Patents Assigned to Staples, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10683171
    Abstract: A hybrid modular storage fetching system is described. In an example implementation, an automated guided vehicle of the hybrid modular storage fetching system includes a drive unit that provides motive force to propel the automated guided vehicle within an operating environment. The automated guided vehicle may also include a container handling mechanism including an extender and a carrying surface, the container handling mechanism having three or more degrees of freedom to move the carrying surface along three or more axes. The container handling mechanism may retrieve an item from a first target shelving unit using the carrying surface and the three or more degrees of freedom and place the item on a second target shelving unit. The automated guided vehicle may also include a power source coupled to provide power to the drive unit and the container handling mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Jarvis, Paolo Gerli Amador, Michael Bhaskaran, Amit Kalra, Rodney Gallaway, Vikranth Gopalakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10589931
    Abstract: A hybrid modular storage fetching system with a robot execution system (REX) is described. In an example implementation, a REX may induct, into the hybrid modular storage fetching system, an order identifying items to be fulfilled by automated guided vehicles (AGVs) at an order fulfillment facility. The REX may generate at task list including tasks for a first and second AGV, instruct the first AGV to retrieve a first item in the order from a first storage area based on the task list and deliver the first item to a pick-cell station. The REX may also instruct the second AGV to retrieve a second item of the order from a second storage area and deliver the second item to the pick-cell station. The REX may communicate with other components of the hybrid modular storage fetching system to coordinate the paths of the AGVs to fulfill the order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Jarvis, Paolo Gerli Amador, Michael Bhaskaran, Amit Kalra, Rodney Gallaway, Vikranth Gopalakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10580035
    Abstract: Technology for selecting promotion(s) to display in a page of an application for display to a user is described. An example method includes determining a promotion for a product; calculating for the promotion a posterior distribution of a user-action probability reflecting estimates for a user response to a display of the promotion for the product on a computing device of the user; determining the posterior distribution as collapsing beyond a certain threshold; responsive thereto, calculating an uncollapsed posterior distribution of the user-action probability reflecting modified estimates for the user response to the display of the promotion for the product on a computing device of the user; storing the uncollapsed posterior distribution of the user-action probability in a response database; and determining whether to select the promotion from the promotion database for display on a computing device of the user based on the modified estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Courosh Mehanian, Timothy Wee, Karthik Kumara
  • Patent number: 10552866
    Abstract: The disclosure includes technology for providing custom content for display. In an example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes storing unique customer types in a non-transitory computer storage device; storing in the computer storage device custom contents in association with one or more of the different customer types; receiving at a user device or a server coupled to the user device interaction data from the user device of a user describing an interaction by the user with a site presented for display to the user on the user device; determining by the user device or the server a customer type for the user; querying by the user device or the server the custom contents stored on the computer storage device for a custom content matching the customer type and associated with the interaction data; and presenting the custom content to the user via the display of the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Prakash Muppirala, Faisal Masud, Arun Arora, Pratabkumar Vemana, Melanie Oxley-Wilson, Debra Arora
  • Patent number: 10540821
    Abstract: A technology for virtualized container opening and optimized item placement, and in an example includes a receiving, from an augmented reality device, a first image of user view capturing a storing surface of a storage space; receiving an input identifying a first item; retrieving item data associated with the first item based on the input; determining, from the one or more placement regions, a set of one or more viable placement regions for placing the first item on the storing surface based on an arrangement model and the item data associated with the first item; generating overlay placement data describing the set of one or more viable placement regions; transmitting the overlay placement data to the augmented reality device; and instructing the augmented reality device to superimpose one or more virtual items in the storage space in the user view based on the overlay placement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishal Musunuri, Michael Bhaskaran
  • Patent number: 10479612
    Abstract: Technology for optimizing carton induction in an order fulfillment picking system is described. In an example embodiment, a method, implemented using one or more computing devices, may include receiving scan data reflecting status of cartons being conveyed by a conveying system, receiving confirmatory input reflecting pick completion for a subset of the cartons being conveyed by the conveying system, and generating an estimated time of arrival for one or more cartons not yet inducted into the conveying system based on the scan data and the confirmatory input. The method may further include generating a load forecast based on the estimated time of arrival and inducting one or more of the one or more cartons into the conveying system based on the load forecast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikranth Gopalakrishnan, Daniel Jarvis, Rodney Gallaway, Michael Bhaskaran
  • Patent number: 10402295
    Abstract: In an example implementation, a method automatically determines items related to various computer peripherals for purchase, suggestion, or promotion by determining the identity of the peripherals, providing customized notifications for a status of the peripherals, and facilitating the convenient purchase of such items using a unified interface experience. These peripherals may be printers of various different brands and the items may be ink or toner cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Beiriger, Bolivar E. Bravo, Gustavo A. Pospischel, Robert M. Levangie
  • Patent number: 10372791
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are described for customizing content displayed to a user on a user device associated with the user. An example method may include receiving interaction data describing interactions by a user with one or more pages presented on a user device of the user, building a tag expression for the user based on the interaction data, the tag expression including a logical expression of tags and Boolean logic operators, and the tags being associated with page items. The method may also include generating a content page with a customized result customized to the user based on the tag expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Derek Thomas, Young-Keun Andrew Lee
  • Patent number: 10373097
    Abstract: An example system may comprise a docking station remotely located from a fulfillment center, a fulfillment system, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV). The fulfillment system manages the fulfillment center and the docking station, receives a request to ship an item, determines an item transfer point based on a delivery point, and calculates a flight path to the item transfer point. The fulfillment system loads the item at the fulfillment center via a handling mechanism of the UAV and deploys the UAV to the item transfer point using the flight path. The AGV is coupled for wireless communication with the fulfillment system, the docking station, and the AGV. The item transfer point indicates a geographical location where the item is to be transferred from the UAV to one of the docking station and the AGV based on the delivery point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Girish Kulkarni, Michael Bhaskaran, Vikranth Gopalakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10354315
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are described for ordering items within a zone of a physical location. An example method may include wirelessly receiving at a server via a computer network a unique identifier associated with a physical ordering device, the physical ordering device being remotely located from the server, retrieving, at the server from an information source, item information describing an item configured to be associated with the unique identifier of the physical ordering device, retrieving, at the server from the information source, shipping data including a physical location uniquely associated with the physical ordering device, and generating at the server a purchase request for re-ordering the item. The method may further include processing at the server the purchase request, and authorizing at the server shipment of the item to the physical location associated with the physical ordering device responsive to the processing of the purchase request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Goodwin, Faisal Masud, Shiv Agarwal, Ryan Bartley, M. Steven Walker, Pratabkumar Vemana, Daniel Hailemariam
  • Patent number: 10282718
    Abstract: Technology for selectively providing an invoice payment option in an e-commerce application is described. In an example embodiment, a method selectively determines to activate the invoice payment option for the business customer in a graphical user interface associated with the e-commerce application based on the status of the invoice account of the business customer and a determination that the one or more items in the virtual shopping cart are approved for the invoice payment option. The method generates the graphical user interface including the invoice payment option and the summary of the virtual shopping cart and provides providing the graphical user interface including the invoice payment option and the summary of the virtual shopping cart for presentation on the client device associated with the business account of the business customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Lincoln, Faisal Masud, Alison Gaddis
  • Patent number: 10198762
    Abstract: Technology for determining the order of the search results to maximize a financial goal is described. In an example embodiment, a method, implemented using the one or more computing devices, such as client and/or server devices, may receive a product search request from a user device associated with a user and retrieve a set of products from a product database based on the product search request. Based on a purchase probability and one or more of a margin and a price for that product, the method determines an expected financial gain for each of the products of the set and sorts the set of products into an ordered set of products having an order based on the expected financial gain associated with each of the products. The method may then provide the ordered set of products for display to the user on the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: STAPLES, INC.
    Inventors: Tchavdar Dangaltchev, Timothy Wee, Karthik Kumara
  • Patent number: 10099864
    Abstract: Technology for optimizing carton induction in an order fulfillment picking system is described. In an example embodiment, a method, implemented using one or more computing devices, may include receiving scan data reflecting status of cartons being conveyed by a conveying system, receiving confirmatory input reflecting pick completion for a subset of the cartons being conveyed by the conveying system, and generating an estimated time of arrival for one or more cartons not yet inducted into the conveying system based on the scan data and the confirmatory input. The method may further include generating a load forecast based on the estimated time of arrival and inducting one or more of the one or more cartons into the conveying system based on the load forecast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikranth Gopalakrishnan, Daniel Jarvis, Rodney Gallaway, Michael Bhaskaran
  • Patent number: 9552400
    Abstract: An example implementation includes a system having one or more processors, a definition module, a data store, and a workflow module. The definition module is executable by the one or more processors to determine a first semantic element for a first operation included in a first application interface representing a first service and a second semantic element for a second operation included in a second application interface representing a second service, such as an enterprise service bus. The definition module may further determine a mapping of the first semantic element with the second sematic element. The data store is configured to store the mapping of the first semantic element with the second sematic element by the definition module. The workflow module is executable by the one or more processors to integrate the first application interface with the second service based on the mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Pavitra Krishnan, William Jeffrey Bridwell, Chandra Shekar Bommasamudra
  • Publication number: 20160063595
    Abstract: An example system includes a configuration engine and a product builder. The configuration engine is executable to retrieve a template based on a product selection selecting a product and to provide the template to a user for display via a configurator. The configuration engine is further executable by the one or more computing devices to receive customization data including one or more of configuration data for configuring a template associated with the product and asset data describing one or more digital assets for the template. The product builder is executable to build a user-customized version of the product using the template and the customization data and to automatically pre-build one or more customized product recommendations in association with the user-customized version of the product based on the customization data and one or more templates associated with one or more customizable product recommendations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Burc Oral, Pratabkumar Vemana, Michael William Bailey, Behzad Soltani
  • Patent number: 9253202
    Abstract: A system for automatically managing vulnerabilities may determine vulnerability data describing vulnerabilities in an information technology environment and then assign each vulnerability to a stakeholder for remediation. The system may receive a remediation proposal from the stakeholder, obtain approval for the remediation proposal, and facilitate remediation of the vulnerability based on the proposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventor: Satyendra Thakur
  • Publication number: 20140331326
    Abstract: A system for automatically managing vulnerabilities may determine vulnerability data describing vulnerabilities in an information technology environment and then assign each vulnerability to a stakeholder for remediation. The system may receive a remediation proposal from the stakeholder, obtain approval for the remediation proposal, and facilitate remediation of the vulnerability based on the proposal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: Staples, Inc.
    Inventor: Satyendra Thakur
  • Publication number: 20140297363
    Abstract: In an example implementation, a method receives first-party data and third-party data and generates a customer profile for the customer of a merchant based on the first-party data and the third-party data. The customer profile has a set of attributes. The method further generates a set of rules for evaluating a disposition of the customer based on the set of attributes of the customer profile, receives real-time intelligence data associated with the customer during a visit to the merchant or an interaction with marketing content of the merchant, predicts the disposition of the customer using the real-time intelligence data and one or more of the rules, and adapts a shopping experience of the customer during the visit to the merchant or a marketing content of the merchant for the customer using the predicted disposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Staples, Inc.
    Inventor: Pratabkumar Vemana
  • Patent number: D839343
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Wrigley, Kenneth Zins