Patents by Inventor Michael Dean Atchley

Michael Dean Atchley has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11494821
    Abstract: An electronic shelf label system comprising an electronic display device and a plurality of electronic shelf labels is provided. A computing system transmits data transmissions to the plurality of electronic shelf labels. Each of the electronic shelf labels are configured to receive, from the computing system, data to render on an electronic display of each of the electronic shelf labels. The electronic display device is configured to determine, based on at least one of a set of specified conditions or the data rendered on each of the electronic shelf labels, content to be rendered on the electronic display of the electronic display device, and adjust the display of the electronic display device to render the content based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Donald Ray High, Martin Thomas Faitak, IV, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10936675
    Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for developing an item data model for an item. Aspects of the invention can automate the process of data collection of “facts” for “items” that information is needed about. Facts can be organized and normalized to eliminate redundant facts, and interpret what is found. Data requirements extraction and automated modeling using a combination of data virtualization, data analytics, extract, transform, and load (ETL), web crawlers, and reverse engineering systems, can be used along with other technologies to develop an item model. A model owner feeds a curating module with the information for locating the facts to be used, and initiating the modeling process. Existing data structures, websites, vendor input, etc. can be described to the import process, and an item model is produced. The model can be imported into existing modeling tools for viewing, or viewed as XML.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Donald High, Gary Dewayne Griggs, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20200311794
    Abstract: An electronic shelf label system comprising an electronic display device and a plurality of electronic shelf labels is provided. A computing system transmits data transmissions to the plurality of electronic shelf labels. Each of the electronic shelf labels are configured to receive, from the computing system, data to render on an electronic display of each of the electronic shelf labels. The electronic display device is configured to determine, based on at least one of a set of specified conditions or the data rendered on each of the electronic shelf labels, content to be rendered on the electronic display of the electronic display device, and adjust the display of the electronic display device to render the content based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Donald Ray High, Martin Thomas Faitak, IV, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10661311
    Abstract: An automated tote routing systems that includes a conveyer belt, an array of sensors underneath the conveyer belt, and an identifier reader disposed with respect to the conveyer belt is discussed. The conveyer belt can be configured to receive a tote filled with physical objects. The array of sensors can detect a first set of attributes associated with the physical objects within the tote. The identifier reader can read and decode an identifier from a machine-readable element disposed on the tote. The array of sensors and identifier reader can transmit the first set of attributes and the identifier to a computing system. Based on the set of information associated with the physical objects and the set of attributes associated with the physical objects, a routing module executed by the computing system can automatically trigger the conveyer belt to route the tote to a selected distribution end of the conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: David Winkle, Bruce W. Wilkinson, Todd Davenport Mattingly, Luke Matthew Reynolds, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10650434
    Abstract: A budget-constrained, machine-learning system is described that creates a shopping (purchase) list and performs on-line ordering and delivery. It receives the shopper's past purchase receipts from a retail store, pharmacy and/or auto center. It may attach to a web server to acquire on-line browsing information. The system creates a Purchase List from acquired information. The system receives a budget and determines if all items on the Purchase List can be bought under the budget. If not, the items are given priority ratings. The system walks down the list to in decreasing priority rating order identifying items to purchase without exceeding the budget. The shopper may override the items identified to be purchased. Shopper override is monitored by a machine learning engine which adjusts the priority rating of the item or the period of replacement for the next shopping trip/session, allowing for more accurate results and flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Matthew Allen Jones, Chandrashekar Natarajan, Michael Dean Atchley, Brian Gerard McHale
  • Patent number: 10627984
    Abstract: Methodologies, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for dynamic virtual data analysis. A first subset of performance metric data relating to a number of facilities is compared between at least two of the facilities to generate a first level comparison. A second subset of the performance metric data associated with two or more sections of at least one facility is compared to generate a second level comparison. A processor generates a graphical representation of the first level comparison and the second level comparison. A user electronic device can receive input from a user to dynamically navigate between a rendering of the graphical representation of the first level comparison and a rendering of the graphical representation of the second level comparison. The user can also modify the first subset of data or the second subset of data to update the first level comparison or the second level comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: John Paul Thompson, Eric Anthony Letson, Donald High, Michael Dean Atchley, Robert C. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20200036232
    Abstract: Coordinated operational control of wireless charging includes receiving a notification from a first and second drone requesting charging and responsive to determining that a sufficient amount of charging resources is not available to permit charging both drones simultaneously, prioritizing charging of drones so that at least one drone is instructed to wait. The drones may be a combination of autonomous vehicles, UAVs, and UGVs. A charging corral may be used, and navigation instructions to the charging corral may be provided to a drone. Re-orientable antennas may be used to direct RF charging power in a selected direction, for example, to track the location of a drone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Nathan JONES, Michael Dean ATCHLEY, David C. WINKLE
  • Publication number: 20190223473
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a flexible cooling blanket including a cooling layer assembly and a heat dissipating layer assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Cantrell, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10244781
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a flexible cooling blanket including a cooling layer assembly and a heat dissipating layer assembly. The cooling layer assembly includes a first set of rigid cooling coils connected to a second set of rigid cooling coils using a first flexible tube. The heat dissipating layer assembly includes a first set of rigid heat dissipating coils and a second set of rigid heat dissipating coils connected with a second flexible tube. The first and second flexible tubes extend across the folding seams of the blanket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Cantrell, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20190039636
    Abstract: Provided is a collapsible cup holder system for a shopping cart. The system includes a seat member having an opening wherein the seat member is a seat portion of a collapsible child seat system of the shopping cart. The system may also include a collapsible cup holder operatively coupled to the seat member. The collapsible cup holder may include a rigid cup opening member coupled to the seat member, wherein the cup opening member is aligned with the opening of the seat member, a rigid base portion formed of a rigid ring member with rigid base support members coupled to the rigid ring member, wherein the rigid base support members form a cross within an opening of the rigid ring member, and a plurality of support members, wherein the plurality of support members are rotatably coupled to the cup opening member and rotatably coupled to the base portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Yurgis Mauro Bacallao, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10165413
    Abstract: A communication system comprises a mobile reporting device and a server. The mobile reporting device comprises a signal receiver configured to receive data usable to determine the location of the reporting device; a communication module configured to transmit data to and receive data from a server, the data including location data from the location determiner; a display including a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Brian Gerard McHale, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20180357645
    Abstract: A voice-actuated system is described that allows voice authentication of on-line secure commands, such as purchases, by one or more designated users. It allows for an account to have multiple signatories that are required to approve a secure command. A user speaks commands into a local microphone, or in another embodiment, into a mobile device. A command recognition device identifies a secure command and sends it to a spectrum/cadence device to analyze spectrum and/or cadence. Also, the voice input may be sent to a word count/grammar device to analyze word counts and grammar errors to identify the user. Once identified, the account of user may be found and contact information for other signatories is acquired. The signatories are contacted and their identities are verified by comparison of their voices to pre-stored voice samples of the signatories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen Tyler Caution, Yurgis Mauro Bacallao, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20180352382
    Abstract: A communication system comprises a mobile reporting device and a server. The mobile reporting device comprises a signal receiver configured to receive data usable to determine the location of the reporting device; a communication module configured to transmit data to and receive data from a server, the data including location data from the location determiner; a display including a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Brian Gerard McHale, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10091623
    Abstract: A communication system comprises a mobile reporting device and a server. The mobile reporting device comprises a signal receiver configured to receive data usable to determine the location of the reporting device; a communication module configured to transmit data to and receive data from a server, the data including location data from the location determiner; a display including a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Brian Gerard McHale, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20180249738
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a flexible cooling blanket including a cooling layer assembly and a heat dissipating layer assembly. The cooling layer assembly includes a first set of rigid cooling coils connected to a second set of rigid cooling coils using a first flexible tube. The heat dissipating layer assembly includes a first set of rigid heat dissipating coils and a second set of rigid heat dissipating coils connected with a second flexible tube. The first and second flexible tubes extend across the folding seams of the blanket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Cantrell, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 10070409
    Abstract: Described in detail herein are systems and methods for tracking clusters of user devices within a facility. In exemplary embodiments, a plurality of network devices are distributed within a facility. The network devices may receive connection data indicating probing by at least one of a plurality of user devices within the facility. A processing unit may be coupled to the network devices and the processing unit may extract location data from the connection data received by the network devices. The location data may indicate the location of the user devices with respect in the facility. The processing unit may determine a projected path for the plurality of user devices based on the location data. The processing unit may generate a response based on then projected path of the plurality of user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: John Paul Thompson, Robert C. Taylor, Donald High, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20180152813
    Abstract: A communication system comprises a mobile reporting device and a server. The mobile reporting device comprises a signal receiver configured to receive data usable to determine the location of the reporting device; a communication module configured to transmit data to and receive data from a server, the data including location data from the location determiner; a display including a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Brian Gerard McHale, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Publication number: 20180065156
    Abstract: An automated tote routing systems that includes a conveyer belt, an array of sensors underneath the conveyer belt, and an identifier reader disposed with respect to the conveyer belt is discussed. The conveyer belt can be configured to receive a tote filled with physical objects. The array of sensors can detect a first set of attributes associated with the physical objects within the tote. The identifier reader can read and decode an identifier from a machine-readable element disposed on the tote. The array of sensors and identifier reader can transmit the first set of attributes and the identifier to a computing system. Based on the set of information associated with the physical objects and the set of attributes associated with the physical objects, a routing module executed by the computing system can automatically trigger the conveyer belt to route the tote to a selected distribution end of the conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: David Winkle, Bruce W. Wilkinson, Todd Davenport Mattingly, Luke Matthew Reynolds, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 9913103
    Abstract: A communication system comprises a mobile reporting device and a server. The mobile reporting device comprises a signal receiver configured to receive data usable to determine the location of the reporting device; a communication module configured to transmit data to and receive data from a server, the data including location data from the location determiner; a display including a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: WAL-MART STORES, INC.
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Brian Gerard McHale, Michael Dean Atchley
  • Patent number: 9910959
    Abstract: A system and method includes: a pharmacy server receiving a customer ID code to allow a customer wireless access to his medical data file stored on the server; the server receiving adherence confirmation data from the customer and storing the adherence confirmation data into the medical data file to confirm that the customer is taking a prescribed medicine according to directions; and the server receiving additional data from the customer and storing the additional data into the medical data file, whereby the customer is provided with wireless access to enter, edit and retrieve data to and from his medical data file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: WAL-MART STORES, INC.
    Inventors: Donald R. High, Nicholas D. Rone, Michael Dean Atchley