Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations: training, using labeled training data and a list of substitutes for an item, a machine learning algorithm; determining, using the machine learning algorithm, as trained, a respective similarity score for each substitute of the list of substitutes; ranking each substitute of the list of substitutes based on its respective similarity score; and re-training the machine learning algorithm based on at least the labeled training data and a highest ranked substitute of the list of substitutes. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A label dispenser coupled to product-transporting carts at retail facilities includes a label roll support arm supporting multiple label rolls thereon, a label guide arm including openings that permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of a label roll to pass therethrough, and a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm. The label guide arm also includes an upper portion located above the openings and configured to support the backing substrates of the label rolls thereon. The label guide arm further includes an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label from the backing substrate in response to a force applied by the user when pulling the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll through the opening of the label guide arm.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to detecting text in images. In some embodiments, a system for detecting text in images comprises a database configured to store images and a control circuit configured to retrieve an image, generate, based on the image, a collection of augmented images, detect characters in each of the augmented images, generate bounding boxes for the characters in each of augmented images, recognize the characters in each of the augmented images, select, based on the recognition of the characters in each of the augmented images, candidate characters, wherein the candidate characters are selected based on consistency of the recognition of the characters in each of the augmented images, detect, for the image, a color associated with the characters, and store, in the database, the image, the candidate characters, and the color associated with the characters.

Abstract: A combination automated-service and self-service store for implementation at brick-and-mortar retail locations is provided. The store and corresponding method of implementation is an automated-service model in which robots, deployed at the brick-and-mortar location, fill orders for fungible goods placed by customers either online or in-store. The store also includes a shopping section where customers can select/order items and/or personally select non-fungible goods. The store includes a shopping section for non-fungible goods that customers prefer to pick out by hand and a back end automated order fulfillment section for other goods (e.g., fungible goods, dry goods, etc.). The two sets of goods are merged to a delivery bundle and delivered together for pickup by the customer.

Abstract: This application relates to apparatus and methods for applying trained machine learning models to determine an item's relevance to a search query. In some examples, a query and data identifying a plurality of items are received. Item attributes for each of the plurality of items are obtained, and features are generated based on the item attributes. Further, a score is generated for each item by applying a trained machine learning model to the corresponding features and the query. Matching attributes are determined for each of the plurality of items based on the corresponding item attributes and the query, and the score of each of the plurality of items is adjusted based on the matching attributes. Further, the ranking data is generated based on the adjusted score of each of the plurality of items. The ranking data may be transmitted to a web server for display of the items.

Abstract: Automated storage and retrieval system for managing storage of inventory at a retail facility includes a storage structure with storage locations configured to store containers that contain retail products, and a conveying system that conveys the containers between the storage locations and a product picking station. A computing device analyzes one or more business rules to identify at least two containers that are eligible for the product merging therebetween and causes the conveying system to move these two containers from the storage structure toward a picking station selected by the control circuit. When the two containers identified as product merging eligible arrive at the picking station, these two containers are kept by the conveying system at the picking station until all of the products are removed from a first one of these two containers and merged together with the products stored in a second one of these two containers.

Abstract: An automated order fulfillment system and mobile robot are disclosed, where the mobile robot includes a compliant drive for moving between levels of a multilevel storage structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising, in response to a search query from an electronic device of a user, creating combined search results using at least two different searching algorithms, each search result of the combined search results having a respective combined search results rank; receiving, from the electronic device of the user, an interaction with a search result of the combined search results; storing, in the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices, the interaction with the search result of the combined search results, wherein: the interaction with the search result of the combined search results, as stored, indicates whether the search result of the combined search results was a part of (a) results of a first search algorithm of the at least two different searching algo

Abstract: An identification validation system and method may include detecting that a first age restricted item has been selected for purchase at a first point of sale by a user, determining that an age validation is not enabled, requiring that the user submit an identification instrument to verify an age of the user, after the purchase is complete, prompting the user to enable the age validation feature of the mobile wallet application of the user mobile device, directing a software application loaded on the user mobile device to access at least one biometric data input functionality of the user mobile device to capture the at least one biometric of the user, and comparing biometric features of the user captured by at least one camera.

Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instruction that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations: generating, using a training procedure, labels based at least in part on price band activity data from a time period; training, using the training procedure, an affinity prediction model of a machine learning architecture; analyzing, using the affinity prediction model of the machine learning architecture, as trained, the price band activity data indicating interactions of a user with items; and generating, using the labels and the affinity prediction model of the machine learning architecture, as trained, one or more price affinity predictions for one or more items for the user. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system can include one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform: selectively aggregating in-session user activity of a user with historical activity data of the user into one or more respective groups based on interactions of the user with a GUI over a period of time; predicting, using a set of predictive algorithms, one or more intents of the user based on the one or more respective groups; and facilitating a display of an altered GUI on an electronic device of the user based on the one or more intents of the user, as predicted. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: This application relates to systems and methods for providing search results based on a primary intent. In some examples, a disclosed system includes a memory resource storing instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory resource. The one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to: receive, from a user, a search query including a plurality of words, identify a plurality of intention terms from the words of the search query, compute, for each of the plurality of intention terms, a compatibility score between the intention term and a query context associated with the intention term, determine, from the plurality of intention terms, a primary intention term having a maximum compatibility score among the plurality of intention terms, and generate, based on the primary intention term, a set of intent-based search results in response to the search query, the set of intent-based search results identifying a set of items associated with the primary intention term.

Abstract: Automated storage and retrieval systems for managing storage of inventory at a retail facility include a storage structure with storage locations configured to store containers that contain retail products, and a conveying system that conveys the containers between the storage locations and a product picking station. A processor-based control circuit analyzes one or more business rules governing product merging between the containers being conveyed toward the picking station by the conveying system to identify two containers that are eligible for the product merging therebetween. When the control circuit detects that the two containers identified as product merging eligible arrived at the picking station, these two containers are kept by the conveying system at the picking station until all of the products are removed from a first one of these two containers and merged together with the products stored in a second one of these two containers.

Abstract: A method being implemented via execution of computing instructions configured to run at one or more processors. The method can include determining a primary store and one or more secondary stores for pickup of an order of a user, based at least in part on a pickup type of the order. The method also can include determining real-time availabilities of first time slots at the primary store and real-time availabilities of second time slots at the one or more secondary stores. The method additionally can include generating a list of available time slots comprising at least a portion of the first time slots at the primary store and at least a portion of the second time slots at the one or more secondary stores, based at least in part on the real-time availabilities of the first time slots at the primary store and the real-time availabilities of the second time slots at the one or more secondary stores.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to train a machine learning algorithm to detect text of interest. In some embodiments, there is provided a system to detect vertically oriented text of interest including a first data set comprising a plurality of captured digital images each depicting an object of interest and a second data set comprising a plurality of augmented digital images each depicting a captured digital image augmented with a synthetic text image; a first control circuit configured to cause the machine learning algorithm to output a machine learning model trained to automatically detect occurrences of vertically oriented text of interest based on the first data set and the second data set; at least one camera; and a second control circuit configured to execute the machine learning model to automatically detect vertically oriented text of interest on the object of interest.

Abstract: A method for automatically rectifying in real-time anomalies in natural language processing systems. The method can include determining an output corresponding to a user request from a user device for a user based on a new request template or machine learning. The method further can include retrieving one or more entity rules corresponding to entity data of the user request. The method also can include overwriting entity information of the entity data corresponding to the one or more entity rules. Additionally, the method can include outputting the output. Furthermore, the method can include transmitting, to the user device, a response to the user. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: The contents of totes and the amount a tote container is filled are monitored. A central database stores product dimensions and tote dimensions as well as a percentage of which a tote is to be filled. Image scanners that obtain three-dimensional images are used to determine if the actual dimensions of the tote, the product, and the fill amount are consistent with the expected or optimal values of these characteristics. When there is a discrepancy between measured and expected values, then one or more actions can be taken.

Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: generating linkage scores between nodes at least based on a machine learning model; creating links between the nodes to form connected components based on the linkage scores exceeding a predetermined threshold; generating an actual matching linkage set of the nodes linked in the connected components by using a relaxed blocking criteria; and generating a quality score for the connected components. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform generating personalized product-type metrics for the user based at least in part on a user embedding for the user and product-type embedding Gaussian mixture distributions; determining top product types based at least in part on personalized product-type complementarity metrics generated using the personalized product-type metrics and cosine similarity measurements; generating a set of first items associated with the top product-types; ranking each respective item in the set of first items generated using an item-level embedding Gaussian distribution for the anchor item and a respective item-level embedding Gaussian distribution for the each respective item; and selecting a set of top items as the personalized complementary item recommendations based on the ranking. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: This application relates to apparatus and methods for automatically determining and enforcing user permissions for applications and application features. In some embodiments, a system includes a server and a user device. The server may determine a user of the user device based on receiving login credential data. The server may further obtain user attributes for the user including, in some examples, a location of the user. The server may further obtain an attribute-based control policy that identifies relationships between a plurality of possible user attributes. For example, the control policy may identify attribute requirements that must be met for enablement of a particular application feature. Additionally, the server may determine user permissions for the user based on the control policy and the user attributes. The server may transmit the user permissions to the user device, and the user device configures the corresponding application according to the user permissions.