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US 12,002,009 B2Granted
Transitioning items from a materials handling facility
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGianna Lise Puerini, Dilip Kumar, Steven Kessel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure describes a system for automatically transitioning items from a materials handling facility without delaying a user as they exit the materials handling facility. For example, while a user is located in a materials handling facility, the user may pick one or more items. The items are identified and automatically associated with the user at or near the time of the item pick. When the users enters and/or passes through a transition area, the picked items are automatically transitioned to the user without affirmative input from or delay to the user.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- maintaining, in a storage area of a materials handling facility, a first item from a first supplier and a second item from a second supplier;
- determining, based at least in part on a portable device in a possession of a user or an application executing on the portable device, a user profile of the user;
- determining, using first data collected by at least one of a plurality of input devices at the storage area of the materials handling facility, that the first item from the first supplier has been picked;
- updating an item list associated with the user to include a first item identifier representative of the first item from the first supplier;
- determining, using second data collected by at least one of the plurality of input devices located at the storage area of the materials handling facility, that the second item from the second supplier has been picked;
- updating the item list associated with the user to include a second item identifier representative of the second item from the second supplier;
- determining that the user has entered a transition area of the materials handling facility, wherein the transition area is separate from the storage area;
- and
- in response to determining the user has entered the transition area and without stopping or otherwise delaying the user as the user passes through the transition area:
- charging a first fee to an account for at least one of the first item or the second item;
- and
- adding at least one of the first item identifier or the second item identifier to a purchase history of the user.
9 more elements
A retail store system, comprising:
- a storage area that includes a first item from a first supplier and a second item from a second supplier;
- a first one or more input devices positioned within the storage area;
- a transition area through which a user may pass as the user moves through the retail store system, wherein the transition area is different than the storage area;
- a second one or more input devices positioned within the transition area;
- 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:
- determine, based at least in part on a portable device in a possession of the user or an application executing on the portable device, a user profile of the user;
- determine, using first data collected by the first one or more input devices, that the first item from the first supplier has been picked;
- update an item list associated with the user to include a first item identifier representative of the first item from the first supplier;
- determine, using second data collected by the second one or more input devices, that the user has entered the transition area;
- and
- in response to determination that the user has entered the transition area and without stopping or otherwise delaying the user as the user passes through the transition area:
- charge a first fee to an account for the first item;
- and
- add the first item identifier to a purchase history of the user.
13 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a storage area or a retail store that includes a plurality of items from a plurality of suppliers;
- a first one or more input devices positioned at the storage area;
- a second one or more input devices that are separate from the first one or more input devices and positioned at a transition area of the retail store, wherein the transition area is distinct from the storage area;
- one or more processors;
- and
- a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least:
- determine, based at least in part on a portable device in a possession of a user or an application executing on the portable device, a user profile of a user;
- determine, based at least in part on first data received from the first one or more input devices, that the user has picked a first item of the plurality of items from the storage area, wherein the first item is from a first supplier of the plurality of suppliers;
- in response to a determination that the user has picked the first item, update an item list associated with the user to include a first item identifier representative of the first item from the first supplier;
- receive second data from the second one or more input devices indicating the user passing through the transition area;
- and
- in response to the user passing through the transition area and without stopping or otherwise delaying the user as the user passes through the transition area:
- charge a first fee to an account for the first item;
- and
- add the first item identifier to a purchase history of the user.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.