System to detect event at an inventory location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11087274-B1
Application number	US-201816016398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

Sensors at an inventory location can be used to detect the occurrence of an event at the inventory location. For example, capacitive sensors can gather capacitance values, which can then be analyzed for changes that indicate an event has occurred at the inventory location. When an event has been detected, event data is generated and used as a possible trigger to collect additional sensor data. As an example, if an event involving items at an inventory location is detected, such an action can trigger the collection and analysis of additional sensor data, such as weight sensor data, to determine a quantity of the items added or removed from the inventory location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a shelf comprising:
a plurality of capacitive sensors;
a weight sensor; and
a computing device comprising:
a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and
a hardware processor to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
determine, based on a seed value, sequence data indicative of a sequence of operation of the plurality of capacitive sensors;
determine a first capacitance value at a first time using a capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors;
determine a second capacitance value at a second time using the capacitive sensor, wherein the first time and the second time are determined based on the sequence data;
determine a change in capacitance values from the first time to the second time by subtracting the second capacitance value from the first capacitance value;
determine the change in capacitance values from the first time to the second time exceeds a threshold value;
detect that an event has occurred at the shelf between the first time and the second time;
generate event data related to the event; and
responsive to the event data, obtain event weight change data from the weight sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , the computer-executable instructions to obtain the event weight change data further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
obtain baseline weight data before the event occurs;
obtain event weight data after the event has occurred; and
determine the event weight change data by subtracting the event weight data from the baseline weight data.

3. The system of claim 1 , the hardware processor to further execute the computer-executable instructions to:
generate interaction data associated with a type of item at the shelf by:
determining the type of item associated with the shelf;
determining item data for the type of item at the shelf, the item data for the type of item at the shelf indicative of individual weight data for the type of item; and
determining a change in a quantity of the type of item at the shelf by dividing the event weight change data by the individual weight data for the type of item.

4. A system comprising:
a shelf comprising:
a first capacitive sensor; and
a computing device comprising:
a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and
a hardware processor to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
determine, based on a seed value, a first time and a second time;
determine a first sensor value for the first capacitive sensor at the first time;
determine a second sensor value for the first capacitive sensor at the second time;
determine a change in sensor values from the first time to the second time exceeds a threshold amount;
responsive to the change in sensor values exceeding the threshold amount, detect an event has occurred at the shelf from the first time to the second time; and
generate event data related to the event.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first sensor value comprises a first capacitance value;
the second sensor value comprises a second capacitance value; and
the computer-executable instructions to determine the change in sensor values from the first time to the second time exceeds the threshold amount further comprising computer-executable instructions to:
determine a change in capacitance values from the first time to the second time by subtracting the second capacitance value from the first capacitance value;
compare the change in capacitance values to a capacitance threshold amount; and
determine the change in capacitance values exceeds the capacitance threshold amount.

6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second sensor comprising a weight sensor; and
the hardware processor to further execute the computer-executable instructions to:
determine, using the weight sensor, first weight data before the event occurs;
determine, using the weight sensor, second weight data after the event occurs;
determine event weight change data by subtracting the second weight data from the first weight data;
compare the event weight change data to a weight change threshold amount; and
determine the event weight change data exceeds the weight change threshold amount.

7. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second sensor comprising an imaging sensor; and
the hardware processor to further execute the computer-executable instructions to:
determine, using the imaging sensor, a first image;
determine, using the imaging sensor, a second image;
determine an amount of motion between the first image and the second image;
compare the amount of motion to a motion threshold amount; and
determine the amount of motion exceeds the motion threshold amount.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the event data is associated with a location of the first capacitive sensor on the shelf;
the event data is further associated with an interval of time beginning at the first time and ending at the second time; and
the event data indicates:
addition of a type of item to the shelf, or
removal of the type of item from the shelf.

9. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second sensor; and
the hardware processor to further execute the computer-executable instructions to:
responsive to the event data, obtain second sensor data values from the second sensor at the first time and the second time; and
determine a quantity of a type of item interacted with at the shelf based on the second sensor data values.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computer-executable instructions to obtain the second sensor data values from the second sensor at the first and second times further comprise computer-executable instructions to:
use a filter function to process the second sensor data values.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first and second sensor values correspond to capacitance sensor values at the first and second time, respectively;
the second sensor comprises a weight sensor; and
the second sensor data values comprising baseline weight data before the event and event weight data after the event.

12. The system of claim 4 , the hardware processor to further execute the computer-executable instructions to:
responsive to the event data, determine interaction data indicative of an interaction with a type of item at the shelf; and
wherein the interaction data is determined by:
determining the type of item at the shelf;
determining a type of interaction with the type of item at the shelf; and
determining a quantity of the type of item added to or removed from the shelf during the interaction.

13. The system of claim 4 , the hardware processor to further execute the computer-executable instructions to:
access the seed value corresponding to a first plurality of capacitive sensors;
generate, based on the seed value, a first sequence of data elements, each data element of the first sequence of data elements representative of an individual one of the first plurality of capacitive sensors;
generate, based on the seed value, a second sequence of data elements, each data element of the second sequence of data elements representative of an individual one of the first plurality of capacitive sensors, wherein the first sequence of data elements differs from the second sequence of data elements;
operate, at a third time, the first plurality of capacitive sensors in an order specified in the first sequence of data elements; and
operate, at a fourth time, the first plurality of capacitive sensors in an order specified in the second sequence of data elements.

14. A method comprising:
det

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Hahn Camerin Cole
• Shi Qicai
• Grajewski Christopher Raymond
• Hingorani Vinod Lakhi
• Zitzer Elizabeth Ann
• Niranjayan Somasundaram

Classifications

• H01Q21/065

  Patch antenna array · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/405

  Radome integrated radiating elements · CPC title