Back to results
US 2022/0067653 A1Published application
Systems and methods for automated association of product information with electronic shelf labels
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsDonald Ray High, Martin Thomas Faitak, IV
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods that employ an autonomous robotic vehicle (ARV) alone or in combination with a remote computing device during the installation of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in a facility are discussed. The ARV may detect pre-existing product information from paper labels located on modular units prior to their removal and then detect the location of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) after installation. Pre-existing product information gleaned from the paper labels is associated with the corresponding ESLs. The ARV may also determine compliance or non-compliance of modular units to which an ESL is affixed with a planogram of the facility.
Claims19
A system for automated association of product information with electronic shelf labels, comprising:
- a remote computing device that includes a processor, a memory, and a communications interface, the remote computing device configured to execute an identification module;
- one or more databases holding product information associated with products assigned to a plurality of modular units in a facility;
- and
- a local computing device located in the facility and that includes at least one sensor, a communications interface, a processor, and a memory;
- wherein the identification module when executed is configured to:
- receive, from the local computing device, a plurality of initial images of a plurality of modular units in the facility, the plurality of modular units including a plurality of paper shelf labels, the plurality of initial images taken before a removal of the plurality of paper shelf labels from the plurality of modular units;
- receive, from the local computing device, a plurality of subsequent images of the plurality of modular units, the plurality of subsequent images taken after a plurality of electronic shelf labels are affixed to the plurality of modular units;
- retrieve product information from the one or more databases;
- analyze the plurality of initial images to identify the plurality of paper shelf labels appearing in the plurality of initial images to determine the product information associated with each of the plurality of paper shelf labels;
- analyze the plurality of electronic shelf labels disposed on the modular unit that appear in the plurality of subsequent images to determine identifying information associated with each of the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
- identify a correspondence between each of the plurality of electronic shelf labels and one of the plurality of paper shelf labels;
- and
- associate product information previously assigned to each of the plurality of paper shelf labels with the corresponding one of the plurality of electronic shelf labels, wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of electronic shelf labels is programmed with the product information.
10 more elements
A system for automated association of product information with electronic shelf labels, comprising:
- one or more databases holding product information associated with products assigned to a plurality of modular units in a facility;
- and
- a local computing device in the facility and that includes at least one sensor, an identification module, a processor, and a memory;
- wherein the identification module when executed is configured to:
- receive, from the local computing device, a plurality of initial images of a plurality of modular units in the facility, the plurality of modular units including a plurality of paper shelf labels, the plurality of initial images taken before a removal of the plurality of paper shelf labels from the plurality of modular units;
- receive, from the local computing device, a plurality of subsequent images of the plurality of modular units, the plurality of subsequent images taken after a plurality of electronic shelf labels are affixed to the plurality of modular units;
- retrieve product information from the one or more databases;
- analyze the plurality of initial images to identify the plurality of paper shelf labels appearing in the plurality of initial images to determine the product information associated with each of the plurality of paper shelf labels;
- analyze the plurality of electronic shelf labels disposed on the modular unit that appear in the plurality of subsequent images to determine identifying information associated with each of the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
- identify a correspondence between each of the plurality of electronic shelf labels and one of the plurality of paper shelf labels;
- and
- associate product information previously assigned to each of the plurality of paper shelf labels with the corresponding one of the plurality of electronic shelf labels, wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of electronic shelf labels is programmed with the product information.
9 more elements
A method for automated association of product information with electronic shelf labels, comprising:
- receiving, from a local computing device located in a facility, a plurality of initial images of a plurality of modular units in the facility, the plurality of modular units including a plurality of paper shelf labels, the plurality of initial images taken before a removal of the plurality of paper shelf labels from the plurality of modular units;
- receiving, from the local computing device, a plurality of subsequent images of the plurality of modular units, the plurality of subsequent images taken after a plurality of electronic shelf labels are affixed to the plurality of modular units;
- retrieving product information from one or more databases holding product information associated with products assigned to the plurality of modular units in the facility,
- analyzing the plurality of initial images to identify the plurality of paper shelf labels appearing in the plurality of initial images to determine the product information associated with each of the plurality of paper shelf labels,
- analyzing the plurality of electronic shelf labels disposed on the plurality of modular units that appear in the plurality of subsequent images to determine identifying information associated with each of the plurality of electronic shelf labels,
- identifying a correspondence between each of the plurality of electronic shelf labels and one of the plurality of paper shelf labels, and
- associating product information previously assigned to each of the plurality of paper shelf labels with the corresponding one of the plurality of electronic shelf labels;
- and
- programming the corresponding one of the plurality of electronic shelf labels with the product information.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.