Systems and methods for estimating a geographical location of an unmapped object within a defined environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488488-B2
Application number	US-201715478628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media are provided for rendering at an electronic terminal a first set of graphical user interfaces to request a first set of data from a user, receiving, at a central server in communication with the electronic terminal, the first set of data from the user, communicating the first set of data via a stateless edge appliance to a third party verification server in a selected one of a plurality of third party computer networks to validate the first set of data, rendering a second set of graphical user interfaces to request a second set of data from the user, communicating the second set of data to the third party verification server to authenticate the second set of data, and authenticating the user in response to receipt of authentication of the second set of data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for estimating a geographic location at which an unmapped object is disposed within a defined environment comprising:
retrieving, from an activity database, a first list of objects associated with a first completed collection action, the first list of objects including the unmapped object and a first plurality of mapped objects;
retrieving, from an object mapping database, a first set of locations that includes a location within the defined environment of each of the first plurality of mapped objects;
determining, by a processor, based on the first set of locations, a first estimated route traversed through the defined environment to acquire the first plurality of mapped objects;
retrieving, from the activity database, a second list of objects associated with a second completed collection action, the second list of objects including the unmapped object and a second plurality of mapped objects;
retrieving, from the object mapping database, a second set of locations that includes a location within the defined environment of each of the second plurality of mapped objects;
determining, by the processor, based on the second set of locations, a second estimated route traversed through the defined environment to acquire the second plurality of mapped objects;
detecting, by the processor, at least one intersection point of the first and second estimated routes at the geographic location within the defined environment; and
identifying, by the processor, one of the at least one intersection points of the first and second estimated routes as an unmapped object location within the defined environment,
wherein the first list of objects indicates an order of collection of the first list of objects, the determination of the first estimated route is further based on the order of collection of the first list of objects, the second list of objects indicates an order of collection of the second list of objects, and the determination of the second estimated route is further based on the order of collection of the second list of objects,
detecting an indication of an incoherent route associated with at least one of the first estimated route, the second estimated route, or a third estimated route, the third estimated route being associated with a third list of objects that includes the unmapped object and a third plurality of mapped objects; and
excluding the at least one of the first estimated route, the second estimated route, or the third estimated route associated with the indication of the incoherent route from the detection of the at least one intersection point.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, from the activity database, a third list of objects associated with a third completed collection action, the third list of objects including the unmapped object and a third plurality of mapped objects;
retrieving, from the object mapping database, a third set of locations that includes a location within the defined environment of each of the third plurality of mapped objects;
determining, by the processor, based on the third set of locations, a third estimated route traversed through the defined environment to acquire the third plurality of mapped objects;
detecting, by the processor, at least one intersection point of the first, second, and third estimated routes at the geographic location within the defined environment; and
identifying, by the processor, one of the at least one intersection points of the first, second, and third estimated routes as an unmapped object location within the defined environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the unmapped object location with the unmapped object in the object mapping database.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity database is coupled to one or more mobile devices, each mobile device including a scanning module and executing an application.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
scanning, via each of the scanning modules of the one or more mobile devices, machine-readable elements encoded with identifiers associated with the objects in the first, second or third list of objects; and
receiving, via each of the applications executed on the one or more mobile devices, decoded identifiers associated with the objects in the first, second or third list of objects.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first list of objects indicates an order of collection of the first list of objects;
wherein the determination of the first estimated route is further based on the order of collection of the first list of objects;
wherein the second list of objects indicates an order of collection of the second list of objects;
wherein the determination of the second estimated route is further based on the order of collection of the second list of objects;
wherein the third list of objects indicates an order of collection of the third list of objects; and
wherein the determination of the third estimated route is further based on the order of collection of the third list of objects.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination of at least one of the first estimated route or the second estimated route is further based on previously recorded sensor data acquired by a plurality of sensors distributed within the defined environment.

8. A method for estimating a geographic location at which an unmapped object is disposed within a defined environment comprising:
receiving, at a central computing device from an activity database, a series of lists of objects associated with a series of completed collection actions, each of the series of lists of objects including the unmapped object and a plurality of mapped objects;
retrieving, from an object mapping database in response to receiving the series of lists of objects, a series of sets of locations, each set of locations including a location within the defined environment of each of the plurality of mapped objects;
determining, by a processor, based on the series of sets of locations, a plurality of estimated routes traversed through the defined environment to acquire each plurality of mapped objects corresponding to each of the series of lists of objects;
detecting, by the processor, at least one intersection point of the plurality of estimated routes at the geographic location within the defined environment; and
identifying, by the processor, one of the at least one intersection points of the plurality of estimated routes as an unmapped object location within the defined environment,
wherein the series of lists of objects each indicate an order of collection of the respective list of objects, the determination of the plurality of estimated routes is further based on the order of collection of the plurality of lists of objects,
detecting an indication of an incoherent route associated with at least one of the plurality of estimated routes; and
excluding the at least one of the plurality of estimated routes associated with the indication of the incoherent route from the detection of the at least one intersection point.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising associating the unmapped object location with the unmapped object in the object mapping database.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
storing the plurality of estimated routes in a memory of the central computing device;
receiving, at the central computing device, at least one additional list of objects associated with at least one additional completed collection action, the at least one additional list of objects including an unmapped object and a plurality of additional mapped objects;
retrieving, from an object mapping database in response to receiving the at

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Taylor Robert James
• Jones Nicholaus Adam
• Jones Matthew Allen
• Vasgaard Aaron James

Classifications

• G01S5/0295

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• G06K7/1413

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• G01S19/13

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S13/74 Primary

  Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems · CPC title

• G06Q30/0639

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title