Illuminating containers in an inventory system

• US 9,928,698 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farrow, Benjamin Lee, Bell, Kristopher William, Lauka, Wesley Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/970,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20170169672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 340 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

An inventory system employs self-illuminating inventory management containers. A self-illuminating container can include a container body, an illumination element, and a signal receiver for receiving instructions to illuminate the container. The self-illuminating inventory management containers can be illuminated to assist in locating the containers in the system broadly, or locally, and to assist in inventory processing operations.

Claims

1. An inventory management system, comprising:

a signal receiver device comprising a removable wireless device, the removable wireless device comprising an identifier configured to store and transmit identity information associated with the signal receiver device;

an inventory management container, comprising;

an illumination element, and

a container body that defines a void configured to receive the removable wireless device, the void having a contact therein configured to operably connect the removable wireless device with the illumination element; and

an inventory manager including at least one processor and a tangible memory storing non-transitory instructions that, when performed by the processor, cause the inventory manager to;

communicate an instruction to the signal receiver device; and

cause activation of the illumination element of the inventory management container in response to the signal receiver device receiving the instruction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal receiver device comprises an RFID tag;

communicating the instruction to the signal receiver device comprises interrogating the RFID tag; and

causing activation of the illumination element of the inventory management container comprises, in response to interrogating the RFID tag, the RFID tag causing the illumination element to be electrically connected with a power source.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a platform having a platform contact element configured to supply electrical power to the inventory management container, and wherein the inventory management container comprises an onboard contact element configured to interact with the platform contact element.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a platform including a scanning element configured to scan a region associated with a site for situating the inventory management container, and wherein the instructions further cause the inventory manager to:

cause scanning of the region associated with the inventory management container;

determine that an inventory item has been placed in the inventory management container via the scanning of the region associated with the inventory management container; and

communicate a second instruction to the signal receiver device based on determining that the inventory item has been placed in the inventory management container.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions further cause the inventory manager to:

determine an identity of the inventory item placed in the inventory management container based on the scanning; and

cause activation of an illumination mode of the illumination element for indicating to a user that the inventory item has been received in the inventory management container, wherein the illumination mode is selected based in part on the identity of the inventory item matching an expected identity.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions further cause the inventory manager to:

detect via the scanning, that the inventory item placed in the inventory management container matches an expected identity; and

cause deactivation of the illumination of the inventory management container based in part on detecting that the inventory item placed in the inventory management container matches the expected identity.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

communicating an illumination instruction to a signal receiver device connected with an inventory management container of an inventory system, wherein the signal receiver device comprises a removable wireless device removably connected with a container body of the inventory management container, the removable wireless device comprising an identifier configured to store and transmit identity information associated with the signal receiver device, and the container body comprises a void configured to receive the removable wireless device, the void having a contact therein configured to operably connect the removable wireless device with an illumination element; and

causing illumination of the inventory management container via the illumination element connected with the inventory management container in response to the signal receiver device receiving the illumination instruction.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating the illumination instruction based in part on receiving instructions to load or unload an inventory item into or from the inventory management container.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

causing a scanner to scan a region associated with a site for situating the inventory management container;

detecting that the inventory item has been loaded into or unloaded from the inventory management container based on the scanning; and

causing deactivation of the illumination of the inventory management container based in part on detecting that the inventory item has been loaded into or unloaded from the inventory management container.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating the illumination instruction based in part on receiving instructions to locate the inventory management container.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing deactivation of the illumination of the inventory management container based in part on receiving an indication that the inventory management container has been located.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the illumination instruction comprises at least a first instruction corresponding to a first illumination mode and a second instruction corresponding to a second illumination mode, the method further comprising:

causing illumination of the inventory management container according to the first illumination mode and the second illumination mode in response to the signal receiver device receiving the illumination instruction.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein communicating the illumination instruction to the signal receiver device comprises interrogating at least one RFID tag associated with the inventory management container.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

comparing an identity of an inventory item in the container with an expected identity;

causing illumination of the inventory management container via the illumination element according to a first illumination mode or a second illumination mode, wherein the first or second illumination mode is selected based on whether the identity of the inventory item matches the expected identity.

14. A container for use in an inventory system, the container comprising:

a container body that defines a void;

an illumination element connected with the container body and configured to illuminate at least a portion of the container body; and

a signal receiver connected with the container body and configured to activate the illumination element based on a received signal, wherein;

the signal receiver comprises a removable wireless device removably connected with the container body, the removable wireless device comprising an identifier configured to store and transmit identity information associated with the signal receiver; and

the void is configured to receive the removable wireless device, the void having a contact therein configured to operably connect the removable wireless device with the illumination element.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein:

at least a portion of the container body comprises a transparent or translucent material; and

the illumination element is at least partly embedded in the transparent or translucent material such that, when the illumination element is active, the illumination element illuminates the at least a portion of the container body.

16. The container of claim 14, wherein:

the container body comprises a substantially rectangular tote having four sides and a bottom; and

the illumination element is connected with at least one of the four sides and arranged such that, when the illumination element is active, the illumination element directs light along the at least one of the four sides.

17. The container of claim 14, wherein:

the illumination element comprises a plurality of light sources; and

at least some of the light sources of the plurality of light sources are embedded in one or more sides of the container body.

18. The container of claim 14, further comprising a contact element on an exterior surface of the container body, the contact element being configured to electrically connect an exterior connector to one or more of the illumination element, the signal receiver, and a power supply of the container.

19. The container of claim 14, wherein:

the container body further comprises a lip at an upper end of the container, the lip comprising a reflective surface facing substantially down along a sidewall of the container body; and

the illumination element is arranged to direct light toward the reflective surface when the illumination element is active, such that the reflective surface causes light to reflect back onto the sidewall of the container body.

21. The container of claim 14, wherein the signal receiver is operable to interchangeably connect with a second container body to cause illumination of the second container body.