Systems and methods for detecting traffic in a shopping facility

• US 10,416,784 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus A., Taylor, Robert J., Vasgaard, Aaron J., Jones, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dinh T
• Application Number:
  US15/609,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 377 6
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for detecting traffic in a shopping facility. A system for detecting traffic in a shopping facility comprises: a plurality of light emitters coupled to motion sensors configured to emit light when motion is detected by the motion sensor; a light detector having a field of view including at least one of the plurality of light emitters; a database; and a control circuit configured to obtain data from the light detector relating to light emitted from the light emitters, estimate a location of the light emitted from the light emitters based on location data associated with the light emitter stored in the database, and track a path of a customer based on successive light emissions from the light emitters.

Claims

1. A system for detecting traffic in a shopping facility, the system comprising:

a plurality of light emitters positioned at predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility, each light emitter being coupled to an associated motion sensor configured to detect motion such that each light emitter emits a light signal when motion of an approaching customer is detected by the associated motion sensor;

a light detector having a field of view including the plurality of light emitters and configured to detect the light signals emitted from the plurality of light emitters;

a database configured to store signal data obtained from the light detector and location data associated with the plurality of light emitters; and

a control circuit coupled to the light detector and the database, the control circuit configured to;

obtain the signal data from the light detector relating to the light signals emitted from the plurality of light emitters;

estimate a location of the light signals emitted from the plurality of light emitters based on the location data associated with the plurality of light emitters stored in the database; and

track a path of the approaching customer based on successive light signal emissions from at least two of the plurality of light emitters,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to estimate a location of a store worker by comparing a scan from a handheld device carried by the store worker, the handheld device being coupled to the control circuit, with scan data stored in the database, and

determine if the store worker is present when at least one of the plurality of light emitters is activated by the approaching customer by comparing the location of the store worker to the signal data obtained from the light detector and the location data associated with the at least one of the plurality of light emitters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to estimate customer traffic patterns in an area adjacent to at least one of plurality of light emitters based at least on how often the at least one of the plurality of light emitters is activated to emit a light signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is further configured to compare the customer traffic patterns with point of sale data to determine if the point of sale data correlates to the customer traffic patterns.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitters is configured to emit light for a length of time that the motion sensor detects a continuous motion of the approaching customer, and the control circuit is further configured to estimate a dwell time of the approaching customer based on a length of time that the at least one of the plurality of light emitters emits the light signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of light emitters emits a different wavelength of light.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the light signal emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitters is visible light configured to illuminate one or more retail products in the shopping facility.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the light signal emitted from at least one of the plurality of light emitters is non-visible light.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitters is configured to emit a light signal for a predetermined length of time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to estimate the store worker'"'"'s path of travel by comparing successive scans from the handheld device carried by the store worker with scan data stored in the database.

10. A method for detecting traffic in a shopping facility, the method comprising:

detecting motion of an approaching customer using a motion sensor;

causing a light emitter coupled to the motion sensor to emit a light signal when motion is detected by the motion sensor;

detecting the light signal emitted from the light emitter using a light detector;

estimating, using a control circuit, a location of the light signal emitted from the light emitter and detected by the light detector based on location data associated with the light emitter stored in a database;

tracking a path of the approaching customer based on successive light signal emissions from a plurality of light emitters positioned at predetermined locations throughout the shopping facility

estimating a location of a store worker by comparing a scan from a handheld device carried by the store worker with scan data stored in the database; and

determining if the store worker is present when at least one of the plurality of light emitters is activated by the approaching customer by comparing the location of the store worker to signal data obtained from the light detector and location data associated with the at least one of the plurality of light emitters.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating customer traffic patterns in an area adjacent to the light emitter based on how often the light emitter is activated to emit the light signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing the customer traffic patterns with point of sale data to determine if the point of sale data correlates to the customer traffic patterns.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating dwell time of the approaching customer based on a length of time that the light emitter emits the light signal when the light emitter is configured to emit the light signal for a length of time that the motion sensor detects a continuous motion of the approaching customer.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating a path of travel of a store worker by comparing successive scans from a handheld device carried by the store worker with scan data stored in the database.