Distribution center head-up display

• US 8,355,961 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Ng, Sei Y., Persson, Carl J., Wilson, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAWLEY, TALIA F
• Application Number:
  US11/833,758
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 342/357.13, 396/56, 701/211, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/28 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading, distribution or shipping

Abstract

A system is provided for determining an item location in a distribution center. The system includes an audio device, a transparent display, and a mobile device in communication with the audio device and the transparent display. The mobile device receives a request to determine item location from the audio device, determines a location of the mobile device, and determines an item location. The mobile device also outputs item location information to the transparent display and outputs additional information to the transparent display in response to a change of the location of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for determining an inventory item location in a distribution center, comprising:

an audio device;

a transparent display;

an identity information unit for gathering identity information about the inventory item; and

a mobile device in communication with the audio device, the identity information unit, and the transparent display, wherein the mobile device is configured such that upon receipt of a request to determine the inventory item location within the distribution center from the audio device, the mobile device determines a location of the mobile device within the distribution center, the mobile device determines the requested inventory item location, and the mobile device outputs the requested inventory item location information to the transparent display, wherein the mobile device is configured such that, upon determining a change of the location of the mobile device, the mobile device outputs additional information to the transparent display, and wherein the mobile device is configured such that, upon nearing the inventory item location, the mobile device receives inventory item identity information from the identity information unit for at least one inventory item at the inventory item location and compares the inventory item identity information for the at least one of a plurality of inventory items to known identity information for the requested inventory item to verify that the at least one of the plurality of items is the requested inventory item.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transparent display comprises a user wearable lens and a projector to project images on the lens.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to output the inventory item location information to the audio device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identity information unit comprises an electronic tag reader to identify inventory items.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device determines the inventory item location based on at least one of an electronic tag associated with an inventory item and a location database.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is further configured to promote speech recognition.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the identity information unit comprises a camera in communication with the mobile device, wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the at least one inventory item at the inventory item location to promote comparing the captured image to stored images to assist a user to identify the requested inventory item.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the mobile device is further configured to promote gesture recognition.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a digital compass to determine an orientation of the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a server in communication with the mobile device, wherein the server is configured to access a database of inventory item locations for the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to present a transparent graphic in the transparent display such that it appears to overlay the inventory item as viewed by the user indicating that the overlayed inventory item matches a requested inventory item when the comparison of the inventory item information matches the known inventory item information for the requested inventory item.

12. A method for determining inventory item locations in a distribution center, comprising:

receiving a request to determine a plurality of inventory item locations within the distribution center for a plurality of orders;

determining a location of a mobile device;

determining the plurality of inventory item locations;

outputting inventory item locations information via the mobile device based on the location of the mobile device, wherein the inventory item locations information comprises a map specifying an order for traveling to the inventory item locations, and wherein information specifies to which of the plurality of orders each of the inventory items belongs;

receiving inventory item identity information when a user is less than a predefined distance from each of the inventory item locations; and

comparing, by a processor, the inventory item identity information to known identity information for at least one of the plurality of inventory items requested by the user to determine whether the inventory item situated in the identified inventory item location matches one of the plurality of inventory items requested by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the map specifies the order for traveling to the inventory item locations based on at least one of a shortest distance for distributing inventory items and a shortest distance for retrieving inventory items.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the map specifies the order for traveling to the inventory item locations based on at least one of an order for packing inventory items and an order for unpacking inventory items.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein inventory item locations information comprises at least one of menu options, a location for an inventory item, and information regarding the inventory item, and wherein receiving the request to determine the inventory item locations comprises receiving the request via at least one of a microphone, a pointer, a keyboard, and a camera.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

building inventory maps that associate the plurality of inventory items with the locations of the inventory items; and

maintaining the inventory maps including associating new inventory items with the location of the new inventory items and updating the location of inventory items when the location of the inventory items change.

17. A method for determining an inventory item location in a distribution center, comprising:

receiving a request via a mobile device to determine the inventory item location within the distribution center;

determining a location of a mobile device;

determining the inventory item location within the distribution center;

outputting inventory item location information to a transparent display via the mobile device, wherein the inventory item location information is based on the inventory item location relative to the location of the mobile device;

receiving inventory item identity information when less than a predefined distance from the inventory item location; and

comparing, by a processor, the inventory item identity information to stored identity information for the inventory item to verify that the inventory item in the inventory item location is a correct inventory item.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device relative to at least one of an inventory item with an electronic tag and a geographically fixed electronic tag using at least one of a radio frequency identification technology, a global positioning system technology, a forward link triangulation technology, a hybrid technology, and a motion detector technology.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the item location information comprises light displayed on the transparent display, wherein the light changes based on the inventory item location relative to the location of the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the inventory item location information comprises an audio signal output to an audio device, wherein the audio signal changes based on the inventory item location relative to the location of the mobile device.