The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 09, 2025
Filed:
Mar. 20, 2023
Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Rachid M. Alameh, Crystal Lake, IL (US);
Frederick Hershel Savage, Austin, TX (US);
Jiri Slaby, Seattle, WA (US);
AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for use at an inventory location stowing items comprises an array of sensor elements. Each sensor element comprises a plurality of conductive elements that are driven as a self-capacitance sensor. Based on changes in capacitance values, interactions between a lane and user may be determined. The conductive elements may be selectively addressed to provide various physical resolutions and operational configurations. Some geometries of conductive elements provide information about position of an interaction along a long axis of the lane, as well as presence of items in the lane. The sensor element may include three conductors, stacked atop one another and separated by an insulator. To compensate for temperature and other effects, these the outermost conductors are grounded, and innermost conductor is driven. The array may be implemented on a rigid or flexible substrate. The array operates reliably in the presence of water condensation or small spills.