Radio frequency monitoring of a shopping facility

• US 10,366,261 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2018
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus A., Tingler, Jeremy R., Taulbee, Alvin S., Mattingly, Todd D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US16/041,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20190026513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101, 340 31
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10376 the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein useful to monitor a shopping facility. The shopping facility can include an array of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers distributed throughout the facility to thereby receive and read signals generated from RFID tags within the facility. RFID tags can advantageously be coupled to and associated with products within the facility so that readings of the tags can be used to monitor the status of the products. A control circuit can be coupled to the RFID readers to thereby analyze the readings and compile readings over time. With this, the control circuit can monitor the shopping facility to identify scenarios requiring follow up. Upon identification of one of the scenarios, the control circuit can instruct an automated ground vehicle (AGV) to inspect an identified product at a location within the facility. The AGV can operate a sensor thereof to determine a status of the identified product.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a shopping facility using transmitters, the system comprising:

a database storing predefined read rate and signal strength fluctuation profiles;

an array of receivers within the shopping facility configured to read transmitters coupled to products within the shopping facility;

an automated ground vehicle (AGV) having a sensor;

a control circuit in communication with the database, the array of receivers and the AGV, the control circuit configured to;

receive readings of transmitters from one or more of the receivers;

analyze the readings to identify the products associated with the transmitters;

determine locations of the products within the shopping facility;

monitor fluctuations of a read rate and signal strength of the readings over time for individual ones of the products to identify the presence of customers adjacent thereto;

analyze the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength relative to the predefined read rate and signal strength fluctuation profiles to identify a predefined situation selected for investigation for a particular product;

command the AGV to investigate the particular product according to the predefined situation;

wherein the AGV is configured to;

navigate to a location of the particular product; and

operate the sensor to capture data as set forth in the predefined situation;

wherein at least one of the control circuit and the AGV is further configured to analyze the data to determine a next action; and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to create a task for an associate based on the analysis of the data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength to identify products with fewer readings over time to thereby identify a possible interference of the particular product.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit configured to monitor the readings of the transmitters for the individual ones of the products to track movement thereof.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to correlate the movement of the particular product to the presence of customers adjacent thereto.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein product displays within the shopping facility have transmitters thereto;

and the control circuit is configured to;

monitor fluctuations of a read rate and a signal strength of the readings over time from the transmitters for the product displays;

analyze the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength of both the transmitters for the products and the transmitters for the product displays to identify the predefined situation.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stocking database having stocking information stored therein;

and wherein the control circuit is further configured to;

determine the location of the particular product in 3D space within the shopping facility based on the readings; and

compare the location of the particular product with a stocking location for the particular product indicated in the stocking information.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a point-of-sale database having sales information stored thereon, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to compare the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength to the sales information to correlate movement of the particular product with sales for the particular product.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a measurement sensor, and the data comprises a depth measurement of a product display at the location of the particular product to determine stock levels.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera;

and the data comprises an image of the location.

10. A method for monitoring a shopping facility transmitters, the method comprising:

receiving readings of transmitters coupled to products at a control circuit from one or more of any array of receivers within the shopping facility;

analyzing the readings with the control circuit to identify the products associated with the transmitters;

determining locations of the products within the shopping facility with the control circuit;

monitoring fluctuations of a read rate and a signal strength of the readings over time for individual ones of the products with the control circuit to identify the presence of customers adjacent thereto;

analyzing the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength relative to predefined read rate and signal strength fluctuation profiles obtained from a database storing the predefined read rate and signal strength fluctuation profiles to identify a predefined situation selected for investigation for a particular product;

commanding an AGV with control circuit to investigate the particular product according to the predefined situation;

navigating to a location of the particular product with the AGV;

operating a sensor with the AGV to capture data as set forth in the predefined situation;

analyzing the data with one of the AGV and control circuit to determine a next action; and

creating a task for an associate based on the analysis of the data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength further comprises identifying products with fewer readings over time to thereby identify a possible interference of the particular product.

12. The method of claim 10, monitoring the readings of the transmitters further comprises monitoring the readings of the transmitters for the individual ones of the products to track movement thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising correlating the movement of the particular product to the presence of customers adjacent thereto.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein product displays within the shopping facility have transmitters coupled thereto;

the method further comprising;

monitoring fluctuations of a read rate and a signal strength of the readings over time of the transmitters for the product displays;

analyzing the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength of both the transmitters for the products and the transmitters for the product displays to identify the predefined situation.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the location of the particular product in 3D space within the shopping facility with the control circuit based on the readings; and

comparing the location of the particular product with a stocking location for the particular product indicated in stocking information for the shopping facility with the control circuit.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing the fluctuations of the read rate and the signal strength to sales information for the shopping facility to correlate movement of the particular product with sales for the particular product.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein operating the sensor with the AGV to capture the data as set forth in the predefined situation comprises operating a measurement sensor to determine a depth measurement of a product display at the location of the particular product to determine stock levels.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein operating the sensor with the AGV to capture the data as set forth in the predefined situation comprises operating a camera to capture an image of the location.