Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling electronic shelf labels are disclosed. Product data identifying at least one product and a price of the at least one product and layout data of a physical environment including locations of one or more shelves, a respective shelf location of the at least one product, and coordinates of a plurality of electronic shelf labels is received. Coordinates for a first electronic shelf label associated with the respective shelf location is determined. A first emitter of a plurality of emitters that is capable of communicating with the first electronic shelf label is determined and positioned to direct a signal to the coordinates of the first electronic shelf label to establish a link with only the first electronic shelf label. A portion of the product data is transmitted via the signal, which causes the first electronic shelf label to display the portion of the product data.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of bins at a retail sales facility are described. The methods include receiving an identification of a product being binned at a retail sales facility, then determining the size of the product, and then ranking the products in the bins based on the time stamp of a time of binning of the product. The physical size of the product and the ranking of the product are correlated to a size of the bins to determine the relative physical locations of the products in the bins. A pick of a product from a bin is generated based on a determination that the location of the product to be picked in one of the bins is higher than a location of at least one identical product in at least another one of the bins.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and processor-readable storage media for remote controlling of electronic shelf labels. An example method includes receiving, at a computing device, store layout data of a retail store and product data. The product data identifies at least one product and a price of the product. The method causes an optical emitter to emit an optical signal to at least one electronic shelf label based at least in part on the store layout data, the product data, and a predetermined rule. The optical signal bears the product data and is configured to cause the electronic shelf label to change displayable information to reflect new product data. The electronic shelf label can also send feedback to the optical emitter to inform that the optical signal was successfully received.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for a retail facility to maintain information regarding product location, in part, from correlating a shopper's cart path and their purchased items with those of other shoppers. In some approaches, the methods and apparatuses may determine a cart path for a particular shopping cart by analyzing aisle markers captured by an image capturing device in the shopping cart, associate that cart path with the purchased items from that shopping cart, and compare the associated cart path and purchased items with similar information from other customers. In some examples, by comparing the associated cart paths and purchased items form a plurality of customers, an aisle location of one of the retail items is identified and the database of aisle locations and retail items may be updated accordingly.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for a retail facility to maintain information regarding product location, in part, from correlating a shopper's cart path and their purchased items with those of other shoppers. In some approaches, the methods and apparatuses may determine a cart path for a particular shopping cart by analyzing aisle markers captured by an image capturing device in the shopping cart, associate that cart path with the purchased items from that shopping cart, and compare the associated cart path and purchased items with similar information from other customers. In some examples, by comparing the associated cart paths and purchased items form a plurality of customers, an aisle location of one of the retail items is identified and the database of aisle locations and retail items may be updated accordingly.

Abstract: A technique for monitoring the quality of objects is disclosed. A container includes a multiple sensors and is configured to receive an object. The sensors monitor various metrics associated with the quality of the object, and a display is affixed to the container for displaying a visual indication of the quality of the object. The visual indication is based on data collected from the sensors. A quality monitoring module is executed by a processor to control the sensors to switch operation between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation based on a detected change in one of the metrics monitored by the sensors.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of managing bins audits in a stock room of a retail sales facility include generating at least one bin audit management factor for the bins at the retail sales facility. The bin audit management factor can include an amount of time a total number of products stored in the bin does not change; a number of times a one product is binned or picked from the bin, a number of products stored in the bin; and an accuracy percentage of a worker at the retail sales facility during a preceding audit of the bin. Based on whether the value of one or more of the bin audit management factors meets a predetermined threshold value that supports the auditing of a bin, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility is generated as to whether that bin is to be audited or not.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of bins at a retail sales facility are described. The methods include receiving an identification of a product being binned at a retail sales facility, then determining the size of the product, and then ranking the products in the bins based on the time stamp of a time of binning of the product. The physical size of the product and the ranking of the product are correlated to a size of the bins to determine the relative physical locations of the products in the bins. A pick of a product from a bin is generated based on a determination that the location of the product to be picked in one of the bins is higher than a location of at least one identical product in at least another one of the bins.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for reusing containers. A system for container reuse comprises an order database storing a plurality of orders associated with an order fulfillment facility, a conveyor system, and a control circuit. The control circuit being configured to determine container capacity requirements of the plurality of orders in the order database based on dimensions of products in each order, predict container usage for fulfilling orders at the order fulfillment facility based at least on the container capacity requirements of the plurality of orders, determine whether a used container received at the conveyor system should be retained based on a container dimension of the used container and the container usage predicted for the order fulfillment facility, and cause the conveyor system to route the used container to a fulfillment area or a disposal area based on whether the used container should be retained.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide RFID tag reading systems comprising: multiple sets of RFID readers at a retail shopping facility; a tag evaluation control circuit communicatively coupled with the multiple sets of RFID readers and at least one memory, and configured to: receive RFID tag information from the RFID readers; obtain and apply a first set of rules and identify a transition area within the retail shopping facility based on the received RFID tag information; identify a first set of RFID readers configured to read RFID tags as they move through the identified transition area; obtain and apply a second set of rules and establish a first null area adjacent the transition area configured to enable RFID tags crossing through the first null area and prior to entering the transition area to be in a predefined state when entering the transition area.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of bins at a retail sales facility are described. The methods include receiving an identification of a product being binned at a retail sales facility, then determining the size of the product, and then ranking the products in the bins based on the time stamp of a time of binning of the product. The physical size of the product and the ranking of the product are correlated to a size of the bins to determine the relative physical locations of the products in the bins. A pick of a product from a bin is generated based on a determination that the location of the product to be picked in one of the bins is higher than a location of at least one identical product in at least another one of the bins.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of determining whether to purge a bin in order to pick a product from the bin in a stock room of a retail sales facility include processing of bin purge factors associated with the bin and correlating the processed bin purge factors with bin purge threshold values associated with the bin. Based on whether the value of one or more of the bin purge factors meets or exceeds a threshold value that supports the purging of a bin, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility is generated as to whether that bin is to be purged or not.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to determining an action to be performed based on vibrations detected on a product display unit. In some embodiments, a system for determining an action to perform based on vibrations comprises the product display unit, one or more vibration sensors, the one or more vibration sensors affixed to the product display unit and configured to detect vibration of the product display unit and transmit an indication of the vibration of the product display unit, and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more vibration sensors and configured to receive, from the one or more vibration sensors, the indication of the vibration, estimate, based on the indication of the vibration a characteristic of at least one item on the product display unit, and determine, based on the characteristic, the action to be performed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to track objects at a retail store, comprising: a mobile RFID transmitter system comprising an array of RFID tags; multiple RFID tag readers; a tracking control circuit communicatively coupled with the multiple RFID tag readers, and configured to: receive, from a sub-set of RFID tag readers, RFID tag information of each detected first set of RFID tags of the array of RFID tags; obtain a first set of rules and evaluate over time the received RFID tag information and identify over time threshold changes from a set of base information of received RFID signals from the array of RFID tags, wherein the threshold change is consistent with a first object traveling between the array of RFID tags and a corresponding one of the first sub-set of RFID tag readers; and track the first object.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to updating an inventory database. In some embodiments, a system for updating an inventory database comprises an array of RFID readers positioned at different locations about the retail facility, where the RFID readers are configured to read RFID tags associated with products, and a control circuit, the control circuit configured to receive, from one or more RFID readers, identifiers, wherein the identifiers are associated with the RFID tags, determine, based on the identifiers, a flow of RFID tags, identify, without reference to a structural map of the retail facility, a transition point from the stockroom to the sales floor, determine, based on an RFID read, that a product has passed through the transition point from the stockroom to the sales floor, and update the inventory database to indicate that the product is located on the sales floor.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for securing merchandise. In one embodiment an apparatus for securing merchandise comprises a locking mechanism limiting access to one or more items, one or more optical sensors configured to detect a plurality of wavelengths and an intensity associated with each wavelength from at least one light beam emitted by an optical key, and a control device comprising a control circuit and a memory device. The control device being configured to store a lock code comprising a plurality of wavelength values and a plurality of intensity values each associated with a wavelength value on the memory device and determine whether to release the locking mechanism based on whether intensities of each of the plurality of wavelengths detected by the one or more optical sensors match the lock code.

Abstract: A demand tracking system in a retail environment including a retail store having a plurality of product displays is provided. The system includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing information regarding a demand for each product of a plurality of products in the retail store, the demand for each product including a difference between a current quantity of each product on a respective product display and a maximum capacity of the respective product display, an interface configured to receive product sales information and user action information and to provide user action requests, and a demand tracking component. The demand tracking component is configured to adjust the demand for each of the plurality of products based on the product sales information and user action information.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method and apparatus involve: providing a plurality of products that are each associated with a respective radio frequency identification tag; using radio frequency identification technology to automatically identify specific products in a group of products collected by a shopper; and evaluating whether or not to obtain payment from the shopper based on the radio frequency identification of products in the group. Based on the result of the evaluation, either payment is obtained from the shopper on the basis of the radio frequency identification of products in the group, or else the products in the group are audited, and then payment is obtained on the basis of the products identified by the audit.

Abstract: A credibility weight for each of a plurality of users is stored and is associated with a reliability of the user in accurately indicating whether the products have become spoiled. Images of a plurality of products at a retail store are received and electronically arranged in an organized pattern. The organized pattern is rendered onto selected ones of a plurality of display devices. Electronic choices from selected ones of the plurality of the users are received. Each of the electronic choices indicates for a selected one of the plurality of products whether the selected user believes the selected product has spoiled or has become unusable. A spoilage score for each product of the products is determined. A control signal is transmitted to a receiver circuit at the retail store instructing a human or robot to perform an investigation when the spoilage score exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of updating perpetual inventory at a retail sales facility are described. After products are delivered to a retail sales facility, an electronic inventory management device receives electronic data indicating that a product has been delivered and calculates, based on at least one factor associated with the product, a delay period from a time of delivery of the product to the retail sales facility to a time for updating the perpetual inventory of products at the retail sales facility. After the calculated delay period elapses, the electronic inventory management device updates the perpetual inventory of the products at the retail sales facility in a product inventory database associated with the retail sales facility with information associated with the product delivered to the retail sales facility.