Device and method for directing employee movement

• US 10,149,091 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Matthew Allen, Jones, Nicholaus Adam, Taylor, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Mapa, Michael Y
• Application Number:
  US15/342,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20170150303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 4551153, 455134, 4551613, 4552262, 4554561-457, 455513
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

Described is a system for directing employee movement to maintain a minimum distance between any two employees on a sales floor, and maximize employee coverage on the sales floor. The system includes a first mobile computing device carried by a first employee. The first mobile computing device includes a proximity detection module that detects the proximity of a second mobile computing device carried by a second employee. If it is determined that the distance between the first and the second employee is too small, the first mobile computing device will output a motion direction instruction to the first employee, telling the first employee to change direction, thus increasing the distance between the first and the second employee. The mobile computing devices can be in communication with a base station that receives proximity information and helps coordinate employee coverage and motion direction instructions.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device for directing employee motion, the mobile computing device comprising:

a proximity detection module, wherein the mobile computing device for directing employee motion is a first mobile computing device carried by a first employee, wherein the proximity detection module receives a coverage signal transmitted by a second mobile computing device carried by a second employee, and wherein the proximity detection module computes a distance between the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device;

a coverage module, wherein the coverage module receives a first coverage status indicator of the first mobile computing device and a second coverage status indicator of the second mobile computing device, wherein the first coverage status indicator indicates whether or not the first employee is a part of a network of employees covering a retail sales floor, and wherein the second coverage status indicator indicates whether or not the second employee is a part of the network of employees covering the retail sales floor;

and a direction module, wherein the direction module outputs a motion direction instruction in response to the proximity detection module receiving the coverage signal transmitted by the second mobile computing device, the distance being less than a predetermined minimum distance, and the first and the second coverage status indicators indicating that both the first and the second employees are a part of the network of employees covering the retail sales floor and when a motion detection module detects that the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are both in motion; and

wherein the direction module does not output a motion direction instruction when one of the first mobile computing device and the second computing device are not in motion.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the direction module outputs the motion direction instruction in response to a) the proximity detection module receiving the coverage signal, b) a strength of the coverage signal being above a predetermined maximum signal strength, and c) the motion detection module detecting that the first mobile computing device is in motion.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the direction module outputs the motion direction instruction in response to a) the proximity detection module receiving the coverage signal, b) the first and the second coverage status indicators indicating that the first and the second mobile computing devices are in coverage mode, and c) the motion detection module detecting that the first mobile computing device is in motion.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the motion detection module receives a second mobile computing device motion indicator;

the second mobile computing device motion indicator indicates whether or not the second mobile computing device is in motion; and

the direction module outputs the motion direction instruction in response to a) the proximity detection module receiving the coverage signal, b) a strength of the coverage signal being above a predetermined maximum signal strength, and c) the motion detection module detecting that the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are both in motion.

5. A method of providing a motion direction instruction to a first employee carrying a first mobile computing device, the method comprising:

detecting, using a proximity detection module of the first mobile computing device, a coverage signal transmitted by a second mobile computing device carried by a second employee;

determining, using the proximity detection module of the first mobile computing device, a distance between the first and the second mobile computing device;

determining, by a coverage module of the first mobile computing device, whether or not the first employee is a part of a network of employees covering a retail sales floor using a first coverage status indicator output by the coverage module;

determining, by the coverage module of the first mobile computing device, whether or not the second employee is a part of the network of employees covering the retail sales floor using a second coverage status indicator received from the second mobile computing device;

detecting, using a motion detection module of the first mobile computing device, whether the first mobile computing device is in motion;

detecting, using the motion detection module of the first mobile computing device, whether the second mobile computing device is in motion using a second mobile computing device motion indicator received from the second mobile computing device;

and outputting, using the first mobile computing device, a motion direction instruction in response to the distance between the first and the second mobile computing device being less than a predetermined minimum distance, the coverage module determining that both the first and the second employee are a part of the network of employees covering the retail sales floor, and the motion detection module detecting that both the first and the second mobile computing device are in motion, and wherein the first mobile computing device does not output a motion direction instruction when one of the first mobile computing device and the second computing device are not in motion, wherein the motion direction instruction comprises a new direction of motion.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting a signal strength of the coverage signal transmitted by the second mobile computing device;

wherein outputting the motion direction instruction comprises outputting the motion direction instruction in response to the signal strength being greater than a predetermined maximum signal strength.

7. A device for coordinating employee movements comprising a base station device, wherein the base station device comprises:

a proximity module, wherein the proximity module receives proximity information regarding a proximity between a first mobile computing device carded by a first employee and a second mobile computing device carded by a second employee, and wherein the proximity module uses the proximity information to compute a proximity distance between the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device;

a coverage status module, wherein the coverage status module determines whether or not the first employee is a part of a web of employees covering a retail sales floor, and wherein the coverage status module determines whether or not the second employee is a part of the web of employees covering the retail sales floor;

and a direction module, wherein the direction module sends a motion direction instruction to the first mobile computing device in response to the proximity module determining that the proximity distance is less than a predetermined minimum proximity distance, and the coverage status module determining that both the first and the second employee are a part of the web of employees covering the retail sales and when a motion status module detects that the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are both in motion; and

wherein the direction module does not output a motion direction instruction when one of the first mobile computing device and the second computing device are not in motion.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the base station device is a server, and wherein the motion status module receives a first motion status indicator from the first mobile computing device, and a second motion status indicator from the second mobile computing device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the direction module sends a motion direction instruction to the first mobile computing device in response to the proximity module receiving the proximity information and the first motion status indicator indicating that the first mobile computing device is in motion.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the direction module sends a motion direction instruction to the first mobile computing device in response to the proximity module receiving the proximity information and the first and the second motion status indicators indicating that both the first and the second mobile computing devices are in motion.