US 11,797,920 B1Granted

Customized retail environments

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsAaron M. McDaniel, Nirmal Doshi, Nathan P. O'Neill, Michael Joseph Ausich, Joel Stirling, Joseph W. Chauvin, Willy Scott Mordant, Nir Charny, Kaigene Jennifer Lin, Spencer Ralph Dodge

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

This disclosure describes, in part, systems for enabling physical retail stores and other facilities to implement automated-checkout techniques for the purchase of items that are priced per unit weight. For example, the described systems may enable a facility to implement technology where users are able to remove items from inventory locations, where the inventory locations include weight sensors detecting the weights of the items that were removed. The system then determines the prices based on the weights and charges the users for the prices of the items without performing manual checkout of the items. The price of an item is determined based on the weight of the item and the price per unit weight of the item. The systems described herein thus enable customized retail facilities, as opposed to a retail facility that allows automated-checkout only for prepackaged-type or otherwise non-customizable merchandise.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving an indication that a user is located at a facility;
receiving, from an electronic device, first data associated with an inventory location that includes an associate, a weight sensor, and a vertical volume located above a receptacle containing an item, the first data representing a weight of the item that was removed, by the associate and for the user, from the inventory location;
determining a price of the item that is based at least in part on the weight and a price per unit weight associated with the item;
receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors, the sensor data including data indicative of the one or more sensors detecting a hand of the associate entering the vertical volume and data indicative of the one or more sensors detecting the user was positioned next to the associate at the inventory location at a time that the hand of the associate entered the vertical volume and removed the item;
determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the item is associated with the user;
and
storing second data in association with an account of the user, the second data representing at least an identifier associated with the item and the price.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, from an electronic device, first data associated with an inventory location that includes an associate, a weight sensor, and a vertical volume located above the inventory location, the first data representing a weight of an item that was removed, by the associate and for the user, from the inventory location;
determining a price of the item that is based at least in part on the weight and a price per unit weight associated with the item;
receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors, the sensor data including data indicative of the one or more sensors detecting a portion of the associate entering the vertical volume and exiting the vertical volume and data indicative of the one or more sensors detecting the user was positioned next to the associate at the inventory location at a time that the portion of the associate entered the vertical volume and removed the item;
determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the item is associated with the user;
and
storing second data in association with an account of the user, the second data representing at least an identifier associated with the item and the price.

3 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, from an electronic device, first data associated with an inventory location that includes an associate, a weight sensor, and a vertical volume located above the inventory location, the first data representing a weight of an item that was removed, by the associate and for the user, from the inventory location;
determining a price of the item that is based at least in part on the weight and a price per unit weight associated with the item;
receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors, the sensor data including data indicative of the one or more sensors detecting a portion of the associate located in the vertical volume and data indicative of the one or more sensors detecting the user was positioned next to the associate at the inventory location at a time that the portion of the associate was located in the vertical volume;
determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the item is associated with the user;
and
storing second data in association with an account of the user, the second data representing at least an identifier associated with the item and the price.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/806,484Filed 2 Mar 2020
Granted: 24 Oct 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G01G 19/414
Using electromechanical or electronic computing means: using electronic computing means only
G01G 19/42
With provisions for indicating, recording, or computing price or other quantities dependent on the weight: for counting by weighing
G01G 23/34
Indicating the weight by optical projection means: combined with price indicators