# US 10,373,116 B2 · Intelligent inventory management and related systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,116 B2 - Document ID: US10373116B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/138,758 - Filed: 2018-09-21 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-24 - Assignees: Fellow, Inc. - Applicants: Fellow, Inc. - Inventors: Marco Octavio Mascorro Medina; Thavidu Ranatunga; Utkarsh Sinha; Sivapriya Kaza; Jason Hoang; Jagadish Mahendran; Christopher Yang; Zhengqin Fan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373116B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - G05D 1/106: {Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones} - G06Q 10/08772: {Inventory counting methods} - G06Q 30/016: After-sales - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2101/64: for parcel delivery or retrieval - B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] - G06Q 10/08726: {for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation} - Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot - Y10S 901/47: Optical - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract An intelligent system for performing inventory management within a facility includes at least one imaging sensor, a transmitter for sending inventory information to a database, a receiver for receiving information from a database, and a computer in communication with the locomotion platform, at least one imaging sensor, the transmitter, and the receiver. The computer is configured to capture inventory images from the at least one imaging sensor, detect inventory by comparing captured inventory images with stored inventory images, determine inventory information, determine a confidence level for the inventory information, and communicate at least a portion of the inventory information to the database. In one embodiment, the system includes a robot having a locomotion platform, the at least one imaging sensor, the transmitter, the receiver, and the computer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot for performing inventory management within a commercial facility, comprising: a locomotion platform; at least one imaging sensor; a transmitter for sending inventory information to a database; a receiver for receiving inventory information from a database; and a robot computer in communication with the locomotion platform, the at least one imaging sensor, the transmitter, and the receiver, the robot computer having a processor and computer-readable memory, wherein the robot computer is configured to: capture inventory images from the at least one imaging sensor, detect inventory by comparing captured inventory images with stored inventory images, determine inventory information, determine a confidence level for the inventory information, wherein the confidence level is determined based on at least a type of inventory items detected and a number of inventory items detected, and communicate at least a portion of the inventory information having a confidence level above a threshold to the database. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, shaped as an aerial drone, wherein the locomotion platform comprises at least one set of propellers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, comprising at least one visible spectrum imaging sensor and at least one non-visible spectrum imaging sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robot of claim 3, wherein the at least one visible spectrum imaging sensor is configured to capture inventory images, and wherein the at least one non-visible spectrum imaging sensor is configured to detect obstacles in a travel path of the robot. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The robot of claim 3, wherein the at least one visible spectrum imaging sensor and at least one non-visible spectrum imaging sensor are operated in sequence. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the confidence level is determined by at least one factor selected from the group consisting of: captured image quality, stock status, and similarity to historic results. ### Claim 7 A system for performing automated inventory management within a commercial facility, comprising: at least one imaging sensor; a transmitter for sending inventory information to a database; a receiver for receiving inventory information from a database; a computer in communication with the at least one imaging sensor, the transmitter, and the receiver, the computer having a processor and computer-readable memory, wherein the computer is configured to: capture inventory images from the at least one imaging sensor, detect inventory by comparing captured inventory images with stored inventory images, determine inventory information, determine a confidence level for the inventory information, wherein the confidence level is determined based on at least a type of inventory items detected and a number of inventory items detected, and communicate at least a portion of the inventory information having a confidence level above a threshold to the database. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of wheels and a handle, and wherein the system is user-drivable. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, comprising at least one visible spectrum imaging sensor and at least one non-visible spectrum imaging sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein the at least one visible spectrum imaging sensor and at least one non-visible spectrum imaging sensor are operated in sequence. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the confidence level is determined by at least one factor selected from the group consisting of: captured image quality, stock status, and similarity to historic results. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the inventory information communicated to the database includes a portion of the captured inventory images at a first resolution and a portion of the captured inventory images at a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is different from the first resolution. ### Claim 13 A method of inventorying a commercial facility with a robot, the method comprising: providing a robot within a commercial facility, wherein the robot has a locomotion platform, at least one imaging sensor, a transmitter for sending inventory information to a database, a receiver for receiving inventory information from a database, and a robot computer in communication with the locomotion platform, the at least one imaging sensor, the transmitter, and the receiver, the robot computer having a processor and computer-readable memory; capturing inventory images with the at least one imaging sensor; detecting inventory information by comparing captured inventory images with stored inventory images; determining a confidence level for the inventory information, wherein the confidence level is determined based on at least a type of inventory items detected and a number of inventory items detected, and communicating at least a portion of the inventory information having a confidence level above a threshold to the database. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the robot computer is configured to direct the robot to at least one waypoint location within the commercial facility, and wherein the robot captures the inventory images at the at least one waypoint. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of detecting inventory information includes comparing the inventory images captured at a waypoint to stored inventory images captured at the same waypoint. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of detecting inventory information includes at least one from the group consisting of barcode detection, label detection, and out-of-stock detection. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein the confidence level is determined by at least one factor selected from the group consisting of: captured image quality, stock status, and similarity to historic results. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein the inventory information communicated to the database includes a portion of the captured inventory images at a first resolution and a portion of the captured inventory images at a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is different from the first resolution. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the step of detecting inventory information is performed by the robot, and a portion of the step of detecting inventory information is performed by the database. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein the at least one imaging sensor further comprises at least one of a visible spectrum imaging sensor or a non-visible spectrum imaging sensor.