# US 11,443,276 B2 · Dynamic flex-space allocation system

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- Number: US 11,443,276 B2
- Document ID: US11443276B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/231,417
- Filed: 2018-12-22
- Published: 2019-08-01
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-27
- Assignees: Walmart Apollo, LLC
- Applicants: Walmart Apollo, LLC
- Inventors: Cristy Crane Brooks; David Blair Brightwell; Benjamin D. Enssle; Greg Bryan; Jesse Lee Eaton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443276B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06K 7/10386: {the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader}
- G06K 7/10881: {constructional details of hand-held scanners}
- G06N 20/00: Machine learning
- G06Q 10/06315: {Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis}
- G06Q 10/08724: {by shelf level inventory management, e.g. planograms}
- G06Q 10/08726: {for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation}
- G06Q 10/0874: {Inventory fulfillment (shipping G06Q10/083)}
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- 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
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS

## Abstract

Examples provide a system for dynamic allocation of supplemental space to items based on predicted variable demand. Item data is analyzed using a set of item selection criteria to identify an item located within a predetermined distance of available flex-space associated with a topstock shelf which has a predicted time-supply predicted to be less than a threshold time-supply during a predicted time-period. A portion of flex-space sufficient to increase the time-supply enough to meet the predicted increase in demand is identified. Additional instances of the item are assigned to the portion of the flex-space during the predetermined time-period. When an expiration date for the flex-space assignment occurs, remaining instances of the item in the portion of the flex-space are removed. The portion of the flex-space is assigned to a next item predicted to experience temporary context-dependent increased demand exceeding time-supply and/or capacity of permanent display space of the item.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for dynamic allocation of items to temporary display space, the system comprising:
a memory;
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory;
a plurality of sensor devices within an item display area;
a topstock management component, implemented on the at least one processor, that identifies available flex-space associated with at least one topstock shelf within the item display area based on an analysis of sensor data generated by the plurality of sensor devices, wherein the at least one topstock shelf is out-of-reach to a user without assistance;
an item management component, implemented on the at least one processor, that calculates a per-item capacity associated with a permanent display area assigned to a selected item having variable demand during a predetermined time-period;
a capacity prediction component, implemented on the at least one processor, that calculates a predicted time-supply for the per-item capacity associated with the selected item during the predetermined time-period based on item data, historical transaction data, and context data associated with the item display area, wherein the predicted time-supply is the amount of time the per-item capacity is predicted to last before there is an item-out for the selected item in the assigned permanent display area; and
a flex-space allocation component, implemented on the at least one processor, that assigns a portion of the available flex-space to the selected item as a supplemental storage area for a number of instances of the selected item during the predetermined time-period on condition a per-item threshold minimum time-supply for the selected item exceeds the predicted time-supply for the per-item capacity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the available flex-space comprises dimensions of unoccupied space associated with at least a portion of a topstock shelf that is out-of-reach to the user without assistance, and wherein the item data comprises dimensions of the selected item, and dimensions of a case of the selected item, the dimensions comprising a length, width, and height, and further comprising:
a space calculation component, implemented on the at least one processor, that calculates the portion of the available flex-space to be allocated to the number of instances of the selected item based on the dimensions of the open space and the dimensions of the selected item or the dimensions of the case of the selected item.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
an item selection component, implemented on the at least one processor, that identifies an item within the item display area assigned to at least one permanent display located within a predetermined distance from the at least one topstock shelf based on an analysis of item data and a planogram associated with a plurality of items within the item display area using a set of item selection criteria.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a machine learning component, implemented on the at least one processor, that analyzes feedback, transaction data, planogram data, restocking data, and inventory data to generate an updated set of item selection criteria.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a notification component, implemented on the at least one processor, that sends a restock notification to a user device associated with at least one user on condition of an occurrence of an item-out associated with the selected item, the restock notification comprising an instruction to move one or more instances of the item from a portion of the at least one topstock shelf that is out-of-reach to the user without assistance to the assigned permanent display area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a notification component, implemented on the at least one processor, that sends a temporary space assignment expiration notification to a user device on an occurrence of an end of the predetermined time-period, the temporary space assignment expiration notification comprising an instruction to remove any remaining instances of the item from a portion of the at least one topstock shelf that is out-of-reach to the user without assistance, wherein the portion of the at least one topstock shelf assigned to the item is designated as the available flex-space upon removal of all instances of the item.