Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Alexander Michael McNamara

Sridhar Boyapati

Korwin Jon Smith

Benjamin Ralph Hollis

Natalie Thuy-Tien Nguyen

David William Bettis

Aaron Craig Thompson

David Echevarria Ignacio

Jack Bradley Jones

Amber Autrey Taylor

Jason Michael Famularo

Thomas Meilandt Mathiesen

Félix Joseph Étienne Pageau

Nathan Lee Wesling

Kirk Arlo Petersen

Kevin Alexander Lee

Spencer Worley

Jared Joseph Frank

Dilip Kumar

Sudarshan Narasimha Raghavan

Ammar Chinoy

Alexander Clark Prater

Christopher Andrew Stephens

Gary Paolo Raden

Sohel R Ahuja

Ajay M Desai

Stephen David Avalone

Eitan S Levi

Lu Ye

Shao-En Yu

Guillaume A Theoret

Described is a system and method for developing and dynamically updating user paths through a materials handling facility. A user path through a materials handling facility may be developed that will route a user past one or more items (e.g., pick list items, recommended items, wish list items, promotional items) planned for the user. If the user does not follow the user path, the user path may be dynamically updated to account for the current location of the user and/or to consider other actions performed by the user.

Item based path development

Described is a system and method for routing output information to one or more of a plurality of output devices. In one implementation, output information that includes information to be presented and a location information identifying where the output information is to be presented may be generated by an output host. The output information is received by an output router that determines, based on the location information, an output device and routes the output information to the output device for presentation.

Altering output hosts

Users in a facility may move about and their authentication status may change accordingly. For example, upon entering a facility, a user may present identification data. At that point, the user is considered an authenticated user with persistent profile data. However, the identification of a user may not be presented at entry or may be unreliable, which causes the user to be considered an unauthenticated user with temporary profile data. In other scenarios, the identification of authenticated users may become unreliable based on their location or their proximity to other users. In cases where users are crowded at a location, the profile data for such users may be aggregated and may be based on common settings of the set of possible users in the group. A user interface may be presented to a user based on their designated profile data.

System for managing profile data for users in a facility

This disclosure describes a system for associating multiple totes with a single profile so that items placed into any of the multiple totes are identified on a profile item identifier list. For example, if two users located in a materials handling facility are picking items that are to be consolidated or otherwise treated together, each user may select a different tote and move separately through the materials handling facility. As either user picks items and places those items into a corresponding tote, a profile item identifier list is updated to include an item identifier for each picked item.

Group shopping

A system may use sensor data from a facility to generate tentative values associated with an event, such as the identification of an item removed from a shelf of the facility. A confidence value associated with each of the tentative values may be less than a confidence threshold. In response, inquiry data seeking confirmation of a tentative value from an associate is generated and sent to one or more associates in the facility. Responses from the associates are collected to determine a selection of one of the tentative values. The selected tentative value is designated as output data for the system. Thereafter, the output data and the original sensor data are designated as training data, which can then be used to train or update machine learning systems. Subsequent use of the updated machine learning systems can yield more accurate results.

Updating machine learning systems using previous output data

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 total weight associated with a user pattern may be monitored by sensors of a base surface and weight of inventory items may be monitored by sensors at the inventory locations. When a user associated with the user pattern retrieves an item from an inventory location, the decrease in the weight at the inventory location will correspond with the increase in total weight associated with the user pattern. Accordingly, the item may be tracked from the inventory location and associated with the user pattern based on the corresponding changes in weight.

Item movement based on weight transfer

Tote and item association

Described are systems and techniques to present information to a user of a materials handling facility using a representative color. A representative color at an inventory location is determined based on one or more colors used at the inventory location. Once determined, the representative color may be used in the presentation of a user interface that includes item data and visual elements therein. The use of the representative color in the user interface facilitates the identification of items or an inventory location within the material handling facility.

User interface with a representative color

User path development

Described is a system and method for propagating and synchronizing the presentation of user specific information across multiple output devices. In some implementations, a location of a user is determined and user specific information is provided to a plurality of output device controllers configured to control output devices at the determined location. Control instructions are also provided instructing the output device controllers to store, render, present and/or remove the user specific information.

System and methods for adjusting presentation across devices to account for different processing times

Described are systems and techniques configured to provide a user interface for an unauthenticated user of a materials handling facility. A transient profile indicative of one or more user preferences may be created and associated with the unauthenticated user. As the unauthenticated user interacts with the facility, preferences may be determined and included in the transient profile. Subsequent operation of the facility may take into account the transient profile. As the unauthenticated user moves throughout the facility, the transient profile may 'follow' them, providing an ongoing user experience. Should the unauthenticated user later be authenticated, the transient preferences may be incorporated into a persistent profile.

User interface preference management

Functionality of sensors on a shelf or other inventory location is tested by encouraging an interaction and determining if the output from the sensors on the shelf is consistent with the interaction. An interaction at the shelf can include, for example, a user adding or removing an item from the shelf. To encourage this type of interaction with the shelf or items therein, an announcement may be generated and presented to a user. The announcement may comprise an advertisement with some type of incentive for the user to add or remove an item from the shelf. Upon verifying such an interaction, sensor data before and after the interaction can be compared to generate diagnostic data for the sensor, which can indicate whether the sensor is operational or malfunctioning.

Sensor testing using a presentation of announcements

Weight based item movement monitoring

Described is a system and method for propagating, synchronizing and expiring user specific information among multiple output devices. In some implementations, retention information is provided along with the user specific information and the output device and/or output device controller will determine when to expire the user specific information based on the retention information. In other implementations, the output device controller and/or output device may periodically request updates from other output devices, output device controllers and/or the inventory management system to determine whether to expire user specific information.

Expiring presentation information

Described are systems and techniques configured to determine a tote placement indicative of a position of a user relative to a tote, or vice versa. The determination may be based at least in part on data such as images acquired from cameras onboard the tote, images acquired from cameras external to the tote, proximity sensors onboard the tote, weight sensors, and so forth. Orientation of information presented on a display device of the tote may be based on the tote placement.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Alexander Michael McNamara