Identifying inventory items in a storage facility

• US 9,792,582 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Singel, Frank, Romantic, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Claude J
• Application Number:
  US15/262,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 235385
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07705 the visual interface being a single light or small number of lights capable of being switched on or off, e.g. a series of LEDs
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling a picker to correctly identify and pick inventory items from a warehouse or storage facility are provided. An exemplary portable picking-assistance device comprises first and second communication devices. The first communication device is configured to electronically receive a first item list including one or more items to be retrieved by an operator from a predetermined storage area. The one or more items may be selected from a plurality of items stored in the predetermined storage area. The second communication device is configured to communicate radio frequency signals to a first radio frequency (RF) tag of a plurality of RF tags. The first RF tag is associated with a first item listed on the first item list. An indication is provided to the operator confirming an identification of the first item to be retrieved by the operator.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computer;

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) tags associated with a plurality of items;

a portable electronic device configured to;

receive a first list from the computer, the first list including one or more items to be retrieved by a user;

communicate with a first RF tag of the plurality of RF tags, the first RF tag associated with a first item included in the first list;

in response to communicating with the first RF tag, provide a first indication to the user confirming an identification of the first item to be retrieved by the user; and

a plurality of totes, each tote configured to accompany a user and to carry one or more items, wherein each tote comprises a portable RF tag configured to communicate with the portable electronic device and an indicator configured to provide a second indication confirming an identification of the respective tote in which an identified item is carried.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the RF tags are attached to a plurality of bins associated with the plurality of items, and wherein each bin is configured to store one or more items of a particular type.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the computer is configured to store information relating each of the plurality of RF tags with a corresponding one of the plurality of bins.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the RF tags are attached to one or more racks, each RF tag being positioned on the one or more racks in the vicinity of a corresponding type of item stored on the one or more racks.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a first tote of the plurality of totes is configured to carry the one or more items listed on the first list and a second tote of the plurality of totes is configured to carry one or more items listed on a second list.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the RF tags is coupled with an indicator configured to provide an indication confirming the identification of the first item.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the indicator is an LED.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is connected to a headset comprising an audio output device and an audio input device, wherein the audio output device is configured to provide audible item-picking directions to the user, and wherein the audio input device is configured to receive speech recognizable input from the user.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to communicate with the RF tags using a short-range wireless communication protocol.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is connected to a proximity unit including one or more indicator devices configured to provide an indication confirming the identification of the first item.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the proximity unit is configured to detect an RF tag in its vicinity.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the RF tags are passive RFID tags.

13. A portable device, comprising:

a first communication device configured to electronically receive a first list including one or more items to be retrieved by an operator, the one or more items selected from a plurality of items; and

a second communication device configured to;

electronically communicate radio frequency signals to a first radio frequency (RF) tag of a plurality of RF tags, the first RF tag associated with a first item listed on the first list;

in response to communicating with the first RF tag, provide an indication to the operator confirming an identification of the first item to be retrieved by the operator; and

communicate with a second plurality of portable RF tags attached to a plurality of totes configured to accompany a user and to carry one or more items, wherein each portable RF tag of the second plurality includes an indicator configured to provide a second indication confirming an identification of the respective tote in which an identified item is carried.

14. The portable device according to claim 13, wherein the first communication device is configured to receive the first list from a computer.

15. The portable device according to claim 13, comprising a headset and speech recognition software, the headset comprising an audio output device and an audio input device, wherein the audio output device is configured to provide audible item-picking directions to the operator, and wherein the audio input device is configured to receive speech recognizable input from the operator.

16. The portable device according to claim 13, wherein the second communication device is configured to communicate with the RF tags using a short-range wireless communication protocol.

17. The portable device according to claim 13, comprising one or more indicator devices configured to provide an indication confirming the identification of the first item, the one or more indicator devices including at least one of a visual output device and an audio output device.

18. The portable device according to claim 17, wherein the one or more indicator devices are coupled to at least one of a headset and a wearable proximity unit.

19. A device, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) tag associated with a first item of a plurality of items stored in a facility, the RF tag configured to receive RF signals within a first RF frequency range of a plurality of RF frequency ranges, wherein the RF tag is attached to a tote configured to accompany a user and to carry one or more items; and

an indicator configured to provide;

a first indication to a user to confirm an identification of the first item in response to the RF tag receiving RF signals within the first RF frequency range; and

a second indication confirming an identification of the respective tote in which the first item is carried.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the RF tag is a passive RFID device and the indicator is an LED.