Automated and self-service item kiosk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022292475-A1
Application number	US-202117199883-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 12, 2021
Publication date	Sep 15, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and apparatus of an automated and self-service kiosk that allows customers to select inventory items available from the kiosk and walk or move away with selected inventory item(s) without having to process payment, identify the inventory item(s), or provide any other form of checkout. After a customer has picked one or more items and departed the kiosk, the picked items are determined and the customer charged for the items. For example, one or more of detected weight changes measured at the kiosk and/or images generated at the kiosk may be used to identify items picked by the customer from the kiosk.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
an input component configured to monitor for unique identifiers; a housing that includes an interior area; at least one shelf included in the interior area of the housing; a first weight sensor at a first position on the at least one shelf and corresponding to a first area of the shelf, the first weight sensor operable to measure a total weight of one or more first items of a first item type at the first area; a door movable between a closed position that prohibits access to the interior area of the housing and an open position that enables access to the interior area of the housing; one or more processors; and a memory storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, from the input component, a unique identifier detected by the input component;
in response to receipt of the unique identifier:
initiate a session;
send a first instruction to a locking mechanism of the door causing the locking mechanism to disengage such that the door is movable from the closed position to the open position; and
send a second instruction to the first weight sensor to record weight sensor data during the session;

subsequent to sending the second instruction, detect a second movement of the door from the open position to the closed position;
in response to the second movement of the door from the open position to the closed position:
complete the session;
send a third instruction to the locking mechanism of the door causing the locking mechanism to engage such that the door is retained in the closed position;
process weight sensor data recorded by the first weight sensor during the session to determine a weight change based at least in part on a first weight measured by the first weight sensor at a first time during the session and a second weight measured by the first weight sensor at a second time during the session;
determine, based at least in part on the weight change, that a first event of an item pick occurred during the session;
determine that the weight change is within a first range of a stored first item weight corresponding to the first item type;
in response to a determination that the weight change is within the first range of the stored first item weight:
increment a first item count of the first item type on an item pick list indicating items picked from the apparatus during the session;
decrement a first inventory count at the apparatus to indicate that the first item of the first item type has been picked from the apparatus; and
send, to a remote computer resource, session data that includes the unique identifier and the item pick list such that the remote computer resource can update an account indicated by the unique identifier to indicate a pick of the first item of the first item type from the apparatus during the session.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera; a second weight sensor at a second position on the at least one shelf and corresponding to a second area of the at least one shelf, the second weight sensor operable to measure a second total weight of one or more second items of a second item type in the second area; and wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to at least:
in response to the second movement of the door from the open position to the closed position:
process second weight sensor data recorded by the second weight sensor during the session to determine a second weight change based at least in part on a third weight measured by the second weight sensor at a third time during the session and a fourth weight measured by the second weight sensor at a fourth time during the session;
determine, based at least in part on the second weight change, that a second event of an item pick occurred during the session;
determine that the second weight change exceeds a second range of a stored second item weight corresponding to the second item type;
in response to a determination that the second weight change exceeds the second range:
obtain a first image generated by the camera at a time prior to the third time; and
obtain a second image generated by the camera at a time subsequent to the fourth time; and
generate a second event data that includes at least the first image, the second image, and the second weight change; and

wherein the session data further includes the second event data.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to at least:
subsequent to sending the session data, receive, from the remote computer resource, an indication of a second item of the second item type that was picked from the second area as part of the second event; and decrement a second inventory count at the apparatus to indicate that the second item of the second item type has been picked from the apparatus.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera; and wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to at least:
in response to the second movement of the door from the open position to the closed position:
process weight sensor data recorded by the first weight sensor during the session to determine a second weight change based at least in part on a third weight measured by the first weight sensor at a third time during the session and a fourth weight measured by the first weight sensor at a fourth time during the session;
determine, based at least in part on the second weight change, that a second event of an item place occurred during the session;
determine that the second weight change corresponds to the stored first item weight for the first item type at the first area;
determine that the second weight change matches an item weight of a third item of the first item type indicated on the item pick list;
in response to a determination that the second weight change corresponds to the stored first item weight and that the second weight change matches the item weight of the third item indicated on the item pick list;
removing the third item from the item pick list; and
increment the first inventory count at the apparatus to indicate that the third item of the first item type has been placed into the apparatus.

5 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
at a kiosk:
detecting a unique identifier corresponding to an account;
in response to detecting the unique identifier, initiating a session during which access to a plurality of items contained within the kiosk is available;
recording, during the session, weight sensor data from a plurality of weight sensors within the kiosk;
recording, during the session, image data from a camera coupled to the kiosk;
determining that access to the plurality of items within the kiosk has ended;
in response to determining that the access has ended:
completing the session;
determining, based at least in part on weight sensor data from a first weight sensor of the plurality of weight sensors, a first weight change as a first difference between a first weight measured by the first weight sensor during the session and a second weight measured by the first weight sensor during the session;
determining, based at least in part on the first weight change, both a first action corresponding to the first weight change and a first item type of a first item involved in the first action;
updating an item pick list for the session based at least in part on the first action and the first item type; and
updating an inventory count for the first item type at the kiosk.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sasidharakurup Subhash
• Hariram Srinivasan
• Oberoi Mehakinder Singh
• Pal Ashish
• Jain Rajesh
• Sivadas Shanoop
• Singh Himanshu
• Dubhashi Aniket Nagesh
• Vaidya Vinay P
• Das Debasish

Classifications

• G07F9/026 Primary

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• G07G1/0072

  with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration (weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415) · CPC title

• G07G1/0063

  with means for detecting the geometric dimensions of the article of which the code is read, such as its size or height, for the verification of the registration · CPC title

• G07F9/001

  Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices · CPC title