Determination of untidy item return to an inventory location using weight

US11195140B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · US

Inventors

• Paul Eugene Munger · Seattle, US
• Jayakrishnan Eledath · Kenmore, US
• Daniel Bibireata · Bellevue, US
• Gopi Prashanth Gopal · Redmond, US
• Liefeng Bo · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 13, 2017
• Grant date: Dec 7, 2021
• Expiry date: Nov 28, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07G3/006
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A user may pick an item from a first inventory location, such as in a lane on a shelf, and may return it another location that is assigned to another type of item. Described are techniques to generate tidiness data that is indicative of whether an item has been returned to an inventory location assigned to that type of item. As items are taken, information about the type of item taken and its weight are stored. When an increase in weight at a lane indicates a return of an item to the lane, the weight of the return is compared to the stored weight of the items previously taken by a user. If the weights correspond to within a threshold value, the type of item associated with the stored weight is deemed to be returned and tidiness data indicative of a tidy return of the item to its appointed lane may be generated.