Method for object selection

• US 7,143,041 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: System Application Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: System Application Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Parks, James Michael, Sacks, Jerry Dennis, Pry, Donald Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US10/736,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The invention is a method for objects selection at a location comprising the steps of using a mobile computer having a bar code reader, a display, an audio output device, an audio input device, a tactile input device, text to speech software, a voice recognition software, objects selection applications software, and radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, wherein said mobile computer is adapted for communication between an order systems server and a user and the order systems server is adapted for communication between the mobile computer and at least one external computer system.

Claims

1. A method for objects selection at a location comprising:

a. using a mobile computer having a bar code reader, a display an audio output device, a tactile input device, text to speech software, a voice recognition software, objects selection applications software, and radio frequency identification (RFID) reader wherein said mobile computer is adapted for communication between an order systems server and a user and the order systems server is adapted for communication between the mobile computer and at least one external computer system;

b. entering a user code and security password to log onto the mobile computer;

c. training the voice recognition software by the user;

d. providing instructions to the user from the objects selection applications software using the text to speech software to the audio output device and providing information from the objects selection applications software to the display;

e. transmitting a request from the mobile computer to the order systems server to obtain a list of objects to be pulled;

f. using the applications software to generate a summary of the objects to be pulled from the list;

g. displaying the summary on the display;

h. providing the summary using via the text to speech software to the audio output device;

i. performing a step which is a member of the group;

acknowledging the summary by the user using the tactile input device and acknowledging the summary using the audio input device;

j. instructing the user to go to an aisle using the text to speech software;

k. acknowledging the user is at the aisle using the voice recognition software;

l. advising the user using the text to speech software to go to;

i. a location of objects which is part of the list of objects;

ii. a location of a case of objects;

iii. a location of an individual objects;

m. acknowledging the user is at the location using the voice recognition software;

n. with the mobile computer, inputting a member of the group;

i. the check digits for an object'"'"'s location by the user using voice recognition software;

ii. the bar code of an object'"'"'s location by the user using the bar code reader;

iii. the bar code of a case of objects by the user using the bar code reader;

iv. the bar code of an individual object by the user using the bar code reader;

v. the objects location with the RFID reader;

vi. the case of objects with the RFID reader; and

vii. the individual object with the RFID reader;

o. using the voice recognition software by the user to verify the check digits for a objects location;

p. using the applications software to verify the barcode or RFID is for the location of the objects, case of objects, or individual object;

q. using the text to speech software to indicate the quantity of the objects needed via the audio output device to the user;

r. acknowledge the indicated quantity of the objects;

s. repeating steps (j) through (q) until all objects on the list have been selected;

t. providing an acknowledgement to the order systems server the results of the process steps (b) through (r); and

u. transferring the results from the order systems server to the at least one external computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement word is “

ready”

.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the mobile computer to obtain status information for the user that is an indication of the user'"'"'s performances compared to the expected completion time for steps (b) through (r).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step wherein if indicated quantity of the objects is less than the quantity of objects to be pulled, the user uses the voice recognition software to indicate a need to “

pick short”

the indicated amount.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step after the user indicates the need to “

pick short”

, the applications software via the text to speech software prompts the user to provide an input on;

a. the actual quantity of objects pulled; and

b. the reason for the lack of quantity.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a step after the actual quantity of objects pulled and the reason for the lack of quantity of acknowledging the input from the user using text to speech software.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of alerting the user using the text to speech software that an object to be pulled is a “

catch weight item”

.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user indicates the weight of the catch weight item using the audio input device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein weight of the catch weight item is verified using the text to speech software.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computer can also indicate a transport device and a position on the transport device where the quantity of the objects to be pulled should be placed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computer provides a “

high quantity item”

alert via the display to the user after the summary information is provided to the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein answers to a series of safety questions are required from the user regarding the transport vehicle used to move the transport device which can be is selected from the group comprising:

a. are the brakes working?;

b. is the horn working?;

c. is the steering working?;

d. is there any damage to the transport vehicle?

e. is there any leak in the transport vehicle?;

f. are the tires inflated and undamaged?; and

g. are the forks undamaged?.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at any time during the method, a second user can contact the user from a remote location via the order systems server, which communicates with the mobile computer which then provides the communication via audio output device and display.