Systems and methods for object replacement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021334742-A1
Application number	US-202117366492-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2021
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Oct 28, 2021
Grant date	—

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

1 . An object replacement system, the system comprising:
a central computing system including a data storage facility and 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 remote systems;
determine that the expected quantity value of the like physical objects at the facility is less than a threshold amount;
trigger an alert in response to the determination that the expected quantity is less than a threshold amount;
cause, in response to the triggering of the alert, an activation of 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; and 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 in to the vacant space.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of image capture devices disposed in the facility, wherein each of the plurality of image capture devices is in selective communication with the central computing system, and the plurality of image capture devices comprises the first image capture device, wherein the triggering the alert comprises causing the 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.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is further configured to:
determine a quantity of the set of 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 remote systems; and retrieve, from a physical objects database, identification information of the like physical objects of the set of like physical objects, and the designated location of the set of like physical objects in the facility; wherein the triggering the alert comprises causing the 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 3 , 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 remote systems, and wherein the central computing system in determine 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 object to be placed in to the vacant space, and the set of rules.

5 . 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.

6 . The system of claim 5 , 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 object.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the central computing system is configured to rank the 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.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit instructions to implement a retrieval of the set of like replacement objects from a location in the facility and deposit the set of like replacement objects at the vacant space at the designated location at which the like physical objects are supposed to be disposed.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the central computing system is configured to transmit the instructions to at least one autonomous robot device of a plurality of autonomous robot devices disposed in the facility, wherein the at least one autonomous robot device is in selective communication with the central computing system and is disposed in the facility associated with the first one of the remote systems, and wherein the instructions cause the at least one autonomous robot devices to:
navigate, in response to receiving the instructions from the central computing system, to the location in the facility of the set of like replacement objects; pick up the set of like replacement objects; navigate to the designated location of the like physical objects; and deposit the set of like replacement objects to in the vacant space at the designated location of the like physical objects.

10 . 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 one of the plurality of quantities of the like physical objects associated with the respective one of the remote systems.

11 . A physical object replacement method, the method comprising:
receiving, at a central computing system including a data storage facility and operatively coupled to a plurality of remote systems, data associated with a plurality of quantities of like physical objects from the plurality of remote systems; generating, via the central computing system, an expected quantity value of the like physical objects at a facility associated with a first one of the remote systems; determining, via the central computing system, that the expected quantity value of the like physical objects at the facility is less than a threshold amount; triggering, via the central computing system, an alert in response to the determination that the expected quantity is less than a threshold amount; causing, via the central computing system and in response to the triggering of the alert, an activation of 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; receiving, via the central computing system, the image and extract physical attributes of the vacant space based on the image; querying, via the central computing system, a database to retrieve attributes associated with the like physical objects; and determining, via the central computing system, 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 in to the vacant space.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the triggering the alert comprises causing the activation of at least the f

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Nazarian Ehsan
• Nemati Behzad

Classifications

• G06V10/17

  using hand-held instruments · CPC title

• 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