Techniques for filling orders

• US 9,741,070 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Francis
• Original Assignee: Thomas Francis
• Inventors: Francis, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US15/297,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 235379, 235375, 235487
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system includes N location indicators and a mobile scanning device. The N location indicators are configured to be arranged throughout a store that includes a plurality of stocked items for picking according to one or more electronic customer orders. Each of the N location indicators is configured to transmit a different location signal. The mobile scanning device includes a display. The mobile scanning device is configured to wirelessly receive an electronic customer order comprising a plurality of ordered items indicating which of the stocked items are to be picked, detect at least one of the N location signals, and arrange at least some of the plurality of ordered items on the display based on which of the at least one of the N location signals is detected.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of mobile scanning devices configured to be moved throughout a store that includes a plurality of stocked items for picking; and

a central computing system configured to;

receive an electronic customer order comprising a plurality of ordered items indicating which of the stocked items are to be picked; and

wirelessly transmit the plurality of ordered items to each of the mobile scanning devices, wherein a first one of the mobile scanning devices is configured to scan a first ordered item of the plurality of ordered items and wirelessly transmit first data to the central computing system indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned, and wherein the central computing system is configured to wirelessly transmit second data to a second one of the mobile scanning devices, the second data indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile scanning devices include first and second displays, respectively, and wherein the first and second mobile scanning devices are configured to display the plurality of ordered items on the first and second displays.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to determine a location of the first mobile scanning device in the store and arrange the plurality of ordered items on the first display based on the location of the first mobile scanning device, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to determine a location of the second mobile scanning device in the store and arrange the plurality of ordered items on the second display based on the location of the second mobile scanning device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to receive a first location signal in the store and determine the location of the first mobile scanning device based on the first location signal, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to receive a second location signal in the store and determine the location of the second mobile scanning device based on the second location signal.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to scan a first readable code in the store and determine the location of the first mobile scanning device based on the first readable code, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to scan a second readable code in the store and determine the location of the second mobile scanning device based on the second readable code.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to remove the first ordered item from the first display when the first mobile scanning device scans the first ordered item.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to remove the first ordered item from the second display when the second mobile scanning device receives the second data indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned by the first mobile scanning device.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to scan a second ordered item of the plurality of ordered items and transmit third data to the central computing system indicating that the second ordered item was scanned, and wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit fourth data to the first mobile scanning device indicating that the second ordered item was scanned.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to remove the second ordered item from the second display when the second mobile scanning device scans the second ordered item.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to remove the second ordered item from the first display when the first mobile scanning device receives the fourth data indicating that the second ordered item has been scanned by the second mobile scanning device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile scanning devices includes a third mobile scanning device that includes a display, wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit the plurality of ordered items to the third mobile scanning device, wherein the third mobile scanning device is configured to display the ordered items on the display, wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit the second data to the third mobile scanning device indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned, and wherein the third mobile scanning device is configured to remove the first ordered item from the display in response to receiving the second data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computing system is configured to:

receive the electronic customer order from a computer network that is external to the store;

transmit the plurality of ordered items to the plurality of mobile scanning devices via a wireless network that is at least partially included in the store; and

transmit the second data to the second mobile scanning device via the wireless network that is at least partially included in the store.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of mobile scanning devices configured to be moved throughout a store that includes a plurality of stocked items for picking; and

a central computing system configured to;

receive an electronic customer order comprising a plurality of ordered items indicating which of the stocked items are to be picked; and

wirelessly transmit the plurality of ordered items to each of the mobile scanning devices, wherein a first one of the mobile scanning devices is configured to scan a first ordered item of the plurality of ordered items, and wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to wirelessly transmit data to a second one of the mobile scanning devices, the data indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second mobile scanning devices include first and second displays, respectively, and wherein the first and second mobile scanning devices are configured to display the plurality of ordered items on the first and second displays.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to determine a location of the first mobile scanning device in the store and arrange the plurality of ordered items on the first display based on the location of the first mobile scanning device, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to determine a location of the second mobile scanning device in the store and arrange the plurality of ordered items on the second display based on the location of the second mobile scanning device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to receive a first location signal in the store and determine the location of the first mobile scanning device based on the first location signal, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to receive a second location signal in the store and determine the location of the second mobile scanning device based on the second location signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to scan a first readable code in the store and determine the location of the first mobile scanning device based on the first readable code, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to scan a second readable code in the store and determine the location of the second mobile scanning device based on the second readable code.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to remove the first ordered item from the first display when the first mobile scanning device scans the first ordered item.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to remove the first ordered item from the second display when the second mobile scanning device receives the data indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned by the first mobile scanning device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the data is first data, and wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to scan a second ordered item of the plurality of ordered items and transmit second data to the first mobile scanning device indicating that the second ordered item was scanned.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the second mobile scanning device is configured to remove the second ordered item from the second display when the second mobile scanning device scans the second ordered item.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to remove the second ordered item from the first display when the first mobile scanning device receives the second data indicating that the second ordered item has been scanned by the second mobile scanning device.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of mobile scanning devices includes a third mobile scanning device that includes a display, wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit the plurality of ordered items to the third mobile scanning device, wherein the third mobile scanning device is configured to display the ordered items on the display, wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to transmit the data to the third mobile scanning device indicating that the first ordered item has been scanned, and wherein the third mobile scanning device is configured to remove the first ordered item from the display in response to receiving the data.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the central computing system is configured to receive the electronic customer order from a computer network that is external to the store, wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit the plurality of ordered items to the plurality of mobile scanning devices via a wireless network that is at least partially included in the store, and wherein the first mobile scanning device is configured to wirelessly transmit the data directly to the second mobile scanning device.