US 12,175,420 B2
Shipment receiving systems and methods including notification and reconciliation features
Robert James Taylor, Rogers, AR (US); Jason Bellar, Bella Vista, AR (US); John Crecelius, Springdale, AR (US); Matthew David Alexander, Rogers, AR (US); William M. Propes, Bentonville, AR (US); Jesse Berry, Centerton, AR (US); and Jeffrey Scott Cruz, Bentonville, AR (US)
Assigned to Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed by Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed on Feb. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/248,947.
Application 17/248,947 is a continuation of application No. 15/910,174, filed on Mar. 2, 2018, granted, now 10,943,207.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/466,085, filed on Mar. 2, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0036292 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/087 (2023.01); B65G 47/48 (2006.01); B65G 47/50 (2006.01); G06Q 10/08 (2024.01); G06Q 10/10 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/087 (2013.01) [B65G 47/485 (2013.01); B65G 47/503 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 10/10 (2013.01); B65G 2201/02 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0216 (2013.01); B65G 2203/044 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A shipment receiving system comprising:
a material transporter having at least one inlet pathway and a plurality of outlet lanes, each outlet lane comprising an indicator, the material transporter configured to move a received case to one of the plurality of outlet lanes based on a received direction;
a notification engine configured to provide notifications to the indicator of one or more of the plurality of outlet lanes;
a scanner comprising a sensor for detecting a case identifier of each individual one of one or more received cases;
an invoice processor configured to, for each of a plurality of expected destinations inclu ded in invoice data for a plurality of expected cases, assign one or more of the plurality of outlet lanes based on a number of expected cases with the expected destination; and
a sorting engine, operably coupled to the material transporter, the scanner, the notification engine, and the invoice processor, and configured to:
receive the case identifier of an individual received case associated with one of the plurality of expected cases from the scanner,
store a receipt indication for the individual received case,
assign the individual received case to a first outlet lane assigned to the expected destination of the individual received case of the plurality of outlet lanes,
control the material transporter to route the individual received case directly from the at least one inlet pathway to the first outlet lane assigned to the individual received case, and
in response to determining that the individual received case has arrived at an unloading portion of the first outlet lane based on readings from a case detection sensor of the first outlet lane, direct the notification engine to provide a notification to the indicator of the first outlet lane assigned to the individual received case, the notification providing information regarding the individual received case to an unloader, wherein the information comprises dimension information and weight information related to the individual received case.