Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to temperature-controlled delivery of items. A conveyor mechanism disposed within a temperature-controlled compartment of a delivery vehicle can provide easy access to items within the compartment.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for monitoring a facility, such as the safety, security, and status of individuals and items within the facility. In one illustrative approach, a retail facility maintains 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, a cart path may be determined, in part, by depositing compounds on a floor surface, provide shopping carts configured to pick up the compounds deposited on the floor of the retail facility, and capture, via a compound detector, the compounds deposited on the cart wheels of a particular shopping cart during a customer checkout at a point of sale terminal, and generate an estimated cart path for the particular one of the plurality of shopping carts.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for facilitating delivery, via autonomous ground vehicles, of products ordered by customers of a retailer to physical locations of vehicles designated by the customers.

Abstract: In some embodiments, autonomous product delivery systems and methods are provided herein useful to deter theft of commercial products via an autonomous ground vehicle (“AGV”). In some embodiments, systems are provided to deter theft of commercial products, and may comprise: an AGV configured to transport commercial products to delivery locations that includes control circuits, which are communicatively coupled to sensors, container storage areas housing commercial products for delivery, defensive elements positioned proximate to the commercial products and configured to physical alter the commercial products and render them unsatisfactory for their intended purpose. The control circuits can determine the presence of unknown third parties positioned next to the AGV and, in response thereto, determine occurrences of adverse events associated with the AGV.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for receiving retail items at a vehicle. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for receiving retail items at a vehicle including a portable retail container configured to store one or more retail items; a cloud-based database comprising a lookup database storing, for each of the plurality of retail items, an association with at least one of: a temperature range of a plurality of temperature ranges, or one of the one or more compartments of the portable retail container; and the control circuit configured to: access the lookup database to determine for each of the retail items at least one of: an associated temperature range or a compartment of the one or more compartments; and assign each of the one or more retail items to a corresponding compartment based on the determined temperature range or the determined compartment.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to receiving retail products at a delivery destination. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for receiving retail products including a housing; a retail product delivery locker formed within the housing; a cleaning system configured to: initiate a first cleaning based on a default cleaning process; and initiate a second cleaning based on a first level-up cleaning process in response to receiving a start-clean signal; a first sensor; a second sensor; and a control circuit configured to: receive a need-clean request from a user at a first time; receive first data indicating an opening of the retail product delivery locker; receive second data indicating at least one compartment is empty; and provide a start-clean signal to the cleaning system in response to the receipt of the first and second data and the need-clean request from the user.

Abstract: Various partialities (including but not limited to partialities based on values, aspirations, preferences, affinities, and/or propensities that exhibit first adopter behaviors) for individual persons are represented as corresponding vectors. The length and/or the angle of the vector represents the magnitude of the strength of the individual's belief in the good that comes from that imposed order. Vectors can also be specified to characterize corresponding products and/or services. These vectors for persons and products/services can be leveraged in any of a wide variety of ways.

Abstract: A control circuit accesses mobile analytics information comprising, at least in part, data regarding movement of the user devices (such as but not limited to so-called smart phones). The control circuit uses that data to facilitate allocating unsold resources (such as goods and/or services). By one approach the data regarding movement of the user devices constitutes anonymized information that does not identify specific users. In addition, in lieu of the foregoing or in combination therewith, this data may comprise, at least in part, real-time data regarding movement of the user devices. By one approach the control circuit personalizes the anonymized information to thereby provide data regarding movement of specifically-identified users. In this case that personalized movement information can be leveraged by the control circuit when facilitating the aforementioned allocation of unsold resources.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for monitoring and updating a supply chain record for one or more products. More specifically, a wearable smart device can be utilized by users to access a supply chain for a particular product, which can include shipping information, delivery vehicle information, package information, package condition, source information, destination information, storage information, and so forth. The wearable smart device can include an output device to present the supply chain to the user. The wearable smart device can also include a user input to add, update, or revise various pieces of information in the supply chain.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for accessing and advancing a work flow for a product. Pursuant to this, a wearable smart device can be utilized by users to access a work flow for a particular product, which can include identification, source, and destination information. The wearable smart device can include a hands-free user input so that the user can send a signal to advance the work flow upon completion of a task. The wearable smart device can further passively observe operations by the user to collect data regarding the products.

Abstract: An order fulfillment control circuit detects an opportunity to deliver a product to a particular entity and responds by obtaining a first set of rules that identify at least one product that can fulfill the detected opportunity as a function of partialities for that entity. After identifying at least one product that can fulfill the detected opportunity, the control circuit then obtains a second set of rules that rule out products as being suitable for the particular entity as a function of overriding concerns and uses those rules to remove one or more of the candidate products from consideration notwithstanding present availability of the removed candidate product. When the resultant set of suitable candidate products constitutes a null set, the control circuit automatically declines to fulfill the opportunity to deliver a product to the particular entity without also suggesting a substitute product to the particular entity.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to verify accuracy of a shipment. In some embodiments, items loaded to and/or unloaded from a delivery vehicle are scanned and compared to a delivery schedule, and a unique identifier is provided to confirm proper loading/unloading at a subsequent scheduled stop of the vehicle.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided herein useful to enable shipping of commercial products. In some embodiments, systems are provided to enable shipping of commercial products, comprises: a conveyor positioned proximate to commercial product entry points and communicatively coupled to control circuits, conveyable containers each configured to traverse the commercial product entry points via the conveyor and comprising a volume configured to hold commercial products, and sensors positioned proximate to the volume and communicatively coupled to the control circuits. The control circuits use the sensors to receive authenticating data associated with commercial products when a commercial product undergoes a positional event at a commercial product entry point. The control circuits confirm associations between received authenticating data and conveyable containers. In some embodiments, the control circuits generate a notification of the positional event when the association is confirmed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein useful to providing recall notifications. In some embodiments, a system for providing recall notifications comprises a plurality of receivers, wherein the plurality of receivers are located about a customer's property, and wherein the plurality of receivers are configured to receive communications from transmitters associated with products within the customer's property, and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the plurality of receivers and configured to receive, from one or more of the plurality of receivers, an identifier, log, in a database, an indication of the identifiers and an indication of the customer, receive a recall notification, wherein the recall notification indicates at least one product, determine that the identifier is associated with the at least one product, determine, based on the database, that the customer possesses the at least one product, and transmit, to the customer, an indication of the recall notification.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to deliver products to a customer at a landmark or rendezvous location, as opposed to a set street or mailing address. In some configurations, a retail product delivery system may include electronic user devices of delivery agents and customers, a shopping user interface and a delivery user interface, and a control circuit. By one approach, the control circuit receives a retail order from a particular customer, monitors individual activity of the particular customer, presents a selection opportunity permitting the particular customer to select a landmark or rendezvous location for delivery of the shipment, and instruct delivery of the shipment to the particular customer at the landmark or rendezvous location. In one aspect, the control circuit facilitates interaction between the electronic user devices of the particular customer and the assigned delivery agent.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for facilitating delivery of products to delivery locations via unmanned mobile lockers deployed from mobile deployment stations.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to support the delivery of products. Some embodiments provide a retail delivery locker system comprising: multiple delivery lockers comprising: a housing enclosing an interior product cavity; a door enabling access to the product cavity; first and second docking couplers each configured to securely dock with a docking station and a docking coupler of another locker; and a communication link between the first and second docking couplers; and multiple docking stations each comprising: a locker coupler configured to secure a locker with the docking station; a station control circuit that obtains a first locker identifier from a first locker, confirms the first locker is scheduled to dock with a docking station, and authorize the locking of the docking station with the first docking coupler; and a transceiver enabling the station control circuit to communicate with a remote central control system.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to detecting a deviation in a person's activity. In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to monitor parameters associated with a person and the person's home, and a control circuit, the control circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to generate one or more partiality vectors for the person, receive, from the one or more sensors, values associated with the parameters, create, based on the values associated with the parameters, a spectral profile for the person, determine, based on the spectral profile and a routine base state for the person, that a combination of the values indicates a deviation, and update at least one of the one or more partiality vectors for the person.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to temperature-controlled delivery of items. A conveyor mechanism disposed within a temperature-controlled compartment of a delivery vehicle can provide easy access to items within the compartment. In some embodiments, the conveyor mechanism can be operated by a control circuit to convey items within the compartment to position the items adjacent to the access door according to various inputs.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, and methods are provided pertaining to lockers that can be secured in a docking station. In some embodiments, a system comprises a docking station, the docking station configured to selectively secure and release one or more lockers and receive a command to allow one of the one or more lockers to be released, wherein each of the one or more lockers is removable from the docking station, and wherein each of the one or more lockers comprises a storage portion and a securement mechanism for securing each of the one or more lockers to the docking station.