Ultrasonic bracelet and receiver for detecting position in 2D plane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9881276-B2
Application number	US-201615083083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

Ultrasonic tracking of a worker's hands may be used to monitor performance of assigned tasks. An inventory system includes inventory bins configured to store inventory items, an ultrasonic unit, ultrasonic transducers, and a management module. The ultrasonic unit is configured to be worn by a user in proximity to the user's hand and to periodically emit ultrasonic sound pulses. The ultrasonic transducers are arranged relative to the inventory bins and configured to receive the emitted pulses. The management module is operatively coupled with the ultrasonic transducers and configured to process signals generated by the ultrasonic transducers to identify an inventory bin based on proximity of the ultrasonic unit relative to the identified inventory bin. The management module monitors performance of an assigned task based on the identified inventory bin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inventory management system, comprising:
an inventory holder including inventory bins configured to store inventory items;
an ultrasonic unit configured to be worn by a user in proximity to the user's hand, the ultrasonic unit comprising an ultrasonic pulse transmitter and a control unit operatively coupled with the ultrasonic pulse transmitter, the ultrasonic unit being configured to emit periodic ultrasonic sound pulses via the ultrasonic pulse transmitter;
four ultrasonic transducers arranged relative to the inventory holder, each of the four ultrasonic transducers being configured to generate a respective electrical signal in response to reception of the periodic ultrasonic pulses emitted by the ultrasonic pulse transmitter;
a management module operatively coupled with the four ultrasonic transducers and configured to process the respective signals generated by the four ultrasonic transducers to track location of the ultrasonic unit and identify one of the inventory bins based on proximity of the ultrasonic unit to the identified inventory bin, the management module being further configured to compare the identified inventory bin with a designated inventory bin of the inventory bins to monitor performance of an inventory task assigned to the user, the inventory task assigned to the user being one of retrieving an inventory item from the designated inventory bin or placing an inventory item into the designated inventory bin; and
at least one of:
an infra-red light emitting diode disposed relative to the four ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the ultrasonic unit comprises a photo cell operatively coupled with the control unit, the control unit being configured to begin output of a periodic electrical signal to the ultrasonic pulse transmitter for conversion into the periodic ultrasonic pulses in response to a signal from the photo cell generated in response to reception by the photo cell of infra-red light emitted by the infra-red light emitting diode; and
a near-field radiofrequency (RF) transmitter disposed relative to the four ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the ultrasonic unit comprises an RF receiver operatively coupled with the control unit, the control unit being configured to begin output of a periodic electrical signal to the ultrasonic pulse transmitter for conversion into the periodic ultrasonic pulses in response to reception by the RF receiver of an RF transmission by the near-field RF transmitter.

2. The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the four ultrasonic transducers are mounted independently of the inventory holder and the inventory management system further comprises a mobile drive unit configured to transport the inventory holder within an inventory facility, the inventory management system being configured to control the mobile drive unit to controllably position the inventory holder relative to the four ultrasonic transducers.

3. The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic unit includes a haptic feedback mechanism configured to generate a haptic feedback to the user indicative of at least one of the identified inventory bin matching the designated inventory bin or the identified inventory bin not matching the designated inventory bin, the management module controlling operation of the haptic feedback mechanism via a control signal transmitted to the ultrasonic unit.

4. The inventory management system of claim 1 , comprising the infra-red light emitting diode disposed relative to the four ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the ultrasonic unit comprises the photo cell operatively coupled with the control unit, the control unit being configured to begin output of the periodic electrical signal to the ultrasonic pulse transmitter for conversion into the periodic ultrasonic pulses in response to the signal from the photo cell generated in response to reception by the photo cell of infra-red light emitted by the infra-red light emitting diode.

5. The inventory management system of claim 1 , comprising the near-field radiofrequency (RF) transmitter disposed relative to the four ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the ultrasonic unit comprises the RF receiver operatively coupled with the control unit, the control unit being configured to begin output of the periodic electrical signal to the ultrasonic pulse transmitter for conversion into the periodic ultrasonic pulses in response to reception by the RF receiver of an RF transmission by the near-field RF transmitter.

6. The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic pulse transmitter includes a plurality of ultrasonic pulse transmitters distributed on the ultrasonic unit, at least some of the plurality of ultrasonic pulse transmitters configured to directly emit the periodic ultrasonic pulses toward each of the four ultrasonic transducers.

7. A system, comprising:
an ultrasonic unit configured to be worn by a user in proximity to the user's hand and configured to emit periodic ultrasonic sound pulses;
ultrasonic transducers arranged relative to locations configured to store items; and
a management module operatively coupled with the ultrasonic transducers and configured to process signals generated by the ultrasonic transducers to identify one of the locations based on proximity of the ultrasonic unit relative to the identified location, the management module being further configured to monitor performance of a task based on the identified location,
wherein the ultrasonic unit is configured to transmit data to the management module by embedding the data in the periodic ultrasonic pulses, the embedded data being indicative of at least one of an identification of the user, whether the user's hand is the user's left hand or right hand, a charge state of the ultrasonic unit, a timestamp associated with an ultrasonic pulse, an operational status of the ultrasonic unit or a duration of use of the ultrasonic unit.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ultrasonic transducers are mounted independently of an inventory holder comprising the locations and the system further comprises a mobile drive unit configured to transport the inventory holder within a facility, the system being configured to control the mobile drive unit to controllably position the inventory holder relative to the ultrasonic transducers.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the management module is configured to determine a positional relationship between the locations and the ultrasonic transducers in response to a calibration process in which the user's hand is moved to designated positions relative to the locations.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ultrasonic unit includes a haptic feedback mechanism configured to generate a haptic feedback to the user indicative of at least one of the identified location matching a designated location or the identified location not matching the designated location, the management module controlling operation of the haptic feedback mechanism via a control signal transmitted to the ultrasonic unit.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a proximity signal emitter that emits a proximity signal and is disposed relative to the ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the ultrasonic unit comprises a proximity signal receiver and is configured to begin output of the periodic ultrasonic pulses in response to reception of the proximity signal by the proximity signal receiver.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ultrasonic unit comprises a plurality of ultrasonic pulse transmitters configured to emit the periodic ultrasonic pulses and distributed on the ultrasonic unit, at least some of the plurality of ultrasonic transmitters

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Cohn Jonathan Evan

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• G06K7/02

  by pneumatic or hydraulic means, e.g. sensing punched holes with compressed air; by sonic means {; by ultrasonic means} · CPC title

• G06Q10/0877 Primary

  by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting · CPC title