Transporting packages using light guided operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10217075-B1
Application number	US-201715660810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 26, 2017
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments presented herein describe a package management system that uses guidance devices when transporting packages. In one embodiment, the package management system includes an event detecting device that detects a package transporting event such as when a package is sorted into a container, a container is moved from the warehouse to vehicle, a container is moved from a vehicle into a warehouse, or a package is delivered. For example, the event detecting device may trigger the event in response to a worker scanning a bar code, selecting a delivery route, or checking an electronic manifest. Once a container corresponding to the event is identified, a gateway identifies the guidance device assigned to that container and instructs the guidance device to illuminate a light disposed thereon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A package management system, comprising:
an inventory tracking system comprising a package database for tracking locations of a plurality of packages in a warehouse;
an event detecting device configured to detect a package transport event corresponding to a first package of the plurality of packages and transmit an indication of the event to the inventory tracking system, wherein the inventory tracking system uses the package database to identify a container assigned to the first package, wherein the container is used to store the first package and has a form factor that can contain multiple packages; and
a gateway comprising a wireless transmitter, wherein the gateway is configured to:
receive an identification of the container from the inventory tracking system,
select a guidance device from a plurality of guidance devices in wireless range of the gateway based on the identification of the container, and
transmit a wireless signal to the selected guidance device uniquely assigned to the container using the wireless transmitter; and

wherein each of the plurality of guidance devices is disposed in a predefined spatial relationship with a respective container, wherein each of the plurality of guidance devices comprises a body containing a wireless receiver and a light, wherein the selected guidance device is configured to receive the wireless signal and illuminate the light.

2. The package management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of gateways disposed at fixed locations in the warehouse, wherein each of the plurality of gateways is assigned to manage a different set of containers.

3. The package management system of claim 2 , wherein the inventory tracking system is configured to identify the gateway from the plurality of gateways by based on identifying the container.

4. The package management system of claim 1 , wherein
the gateway communicates directly with the selected guidance device when transmitting the wireless signal to the selected guidance device.

5. The package management system of claim 1 , wherein each body of the plurality of guidance devices is separate from its respective containers.

6. A package management system, comprising:
an event detecting device configured to detect a package transport event of at least one package and transmit an indication of the package transport event to an inventory tracking system;
a gateway comprising a wireless transmitter, wherein the gateway is configured to:
receive an identification of a container corresponding to the package from the inventory tracking system, wherein the container is used to store the package and has a form factor that can contain multiple packages,
select a guidance device from a plurality of guidance devices in wireless range of the gateway based on the identification of the container, and
transmit a wireless signal to the selected guidance device uniquely assigned to the container using the wireless transmitter; and

wherein each of the plurality of guidance devices comprises a body containing a wireless receiver and a light, wherein the selected guidance device is configured to receive the wireless signal and illuminate the light.

7. The package management system of claim 6 , wherein the package transport event is a stow event during which the package is sorted into the container, wherein the package comprises a shipping label with a mailing address, and wherein the container is assigned to a geographic region corresponding to the mailing address.

8. The package management system of claim 7 , wherein the event detecting device comprises a bar code reader, and wherein the stow event is detected when the bar code reader scans a bar code on the shipping label,
wherein the inventory tracking system identifies the container based on data retrieved when scanning the bar code.

9. The package management system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a frame in an aisle of a warehouse;
a plurality of containers arranged in rows and columns in the frame; and
wherein each of the plurality of guidance devices is suspended over a respective one of the plurality of containers.

10. The package management system of claim 6 , wherein the package transport event is a pick up event during which the container is moved from a warehouse, and wherein the container contains multiple packages that are assigned to a common delivery route.

11. The package management system of claim 10 , wherein the event detecting device comprises one of a mobile computing device and a bar code reader, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a software application for selecting the common delivery route, and wherein the bar code reader is configured to scan a bar code identifying the common delivery route.

12. The package management system of claim 10 , wherein, in response to the pick up event, the inventory tracking system is configured to identify a plurality of containers assigned to the common delivery route,
wherein the gateway is configured to instruct a subset of the plurality of guidance devices to activate a plurality of lights disposed thereon, wherein each of the subset of the plurality of guidance devices is uniquely assigned to a respective one of the plurality of containers.

13. The package management system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of guidance devices is attached to a respective container.

14. The package management system of claim 13 , wherein the package transport event is a delivery event during which the package is moved from a delivery vehicle, wherein the gateway is mounted in the delivery vehicle, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to communicate with the inventory tracking system via a cellular network.

15. The package management system of claim 6 , wherein the package transport event is one of (i) a loading event during which the container is moved from a warehouse into a vehicle and (ii) a unloading event during which the container is moved from the vehicle into the warehouse, wherein the gateway is configured to track a relative distance between the selected guidance device and the gateway during the package transport event,
wherein the inventory tracking system is configured to provide feedback to a human operator indicating that the container was incorrectly handled when the package is not at a desired location based on the relative distance.

16. A method, comprising:
detecting a package transport event of at least one package and transmit an indication of the package transport event to an inventory tracking system;
receiving, at a gateway, an identification of a container corresponding to the package from the inventory tracking system, wherein the container is used to store the package and has a form factor that can contain multiple packages;
selecting a guidance device from a plurality of guidance devices based on the identification of the container, wherein each of the plurality of guidance devices is uniquely assigned to a respective container;
transmitting a wireless signal to the selected guidance device; and
illuminating a light on the guidance device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the package transport event is a stow event during which the package is sorted into the container, wherein the package comprises a shipping label with a mailing address, and wherein the container is assigned to a geographic region corresponding to the mailing address.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein detecting the package transport event comprises:
scanning a bar code on the shipping label to trigg

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ward Ian
• Colucci Iii John Lewis
• Gao Jianwei
• Guo Xingang
• Sivakumaran Arun Prasath
• Ahluwalia Prashant Singh

Classifications

• G06Q30/0639

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06K19/06028

  using bar codes · CPC title

• G06Q30/00

  Commerce · CPC title

• H04L69/12

  Protocol engines · CPC title