Method for tracking product inventory location in a store

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12547977-B2
Application number	US-202218085465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2022
Priority date	Dec 20, 2021
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A method includes: accessing a first image captured at a first time; deriving a first in-stock condition of the slot at the first time based on product units of a product type occupying a slot, depicted in the first image, at the first time based on features detected in the first image; accessing a second image captured at a second, later time; deriving a second out-of-stock condition of the slot at the second time based on features detected in the second image; accessing a back-of-store inventory status of the product type at the second time; and triggering an increase in quantity of facings of the product type at the slot based on a) the first in-stock condition at the slot at the first time, b) the first out-of-stock condition at the slot at the second time, and c) presence of back-of-store inventory of the product type at the second.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method comprising:
by a mobile robotic system:
autonomously navigating throughout a customer region of a store during a scan cycle; and
via an optical sensor integrated into the mobile robotic system, capturing images of inventory structures in the customer region of the store during the scan cycle; and
by a computer system:
accessing a first image, depicting a first inventory structure in the customer region of the store, captured by the mobile robotic system at a first time during the scan cycle;
detecting a first slot, in the first inventory structure, in a first region of the first image;
extracting a first set of features from the first region of the first image;
detecting a first set of product units of a first product type occupying the first slot at the first time based on the first set of features, the first product type assigned to the first slot;
deriving a first in-stock condition of the first slot at the first time based on the first set of product units;
accessing a second image, depicting the first inventory structure, captured by the mobile robotic system at a second time succeeding the first time;
detecting the first slot in a second region of the second image;
extracting a second set of features from the second region of the second image; and
deriving a first out-of-stock condition of the first slot at the second time based on the second set of features;
accessing a first back-of-store inventory status of the first product type in the store proximal the second time; and
triggering an increase in quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot in response to:
detecting the first in-stock condition at the first slot at the first time;
detecting the first out-of-stock condition at the first slot at the second time; and
presence of back-of-store inventory of the first product type proximal the second time according to the first back-of-store inventory status.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the increase in quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot comprises:
accessing a planogram of the store, the planogram assigning target quantities of product facings in slots in the store at the second time; extracting a first target quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot at the second time from the planogram; and replacing the first target quantity in the planogram with a second quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot, the second quantity greater than the first quantity.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting a second slot, in the first inventory structure, in a third region of the first image; extracting a third set of features from the third region of the first image; detecting a second set of product units of a second product type occupying the second slot based on the third set of features, the second product type assigned to the second slot; deriving a second in-stock condition of the second slot at the first time based on the second set of product units; detecting the second slot in a fourth region of the second image; extracting a fourth set of features from the fourth region of the second image; and deriving a third in-stock condition of the second slot at the second time based on the fourth set of features; deriving a sale rate of the second product type at the second slot based on a difference between the second in-stock condition and the third in-stock condition; and in response to the sale rate of the second product type at the second slot falling below a threshold sale rate:
extracting a third target quantity of product facings of the second product type at the second slot at the second time from the planogram;
replacing the third target quantity in the planogram with a fourth quantity of product facings of the second product type at the second slot to accommodate the second quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot, the fourth quantity less than the third quantity.

4 . The method of claim 1 :
further comprising interpreting a first target quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot at the second time based on a count of product units of the first product type detected in the first region of the image; and wherein triggering the increase in the quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot comprises:
updating an electronic restocking schedule for the store to indicate a second quantity of product facings of the first product time at the first slot, the second quantity greater than the first quantity; and
transmitting the electronic restocking schedule to an electronic device accessed by an associate of the store prior to a scheduled restocking period in the store.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the increase in the quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot comprises:
accessing a planogram of the store, the planogram assigning target quantities of product facings in slots in the store at the second time; extracting a first target quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot at the second time from the planogram; generating an electronic notification to increase product facings of the first product type at the first slot to a second quantity greater than the first quantity; serving the electronic notification to an associate of the store; and in response to receiving confirmation from the associate, updating the planogram to assign the second quantity of product facings to the first slot.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the increase in the quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot comprises triggering the increase in the quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot in response to detecting the first out-of-stock condition at the first slot at the second time preceding a scheduled restocking period in the store by more than a threshold out-of-stock duration.

7 . The method of claim 1 :
further comprising accessing a first restocking frequency of the first slot between the first time and the second time; wherein triggering the increase in quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot comprises triggering the increase in quantity of product facings of the first product type at the first slot further in response to:
the first restocking frequency approximating a maximum restocking frequency set for slots in the store;
further comprising:
accessing a third image, depicting a second inventory structure in the customer region of a store, captured at the first time;
detecting a second slot, in the second inventory structure, in a third region of the third image;
extracting a third set of features from the third region of the third image;
detecting a second set of product units of a second product type occupying the second slot based on the third set of features, the second product type assigned to the second slot;
deriving a second in-stock condition of the second slot at the first time based on the second set of product units;
accessing a fourth image, depicting the second inventory structure, captured at the second time;
detecting the second slot in a fourth region of the fourth image;
extracting a fourth set of features from the fourth region of the fourth image; and
deriving a second out-of-stock condition of the second slot at the second time based on the fourth set of features;
accessing a second back-of-store inventory status of the second product type in the store proximal the second time;
accessing a second restocking frequency of the second slot betw

Assignees

• Simbe Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Cortese Dave
• Bogolea Brad

Classifications

• G06V20/44

  Event detection · CPC title

• G06Q10/067

  Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06V2201/07

  Target detection · CPC title

• G06V20/52

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

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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