Systems and methods for object replacement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12159259-B2
Application number	US-202318243851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2023
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

Some embodiments provide systems and methods to enable object replacement. A central computing system can receive data associated with quantities of like physical objects from remote systems. The central computing system can adjust the first quantity of the like physical objects stored in the first one of the remote systems based on the second quantity of the like physical objects stored in the at least another one of the remote systems. The central computing system can determine the like physical objects are absent from the facility. An autonomous robot device can detect a vacant space at the designated location at which the like physical objects are supposed to be disposed. The autonomous robot device using the image capturing device can capture an image of the vacant space. The central computing system can determine a set of like replacement physical objects to be disposed in the vacant space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An object replacement system, the system comprising:
a central computing system operatively coupled to a plurality of remote systems, the central computing system configured to:
receive data associated with a plurality of quantities of like physical objects from the plurality of remote systems;
generate an expected quantity value of the like physical objects at a facility associated with a first one of the plurality of remote systems;
determine that the expected quantity value of the like physical objects at the facility is less than a threshold amount;
communicate first instructions, in response to the determination that the expected quantity value of the like physical objects at the facility is less than a threshold amount, controlling at least a first image capturing device at the facility to capture an image of a vacant space at a designated location at which the like physical objects are supposed to be disposed;
receive the image and extract physical attributes of the vacant space based on the image;
query a database to retrieve attributes associated with the like physical objects;
determine a set of like replacement physical objects, based on the physical attributes of the vacant space and the attributes associated with the like physical objects, to be placed into the vacant space; and
transmit second instructions controlling depositing at least some of the set of like replacement physical objects in the vacant space at the designated location of the like physical objects, wherein the transmitting the second instructions comprises transmitting at least a robot instruction to at least one autonomous robot device of a plurality of autonomous robot devices disposed in the facility, wherein the plurality of autonomous robot devices are in selective communication with the central computing system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the second instructions comprises transmitting a first set of one or more instructions, comprising the robot instruction, controlling the at least one autonomous robot device to retrieve at least a first like replacement object of the set of like replacement physical objects, and deposition the first like replacement object in the vacant space at the designated location.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of image capturing devices disposed in the facility, wherein the plurality of image capturing devices comprises the first image capturing device, wherein the central computing system is configured to control activation of at least the first image capturing device proximate the designated location to capture the image of the vacant space at the designated location.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to:
determine a quantity of the like physical objects designated to be disposed at the designated location and that are expected absent from the facility based on data corresponding to quantities of physical objects associated with the first one of the plurality of remote systems; and
retrieve, from a physical objects database, identification information of the like physical objects, and the designated location of the like physical objects in the facility.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the central computing system is configured to access rules associated with the designated location and physical objects disposed in the facility associated with the first one of the plurality of remote systems, and wherein the central computing system in determining the set of like replacement physical objects is configured to determine the set of like replacement physical objects based on the physical attributes of the vacant space, the attributes associated with the like physical objects to be placed in to the vacant space, and the rules.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is configured to rank each different like replacement physical objects of a plurality of different like replacement physical objects, and select the set of like replacement physical objects from the plurality of different like replacement physical objects to be placed into the vacant space.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is configured to generate a replaceability score for each of the like replacement physical objects of the set of like replacement physical objects based on a calculated probability that the like physical objects are replaceable by a respective like replacement physical object of the set of like replacement physical objects, based on the physical attributes of the vacant space and the attributes associated with the like physical objects.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the central computing system is configured to rank each of the respective like replacement physical objects of the set of like replacement physical objects based on the replaceability score for each of the respective like replacement physical objects of the set of like replacement physical objects.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is configured to access remote databases each associated with a respective one of the plurality of remote systems to retrieve a respective quantity data identifying a designated quantity of the like physical objects associated with the respective one of the plurality of remote systems.

10. An object replacement system, the system comprising:
a central computing system operatively coupled to a plurality of remote systems, the central computing system configured to:
receive data associated with a plurality of quantities of like physical objects from the plurality of remote systems;
generate an expected quantity value of the like physical objects at a facility associated with a first one of the plurality of remote systems;
determine that the expected quantity value of the like physical objects at the facility is less than a threshold amount;
communicate first instructions, in response to the determination that the expected quantity value of the like physical objects at the facility is less than a threshold amount, controlling at least a first image capturing device at the facility to capture an image of a vacant space at a designated location at which the like physical objects are supposed to be disposed;
receive the image and extract physical attributes of the vacant space based on the image;
query a database to retrieve attributes associated with the like physical objects;
determine a set of like replacement physical objects, based on the physical attributes of the vacant space and the attributes associated with the like physical object, to be placed into the vacant space; and
transmit second instructions controlling depositing at least some of the set of like replacement physical objects at the designated location of the like physical objects;
wherein the central computing system is further configured to:
communicate the second instructions to a first robot device, of a plurality of autonomous robot devices, controlling the first robot device to travel to the designated location and capture the image corresponding to the vacant space.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the first instructions comprises transmitting a retrieve instruction controlling the at least one autonomous robot device, the retrieve instruction comprising a specified quantity, and directing the at least one autonomous robot device to retrieve the specified quantity of the replacement physical objects from a location of the like replacement physical object in the facility.

12. A physical object replacement method, the method comprising:
receiving, at a central computing sys

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Nazarian Ehsan
• Nemati Behzad

Classifications

• G05D1/223

  Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens · CPC title

• G05D1/689

  Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672) · CPC title

• G05D1/249

  from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras · CPC title

• G05D1/227

  Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title