Electromagnetic tracking of moveable device with orientation determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969461-B1
Application number	US-201715614223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2017
Priority date	Jun 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A facility is equipped with a floor containing one or more of a transmitter to generate electromagnetic signals (EMS) or a receiver to receive EMS. A device such as a tote may include one or more of a transmitters to generate EMS that may then be received by the receiver in the floor or a receiver to receive EMS transmitted by the floor. As the tote moves across the floor, tracking data may be generated using the information obtained from the exchange of EMS. Orientation of the tote with respect to the floor may be determined using an asymmetric arrangement of antennas on the tote, by encoding data within the EMS, or a combination thereof. For example, the tote may include three antennas arranged in a triangular layout, or a front antenna and a back antenna each used to transmit an EMS that is indicative of relative placement of the tote.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a tote comprising:
a plurality of wheels;
a structure supported by the plurality of wheels;
a power supply supported by the structure;
a transmitter supported by the structure and powered by the power supply, the transmitter configured to generate a signal that encodes one or more of: a device identifier indicative of the tote, data indicative of a type of the tote, or data indicative of a user associated with the tote;
a first antenna mounted proximate to a front of the structure and proximate to a bottom of the structure, wherein the first antenna is connected to the transmitter and configured to radiate the signal;
a second antenna mounted proximate to a first corner at a back of the structure and proximate to the bottom of the structure, wherein the second antenna is connected to the transmitter and configured to radiate the signal; and
a third antenna mounted proximate to a second corner at the back of the structure and proximate to the bottom of the structure, wherein the third antenna is connected to the transmitter and configured to radiate the signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a floor comprising:
a flooring material;
a support structure configured to support the flooring material;
at least one receiver to detect the signal;
a fourth antenna to receive the signal, wherein the fourth antenna is at a first floor location and is coupled to the at least one receiver;
a fifth antenna to receive the signal, wherein the fifth antenna is at a second floor location and is coupled to the at least one receiver;
a sixth antenna to receive the signal, wherein the sixth antenna is at a third floor location and is coupled to the at least one receiver;
a first communication interface;
a first memory, storing first computer-executable instructions; and
a first hardware processor to execute the first computer-executable instructions to:
determine the signal is received using the fourth antenna;
determine the signal is received using the fifth antenna;
determine the signal is received using the sixth antenna;
generate tile output data indicative of the reception of the signal at the first floor location, the second floor location, and the third floor location; and
send the tile output data using the first communication interface.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a computing device comprising:
a second communication interface;
a second memory, storing second computer-executable instructions; and
a second hardware processor to execute the second computer-executable instructions to:
receive the tile output data;
access device configuration data indicative of an arrangement of the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna with respect to one another as mounted to the structure of the tote and an orientation of the tote with respect to the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna;
access physical layout data indicative of an arrangement of the fourth antenna, the fifth antenna, and the sixth antenna with respect to one another within the floor;
determine an arrangement indicated by the tile output data corresponds to the device configuration data; and
determine the orientation of the tote based on the determination that the arrangement indicated by the tile output data corresponds to the device configuration data and based on the orientation of the tote with respect to the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna as indicated by the device configuration data.

4. A system comprising:
a tote comprising:
a plurality of wheels;
a structure supported by the plurality of wheels;
a power supply supported by the structure;
an item stowage area supported by the structure;
at least one transmitter supported by the structure, the at least one transmitter configured to generate one or more signals; and
at least three antennas coupled to the at least one transmitter and configured to radiate the one or more signals, wherein:
the at least three antennas are mounted to the structure; and
the at least three antennas are arranged to produce an asymmetrical pattern within a plane that is parallel to a floor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
a first antenna of the at least three antennas is mounted proximate to a front of the structure and proximate to a bottom of the structure, wherein the first antenna is connected to the at least one transmitter and configured to radiate a first signal;
a second antenna mounted proximate to a first corner at a back of the structure and proximate to the bottom of the structure, wherein the second antenna is connected to the at least one transmitter and configured to radiate a second signal; and
a third antenna mounted proximate to a second corner at the back of the structure and proximate to the bottom of the structure, wherein the third antenna is connected to the at least one transmitter and configured to radiate a third signal.

6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a floor tile comprising one or more floor antennas connected to one or more receivers.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one transmitter is configured to:
couple to a first antenna of the at least three antennas during a first time and radiate a first signal;
couple to a second antenna of the at least three antennas during a second time and radiate a second signal; and
couple to a third antenna of the at least three antennas during a third time and radiate a third signal.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one transmitter is configured to encode data in the one or more signals, and further wherein the data is indicative of one or more of:
an identifier associated with the tote,
a type of the tote, or
a corresponding antenna used to radiate a corresponding signal.

9. The system of claim 4 , the tote further comprising:
a bidirectional communication interface;
a first memory, storing first computer-executable instructions; and
a first hardware processor to execute the first computer-executable instructions to:
send, using the bidirectional communication interface, data that is indicative of one or more of:
an identifier associated with the tote,
a type of the tote, or
a corresponding antenna used to radiate a particular one of the one or more signals.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least three antennas are mounted to the structure, and a distance between edges of any two antennas of the at least three antennas is greater than a width of an antenna in a floor tile.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least three antennas are mounted to the structure, and edges of the at least three antennas are maintained at a distance of at least two millimeters from an outermost edge of the structure.

12. A system comprising:
a device comprising:
a structure;
an item stowage area supported by the structure;
one or more transmitters configured to generate a first signal and a second signal;
a first antenna mounted at a first position on the structure, wherein the first antenna is connected to at least one of the one or more transmitters and is configured to radiate the first signal; and
a second antenna mounted at a second position on the structure, wherein the second antenna is connected to at least one of the one or more transmitters and is configured to radiate the second signal; and

a floor comprising:
a plurality of floor antennas, wherein each floor antenna is arranged at a particular respective location with respect to other floor antennas in the plurality of floor antennas;
one or more receivers configured to detect sig

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• O'Neill Nathan Pius
• Orlov Nikolai
• Grajewski Christopher Raymond

Classifications

• G01S5/0284

  Relative positioning · CPC title

• G01S5/0247 Primary

  Determining attitude · CPC title

• G01S5/0226

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S5/02213

  Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title