Patents by Inventor Christopher David Rotella

Christopher David Rotella has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20160185528
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to determine that a shipment including multiple units is expected to be conveyed from a storage area to a packing station in a materials handling facility. The system may also be configured to evaluate each respective unit of the shipment according to one or more criteria related to physical characteristics of the unit in order to generate an order in which the units of the shipment are to be provided to the packing station. The system may also be configured to generate an instruction to provide the units of the shipment to the packing station according to the generated order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong
  • Patent number: 9280756
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to determine that a shipment including multiple units is expected to be conveyed from a storage area to a packing station in a materials handling facility. The system may also be configured to evaluate each respective unit of the shipment according to one or more criteria related to physical characteristics of the unit in order to generate an order in which the units of the shipment are to be provided to the packing station. The system may also be configured to generate an instruction to provide the units of the shipment to the packing station according to the generated order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong
  • Patent number: 8958903
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing reassignment of units among shipments in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify a first unit of a particular item that has been picked from inventory of a materials handling facility and assigned to a first shipment. The system may also, from multiple candidate shipments, identify a second shipment that requires a given unit of the particular item in order to become a complete shipment. For each candidate shipment, at least one unit of that shipment may be stored within a defined storage area of a materials handling facility. The system may, in response to identifying both shipments, generate an instruction to reassign the first unit of the particular item from the first shipment to the second shipment in order to transform the second shipment from an incomplete shipment to a complete shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong, Joseph M. Alyea
  • Patent number: 8855806
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify multiple shipments that each includes one or more units that are eligible to be conveyed from a storage area to a respective packing station in a materials handling facility. The identification of a given shipment may include determining that shipment is compatible with a packing capability of the packing station. The system may be configured to evaluate each respective shipment according to one or more shipment-related criteria to generate a ranking of at least some of the multiple shipments. The system may, in response to determining that a particular shipment is ranked highest relative to other shipments of the ranking, generate an instruction to convey the units of that particular shipment from the storage area to the respective packing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Natalie T. Nguyen, Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong, Arlen R. Dean
  • Patent number: 8682474
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing reassignment of units among shipments in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify a first unit of a particular item that has been picked from inventory of a materials handling facility and assigned to a first shipment. The system may also, from multiple candidate shipments, identify a second shipment that requires a given unit of the particular item in order to become a complete shipment. For each candidate shipment, at least one unit of that shipment may be stored within a defined storage area of a materials handling facility. The system may, in response to identifying both shipments, generate an instruction to reassign the first unit of the particular item from the first shipment to the second shipment in order to transform the second shipment from an incomplete shipment to a complete shipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong, Joseph M. Alyea
  • Publication number: 20110295411
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing reassignment of units among shipments in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify a first unit of a particular item that has been picked from inventory of a materials handling facility and assigned to a first shipment. The system may also, from multiple candidate shipments, identify a second shipment that requires a given unit of the particular item in order to become a complete shipment. For each candidate shipment, at least one unit of that shipment may be stored within a defined storage area of a materials handling facility. The system may, in response to identifying both shipments, generate an instruction to reassign the first unit of the particular item from the first shipment to the second shipment in order to transform the second shipment from an incomplete shipment to a complete shipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong, Joseph M. Alyea
  • Publication number: 20110295412
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify multiple shipments that each includes one or more units that are eligible to be conveyed from a storage area to a respective packing station in a materials handling facility. The identification of a given shipment may include determining that shipment is compatible with a packing capability of the packing station. The system may be configured to evaluate each respective shipment according to one or more shipment-related criteria to generate a ranking of at least some of the multiple shipments. The system may, in response to determining that a particular shipment is ranked highest relative to other shipments of the ranking, generate an instruction to convey the units of that particular shipment from the storage area to the respective packing station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Natalie T. Nguyen, Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong, Arlen R. Dean
  • Publication number: 20110295413
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to determine that a shipment including multiple units is expected to be conveyed from a storage area to a packing station in a materials handling facility. The system may also be configured to evaluate each respective unit of the shipment according to one or more criteria related to physical characteristics of the unit in order to generate an order in which the units of the shipment are to be provided to the packing station. The system may also be configured to generate an instruction to provide the units of the shipment to the packing station according to the generated order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Christopher David Rotella, Cherie G. Wong