Dynamic marker using disappearing ink

• US 9,792,580 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yan, Henry C., Mendola, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US15/188,746
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07707 the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Techniques for improving efficiency of an inventory system are described. In an example, operations of the inventory system may involve reading a marker attached with an item. The item may be available from an inventory space. Based on instructions of a computing management module of the inventory system, information about the item may be printed at a first location on a medium. Based on the instructions, a layer of disappearing ink may also be applied over at least a portion of the information. Further, based on the instructions, an identifier of the item may be printed at a second location on the medium. The medium, including the printed information, the layer of disappearing ink, and the printed identifier may form the marker.

Claims

1. An inventory system, comprising:

a reader configured to read identifiers of items, a read of an identifier triggering an inventory action specific to the identifier;

a medium source comprising a plurality of media;

an ink source comprising a plurality of inks;

an ink printer coupled with the medium source and the ink source; and

a computing management module coupled with the ink printer, the computing management module configured to provide instructions to the ink printer to apply at least two inks available from the ink source on a medium available from the medium source, wherein the instructions at least;

cause the ink printer to print a first identifier of an item at a first location on the medium based at least in part on permanent ink available from the ink source, the item available from an inventory space deploying the inventory system;

cause the ink printer to print a second identifier of the item at a second location on the medium based at least in part on the permanent ink or a different permanent ink available from the ink source; and

cause the ink printer to print a layer of disappearing ink over at least a portion of the first identifier of the item, the disappearing ink available from the ink source,

wherein the medium having the first identifier, the disappearing ink, and the second identifier enables a read by the reader of the second identifier and not the first identifier based at least in part on the disappearing ink obstructing at least the portion of the first identifier.

2. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the item is manufactured within the inventory space based at least in part on a user order for the item, wherein the first identifier comprises a universal product code of the item and is printed as a first barcode, wherein the second identifier comprises an identifier specific to the item and the inventory space and is printed as a second barcode, wherein the disappearing ink obstructs the first identifier at least until the item is added to a container based at least in part on the user order, and wherein the second identifier triggers an addition of the item to the container based at least in part on the second identifier being read by the reader.

3. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the item comprises the medium comprises a paper, wherein a side of the paper corresponds to an outer surface of the item, wherein the second identifier indicates that the item was manufactured within the inventory space, and wherein the first identifier is common to another unit of the item available from another item source.

4. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the paper medium comprises a marker to be attached to the item or to a container containing the item, and wherein the marker facilitates inventory actions.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

printing, under instructions of a computing management module of an inventory system, a first layer of ink at a first location on a medium associated with an item available from an inventory space, the first layer of ink encoding information associated with the item;

printing, under the instructions of the computing management module, a second layer of disappearing ink over at least a portion of the first layer, the second layer obstructing at least the portion of the first layer for a period of time; and

printing, under the instructions of the computing management module, a third layer of ink at a second location on the medium, third layer encoding an identifier of the item, the identifier associated with the inventory space;

wherein the medium having the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer enables a read of the identifier by a reader of the inventory system, while at least the portion of the first layer is obstructed by the second layer, the read triggering an inventory action associated with the identifier.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein printing the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are printed on the medium comprising a paper by an ink printer of the inventory system under the instructions of the computing management module and based at least in part on a user order for the item, wherein printing the first layer comprises encoding in the information another identifier of the item, wherein the first layer and the third layer are printed using permanent ink, and wherein the ink printer is coupled with the computing management module, with a paper source comprising the paper, and with an ink source comprising the permanent ink and the disappearing ink.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the identifier indicates that the item was manufactured within the inventory space, wherein the information encodes another identifier of the item, wherein the other identifier is common to another unit of the item available from another item source, and wherein the first layer and the third layer are printed using permanent ink at different and non-overlapping locations on the medium.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the information encodes another identifier of the item, wherein the other identifier is printed in the first layer with permanent ink, wherein the identifier is printed in the third layer with another color of the disappearing ink over the second layer of the disappearing ink.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the medium is a part of a marker attached with the item, wherein printing the third layer comprises printing, in the identifier, a barcode with another color of disappearing ink in the third layer over the second layer of disappearing ink, and wherein the information encodes instructions that trigger another inventory action based at least in part on the second layer of disappearing ink disappearing such that the instructions become readable.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein printing the first layer comprises encoding, in the information about the item, a barcode with permanent ink, wherein printing the second layer of disappearing ink comprises printing the second layer over a section of the barcode and obstructs the section from being visible, wherein a portion of the identifier is printed with the disappearing ink adjacent to another section of the barcode such that the portion of the identifier and the other section of the barcode form a second barcode.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the disappearing ink obstructs at least the portion of the first layer for a period of time, and further comprises selecting the disappearing ink from potential disappearing inks based at least in part on a set of parameters associated with the period of time and the item.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the set of parameters includes at least one of:

a type of the item or an expected duration before the item is added to a container or leaves the inventory space.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the item is ordered by a customer for delivery to a recipient, wherein the information comprises personal information associated with at least one of the customer or the recipient, and wherein the second layer of disappearing ink conceals the personal information while the item is in the inventory space.

14. A marker comprising:

a medium;

a first layer of ink printed at a first location on the medium and encoding information about an item available from an inventory space;

a second layer of disappearing ink printed over at least a portion of the first layer, the second layer obstructing at least the portion of the first layer for a period of time; and

a third layer of ink printed at a second location on the medium and encoding an identifier of the item, the identifier associated with the inventory space,

wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer configure the marker to trigger an inventory action associated with the identifier of the item, the inventory action triggered based at least in part on a read by a reader of the identifier while at least the portion of the first layer is obstructed by the second layer.

15. The marker of claim 14, wherein the medium comprises a paper, wherein the item comprises the paper, wherein a side of the paper corresponds to an outer surface of the item.

16. The marker of claim 14, wherein the information comprises a barcode identifying a universal product code of the item and is encoded with permanent ink, wherein the identifier comprises another barcode identifying another unique identifier of the item and is encoded with the permanent ink.

17. The marker of claim 14, wherein the medium is attached with the item, and wherein the inventory action comprises placing the item in a container for delivery to a delivery destination, and wherein the period of time after which the disappearing ink disappears is longer than a time of completion of the inventory action.

18. The marker of claim 14, wherein the inventory action comprises placing the item in a container for storage within the inventory space.

19. The marker of claim 14, wherein the medium is attached to the item, wherein the disappearing ink disappears upon the period of time elapsing and the information encoded in the first layer becomes visible to an unaided human eye, and wherein another inventory action is triggered based at least in part on the information becoming visible and the item being unpacked within the inventory space, the other inventory action comprising at least one of:

disposing of the item or printing another layer of the disappearing ink over the first layer of ink.

20. The marker of claim 14, wherein the medium further comprises a layer of coating configured to emit visible light in response to an ultraviolet wavelength, and wherein the inventory action comprises a read of the identifier by the reader based at least in part on the emitted visible light.