Apparatus and method of obtaining location information of a motorized transport unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071892-B2
Application number	US-201615061406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided, some apparatuses comprise: a location controller separate from a motorized transport unit, comprising: a transceiver configured to receive communications from the motorized transport unit; a control circuit; a memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of: obtain, from the communications, a unique light source identifier of a light source detected by the motorized transport unit, and relative distance information determined by the motorized transport unit through an optical measurement; process the at least one unique light source identifier and the relative distance information relative to a mapping of the shopping facility; and determine, in response to the processing, a location of the motorized transport unit within the shopping facility as a function of the at least one unique light source identifier and the relative distance information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus providing control over movement of a motorized transport unit within a shopping facility, comprising:
a location controller separate and distinct from a self-propelled motorized transport unit, wherein the location controller comprises:
a transceiver configured to receive communications from the motorized transport unit located within a shopping facility;
a control circuit coupled with the transceiver;
a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of:
obtain, from the communications received from the motorized transport unit, a unique light source identifier of an external light source, of a plurality of separate external light sources within the shopping facility, detected by the motorized transport unit from light emitted by the light source providing a corresponding illumination area of a plurality of different illumination areas each representative of an area that is illuminated by a corresponding one of the plurality of separate external light sources, and relative distance information determined by the motorized transport unit through an optical measurement corresponding to a distance between the motorized transport unit and an external object;
process the at least one unique light source identifier and the relative distance information relative to a mapping of the shopping facility; and
determine, in response to the processing, a location of the motorized transport unit within the shopping facility as a function of the at least one unique light source identifier and the relative distance information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
obtain, from the communications from the motorized transport unit, first code information corresponding to a first machine readable code of a plurality of unique machine readable codes that are positioned at different locations distributed throughout at least a portion of the shopping facility and detected by the motorized transport unit;
identify, based on the first code information relative to the mapping, a location of the first machine readable code within the shopping facility; and
determine, relative to the mapping of the shopping facility, the location of the motorized transport unit within the shopping facility as a function of the at least one unique light source identifier, the relative distance information and the identified location of the first machine readable code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine, relative to the mapping and the determined location of the motorized transport unit, one or more movement commands to control movement of the motorized transport unit to cause the motorized transport unit to move in a desired direction; and
cause the transceiver to transmit the one or more movement commands to the motorized transport unit to cause the motorized transport unit to control its movements in accordance with the movement commands.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine a destination location within the shopping location;
identify, relative to the mapping, a route between the determined location of the motorized transport unit and the destination location;
identify one or more movement commands to control movement of the motorized transport unit to cause the motorized transport unit to move to the destination location; and
cause the transceiver to transmit the one or more movement commands to the motorized transport unit to cause the motorized transport unit to control its movements in accordance with the movement commands.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit, in obtaining the at least one unique light source identifier, is further configured to obtain from the communications multiple unique light source identifiers detected by the motorized transport unit from light emitted from multiple separate light sources, of the plurality of separate light sources, simultaneously impinging on a detector of the motorized transport unit;
wherein the control circuit in determining the location of the motorized transport unit is further configured to determine the location of the motorized transport unit as a function of the multiple unique light source identifiers.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit, in determining the location of the motorized transport unit is further configured to identify, relative to the mapping, a location of an overlapping light area of the light emitted from the multiple light sources wherein the multiple light sources are ceiling mounted overhead lights.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the motorized transport unit located within the shopping facility, wherein the motorized transport unit comprises:
a light receiver unit configured to detect the light from the light source within the shopping facility and extract the unique light source identifier from the detected light;
a distance measurement unit comprising a light emitter and a light detector, wherein the distance measurement unit is configured to determine the relative distance from the light emitter to the external object; and
a communication transmitter configured to transmit the communications comprising at least the light source identifier and the relative distance.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the motorized transport unit further comprises a machine readable code reader configured to optically read a first machine readable code of a plurality of unique machine readable codes that are positioned at different locations distributed throughout at least a portion of the shopping facility;
wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
obtain, from the communications from the motorized transport unit, the first code information;
identify, based on the first code information relative to the mapping, a location of the first machine readable code within the shopping facility; and
determine, relative to the mapping of the shopping facility, the location of the motorized transport unit within the shopping facility as a function of the at least one unique light source identifier, the relative distance information and the identified location of the first machine readable code.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit, in determining the location of the motorized transport unit, is further configured to:
obtain an additional unique light source identifier from light emitted by an additional light source of the plurality of separate light sources within the shopping facility and detected by a light receiver unit positioned on a movable item container removably coupled with the motorized transport unit configured to be moved by the motorized transport unit through at least a portion of the shopping facility;
process the additional unique light source identifier and determine, relative to the mapping, a location within the mapping of a light pattern of the additional light source; and
determine, in response to the processing, the location of the motorized transport unit within the shopping facility as a function of the at least one unique light source identifier, the relative distance information and the location within the mapping of the light pattern.

10. An apparatus providing control over movement of a motorized transport unit within a shopping facility, comprising:
a self-propelled motorized transport unit within a shopping facility, wherein the motorized transport unit comprises:
a light receiver unit configured to detect light from one or more external light s

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc
• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• High Donald R
• Atchley Michael D
• Mchale Brian G
• Taylor Robert C
• Winkle David C

Classifications

• G01S2201/02

  Indoor positioning, e.g. in covered car-parks, mining facilities, warehouses · CPC title

• G01S1/7038

  Signal details · CPC title

• G01S1/7034

  Mounting or deployment thereof · CPC title

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0281

  Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting · CPC title