Automated inventory quality control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415935-B1
Application number	US-201213601662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2012
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for determining discrepancies between physical inventory and virtual inventory includes a memory and a processor. The memory can store a virtual inventory associated with an inventory bin, and an image representing a physical inventory associated with the inventory bin. The processor is coupled to the memory and can determine from the image a physical inventory comprising one or more units of inventory from the inventory bin. The processor can also determine discrepancies between the determined physical inventory of the inventory bin and the virtual inventory associated with the inventory bin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an inventory holder including an inventory bin, the inventory bin operable to store one or more units of inventory;
a mobile drive unit operable to retrieve the inventory holder from an array of inventory holders and deliver the inventory holder to one or more image capture zones and a picking station;
one or more image capture devices operable to capture, while the inventory holder is located in a particular image capture zone, an image of the one or more units of inventory stored in the inventory bin; and
one or more computing systems operable to:
determine, from the captured image, a physical inventory of the inventory bin, wherein determining the physical inventory of the inventory bin comprises identifying from the captured image a quantity and a type of each of the one or more units of inventory stored in the inventory bin;
determine discrepancies between the determined physical inventory of the inventory bin and a virtual inventory associated with the inventory bin by comparing the determined physical inventory of the captured image with the virtual inventory; and
present an indication of any determined discrepancies, the indication comprising a visual or audible indication.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the particular image capture zone is a location that the inventory holder passes through before the inventory holder arrives at the picking station; and
the virtual inventory comprises inventory information of the inventory bin that is stored in a master inventory.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the particular image capture zone is a location that the inventory holder passes through after the inventory holder has departed from the picking station; and
the virtual inventory comprises inventory information of the inventory bin that is determined from a second image of the one or more units of inventory, the second image being captured before the inventory holder arrives at the picking station.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
accessing an order indicating one or more ordered products; and
determining, based on the determined discrepancies and the order, whether the one or more ordered products were removed from the inventory holder at the picking station.

5. Logic encoded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and operable, when executed by one or more processing units, to:
send one or more instructions that cause a mobile drive unit to retrieve an inventory holder from an array of inventory holders and deliver the inventory holder to an image capture zone, the inventory holder comprising one or more inventory bins operable to store one or more units of inventory;
access an image of the one or more units of inventory stored in a particular inventory bin of the inventory holder, the image captured by one or more image capture devices while the inventory holder is located in the image capture zone;
determine, from the captured image, a physical inventory of the particular inventory bin, the physical inventory comprising the one or more units of inventory, wherein determining the physical inventory of the particular inventory bin comprises identifying from the captured image a quantity and a type of each of the one or more units of inventory in the particular inventory bin; and
determine discrepancies between the determined physical inventory of the particular inventory bin and a virtual inventory associated with the particular inventory bin by comparing the determined physical inventory of the captured image with the virtual inventory.

6. The logic of claim 5 , wherein:
the image capture zone is a location that the inventory holder passes through before the inventory holder arrives at a picking station; and
the virtual inventory comprises inventory information of the particular inventory bin that is stored in a master inventory.

7. The logic of claim 6 , the logic further operable to determine that the discrepancies are disassociated with interactions with the particular inventory bin at the picking station.

8. The logic of claim 5 , wherein:
the image capture zone is a location that the inventory holder passes through after the inventory holder has departed from a picking station; and
the virtual inventory comprises inventory information of the particular inventory bin that is determined from a second image of the one or more units of inventory, the second image being captured before the inventory holder is delivered to the picking station.

9. The logic of claim 8 , the logic further operable to determine that the discrepancies are due to interactions with the particular inventory bin at the picking station.

10. The logic of claim 5 , wherein determining the physical inventory of the particular inventory bin comprises at least one of:
analyzing one or more captured barcodes;
utilizing optical character recognition;
identifying a number of units of inventory; and
comparing the captured image to one or more images of known products.

11. A method comprising:
retrieving, by a mobile drive unit, an inventory holder from an array of inventory holders and delivering the inventory holder to a picking station, the inventory holder comprising one or more inventory bins operable to store one or more units of inventory;
accessing, by one or more computing systems, one or more images of the one or more units of inventory stored in a particular inventory bin of the inventory holder, the one or more images captured by one or more image capture devices while the inventory holder is located proximate to the picking station;
determining, by the one or more computing systems from the one or more captured images, one or more units of inventory removed from the inventory holder at the picking station, wherein determining one or more units of inventory removed from the inventory holder comprises identifying from the one or more captured images a quantity and a type of each of the one or more units of inventory in the inventory holder;
accessing order information, the order information indicating one or more ordered products; and
determining, by the one or more computing systems, discrepancies between the order information and the one or more units of inventory removed from the inventory holder at the picking station by comparing the determined one or more units of inventory removed from the inventory holder with the order information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the one or more captured images comprise video data; and
determining one or more units of inventory removed from the inventory holder at the picking station comprises at least one of:
analyzing one or more barcodes in the video data;
utilizing optical character recognition on the video data; and
comparing the video data to one or more images of known products.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising presenting a visual indication at the picking station of discrepancies between the order information and the units of inventory removed from the inventory holder.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by the one or more computing systems after a determination that there are no discrepancies between the order information and the units of inventory removed at the picking station, discrepancies between a physical inventory of the inventory holder and a virtual inventory of the inventory holder; and
in response to a determination that there are discrepancies between the physical inventory of the inventory holder and the virtual inventory of the inventory holder:
presenting at least one of a first indication and a second indicatio

Assignees

• Macfarlane Kenneth C
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Macfarlane Kenneth C

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• B65G1/1373 Primary

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B25J9/1602

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title