Vehicle analysis system and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10732025-B2
Application number	US-201715621681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Aug 26, 2016
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle analysis system including one or more weight sensors positioned to determine a weight of a vehicle within a pre-defined geographic location in the vicinity of a location of interest is described. The vehicle analysis system acquires data related to vehicles visiting the location of interest that may be saved in a database to provide further insight into individual's visiting the location of interest.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle analysis system, comprising:
one or more weight sensors positioned to determine a weight of a vehicle, each of the one or more weight sensors associated with a pre-defined geographic location in the vicinity of a location of interest; and
a weight analysis subsystem in electronic communication with and configured to receive vehicle weight data from the one or more weight sensors, the weight analysis subsystem including:
a location database storing the pre-defined geographic location of each of the one or more weight sensors;
a processor;
an audio detector disposed at one or more of the pre-defined geographic locations and configured to capture sound associated with the vehicle; and
a memory, the memory including instructions for a weight analysis module that, when executed by the processor, cause the weight analysis subsystem to:
detect an arrival time of the vehicle at the pre-defined geographic location based on a detectable vehicle weight occurring at the pre-defined geographic location;
determine an arrival weight of the vehicle based on vehicle weight data generated by the one or more weight sensors at the arrival time;
detect an exit of one or more occupants from the vehicle based on an identified reduction in the determined vehicle arrival weight to an unoccupied weight, an exit weight equaling the amount of the reduction from the arrival weight to the unoccupied weight;
communicate with the audio detector to retrieve captured sound identifying sound of one or more closing doors on the vehicle;
estimate a number of closing doors based on the identified sounds of the one or more closing doors on the vehicle;
estimate a number of occupants of the vehicle based on the exit weight and the estimated number of closing doors; and
add at least one of the vehicle arrival time, arrival weight and estimated number of occupants to a stored set of data associated with a location at which the one or more weight sensors are located.

2. The vehicle analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined geographic location is an individual parking lot space.

3. The vehicle analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the weight analysis module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the weight analysis subsystem to:
detect an entry of the one or more occupants into the vehicle based on an increase in the unoccupied weight to a loaded weight determined from loaded vehicle weight data received from the one or more weight sensors subsequent to determination of the unoccupied weight;
determine a purchase weight of the vehicle representing a difference between the arrival weight and the loaded weight, the purchase weight indicative of a weight of products purchased by the one or more occupants;
detect a departure time of the vehicle from the pre-defined geographic location based on an absence of the vehicle weight at the pre-defined geographic location; and
add at least one of the departure time and purchase weight to the stored set of data.

4. The vehicle analysis system of claim 3 , wherein the weight analysis module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the weight analysis subsystem to:
retrieve, from a transaction database of a location in communication with the weight analysis subsystem, transaction data associated with a purchase of products having an aggregate product weight corresponding to the purchase weight, the purchase completed subsequent to the detection of the arrival of the vehicle; and
associate the transaction data with the vehicle associated with the purchase weight.

5. The vehicle analysis system of claim 3 , wherein the weight analysis module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the weight analysis subsystem to:
determine a total on-site time of the vehicle based on a difference between the arrival time and the departure time; and
add the total on-site time to the stored set of data.

6. The vehicle analysis system of claim 3 , wherein the weight analysis module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the weight analysis subsystem to:
identify a time of the detection of the arrival of the vehicle;
identify a difference between the arrival time and a time of the completion of the purchase as a total time spent by an individual associated with the vehicle in the location of interest; and
add the total time spent by the individual associated with the vehicle in the location of interest to the stored set of data.

7. The vehicle analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the number of occupants of the vehicle is estimated by dividing the exit weight by an expected occupant weight and the estimated number of closing doors.

8. The vehicle analysis system of claim 7 , wherein the weight analysis module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the weight analysis subsystem to:
determine the expected occupant weight based at least in part on the pre-defined geographic location or a time of day of the detection of the arrival of the vehicle.

9. A method of vehicle analysis, comprising:
determining, by one or more weight sensors, a weight of a vehicle, each of the one or more weight sensors associated with a pre-defined geographic location in the vicinity of a location of interest;
receiving, at a weight analysis subsystem in electronic communication with the one or more weight sensors, vehicle weight data from the one or more weight sensors;
detecting an arrival time of the vehicle at the pre-defined geographic location based on a presence of a vehicle weight at the pre-defined geographic location;
determining an arrival weight of the vehicle based on vehicle weight data generated by the one or more weight sensors at the arrival time;
detecting an exit of one or more occupants from the vehicle based on an identified reduction in the determined vehicle arrival weight to an unoccupied weight, an exit weight equaling the amount of the reduction from the arrival weight to the unoccupied weight;
communicating with an audio detector disposed at one or more of the pre-defined geographic locations and configured to capture sound associated with the vehicle to retrieve captured sound identifying sound of one or more closing doors on the vehicle;
estimating a number of closing doors based on the identified sounds of the one or more closing doors on the vehicle;
estimating a number of occupants of the vehicle based on the exit weight and the estimated number of closing doors; and
adding at least one of the vehicle arrival time, arrival weight and estimated number of occupants to a stored set of data associated with a location at which the one or more weight sensors are located.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting an entry of the one or more occupants into the vehicle based on an increase in the unoccupied weight to a loaded weight determined from loaded vehicle weight data received from the one or more weight sensors subsequent to determination of the unoccupied weight;
determining a purchase weight of the vehicle associated with a difference between the arrival weight and the loaded weight, the purchase weight indicative of a weight of products purchased by the one or more occupants;
detecting a departure time of the vehicle from the pre-defined geographic location based on an absence of the vehicle weight at the pre-defined geographic location; and
adding at least one of the departure time and purchase weight to the stored set of data.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
retrieving, from a transaction database of a location in com

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G01G19/02 Primary

  for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/02

  using treadles built into the road (pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00) · CPC title

• G08G1/205

  Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental · CPC title

• G06Q30/0201

  Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data · CPC title

• G01G19/414

  using electronic computing means only · CPC title