Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Morley Duncan Abbott

Mohan Rao

Cheuk-man Kong

Balasubramaneyam Maniymaran

Methods of and devices and systems for obtaining and using images of items as the items appear in an inventory area (e.g., storage bin) are disclosed. Images of inventory areas are captured before and after stow or pick operations. A difference between the before and after images is determined and extracted as an image of the item that was stowed or picked. The process may be repeated for numerous units of the item and one or more definitive item images are selected. The definitive item image may be displayed to pickers directly to facilitate picking, or may be used to determine the position of a unit of the item in a particular inventory area such that the position of the item to be picked may be indicated to the picker. Definitive item images may also be used for inventory validation, enforcement of pick and stow etiquette.

Capturing packaging image via scanner

Systems, methods and media for illuminating locations where operations are to be performed are disclosed. A set of locations where an operation is to be performed by an agent may be determined by a control system. A particular illumination pattern of numerous illumination patterns may be assigned to an agent by the control system. Illumination patterns may be colors, shapes, blink rates or any combination thereof for example. The control system may send instructions to illumination devices that correspond to the set of locations to designate all of the locations in the set of locations with the particular illumination pattern assigned to the agent such that the agent is visually aware of location to traverse. Distinct agents may each be assigned distinct illumination patterns such that the agents may operate in the same area without confusion of which agent should perform the operation at a location.

Inventory location illumination for designating operation path

An inventory item to be picked may be selected along with an inventory location (e.g., storage bin) storing a particular unit of the item among a units of heterogeneous items also stowed in the inventory location. One or more images of the inventory location may be obtained and analyzed to determine a position of the unit of the item. Instructions may be sent to direct a device to illuminate the determined position of the unit of the item, and pick instructions may be sent to the same or a different the device. A device may receive the position instructions from a control system, and illuminate the determined position of the unit of the item within the inventory location. The pick instructions may direct an agent or mobile storage bin to a particular location and direct the agent to pick the unit of the item from the illuminated position.

Growing community of inventors

Toronto, Canada

Morley Duncan Abbott