Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Michael P Mosman

Nathan Pius O'Neill

Paul Eugene Munger

Matthew Ray DesJardien

Robert M Riggs

Andrew James Pierce

Dan Beltzer

Aaron M McDaniel

Stavan Dholakia

Sergio Alfredo Phan Lung Li

Kenneth Edward Doe

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

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

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Everett, WA, United States of America

Michael P Mosman