Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Other

Dan Beltzer

Robert M Riggs

Andrew James Pierce

Paul Eugene Munger

Matthew Ray DesJardien

Nathan Pius O'Neill

Jacob Drewniak

Stavan Dholakia

Sergio Alfredo Phan Lung Li

Kenneth Edward Doe

Mike Mosman

Michael P Mosman

Aaron M McDaniel

Nicholas Franklin

Julie T Yu

Greg K Justice

Alexander Eugene Choi

Gregory Kim Justice

Zihui Zhang

Chelsea Olson

Modular storage systems include load sensors disposed beneath or in association with platforms. The load sensors are pulse-sampled for signals corresponding to loads at time intervals, rather than continuously, in order to conserve electrical power. An item associated with a transaction is identified based on a change in the loads, as determined from the pulse-sampled signals. The platforms are aligned at horizontal or non-horizontal angles, and photovoltaic power sources with banks of photovoltaic cells are mounted to front edges of the platforms. When a user reaches over one of the photovoltaic cells to access an item on a platform, a level of power or voltage generated by the photovoltaic cell is diminished. The item closest to the photovoltaic cell having the diminished power or voltage, or a customer that accessed the item, may be identified accordingly.

Modular storage systems

An impulse strip including a plurality of clips, hooks or other features for attaching items to the impulse strip also includes a plurality of switches associated with each of the clips, hooks or other features. The switches are in communication with illuminators or other indicators that are arranged in an array. When an item is loaded onto the strip, or removed from the strip, a switch may be opened or closed, causing one of the illuminators in the array to be activated or deactivated accordingly. An image captured of the illuminators is processed to determine which of the illuminators is activated and which is deactivated, and an inventory level of the strip may be determined based on the statuses of the respective illuminators corresponding to the clips, the hooks or the other features of the impulse strip.

Determining inventory levels using switch-equipped strips and patterns of activated or deactivated indicators

A platform is supported at four corners by four half-bridge load cells. Adjacent load cells are oppositely polarized. During operation, analog output from a pair of oppositely polarized half-bridge load cells is provided to an instrument amplifier. Analog output from the instrument amplifier is provided to an analog to digital converter to provide digital data. The digital data is then used to determine weight data indicative of a weight as measured by the pair of half-bridge load cells at that time. A set of switching elements, such as a quad bilateral switch controlled by a microcontroller, rapidly switch between pairs of oppositely polarized load cells. The weight data may be used to determine an overall weight change on the platform, such as a pick or a place of an item. Weight data from the four pairs of load cells may be used to determine a change in center of gravity.

Position sensing weight measuring device

This disclosure describes, in part, systems for tracking the removal of shopping bags or other items from a dispenser. Folded shopping bags are stacked in a holder so that a front shopping bag can be removed by pulling it along an axis that is parallel to the length and/or width dimension of the shopping bag. A motion sensor is positioned to sense movement of the front shopping bag as it is removed. Control logic monitors and/or analyzes data or other signals from the motion sensor and determines whether movement of at least a threshold distance has occurred. If movement of at least the threshold distance has occurred, the control logic concludes that a shopping bag has been removed and generates a corresponding event notice. Other system components may respond to the event notice by applying a charge for the removed shopping bag or by performing other actions.

Item dispenser with motion-based removal detection

A fixture includes a crossbar to which a plurality of brackets are attached. Accessories such as wire hooks, shelves, bins, and so forth may be supported by one or more brackets. Each of the brackets may comprise an accessory support piece and at least one load cell arm which in turn is attached to the crossbar. A load cell sensor affixed to the load cell arm generates a signal that is indicative of weight changes to the bracket as items are added or removed from the accessory. The accessory support piece may include features such as tabs that prevent accessories from moving laterally. The accessory support piece may accommodate accessories of different sizes that in turn may support items of different sizes.

Integrated multi-lane weight measuring device

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Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Dan Beltzer