Systems and methods for detecting missing labels

• US 9,996,820 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus Adam, Jones, Matthew Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung
• Application Number:
  US15/649,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20180046973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 235383
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Described in detail herein are methods and systems for detecting missing or miss positioned labels. The system can include a portable scanning device to scan machine-readable elements included on labels at a first and second location. The portable scanning device can detect the acceleration and the cumulative change between the first and second location. The portable scanning device or a computing system can determine the distance between the first and second location based on the acceleration data. The computing system can place a data point on a map of an estimated location of the location of the first scan and the location of the second scan.

Claims

1. A missing label detection system, the system comprising:

a portable scanning device, the portable scanning device comprising;

a reader configured to read machine-readable elements and output identifiers encoded in the machine-readable elements;

an accelerometer configured to sense acceleration of the portable scanning device and output acceleration data corresponding to the sensed acceleration;

a memory to store the identifiers and the acceleration data; and

a controller operatively coupled to the reader, the accelerometer, and the memory, the controller configured to (i) control the reader to read a first one of the machine-readable elements disposed at a first location, (ii) control the reader to read a second one of the machine-readable elements disposed at a second location, and (iii) determines a cumulative change in the acceleration data from the first location to the second location as a result of movement of the portable scanning device from the first location to the second location and in response to the reading of the second one of the machine-readable elements; and

a computing system in communication with the portable scanning device,

wherein at least one of the controller or the computing system determines a relative distance travelled by the portable scanning device from the first location to the second location based on the cumulative change in the acceleration data between the first and second locations, and

wherein the computing system is programmed to determine whether the second one of the machine-readable elements is located at a designated location based on a difference between the relative distance and an expected distance between the first and second locations.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein the expected distance between the first and second locations is determined based on a planogram.

3. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to determine that the second one of the machine-readable elements is located at the designated location in response to determining that the difference between the relative distance and the expected distance is less than a threshold percentage.

4. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to determine that the second one of the machine-readable elements is misplaced in response to determining that the difference between the relative distance and the expected distance exceeds a threshold percentage.

5. The system in claim 4, wherein, in response to determining the difference between the relative distance and the expected distance exceeds the threshold percentage, the computing system transmits an alert.

6. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing system includes a database storing a map including the first and second locations, and the computing system retrieves the map to determine the expected distance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining the relative distance travelled by the portable scanning device from the first location to the second location, the controller resets a memory location associated with the acceleration data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller of the portable scanning device is configured to (ii) control the reader to read a third one of the machine-readable elements disposed at a third location, and (iii) determine a cumulative change in the acceleration data from the second location to the third location as a result of movement of the portable scanning device from the second location to the third location and in response to the reading of the third one of the machine-readable elements.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer of the portable scanning device is a multi-axis accelerometer, and the relative distance between the first and second location is determined based on movement of the portable scanning device in at least two axes.

10. A missing label detection method, the method comprising:

controlling, a reader of a portable scanning device to read a first machine-readable element disposed at a first location;

controlling the reader to read a second machine-readable element disposed at a second location;

determining a cumulative change in acceleration data from the first location to the second location based on an output accelerometer of the portable scanning device as a result of movement of the portable scanning device from the first location to the second location and in response to the reading of the second one of the machine-readable elements;

determining a relative distance travelled by the portable scanning device from the first location to the second location based on the cumulative change in the acceleration data between the first and second locations; and

determining whether the second machine-readable element is located at a designated location based on a difference between the relative distance and an expected distance between the first and second locations.

11. The method in claim 10, wherein the expected distance between the first and second locations is determined based on a planogram.

12. The method in claim 10, further comprising determining that the second one of the machine-readable elements is located at the designated location in response to determining that the difference between the relative distance and the expected distance is less than a threshold percentage.

13. The method in claim 10, further comprising determining that the second one of the machine-readable elements is misplaced in response to determining that the difference between the relative distance and the expected distance exceeds a threshold percentage.

14. The method in claim 13, further comprising transmitting an alert in response to determining the difference between the relative distance and the expected distance exceeds the threshold percentage.

15. The method in claim 10, wherein a computing system in communication with the portable scanning device includes a database storing a map including the first and second locations, and the computing system retrieves the map to determine the expected distance.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising resetting, via the controller, a memory location associated with the acceleration data in response to determining the relative distance travelled by the portable scanning device from the first location to the second location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling, via the controller, the reader to read a third one of the machine-readable elements disposed at a third location; and

determining, via the controller, a cumulative change in the acceleration data from the second location to the third location as a result of movement of the portable scanning device from the second location to the third location and in response to the reading of the third one of the machine-readable elements.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the accelerometer of the portable scanning device is a multi-axis accelerometer, and the relative distance between the first and second location is determined based on movement of the portable scanning device in at least two axes.