SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATING CONTAINERS WITH LOW INVENTORY

• US 20170293880A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Robert J., Jones, Nicholaus A., Vasgaard, Aaron J., Jones, Matthew A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,089,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to locating containers with low inventory in a shopping facility. Some of these embodiments include systems for identifying and determining the location of containers in a low inventory condition in shopping facilities, the system comprising: a container configured to hold merchandise items in a shopping facility; a light sensor disposed in the container, the light sensor calibrated to detect an ambient light level and to respond when the detected ambient light level exceeds a predetermined ambient light threshold; and a control circuit operatively coupled to the light sensor and configured to transmit a signal indicating a low inventory condition when the light sensor determines the detected ambient light level exceeds the predetermined ambient light threshold.

Claims

1. A system for identifying and determining the location of containers in a low inventory condition in shopping facilities, the system comprising:

a container configured to hold merchandise items in a shopping facility;

a light sensor disposed in the container, the light sensor calibrated to detect an ambient light level and to respond when the detected ambient light level exceeds a predetermined ambient light threshold; and

a control circuit operatively coupled to the light sensor and configured to transmit an audio signal indicating a low inventory condition when the light sensor determines the detected ambient light level exceeds the predetermined ambient light threshold; and

a predetermined array of microphones arranged about a predetermined area of the shopping facility, the array of microphones arranged to receive the audio signal and identify the location of the container with the low inventory condition within the shopping facility.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a server in communication with the array of microphones, the server configured to receive information regarding the location of the container and to create a task to address the low inventory condition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal includes an identification code corresponding to the location of the container with the low inventory condition.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the light sensor is recalibrated to respond to a different predetermined ambient light threshold when the container is moved to a different shopping facility location, the different predetermined ambient light threshold corresponding to the ambient light conditions at the different shopping facility location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the light sensor is mounted and fastened to the container to limit movement of the light sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is operatively coupled to a speaker and is configured to emit a predetermined sound indicating a low inventory condition and the location of the container.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the light sensor includes one or more of a phototransistor, a photodiode, and a photoresistor.

8. A method of identifying and locating containers holding merchandise items in a low inventory condition within shopping facilities, the method comprising:

providing a light sensor that detects ambient light;

positioning the light sensor in a container in a shopping facility;

depositing a sufficient number of merchandise items in the container to block the light sensor from ambient light in excess of a predetermined ambient light threshold;

activating a control circuit when the detected ambient light level exceeds the predetermined ambient light threshold to transmit an audio signal; and

arranging a predetermined array of microphones about a predetermined area of the shopping facility, the array of microphones arranged to receive the signal and identify the location of the container with a low inventory condition within the shopping facility.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising calibrating the light sensor to respond to ambient light when the detected ambient light level exceeds the predetermined ambient light threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the calibration is manually initiated or performed automatically.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating the location to a server and creating a task to address the low inventory condition.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the audio signal with an identification code corresponding to the location of the container with the low inventory condition.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the container to a different shopping facility location and recalibrating the light sensor to respond to a different predetermined ambient light threshold corresponding to ambient light conditions at the different shopping facility location.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the positioning the light sensor in the container further comprises mounting and fastening the light sensor to the container to limit movement of the light sensor.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is operatively coupled to a speaker and configured to emit a predetermined sound indicating a low inventory condition and the location of the container.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is operatively coupled to a visual indicator indicating the location of the container and is configured to activate the visual indicator when the detected ambient light level exceeds the predetermined ambient light threshold.