# US 2016/0259331 A1 · Shopping facility assistance systems, devices and methods that employ voice input

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- Number: US 2016/0259331 A1
- Document ID: US20160259331A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/061,686
- Filed: 2016-03-04
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-06
- Assignees: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Applicants: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Inventors: John P. Thompson; Donald R. High; Michael D. Atchley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160259331A1

## CPC

- E01H 5/061: {by scraper blades}
- A47F 3/08: with arrangements for continuously or intermittently moving the merchandise
- A47F 10/04: for storing or handling self-service hand-carts or baskets
- A47F 13/00: Shop or like accessories (devices for drawing-off and cutting paper from a roll B65H; movably-mounted ladders E06C9/06)
- A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor}
- B07C 5/28: using electrical control means
- B07C 5/3422: {using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras}
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- B60L 53/63: in response to network capacity
- B60P 3/06: for carrying vehicles (B60P3/12 takes precedence; caravans, camping, or like vehicles with vehicle-carrying means {B60P3/36})
- B62B 5/0026: {Propulsion aids}
- B62B 5/0069: {Control}
- B62B 5/0076: {Remotely controlled}
- B65F 3/00: Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse (vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10)
- B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided}
- E01H 5/12: Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow {with or without clearing or removing (E01H5/10 takes precedence); Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools (by means of gritting materials E01H10/00; roughening or breaking-up pavements E01C23/08, E01C23/12)}
- G01C 21/206: {specially adapted for indoor navigation}
- G01S 1/02: using radio waves (G01S19/00 takes precedence)
- G01S 1/70: using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
- G01S 1/7034: {Mounting or deployment thereof}
- G01S 1/7038: {Signal details}
- G01S 1/72: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- G05B 19/048: Monitoring; Safety
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement}
- G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)}
- G05D 1/0022: {characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00)}
- G05D 1/0027: {involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00)}
- G05D 1/0061: {for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa}
- G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)}
- G05D 1/021: {specially adapted to land vehicles}
- G05D 1/0214: {in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13)}
- G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface}
- G05D 1/0234: {using optical markers or beacons (optical beacons per se G01S1/70)}
- G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means}
- G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)}
- G05D 1/0276: {using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle (involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058)}
- G05D 1/028: {using a RF signal}
- G05D 1/0289: {with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93)}
- G05D 1/0291: {Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127)}
- G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling}
- G05D 1/0297: {by controlling means in a control room}
- G05D 1/04: Control of altitude or depth
- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06F 18/214: Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
- G06Q 10/02: Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
- G06Q 10/0283: {for travel seating}
- G06Q 10/0631: Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
- G06Q 10/06311: {Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group}
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 10/083: Shipping
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/1093: Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
- G06Q 10/30: Administration of product recycling or disposal
- G06Q 30/016: After-sales
- G06Q 30/0281: {Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting}
- G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q 30/0605: {Pooling transaction partners, e.g. group buying or group selling}
- G06Q 30/0613: {using intermediate agents}
- G06Q 30/0617: {Representative agent}
- G06Q 30/0619: {Neutral agent}
- G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services}
- G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)}
- G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders}
- G06Q 30/0639: {Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility}
- G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping}
- G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083)
- G06T 7/593: from stereo images
- G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches}
- G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes
- G06V 20/40: in video content (extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44)
- G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69)
- G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
- G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
- G06V 20/647: {by matching two-dimensional images to three-dimensional objects}
- G06V 30/224: of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
- G08G 1/20: {Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles}
- G10L 13/00: Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
- G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
- G10L 17/22: Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
- H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially
- H02J 7/92: with prioritisation of loads or sources
- H04B 10/116: Visible light communication
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/141: Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70)
- H04L 67/143: Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
- H04N 5/77: between a recording apparatus and a television camera
- H04N 7/18: Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
- H04N 7/183: {for receiving images from a single remote source}
- H04N 7/185: {from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control}
- H04N 13/282: for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
- H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services
- H04W 4/30: Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
- H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
- H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- A47F 2010/005: {using RFID elements}
- A47F 2010/025: {using stock management systems}
- A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
- B07C 2501/0045: Return vending of articles, e.g. bottles
- B07C 2501/0054: Sorting of waste or refuse
- B07C 2501/0063: Using robots
- B60Y 2410/10: Housings
- B65F 2210/168: Sensing means
- G01S 2201/02: Indoor positioning, e.g. in covered car-parks, mining facilities, warehouses
- G05B 19/124: {using tapes, cards or discs with optically sensed marks or codes (G05B19/128, G05B19/14 take precedence)}
- G05B 2219/23363: Barcode
- G05B 2219/39107: Pick up article, object, measure, test it during motion path, place it
- G06F 16/90335: {Query processing}
- G06F 21/606: {by securing the transmission between two devices or processes}
- G06K 7/10297: {arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00)}
- G06K 7/10821: {further details of bar or optical code scanning devices}
- G06K 7/1413: {1D bar codes}
- G06Q 10/06315: {Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis}
- G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
- G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
- G06V 20/44: {Event detection}
- G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command}
- H02J 7/42: with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones
- H04B 1/38: Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
- H04L 63/06: {for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08)}
- H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)}
- H04L 63/0846: {using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords}
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02W 30/82: Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
- Y02W 90/00: Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
- Y02W 90/10: Bio-packaging, e.g. packing containers made from renewable resources or bio-plastics
- Y04S 10/50: Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
- Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot
- E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B)
- A47F: SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00)
- B62B: HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS OR PERAMBULATORS; SLEDGES (characterised by animal propulsion B62C; propulsion of sledges by driver or engine B62M)
- B65F: GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE (disinfecting refuse A61L; refuse disintegrators B02C; sorting refuse B03B; B07B; handcarts for transporting refuse receptacles B62B; sack holders B65B67/00; converting refuse into fertilisers C05F; converting refuse into solid fuels C10L; sewers, cesspools E03F; arrangements in buildings for the disposal of refuse E04F17/10; refuse-consuming furnaces F23G; {for surgical articles A61B50/36})
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A central computer system receive a voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command from a system user via a particular user interface unit that is associated with a particular motorized transport unit at a shopping facility. In response the central computer system transmits to the user interface unit a motorized transport unit instruction that corresponds to the motorized transport unit command, such that the user interface unit can then provide that motorized transport unit instruction to the motorized transport unit for execution by the motorized transport unit. By one approach these components can interact with one another to facilitate a verbally-based authentication procedure by which the system user is associated with the motorized transport unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shopping facility assistance system comprising:
a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space;
a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit; and
a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units, and wherein the central computer system is further configured to:
receive a voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command from a system user via a particular one of the user interface units that is associated with a particular one of the motorized transport units;
transmit to the particular one of the user interface units a motorized transport unit instruction that corresponds to the motorized transport unit command, such that the particular one of the user interface units can then provide that motorized transport unit instruction to the particular one of the motorized transport units for execution by the particular one of the motorized transport units.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units comprises an integrated item container.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units is configured to detachably connect to a movable item container and configured to move the movable item container through the shopping facility space.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of user interface units comprise one or both of at least one shopping facility provided unit and a system user's mobile smart electronic device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the particular one of the user interface units is configured to receive a voice input that does not comprise a motorized transport unit command and to provide a corresponding enunciated verbal response without a corresponding instruction from the central computer system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the particular one of the user interface units is configured to:
detect the system user's assertion of an input;
determine that reception of the voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command is within an authorized amount of time of detecting the system user's assertion of the input;
transmit the voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command to the central computer system upon determining that reception of the voice input comprising the motorized transport unit command was received within the authorized amount of time of detecting the system user's assertion of the input.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 6 wherein the input comprises a voice control button.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is further configured to conduct a voice print registration for the system user by:
receiving a voice input comprising a voice sample from the system user;
storing information corresponding to the voice sample to provide stored information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 8 wherein the central computer system is further configured to:
receive a voice input comprising an authentication request from a system user via the particular one of the user interface units that is associated with the particular one of the motorized transport units, the authentication request including a fresh voice sample from the system user;
authenticate the system user to command the particular one of the motorized transport units as a function, at least in part, of a comparison of the fresh voice sample with the stored information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 9 wherein the central computer system is further configured to authenticate the system user to command the particular one of the motorized transport units as a further function of a system user identifier that the system user input via the particular one of the user interface units that is associated with the particular one of the motorized transport units.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the central computer system is further configured to:
receive a voice input from the system user via the particular one of the user interface units that is associated with the particular one of the motorized transport units;
determine that the voice input does not constitute a valid motorized transport unit command;
transmit to the particular one of the user interface units an instruction to prompt the particular one of the user interface units to advise the system user that the particular one of the motorized transport units cannot respond to that voice input.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the particular one of the motorized transport units includes a speaker to selectively render audible a response to a voice input entered by the system user.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The shopping facility assistance system of claim 1 wherein the motorized transport unit command comprises an execute command that corresponds to a previously-entered voice input, which previously-entered voice input may or may not have been entered by the system user.

### Claim 14

A shopping facility assistance method comprising:
by a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with a plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of a plurality of motorized transport units that are located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units:
receiving a voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command from a system user via a particular one of a plurality of user interface units that is associated with a particular one of the motorized transport units that is located in and configured to move through the shopping facility space;
transmitting to the particular one of the user interface units a motorized transport unit instruction that corresponds to the motorized transport unit command, such that the particular one of the user interface units can then provide that motorized transport unit instruction to the particular one of the motorized transport units for execution by the particular one of the motorized transport units.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The shopping facility assistance method of claim 14 further comprising:
by the particular one of the user interface units:
detecting the system user's assertion of an input;
determining that reception of the voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command is within an authorized amount of time of detecting the system user's assertion of the input;
transmitting the voice input comprising a motorized transport unit command to the central computer system upon determining that reception of the voice input comprising the motorized transport unit command was received within the authorized amount of time of detecting the system user's assertion of the input.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The shopping facility assistance method of claim 14 further including conducting a voice print registration for the system user, comprising:
by the central computer system:
receiving a voice input comprising a voice sample from the system user;
storing information corresponding to the voice sample to provide stored information.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The shopping facility assistance method of claim 16 further comprising:
by the central computer:
receiving a voice input comprising an authentication request from a system user via the particular one of the user interface units that is associated with the particular one of the motorized transport units, the authentication request including a fresh voice sample from the system user;
authenticating the system user to command the particular one of the motorized transport units as a function, at least in part, of a comparison of the fresh voice sample with the stored information.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The shopping facility assistance method of claim 17 further comprising:
by the central computer system:
authenticating the system user to command the particular one of the motorized transport units as a further function of a system user identifier that the system user input via the particular one of the user interface units that is associated with the particular one of the motorized transport units.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The shopping facility assistance method of claim 14 further comprising:
by the central computer system:
receiving a voice input from the system user via the particular one of the user interface units that is associated with the particular one of the motorized transport units;
determining that the voice input does not constitute a valid motorized transport unit command;
transmitting to the particular one of the user interface units an instruction to prompt the particular one of the user interface units to advise the system user that the particular one of the motorized transport units cannot respond to that voice input.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The shopping facility assistance method of claim 14 wherein the motorized transport unit command comprises an execute command that corresponds to a previously-entered voice input, which previously-entered voice input may or may not have been entered by the system user.