Shopping facility assistance systems, devices and methods

• US 10,280,054 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Atchley, Michael D., Chakrobartty, Shuvro, Kay, Karl, McHale, Brian G., Taylor, Robert C., Thompson, John P., Welch, Eric E., Winkle, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/060,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/04 for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 13/00 Shop or like accessories devices for drawing-off and cutting paper from a roll B65H; movably-mounted ladders E06C9/06
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2010/005 using RFID elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2010/025 using stock management systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/08 with arrangements for continuously or intermittently moving the merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0045 Return vending of articles, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0054 Sorting of waste or refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0063 Using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/28 using electrical control means
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3422 using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/06 for carrying vehicles B60P3/12 takes precedence; caravans, camping, or like vehicles with vehicle-carrying means B60P3/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/10 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0026 Propulsion aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0069 Control
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0076 Remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/168 Sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/00 : Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 : Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/061 : by scraper blades
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/12 : Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow with or without clearing or removing E01H5/10 takes precedence; Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools by means of gritting materials E01H10/00; roughening or breaking-up pavements E01C23/08, E01C23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 : specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 : using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/70 : using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 : Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7038 : Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/72 : using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/02 : Indoor positioning, e.g. in covered car-parks, mining facilities, warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/124 : using tapes, cards or discs with optically sensed marks or codes G05B19/128, G05B19/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23363 : Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39107 : Pick up article, object, measure, test it during motion path, place it
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 : characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 : characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 : involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 : in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 : ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 : using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 : using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 : using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 : with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 : Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 : Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 : by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/04 : Control of altitude or depth
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 : Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/214 : Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 : by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 : arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10821 : further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 : 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 : Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 : Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 : Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 : Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 : Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 : Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 : Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 : specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 : After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 : Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 : Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 : Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 : Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 : Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 : Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 : Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 : from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 : in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 : Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 : Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/647 : by matching two-dimensional images to three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 : of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 : Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 : Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 : Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 : with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 : Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 : Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 : for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 : using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 : Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 : for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/82 : Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 : Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/10 : Bio-packaging, e.g. packing containers made from renewable resources or bio-plastics
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 : Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

Apparatuses, components and methods are provided herein useful to provide assistance to customers and/or workers in a shopping facility. In some embodiments, a shopping facility personal assistance system comprises: a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space; a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit during use of the respective motorized transport unit; and a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the plurality of motorized transport units and the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units.

Claims

1. A shopping facility personal assistance system comprising:

a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space;

a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit during use of the respective motorized transport unit; and

a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the plurality of motorized transport units and the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units comprises an integrated item container.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units is configured to detachably connect to a movable item container and configured to move the movable item container through the shopping facility space.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units is configured to move to a position underneath the movable item container and extend a portion thereof upward to engage and connect to the movable item container and lift a portion of the movable item container off of the ground.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of user interface units comprise one or both of at least one shopping facility provided unit and a user'"'"'s mobile smart electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises:

at least one light receiver associated with each of the plurality of motorized transport units; and

a location control unit configured to determine a location of at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units in the shopping facility space based at least on signals from the at least one light receiver.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of light sources distributed throughout the shopping facility space and configured to emit light signals encoding a light source identifier.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of low energy radio beacons distributed throughout the shopping facility space and configured to emit radio signals encoding one or more identifiers.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of audio beacons external to the plurality of motorized transport units and distributed throughout the shopping facility space and configured to emit audio signals encoding one or more identifiers; and

a location control unit configured to determine a location of at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units in the shopping facility space based at least one of the one or more audio signals detected by the at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a shopping facility video system coupled to the central computer system and external to the plurality of motorized transport units, wherein the video system comprises multiple video cameras distributed through at least a portion of the shopping facility, wherein each video camera is configured to supply video content to the central computer system to be processed, and wherein the central computer system is configured to determine a present location of one or more of the plurality of motorized transport units based on the video content.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of motorized transport units comprises a distance measurement unit configured to detect a distance between the transport unit and objects surrounding the transport unit.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to control the movement of at least one of the plurality of transport units to allow the transport unit to do one of follow a user throughout the shopping facility space and lead the user through the shopping facility space.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to access a shopping facility map database storing one or both of two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional maps of the shopping facility space.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of motorized transport units comprises at least one sensor configured to detect objects within a path of movement through the shopping facility space.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system outputs signals to control movement of at least one of the plurality of motorized transport devices, the signals generated based on one or more of:

movement instructions determined by the central computer system;

commands received at a user interface unit from a user; and

commands received at the central computer system from a remote user not located at the shopping facility space.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to process a request from a user for use of a motorized transport unit, consider locations of each of multiple motorized transport units of the plurality of transport units relative to a location of the user, and determine an available first motorized transport unit of the multiple motorized transport units to allocate to the user as a function of the locations of the multiple motorized transport units relative to the location of the user.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to automatically generate a travel route of at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units through the retail facility space based on one or more of:

a user provided list of items entered by the user via a user interface unit;

user selected route preferences entered by the user via the user interface unit;

user profile data received from a user information database; and

product availability information from a retail inventory database.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of user interface units are configured to receive and process voice commands from a user.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the plurality of user interface units are configured to authorize a given user'"'"'s voice for processing voice commands only from that given user.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to coordinate communications between a user associated with a given motorized transport unit and one or more remote users not located at the shopping facility space.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one motorized transport unit storage unit configured to store and dispense available motorized transport units.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to command at least a first motorized transport unit of the plurality of motorized transport units to attach to and move a movable item container from one location to another location in the shopping facility space, and the central computer system is configured to direct a second motorized transport unit, of the plurality of motorized transport units, to replace the first motorized transport unit to temporarily physically coupled with the movable item container and be associated with a first user based on a power level of the first motorized transport unit.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is configured to process a request from a user for a motorized transport unit entered by the user via a user interface unit, determine an available motorized transport unit based on one or more of motorized transport unit location and availability and location of the user.

24. A motorized transport unit for shopping facility personal assistance comprising:

a housing;

a locomotion system configured to move the motorized transport unit through a shopping facility space;

a rechargeable power source configured to power the motorized transport unit;

a wireless transceiver; and

a control unit coupled to the motorized transport system, the rechargeable power source and the wireless receiver, wherein the control unit is configured to;

communicate with one or both of a central computer system of a shopping facility personal assistance system and a user interface unit corresponding to the motorized transport unit; and

control the locomotion system to control movement of the motorized transport unit through the shopping facility space based at least on commands from the central computer system.

25. The motorized transport unit of claim 24 further comprising a movable item container connected to the housing.

26. The motorized transport unit of claim 24 wherein the housing comprises a container coupling structure comprising at least one actuatable clamp, and is configured to allow the motorized transport unit to detachably clamp and connect to a movable item container and move the movable item container through the shopping facility space.

27. A motorized transport unit for shopping facility personal assistance comprising:

a container coupling structure configured to engage a movable item container;

a locomotion system configured to move the motorized transport unit through a shopping facility space;

a light sensor;

a rechargeable power source configured to power the motorized transport unit;

a wireless receiver; and

a control unit coupled to the locomotion system, the light sensor, the rechargeable power source and the wireless receiver, wherein the control unit is configured to;

cause the container coupling structure to engage the movable item container;

extract an encoded data detected by the light sensors from light emitted by at least one light source external to the motorized transport unit, and wirelessly transmit the encoded data to a central computer system; and

control the locomotion system to control movement of the motorized transport unit to move the movable item container through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from a user interface unit assigned to the motorized transport unit during use of the motorized transport unit and commands received from the central computer system based at least on a location of the motorized transport unit determined as a function of the encoded data.

28. A central computer system for shopping facility personal assistance comprising:

a network interface configured to allow communications with one or both of a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space and a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit during use of the respective motorized transport unit; and

at least one control circuit configured to control, via the network interface, movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units.

29. A method of shopping facility personal assistance comprising:

communicating wirelessly between a central computer system and one or both of a plurality of motorized transport units and a plurality of user interface units, wherein the plurality of motorized transport units are located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space, and wherein each user input unit corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of motorized transport units during use of the respective one of the plurality of motorized transport units;

receiving, at the central computer system, inputs from one or more of the plurality of user interface units; and

controlling, by the central computer system, movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on the inputs from the respective one of the plurality of user interface units.