information related to profit margin.

29. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the act of classifying the set of articles is based at least upon information related to the time the articles have been stored in the structure.