System, method and apparatus for monitoring picking activities

Abstract

A system, a wearable device and method for monitoring picking activities. The method comprises: obtaining a visual input from a sensor located on a wearable device, wherein the wearable device is worn on a hand of a picker, wherein the sensor is configured to capture at least an interior portion of a hand of the picker, wherein the picker is tasked with picking items to fulfill a shopping order of a customer, wherein the shopping order comprises a list of items; determining, based on the visual input, that the picker picked up an item and placed the item in a tote associated with the shopping order of the customer, wherein said determining that the picker picked up the item and placed the item comprises identifying the item; and in response to said determining: performing a fulfillment-related action.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for a fulfillment of orders in a fulfillment site, comprising:
 a plurality of wearable devices;   a control module;   a catalog database retaining visual representations of items in the fulfillment site; and   a payment module;   wherein each of said plurality of wearable devices is being worn on a hand of a different picker and configured to obtain visual input of activity performed by the hand of the different picker, wherein each picker is tasked with picking items to fulfill an order of a different customer;   wherein said control module is configured to identify a picking action that comprises picking up the object and placing the object in a tote associated with the order of the customer, wherein the picking action is captured by the wearable device; and   wherein said control module is configured to identify a corresponding item to the item in the order and mark the corresponding item as fulfilled, wherein the identification of the corresponding item is based on said catalog database.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fulfillment site is selected from a list consisting of:
 a store, a pharmacy, a medical center, a warehouse, a fulfillment center, and a factory.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control module is configured to invoke a payment module in response to a determination that the order is fulfilled. 
     
     
         4 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a visual input from a sensor located on a wearable device, wherein the wearable device is worn on a hand of a picker, wherein the sensor is configured to capture at least an interior portion of a hand of the picker, wherein the picker is tasked with picking items to fulfill an order of a customer, wherein the order comprises a list of items;   determining, based on the visual input, that the picker picked up an item and placed the item in a tote associated with the order of the customer, wherein said determining that the picker picked up the item and placed the item comprises identifying the item; and   in response to said determining: performing a fulfillment-related action.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said obtaining and said determining are performed during a collection session, wherein during the collection session, continuously monitoring the picker using the visual sensor, wherein said continuously monitoring the picker comprises said obtaining the visual input. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprises: in response to identification of a first activity, determining that the collection session begins; and in response to identification of a second activity, terminating the collection session. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the interior portion of the hand comprises a distal portion of a palm. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the wearable device is configured to be worn on a wrist of the picker, whereby positioning the sensor to face a palm of the hand. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said identifying the item is performed based on the visual input and based on a positioning reading of the wearable device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprises:
 determining, based on the positioning reading of the wearable device, a subset of a catalog of items; and 
 performing product recognition to identify the item, wherein the product recognition is performed with respect to the subset of the catalog of items. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the wearable device comprises a first wearable component that comprises a first sensor and a second wearable component that comprises a second sensor, wherein the first wearable component is configured to be worn on the hand of the picker, wherein the second wearable component is configured to be worn on a second hand of the picker,   wherein the first sensor is configured to capture at least the interior portion of the hand of the picker,   wherein the second sensor is configured to capture at least an interior portion of the second hand of the picker,   wherein the sensor comprises the first sensor and the second sensor,   wherein the visual input comprises input from the first sensor and from the second sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said identifying the item is performed uniformly on a combination of the inputs from the first and second sensors. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said identifying the item comprises identifying the item as a single item observed from two different viewpoints by the first and second sensors. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said performing a fulfillment-related action comprises:
 matching a corresponding item in the list of items to the item; and   marking the corresponding item as fulfilled.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said performing a fulfillment-related action comprises:
 identifying a mismatch between the item and the list of items; and   alerting the picker of the mismatch.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the picker is tasked with picking items to fulfill a plurality of orders of a plurality of customers simultaneously during a single collection session;   wherein said determining that the picker picked up the item and placed the item comprises identifying the customer associated with the tote, in which the item is placed.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said identifying the item is performed based on the list of items. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said identifying the item is performed based on an attempt to match the item with items appearing on the list of items. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the fulfillment-related action comprises adding the item to a virtual cart;   and wherein the method further comprises:   obtaining a second visual input from the sensor of the wearable device;   determining, based on the visual input, that the picker removed the item from the tote; and   in response to said determining: removing the item from the virtual cart.   
     
     
         20 . A wearable device comprises:
 a visual sensor; and   a communication unit configured to connect said wearable device to a controller external to the wearable device;   wherein said wearable device is configured to be worn on a hand of a picker, wherein the picker is tasked with a fulfillment task, wherein the fulfillment task comprises picking one or more items to fulfill an order of a customer;   wherein said visual sensor is configured to continuously capture an interior portion of the hand of the picker;   wherein the wearable device is configured to provide images captured by the visual sensor to be utilized to identify a picking action performed by the hand of the picker and to identify an object upon which the picking action is performed, wherein the picking action comprises picking up the object and placing the object in a tote used for fulfilling the order of the customer.   
     
     
         21 . The wearable device of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to be in communication with a server that provides the picker with the fulfillment task. 
     
     
         22 . The wearable device of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to be in communication with a server, wherein the server is configured to activate and deactivate monitoring by the wearable device using the visual sensor for a duration of collection session, wherein the wearable device is configured to continuously monitor the picker using the visual sensor during the collection session.