Abstract: The present invention relates to pesticidal emulsions comprising an aqueous continuous phase comprising paraquat and at least one polyvinylalcohol or polyvinylalcohol derivative; a dispersed oil phase; a pesticidal active ingredient; and at least two polymeric surfactants selected from a sorbitan ester and an ethoxylated sorbitan ester. It also relates to the use of a pesticidal emulsion to control undesired vegetation.

Abstract: A method for an on-site purchase at an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) can include: analyzing likely impulse purchases for customers during a given season, the likely impulse purchases being associated with each customer's profile which comprises preferences, purchase history and search history; stocking items for customers to purchase and pick up at the ASRS, the stocked items comprising general and seasonal items, and supplementary items selected based on an analysis of the likely impulse purchases; receiving a customer's order for purchasing an item; detecting a customer's arrival within a predetermined area around the ASRS; offering a subset of the stocked items for the customer to add to the order, updating the order based on customer's purchase selections or declines; completing a payment transaction of the updated order; automatically updating the items for inclusion in the ASRS based on the customer purchase selections or declines.

Abstract: Systems for storing items in customer-owned product storages at an automated locker are provided. An example system can include: an automated locker comprising a plurality of product storages and a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud scanner; a platform, wherein the platform comprises: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a request from a customer to rent a product storage located in one of a plurality of automated lockers; assigning the product storage to the customer; selecting a payment method by the customer and confirming a payment transaction; issuing a verification code to the entity to retrieve the item; automatically retrieving the first item from the product storage; and processing, via the 3D point cloud scanner, a return request from the customer.

Abstract: A method for an on-site purchase at an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) can include: analyzing likely impulse purchases for customers during a given season, the likely impulse purchases being associated with each customer's profile which comprises preferences, purchase history and search history; stocking items for customers to purchase and pick up at the ASRS, the stocked items comprising general and seasonal items, and supplementary items selected based on an analysis of the likely impulse purchases; receiving a customer's order for purchasing an item; detecting a customer's arrival within a predetermined area around the ASRS; offering a subset of the stocked items for the customer to add to the order, updating the order based on customer's purchase selections or declines; completing a payment transaction of the updated order; automatically updating the items for inclusion in the ASRS based on the customer purchase selections or declines.

Abstract: Systems for storing items in customer-owned product storages at an automated locker are provided. An example system can include: an automated locker comprising a plurality of product storages and a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud scanner; a platform, wherein the platform comprises: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a request from a customer to rent a product storage located in one of a plurality of automated lockers; assigning the product storage to the customer; selecting a payment method by the customer and confirming a payment transaction; issuing a verification code to the entity to retrieve the item; automatically retrieving the first item from the product storage; and processing, via the 3D point cloud scanner, a return request from the customer.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to presenting a virtual representation of a user's environment based on activity in the user's environment. In some embodiments, a system comprises one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are located about the user's environment and configured to detect the activity within the user's environment and transmit, to a control circuit, indications of the activity, the control circuit configured to receive, from the one or more sensors, the indications of the activity within the user's environment, generate the virtual representation of the user's environment, and render, based on the indications of the activity, the virtual representation of the user's environment to include representations of the activity within the user's environment, and a display device, the display device configured to present the virtual representation of the user's environment including the representations of the activity within the user's environment.

Abstract: A system and a method for protecting a user from potentially falling unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or package or both are described herein. The system includes a base structure; and a roof structure attached to and extending from the base structure. The base structure is configured to support the roof structure. The roof structure is configured to support a weight of the UAV and package. The roof structure is configured to shield or protect a user from potentially falling UAV or package or both when the user is under the roof structure.

Abstract: A pesticidal coating composition is provided which comprises an aqueous dispersion of at least one film-forming binder and at least one microencapsulated pesticide; wherein a coating prepared from such composition is substantially water-impermeable upon curing. The present invention further provides methods of coating substrates with the pesticidal coating composition, as well as substrates coated with the composition. The pesticidal coating compositions of the invention can be applied to substrates by professionals or non-professionals by spraying, painting, rolling, or brushing, before, during, or after construction.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to adjustment of the display of a simulated online store on a user device based on computing usage at the user device. In some embodiments, the system includes: a shopping server for receiving a user request to view a simulated shopping environment; a user device resource module for determining the computing resource usage of the user device; and a control circuit for causing the display of simulated shopping images at the user device in an interactive simulation view, communicating with the user device resource module, determining a real time computing resource usage of the user device, and in certain circumstances, providing additional computing resources to display the simulated shopping environment at the user device at a first, higher consumption level or adjusting the display of the simulated shopping environment at the user device to a second, lower consumption level.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for facilitating group shopping. A method for facilitating group shopping comprises authenticating a first user associated with a first user device and a second user associated with a second user device, providing a collaborative shopping user interface, relaying messages between the first user device and the second user device, receiving a purchase request from the first user device, facilitating, with the control circuit, an electronic peer-to-peer payment transfer of a digital currency from the second user device to the first user device, verifying that the electronic peer-to-peer payment transfer is completed, receiving a payment from the first user device comprising the digital currency, and outputting signaling to the POS system to process the purchase request in response to receiving the payment; and wherein the POS system is configured to process the purchase request using at least the payment.

Abstract: A system is described that includes a marker on a product being purchased at a point of sale. This marker provides the information on the product, but also its estimated replacement date. The information is sent to a management system which stores it in a memory storage device, the system then sends a reminder to the customer's portable computing device to remind him/her that it is time to repurchase the product. Optionally, the customer can ‘opt in’ to allow the system to automatically purchase the product when it determines that it is time to repurchase the product. In another embodiment, the product has sensors which measure wear. Product sensors are located at entrances to building and other locations which receive readings from the wear detection devices on the product. These readings indicate when it is time to replace the product. The customer is notified, and if the customer previously opted-in, the system purchases a replacement product.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to presenting a virtual representation of a user's environment based on activity in the user's environment. In some embodiments, a system comprises one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are located about the user's environment and configured to detect the activity within the user's environment and transmit, to a control circuit, indications of the activity, the control circuit configured to receive, from the one or more sensors, the indications of the activity within the user's environment, generate the virtual representation of the user's environment, and render, based on the indications of the activity, the virtual representation of the user's environment to include representations of the activity within the user's environment, and a display device, the display device configured to present the virtual representation of the user's environment including the representations of the activity within the user's environment.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein useful to selecting products for customers. In some embodiments, a system comprises a value vector database, wherein the value vector database includes value vectors of customers, and wherein the value vectors indicate partialities of the customers, a control circuit configured to generate the virtual representation of the customer's environment, determine, based on the value vector database, partialities for the customer, determine, based on the partialities for the customer, one or more products, wherein the one or more products include value propositions, and wherein the one or more value propositions of the one or more products are consistent with the partialities for the customer, and render the virtual representation of the customer's environment to include virtual representations of the one or more products, and a display device, the display device configured to present the virtual representation of the customer's environment.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for consumer premises inventory tracking. A system for consumer premises inventory tracking comprises an inventory sensor coupled to an inventory tracking device configured to detect changes in an inventory associated a premises comprising a plurality of inventory tracking devices, a communication device configured to communicate with a plurality of other inventory tracking devices, and a control circuit coupled to the inventory sensor and the communication device, the control circuit being configured to: detect a change in the inventory via the inventory sensor, determine a purchase order based on the change in the inventory, determine whether to automatically submit the purchase order to a remote server based on direct communications with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via the communication device, and submit the purchase order to the remote server.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for providing an online shopping experience that conserves computing resources. In some embodiments, there is provided a system including: a shopping server configured to receive a user request to view a virtual shopping environment of virtual shopping images with virtual objects; and a control circuit configured to: cause the display of virtual shopping images on a user computer in an interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user; determine a real time computing resource usage of the online shopping session at different times during the online shopping session; and cause the display of at least one of the virtual objects at a first, reduced resource consumption setting when the resource usage exceeds a certain limit and at a second, higher resource consumption setting when the resource usage does not exceed the limit.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for providing an online shopping experience that conserves computing resources. In some embodiments, there is provided a system including: a shopping server receiving a user request to view a virtual shopping environment; a control circuit causing the display of virtual shopping images on a user computer to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user; wherein the control circuit is configured to: navigate the virtual shopping environment; cause the display of an avatar representing the user in the virtual shopping environment; cause the display of the avatar at a first resource consumption setting where the avatar is interacting with a certain type of product; and cause the display of virtual shopping images at a second, reduced resource consumption setting where the avatar is not interacting with these products.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein including: at least one user product with at least one passive sensor; at least one network reader configured to expose the user product to energy and measure reflections of the energy from the at least one passive sensor; and a control circuit operably coupled to the network reader. The control circuit configured to receive an initial signal reading of the at least one passive sensor from the network reader; save the initial signal reading in a user profile in a profile database; receive a reading of one or more reflections of the energy from the at least one passive sensor; and compare the reading of the one or more reflections with one or more profile readings associated with the at least one user product and the at least one passive sensor to determine a degree of wear of the user product.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein including a user product having a unique product identifier; an image capturing device configured to capture an image of the user product; a product database of reference images corresponding to states of usage of the user product that is associated with the unique product identifier; and a control circuit operably coupled to the image capturing device and the product database of reference images. The control circuit configured to receive the image of the user product from the image capturing device and the unique product identifier associated with the user product; compare the product image with the reference images of the database of references images to determine whether replacement of the user product is warranted; and notify a user that a product replacement of the user product is warranted.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to providing an image-based shopping system. In some embodiments, a system for helping a customer find a desired product based on an image includes an electronic input device configured to receive, from the customer, the image, and a control circuit coupled to the electronic user input device and configured to identify one or more items in the image, identify, from a product data structure, a product that is similar to at least one of the one or more items in the image, and present, via an electronic display device, the product and an option to purchase the product.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to provide experiential on-site use of physical products within a retail shopping facility in a combined virtual and physical setting. In some embodiments, a customer may use a physical retail product within the retail shopping facility in an environment simulated to be similar to those typically used or recommended for use with the physical retail product. Thus, for certain items that cannot be easily experienced in a retail shopping facility, the systems, apparatuses, and methods herein provide for a manner of experiencing a physical retail product before purchase. The combined virtual-physical experience may serve as a retail marketing system.