Transitioning items from a materials handling facility

• US 10,176,456 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Puerini, Gianna Lise, Kumar, Dilip, Kessel, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US14/495,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 705418, 705 28, 348143
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system for automatically transitioning items from a materials handling facility without delaying a user as they exit the materials handling facility. For example, while a user is located in a materials handling facility, the user may pick one or more items. The items are identified and automatically associated with the user at or near the time of the item pick. When the users enters and/or passes through a transition area, the picked items are automatically transitioned to the user without affirmative input from or delay to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

determining, using first data collected by at least one of a first plurality of input devices located at a first position within a materials handling facility;

an identity of a user; and

that the user has picked an item from an inventory location within the materials handling facility;

retrieving, from a data store, a user item list associated with the user, the user item list indicating at least items picked by the user while the user is located in the materials handling facility;

in response to determining that the user has picked the item from the inventory location, updating the user item list to include an item identifier representative of the item;

receiving second data from at least one of a second plurality of input devices located in the materials handling facility, wherein the second data includes a representation of the user as the user passes through a transition area, and wherein the second plurality of input devices;

include at least one camera; and

are at a second position within the materials handling facility that is distinct from the first position;

are separate from the first plurality of input devices; and

are separate from the inventory location;

processing the second data to determine the identity of the user; and

in response to determining the identity of the user from the second data that includes the representation of the user as the user passes through the transition area;

verifying that the items identified on the user item list are in a possession of the user as the user passes through the transition area;

charging a fee to the user for items identified on the user item list;

transitioning an ownership or control of the items to the user; and

decreasing a materials handling facility inventory count for the items.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using the first data, an identity of the item picked by the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first data includes at least one of:

an image of the item captured by a camera when the item is picked by the user, a RFID tag detected by a RFID reader when the item is picked by the user, or a change in a weight measured at the inventory location when the item is picked by the user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transition area is at an exit from the materials handling facility.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using the first data, that a second user has provided the item to the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using the second data, that the user has the item when the user passes through the transition area.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

waiting a defined period of time prior to charging the fee to the user for the item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using the first data, that the user has picked the item from an inventory location within the materials handling facility;

determining, using the first data and contemporaneously with the picking, an identity of the item; and

wherein updating the user item list is performed in response to determining the identity of the item.

9. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with executable instructions,

determining an identity of a user located in a materials handling facility;

determining, using first data collected from at least one of a first plurality of input devices located at a first position within the materials handling facility, an item picked from an inventory location within the materials handling facility;

retrieving, from a data store, a user item list associated with the user, the user item list indicating at least items picked by the user while the user is located in the materials handling facility;

updating the user item list to include an item identifier representative of the item;

receiving second data from at least one of a second plurality of input devices located in the materials handling facility, wherein the second data includes a representation of the user as the user exits the materials handling facility, and wherein the second plurality of input devices;

include at least one camera;

are at a second position within the materials handling facility that is distinct from the first position;

are separate from the first plurality of input devices; and

are separate from the inventory location;

processing the second data to determine the identity of the user; and

in response to determining the identity of the user from the second data that includes the representation of the user as the user exits the materials handling facility, and without delaying the user from exiting the materials handling facility;

verifying that the item is in a possession of the user as the user exits the materials handling facility;

charging a fee to the user for the item;

transitioning an ownership or control of the item to the user; and

decreasing a materials handling facility inventory count for the item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the item is picked by a second user and provided to the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring, using at least one of a third plurality of input devices located in the materials handling facility, a position of the user while the user is located in the materials handling facility.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the fee is at least one of a fee to rent the item, a fee to lease the item, a fee to consume the item, a fee to purchase the item, or a fee to use the item.

13. A system, comprising:

a first camera positioned at a first location within a materials handling facility and oriented such that a first field of view of the first camera includes an inventory location within the materials handling facility;

a second camera positioned at a second location within the materials handling facility and oriented such that a second field of view of the second camera includes a transition area of the materials handling facility, wherein the second location is distinct from the first location;

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least;

determine an identity of a user located in the materials handling facility;

retrieve, from a data store, a user item list associated with the user, the user item list indicating at least items picked by the user while the user is located in the materials handling facility;

determine, using first data collected by the first camera, that the user has picked an item from an inventory location within the materials handling facility;

in response to a determination that the user has picked the item, update the user item list to include an item identifier representative of the item;

receive second data from the second camera, wherein the second data includes a representation of the user as the user passes through the transition area;

process the second data to determine the identity of the user; and

in response to a determination of the identity of the user from the second data that includes the representation of the user as the user passes through the transition area;

verify that the item identified on the user item list is in a possession of the user as the user passes through the transition area;

charge a fee for the item;

transition an ownership or control of the item to the user; and

decrease a materials handling facility inventory count for the item.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine, using the first data, an identity of the item picked by the user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine, using the second data, that the user has the item when the user passes through the transition area.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

update the user item list to associate a plurality of item identifiers each representative of an item of a plurality of items located in the materials handling facility that was picked by the user; and

in response to a determination that the user has passed through the transition area, charge a fee to the user for each of the plurality of items.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine, using the first data and contemporaneously with the picking, an identity of the item; and

wherein the user item list is updated in response to a determination of the identity of the item.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

in response to charging the fee, update a user profile associated with the user to include the item identifier in a history corresponding to the user.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

in response to charging the fee, automatically sign the user up for at least one service corresponding to the item.