US 10,501,267 B1Granted

Control of physical access to items in a facility

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsAmmar Chinoy, Jason Michael Famularo, Amber Autrey Taylor

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Abstract

Described are systems and techniques configured to control physical access to items in a materials handling facility (facility). In one implementation, an age of a user in the facility and a predicted path through the facility may be determined. Physical access controls may be initiated at inventory locations along the predicted path and adjacent to the user. The physical access controls may include deployment of physical barriers, activation of locks, and so forth. As another user who is permitted access approaches a particular inventory location, the physical access controls may be deactivated.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system for controlling access to items in a materials handling facility (facility), the system comprising:

a plurality of cameras to acquire images within the facility;
an inventory location to hold an item, the inventory location comprising a physical access control mechanism having a barrier to selectively prevent or allow physical access to the item;
a memory, storing computer-executable instructions;
and
a hardware processor in communication with the plurality of cameras, the physical access control mechanism, and the memory, wherein the hardware processor executes the computer-executable instructions to:
determine, at least in part with the acquired images, that a user of the facility is likely to be a minor with an age below an age threshold;
generate a predicted path of the user within the facility, wherein the inventory location is along a portion of the predicted path, and further wherein the predicted path is based at least in part on paths taken by other users through the facility;
determine an access permission for the inventory location along the predicted path that is associated with the user, wherein the access permission indicates that the inventory location is designated inaccessible to the user;
generate access configuration data that designates the inventory location along the predicted path as inaccessible in accordance with the access permission;
and
actuate, responsive to the access configuration data, the physical access control mechanism to prevent physical access by the user to the item stowed at the inventory location.

8 more elements

A computer-implemented method comprising:

acquiring an image of a first user with an imaging sensor;
determining, using a processor, first user context data associated with the first user of a facility, wherein the first user context data indicates an age of the first user, and the first user context data comprises a predicted path that is determined based on previous movements of users within the facility and is indicative of one or more possible routes of the first user within the facility;
generating, using the processor, access configuration data for an inventory location within the facility using the first user context data, wherein the access configuration data is indicative of the inventory location and a level of physical access control to be applied to the inventory location;
and
sending the access configuration data to one or more physical access control mechanisms associated with the inventory location to control physical access, by the first user, to an item stowed at the inventory location.

2 more elements

A system comprising:

a plurality of sensors to acquire sensor data;
a plurality of inventory locations comprising one or more physical access control mechanisms that selectively move one or more barriers, responsive to access configuration data, to prevent or allow physical access to one or more items stowed thereby;
a memory, storing computer-executable instructions;
and
a hardware processor in communication with the plurality of sensors, the one or more physical access control mechanisms, and the memory, wherein the hardware processor executes the computer-executable instructions to:
determine first user context data associated with a user, wherein the first user context data indicates an age of the user, and the first user context data is determined when the user is detected at an entry area of a facility by one or more sensors positioned at the entry area of the facility;
generate, based at least in part on the age, the access configuration data for at least a portion of the plurality of inventory locations;
and
send the access configuration data to the one or more physical access control mechanisms of one or more of the plurality of inventory locations.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/312,148Filed 23 Jun 2014
Granted: 10 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B65G 43/00
Control devices
G06V 20/52
Context or environment of the image: surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects
G06V 40/20
Recognition of biometric, human-related or animal-related patterns in image or video data: movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition
B65G
Transport or storage devices

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

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