INVENTORY TRACKING
In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to identify and/or track items using accelerometer devices. In some embodiments, accelerometer devices are used to verify correct placement of items in a loading, unloading, transport, or picking operation in a supply chain facility.
1 . A method for verifying correct placement of items in at least a product sales supply chain facility, the method comprising, at a control circuit:
receiving signals from at least two wearable accelerometer devices, at least one of said wearable accelerometer devices worn on each of opposing arms of a user, each accelerometer device configured to measure acceleration and direction;
calibrating the wearable accelerometer devices when the wearable devices are at a calibration position having a first vertical level and first distance between accelerometers;
calculating the location of each wearable accelerometer device in three dimensional space at least in part by using acceleration and direction information sent by each accelerometer device as the accelerometer devices move from the calibration position;
identifying an item width when the wearable accelerometer devices are held a second distance apart for at least one second immediately following positioning of both wearable accelerometer devices at a pickup location having a known position relative to the calibration location and having a second vertical level; and
referencing a database to identify a destination corresponding to the item width.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a notification if an angle between a vector representing movement of the accelerometer devices away from the pickup location and a vector from the pickup location to the identified destination exceeds a preselected angle.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a notification if a time period between when the wearable accelerometer devices are at the pickup location and when the wearable accelerometer devices arrive at the destination exceeds a preselected time limit.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a notification if the wearable accelerometer devices cease to be separated by the second distance before the accelerometers are within a preselected distance of the destination.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating speed of accelerometer movement and generating a notification if the accelerometer devices indicate movement at an average speed below a preselected speed for a preselected sustained amount of time.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is transmitted to the user wearing the accelerometer devices.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is a message containing text indicating that the user has deviated from the path from the pickup location to the destination.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is a message containing text indicating the amount of time in which the angle between the vector representing movement of the accelerometer devices away from the pickup location and the vector from the pickup location to the identified destination exceeds 90 degrees.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is a vibration of one or more of the wearable accelerometer devices.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a vertical dropoff position of the accelerometers when the accelerometers cease to be separated by the second distance, and referencing a database to verify that the vertical dropoff position correlates to the item width.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the item on a plurality of intermediate calibration points having known locations relative to the pickup location, the number of intermediate calibration points sufficient to maintain accuracy of a calculated position of the accelerometers within one inch.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising varying notifications dependent upon the angle between the vector representing movement of the accelerometer devices away from the pickup location and the vector from the pickup location to the identified destination.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the item by scanning a label affixed to the item.
14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the item by receiving data from a RFID tag affixed to the item.
15 . A system for verifying correct placement of items in at least a product sales supply chain facility, the system comprising:
at least two wearable accelerometer devices, at least one of said wearable accelerometer devices worn on each of opposing arms of a user, each accelerometer device configured to measure acceleration and direction;
a calibration station having a first vertical level;
a control circuit for calculating the location of each wearable accelerometer device in three dimensional space at least in part by using acceleration and direction information sent by each accelerometer device following calibration at the first vertical level of the calibration station;
a pickup station having a known position relative to the calibration location and having a second vertical level; and
a database correlating item width to item destination;
wherein the control circuit is configured to identify item destination from the database when a user holds an item so that the wearable accelerometers are held in a fixed spatial relationship relative to one another for at least one second at the second vertical level at the pickup station.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit further configured to generate a notification if an angle between a vector representing movement of the accelerometer devices away from the pickup station and a vector from the pickup station to the identified destination exceeds 90 degrees.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate a notification if the time the between when the wearable accelerometer devices are at the pickup location and when the wearable accelerometer devices arrive at the destination exceeds a preselected time limit.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate a notification if the wearable accelerometer devices cease to be held in the fixed spatial relationship relative to one another before the accelerometers are within a preselected distance of the destination.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the database further correlates item width to a destination height and the control circuit is further configured to generate a notification if the wearable accelerometer devices cease to be held in the fixed spatial relationship relative to one another when the accelerometers are at a vertical position outside of a preselected range from the destination height.
20 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of intermediate calibration stations having varying heights and known locations relative to the pickup location, the control circuit configured to identify the calibration stations by the vertical height at which a user places the item at each intermediate calibration station, the number of intermediate calibration stations sufficient to maintain accuracy of a calculated position of the accelerometers within one inch.