Abstract: This disclosure is directed to techniques in which a first user in an environment scans visual indicia associated with an item, such as a barcode, before handing the item to a second user. One or more computing devices may receive an indication of the scan, retrieve image data of the interaction from a camera within the environment, identify the user that received the item, and update a virtual cart associated with the second user to indicate addition of the item.

Abstract: A method and system for autonomous parking are disclosed. The system employs Homography guided motion segmentation (HGMS) to determine the availability of a parking slot. A free parking slot is determined based on an occupancy status check and identified structures of parking lines. For example, motion analysis is performed on successive images captured by a camera unit to determine the occupancy status of a parking slot. Information of the free parking slot, for example, the dimensions and orientation, may be determined from identifying the structure of parking lines. This information is used by the system to guide a vehicle from its current location to the detected free parking slot.

Abstract: Described is a multiple-camera system and process for detecting, tracking, and re-verifying agents within a materials handling facility. In one implementation, a plurality of feature vectors may be generated for an agent and maintained as an agent model representative of the agent. When the object being tracked as the agent is to be re-verified, feature vectors representative of the object are generated and stored as a probe agent model. Feature vectors of the probe agent model are compared with corresponding feature vectors of candidate agent models for agents located in the materials handling facility. Based on the similarity scores, the agent may be re-verified, it may be determined that identifiers used for objects tracked as representative of the agents have been flipped, and/or to determine that tracking of the object representing the agent has been dropped.

Abstract: The motion of objects within a scene may be detected and tracked using digital (e.g., visual and depth) cameras aligned with fields of view that overlap at least in part. Objects may be identified within visual images captured from the scene using a tracking algorithm and correlated to point clouds or other depth models generated based on depth images captured from the scene. Once visual aspects (e.g., colors or other features) of objects are correlated to the point clouds, shapes and/or positions of the objects may be determined and used to further train the tracking algorithms to recognize the objects in subsequently captured frames. Moreover, a Kalman filter or other motion modeling technique may be used to enhance the prediction of a location of an object within subsequently captured frames.

Abstract: Described is a system and method for presenting event information to a user and, if necessary, obtaining confirmation of different aspects (user, item, action) of the event. In some implementations, an event includes a user, an action, and an item. For example, an event may include a user picking an item from an inventory location, a user placing an item into a tote associated with the user, etc. if the aspects of the event cannot be determined with a high enough degree of confidence, a user interface may be generated and sent to the user requesting confirmation of one or more of the aspects of the event.

Abstract: Sensor data from load cells at a shelf is processed using a first time window to produce first event data describing coarse and sub-events. Location data is determined that indicates where on the shelf weight changes occurred at particular times. Hypotheses are generated using information about where items are stowed, weights of those of items, type of event, and the location data. If confidence values of these hypotheses are below a threshold value, second event data is determined by merging adjacent sub-events. This second event data is then used to determine second hypotheses which are then assessed. A hypothesis with a high confidence value is used to generate interaction data indicative of picks or places of particular quantities of particular types of items from the shelf.

Abstract: Sensors in a facility obtain sensor data about a user's interaction with a fixture, such as a shelf. The sensor data may include images such as obtained from overhead cameras, weight changes from weight sensors at the shelf, and so forth. Based on the sensor data, one or more hypotheses that indicate the items and quantity may be determined and assessed. The hypotheses may be based on information such as the location of a user and where their hands are, weight changes, physical layout data indicative of where items are stowed, cart data indicative of what items are in the possession of the user, and so forth. A hypothesis having a greatest confidence value may be deemed to be representative of the user's interaction, and interaction data indicative of the item and quantity may be stored.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for disambiguating between multiple potential users that may have performed an item action (e.g., item removal or item placement) at an inventory location. For example, if there are three picking agents (users) standing near an inventory location and one of the agents removes an item (item action) from the inventory location, the example systems and processes described herein may utilize various inputs to disambiguate between the users and determine which of the potential users performed the item action.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and techniques for detecting certain activity in image data, such as frames of video data. For example, the systems and techniques may create and utilize an activity classifier for detecting and classifying certain human activity in video data of a facility. In some instances, the classifier may be trained to identify, from the video data, certain predefined activity such as a user picking an item from a shelf, a user returning an item to a shelf, a first user passing an item to a second user, or the like. In some instances, the techniques enable activity detection using only video data, rather than in addition to data acquired by other sensors.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for automatically transitioning items from a materials handling facility without delaying a user as they exit the materials handling facility. For example, while a user is located in a materials handling facility, the user may pick one or more items. The items are identified and automatically associated with the user at or near the time of the item pick. When the users enters and/or passes through a transition area, the picked items are automatically transitioned to the user without affirmative input from or delay to the user.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for utilizing multiple image processing techniques to identify an item represented in an image. In some implementations, one or more image processing algorithms may be utilized to process a received image to generate item image information and compare the item image information with stored item image information to identify the item. When a similarity score identifying the similarity between the item image information and at least one of the stored item image information is returned, a determination may be made as to whether the similarity score is high enough to confidently identify the item. If it is determined that the similarity score is high enough to confidently identify the item, the other algorithms may be terminated and the determined identity of the item returned.

Abstract: A method performed by a network node for handling a subscription to service in a communications network is provided. The network node detects that a subscriber's subscription has been deactivated from the communications network. The network node obtains data related to usage of the service and analyzes the data to determine one or more contacts of the subscriber that should be notified about the deactivated subscription. The network node initiates one or more notifications to the determined one or more contacts about the deactivated subscription.

Abstract: Load cells measure the weight of items on a shelf. Weight changes occur as items are picked from or placed to the fixture. Information about these weight changes is used to determine an estimated location on the shelf of a weight change. Hypotheses are generated using information about where particular types of items are stowed, the weights of those particular types of items, information about the weight changes, and the estimated locations of the weight changes. A model is used to produce confidence values in the hypotheses based on a change in weight measured at a first side and a change in weight measured at a second side of the shelf. A hypothesis with a confidence value that exceeds the threshold may be selected and used to determine interaction data indicative of a quantity picked or placed, type of item, and location on the shelf.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for assisting users in locating items from inventory locations and/or obtaining additional information about items. In some instances, a user may experience difficulty in locating an inventory item in a materials handling facility. By detecting one or more expressions presented by the user, an inventory management system may determine that assistance is to be provided to the user, determine and provide the appropriate assistance to the user.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. Accordingly, the embodiments herein provide a method for managing operations of an electronic device. The method includes transmitting an input signal corrupted by noise to a trained model with a plurality of output states. Further, the method includes dynamically determining an entropy for the plurality of output states of the trained model. Further, the method includes determining whether the entropy exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for automatically transitioning items from a materials handling facility without delaying a user as they exit the materials handling facility. For example, while a user is located in a materials handling facility, the user may pick one or more items. The items are identified and automatically associated with the user at or near the time of the item pick. When the users enters and/or passes through a transition area, the picked items are automatically transitioned to the user without affirmative input from or delay to the user.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for managing inventory as it transitions into a materials handling facility, as it transitions between locations within a materials handling facility and/or as it transitions out of a materials handling facility. In some instances, a user (e.g., picker or picking agent) may retrieve an item from an inventory location and place the item into a tote. The systems described herein detect the item when it is added to or removed from the tote.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for automatically updating item image information stored in an item images data store and used for processing captured images to identify items represented in those images. In one implementation, once an identity of an item has been verified, captured images of that item are associated with the item and stored in the item images data store. As a result, the item images data store is updated each time an image of the item is captured and the identity of the item is verified.

Abstract: Described is a system and method for proactively determining and resolving events having low confidence scores and/or resolving disputed events. For example, when an event, such as a pick of an item from an inventory location within a materials handling facility occurs, the event aspects (e.g., user involved in the event, item involved in the event, action performed) are determined based on information provided from one or more input components (e.g., camera, weight sensor). If each event aspect cannot be determined with a high degree of confidence, the event information is provided to an associate for resolution.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system for managing inventory as it transitions into a materials handling facility, as it transitions between locations within a materials handling facility and/or as it transitions out of a materials handling facility. In some instances, a user (e.g., picker or picking agent) may retrieve an item from an inventory location and place the item into a tote. The systems described herein detect the item when it is added to or removed from the tote.