Shopping facility assistance systems, devices, and methods to identify security and safety anomalies
US9875502B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 4, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jan 23, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S901/01
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A central computer system is configured to simultaneously task various ones of a plurality of motorized transport units to temporarily attach to a corresponding mobile item container and to move the temporarily-attached mobile item container in a retail shopping facility in correspondence to the movement of an authorized consumer while also receiving and analyzing video input provided by video cameras that are included with at least some of the motorized transport units to identify security and safety anomalies in the retail shopping facility. By one approach, the central computer system identifies security and safety anomalies in the retail shopping center by characterizing contents of images as being either expected or unexpected and as being either potentially harmful or not potentially harmful. So configured the central computer system is able to not only identify anomalies but assess a degree of threat posed by a given anomaly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.