Customized retail environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11488103-B1
Application number	US-202016907579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2020
Priority date	Jun 22, 2020
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure describes, in part, systems for enabling facilities to implement techniques to determine when users are in possession of items when located within and/or exiting the facilities. For instance, a system may use one or more sensors to determine locations of a user that navigated through a facility. Additionally, the system may use one or more sensors to determine locations of an item while the item was located within the facility. The system may then determine a probability that the user was in possession of the item when in the facility and/or when exiting the facility based at least in part on the locations of the user and the locations of the item. If the system determines that the user was in possession of the item when exiting the facility, the system may charge a payment instrument of the user for a price of the item.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
storing first location data associated with a first reader of a facility;
storing second location data associated with a second reader of the facility;
receiving first image data generated by a first camera of the facility;
analyzing the first image data to determine that a user was located at a first location within the facility at a first time;
receiving first sensor data generated by the first reader of the facility, the first sensor data representing an identifier associated with a tag attached to an item;
analyzing the first sensor data to determine that the first reader detected the tag;
based at least in part on the first reader detecting the tag, determining, using the first location data, that the item was located at a second location within the facility at the first time;
determining that the second location of the item was proximate to the first location of the user at the first time;
determining, based at least in part on determining the second location of the item was proximate to the first location of the user, a first probability that the user was in possession of the item at the first time;
receiving second image data generated by a second camera of the facility;
analyzing the second image data to determine that the user was located at a third location within the facility at a second time;
receiving second sensor data generated by the second reader, the second sensor data representing the identifier the tag;
analyzing the second sensor data to determine that the second reader detected the tag;
based at least in part on the second reader detecting the tag, determining, using the second location data, that the item was located at a fourth location within the facility at the second time;
determining that the fourth location of the item was proximate to the third location of the user at the second time;
determining, based at least in part on determining the fourth location of the item was proximate to the third location of the user, a second probability by at least increasing the first probability, the second probability that the user was in possession of the item at the second time;
determining, based at least in part on the second probability, that the user exited the facility with the item; and
charging a payment instrument of the user for at least a price of the item.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user is a first user; and wherein the operations further comprise:
analyzing the first image data to determine that a second user was located at a fifth location within the facility at the first time;
determining that the second location of the item was located proximate to the fifth location of the second user at the first time;
determining, based at least in part on determining the second location of the item was located proximate to the fifth location of the user, a third probability that the second user was in possession of the item;
receiving third image data generated by a third camera of the facility;
analyzing the third image data to determine that the second user was located at a sixth location within the facility at the second time;
determining that the fourth location of the item was not located proximate to the sixth location of the second user at the second time; and
determining, based at least in part on determining the fourth location of the item was not located proximate to the sixth location of the second user, a fourth probability that the second user was in possession of the item, the fourth probability being less than the second probability.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
determining that the second location of the item was proximate to the first location of the user at the first time comprises determining that the second location of the item was located within a threshold distance to the first location of the user at the first time; and
determining that the fourth location of the item was proximate to the third location of the user at the second time comprises determining that the fourth location of the item was located within the threshold distance to the third location of the user at the second time.

4. A method comprising:
determining, based at least in part on first sensor data, that a user was located at a first location within a facility at a first time;
determining, based at least in part on second sensor data, that an item was located proximate to the first location at the first time;
determining, based at least in part on determining that the item was located proximate to the first location at the first time, a first probability that the user was in possession of the item at the first time;
determining, based at least in part on third sensor data, that the user was located at a second location within the facility at a second time, the second time being later than the first time;
determining, based at least in part on fourth sensor data, that the item was located proximate to the second location at the second time;
determining, based at least in part on determining that the item was located proximate to the second location at the second time, a second probability by increasing the first probability, the second probability that the user was in possession of the item at the second time; and
based at least in part on the second probability, associating an identifier associated with the item with an account associated with the user.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that the second probability satisfies a threshold probability,
and wherein associating the identifier with the account is based at least in part on the second probability satisfying the threshold probability.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving the first sensor data generated by a first camera at the first time;
receiving the second sensor data generated by a first reader at the first time;
receiving the third sensor data generated by a second camera at the second time; and
receiving the fourth sensor data generated by a second reader at the second time.

7. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the user is a first user, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, based at least in part on fifth sensor data, that a second user was located at a third location within the facility at the first time;
determining, based at least in part on the second sensor data, that the item was located proximate to the third location at the first time;
determining, based at least in part on sixth sensor data, that the second user was located at a fourth location within the facility at the second time; and
determining, based at least in part on the fourth sensor data, that the item was not located proximate to the fourth location at the second time.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a third probability that the second user was in possession of the item based at least in part on the item being proximate to the third location at the first time and the item not being proximate to the fourth location at the second time,
and wherein the second probability is greater than the third probability.

9. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on fifth sensor data, that the item was removed from an inventory location at a third time; and
determining, based at least in part on sixth sensor data, that the user was located proximate to the inventory locat

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mcdaniel Aaron M
• Stirling Joel
• Marsden Emily
• Doshi Nirmal
• O'Neill Nathan P

Classifications

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G06Q20/085

  involving remote charge determination or related payment systems · CPC title

• G06T2207/30196

  Human being; Person · CPC title

• G06T2207/30241

  Trajectory · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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