Systems and methods for handling and dispensing of items

Abstract

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for handling items, comprising:
 (a) inspecting one or more items using one or more sensors to detect or determine one or more properties of the one or more items;   (b) automatically sorting the one or more items based at least in part on the one or more properties of the one or more items;   (c) automatically tracking a location of the one or more items; and   (d) using a dispense mechanism to (i) retrieve the one or more items from the tracked location and (ii) dispense the one or more items to a support, wherein the one or more items correspond to a customer order.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, prior to (b), storing the one or more items in one or more trays or one or more storage units. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more properties of the one or more items comprise a quality, a freshness, a ripeness, an expected shelf life, an expiration date, a harvest date, a shipping date, or a receipt date of the one or more items. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more properties of the one or more items comprise a size, a shape, a type, a name, a brand, a source, an origin, or a previous storage condition of the one or more items. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise an optical spectrometer, a mass spectrometer, a load sensor, or a chemical sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more cameras for imaging the one or more items from a plurality of different angles or perspectives. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein in (a), inspecting the one or more items comprises imaging the one or more items. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein (a) further comprises moving or reorienting the one or more items to enable imaging of the one or more items from a plurality of different angles or perspectives. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein imaging the one or more items comprises multispectral imaging, hyperspectral imaging, acoustic or acousto-optic sensing, ultraviolet imaging, infrared imaging, x-ray imaging, RGB imaging, depth imaging, electro-magnetic imaging, or three-dimensional imaging. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the one or more items comprises (i) adjusting a position of the one or more items within one or more trays or one or more storage units, or (ii) moving the one or more items to another tray or storage unit, based on the one or more properties of the items. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (d) comprises moving the dispense mechanism relative to one or more trays to pick the one or more items from the one or more trays. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (d) comprises moving the dispense mechanism through a slot or an opening of one or more trays in or on which the one or more items are stored to support the one or more items as the one or more items are lifted from the one or more trays. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (d) comprises moving one or more trays adjacent to or towards the dispense mechanism in order to facilitate picking and dispensing of the one or more items from the one or more trays. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (d) comprises moving the dispense mechanism adjacent to or towards one or more trays in order to facilitate picking and dispensing of the one or more items from the one or more trays. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein sorting the one or more items in (b) comprises loading the one or more items into one or more select locations in or on one or more trays based at least in part on the one or more properties of the one or more items. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein (d) comprises moving the dispense mechanism to the one or more select locations in order to retrieve and dispense the one or more items from the one or more trays. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein (d) comprises controlling a movement of the dispense mechanism based on a layout or an organization of the one or more trays to access and retrieve the one or more items in the one or more select locations. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more select locations are determined, modified, or adjusted based on (i) a frequency at which the one or more items are selected, ordered, accessed, or dispensed, (ii) a frequency at which the one or more items are ordered together, or (iii) product purchasing behaviors associated with one or more customers. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more select locations for the one or more items are modified or adjusted to optimize order fulfillment times, maximize throughput, and minimize time from receipt of the customer order to packaging of the one or more items associated with the customer order. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (d) further comprises inspecting the one or more items during or after the dispensing of the one or more items.