Apparatus and method of monitoring product placement within a shopping facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034563-B2
Application number	US-202016845428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. Some embodiments provide an apparatus configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive communications; a product monitoring control circuit coupled with the transceiver; a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: obtain a composite three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of 3D scan data; evaluate the 3D scan mapping to identify multiple product depth distances; and identify, from the evaluation of the 3D scan mapping, when one or more of the multiple product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference offset distance of the product support structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retail system configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising:
a product monitoring control circuit associated with a shopping facility; and
a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to:
obtain a scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of scan data from a motorized robotic scanner unit moved along at least the select area of the shopping facility;
access a baseline scan of at least the select area;
compare the scan mapping to the baseline scan and identify differences between the scan mapping and the baseline scan of product depth distances defined between a reference proximate an edge of a product support structure and each of multiple items of a first product positioned on the product support structure; and
identify when one or more of the product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference proximate the edge of the product support structure.

2. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the scan mapping comprises a three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping and the control circuit is further configured to:
identify, based on the comparing the 3D scan mapping to the baseline scan, when an empty area across the product support structure where a plurality of the first product have been removed has a predefined relationship to an area threshold; and
communicate, in response to identifying that the empty area has the predefined relationship to the area threshold, one or more commands to initiate one or more actions.

3. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
identify, from the scan mapping and relative to each of multiple rows of items of the first product supported by the product support structure, whether a threshold number of items are present within each row, wherein each of the multiple rows of items comprises one or more of the items on the product support structure;
identify that a threshold number of rows within the select area do not have at least the threshold number of items; and
communicate, in response to identifying that the threshold number of rows do not have at least the threshold number of items, one or more commands to initiate one or more actions.

4. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
identify when one or more of the items detected through the scan mapping and within the select area are different than the first product intended to be positioned within the select area; and
cause a notification to be communicated notifying a shopping facility associate that at least one item of at least a second product is incorrectly placed within the select area.

5. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the scan mapping comprises point cloud measurements, and the baseline scan comprises point cloud measurements.

6. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
cause one or more movement commands to control the motorized robotic scanner unit to be communicated to the motorized robotic scanner unit, wherein the one or more movement commands when implemented by the motorized robotic scanner unit cause physical movement of the motorized robotic scanner unit consistent with the one or more movement commands through at least a portion of the shopping facility and proximate the select area of the product support structure.

7. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
cause one or more scan commands to be communicated to induce a change in orientation of the motorized robotic scanner unit relative to the product support structure.

8. The retail system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
communicate commands to the motorized robotic scanner unit causing the motorized robotic scanner unit to perform at least one additional task and to capture the scan data as the motorized robotic scanner unit travels through the shopping facility performing the at least one additional task, wherein the at least one additional task is different than capturing the scan data.

9. The retail system of claim 8 , wherein the motorized robotic scanner unit is configured to detect one or more obstacles and preform at least one of a rerouting to avoid the one or more obstacles and wait until the one or more obstacles are moved from an intended path.

10. A method of determining product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising:
by a control circuit of a shopping facility product monitoring system:
obtaining a scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of scan data from a motorized robotic scanner unit moved along at least the select area of the shopping facility;
accessing a baseline scan of at least the select area;
comparing the scan mapping to the baseline scan and identifying differences between the scan mapping and the baseline scan of product depth distances defined between a reference proximate an edge of a product support structure and each of multiple items of a first product positioned on the product support structure; and
identifying when one or more of the product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the edge of the product support structure.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
the scan mapping comprises a three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping;
identifying, based on the comparing of the 3D scan mapping to the baseline scan, when an empty area across the product support structure where a plurality of the first product have been removed has a predefined relationship to an area threshold; and
communicating, in response to identifying that the empty area has the predefined relationship to the area threshold, one or more commands to initiate one or more actions.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying, relative to each of multiple rows of items of the first product supported by the product support structure, whether a threshold number of items are present within each row, wherein each of the multiple rows of items comprises one or more of the items on the product support structure;
identifying that a threshold number of rows within the select area do not have at least the threshold number of items; and
communicating, in response to identifying that the threshold number of rows do not have at least the threshold number of items, one or more commands to initiate one or more actions.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying when one or more of the items detected through the scan mapping and within the select area are different than the first product intended to be positioned within the select area; and
causing a notification to be communicated notifying a shopping facility associate that at least one item of at least a second product is incorrectly placed within the select area.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the scan mapping comprises point cloud measurements, and the baseline scan comprises point cloud measurements.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
causing one or more movement commands to control the motorized robotic scanner unit to be communicated to the motorized robotic scanner unit, wherein the one or more movement commands when implemented by the motorized robotic scanner unit cause physical movement of the motorized robotic scanner unit consistent wit

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• High Donald R
• Chakrobartty Shuvro
• Taylor Robert C

Classifications

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/92

  with prioritisation of loads or sources · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• G06F18/214

  Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title