Walmart Apollo, LLC

Wal-mart Stores, Inc.

Other

Walmaty Apollo, LLC

Bruce Walter Wilkinson

Todd Davenport Mattingly

Nicholaus Adam Jones

Donald R High

Brian G McHale

John Jeremiah O'Brien

Robert L Cantrell

David C Winkle

David G Tovey

Sid Shake

Joseph Jurich

Matthew Allen Jones

Aaron James Vasgaard

David Martin Nelms

Charles Harry Lobo

Abu Rasel

Robert J Taylor

Michael D Atchley

Kurt William Robert Bessel

Eric Anthony Letson

Thomas Edward Stiefel

Daniel Wayne Young

Christopher R Heeney

Richard Carl McSorley, Jr

Alvin Scott Taulbee

Nicholas Ray Antel

John J O'brien

Steve P Jeon

Bobby J Evans, Jr

Jason D Bellar

Jason Todd

Jeremy Tingler

Tim Webb

Sai Phaneendra Sri Harsha Viswanath Putcha

Richard Ulrich

John F Simon

Jarrod Lee Bourlon

Luke Matthew Reynolds

Robert Armstrong

Balaraman Kirthigaivasan

Jonathan Michael Williams

Edward Hernandez

Brian D Bode

Trent Miller

Mark Darrin Richards

Starla C Morgan

A method for tracking an item in a distributed environment is provided. At least one node in a network adds a new block to a first cryptographically verifiable ledger represented by a first sequence of blocks that is stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. The new block added to the first cryptographically verifiable ledger contains a component identifier and a hash of a previous block in the first sequence of blocks. The at least one node in the network adds a new block to a second cryptographically verifiable ledger represented by a second sequence of blocks that is stored in the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. The new block added to the second cryptographically verifiable ledger contains a destination identifier, the first sequence of blocks, and a hash of a previous block in the second sequence of blocks.

System and methods for tracking an item in a distributed environment

Systems and methods for radio-frequency identification (RFID) are disclosed where session control tasks are offloaded from a plurality of zoned RFID readers to a separate device which can take the form of an RFID transmitter such as a session control broadcaster. Accordingly, the RFID transmitter transmits messages to RFID tags to control which of the RFID tags within range of the RFID transmitter are in a readable state and/or unreadable state. These messages can take the form of session control messages. By offloading the transmission of messages that control the readability of RFID tags to a separate RFID transmitter, the RFID system frees up the zoned RFID readers to spend more time on inventory read operations, which reduces the risk that an RFID tag will stay hidden when it briefly exists in a hot spot.

Session control broadcaster for zoned RFID systems

Systems and methods for radio-frequency identification (RFID) are disclosed where session control tasks are offloaded from an RFID reader to a separate device which can take the form of an RFID transmitter such as a session control broadcaster. Accordingly, the RFID transmitter transmits messages to RFID tags to control which of the tags within range of the RFID transmitter are in a readable state and/or unreadable state. These messages can take the form of session control messages, and these session control messages can be targeted to tags of interest, such as RFID tags that are deemed to be missing. By offloading the transmission of messages that control the readability of tags to a separate RFID transmitter, the system frees up the RFID reader to spend more time on inventory read operations, which reduces the risk that an RFID tag will stay hidden when it briefly exists in a hot spot.

Systems and methods for detecting and tracking missing RFID tags

Systems and methods for radio-frequency identification (RFID) are disclosed where session control tasks are offloaded from an RFID reader to a separate device which can take the form of an RFID transmitter such as a session control broadcaster. Accordingly, the RFID transmitter transmits messages to RFID tags to control which of the tags within range of the RFID transmitter are in a readable state and/or unreadable state. These messages can take the form of session control messages, and these session control messages can be targeted to tags of interest, such as RFID tags that are deemed to be out of place. By offloading the transmission of messages that control the readability of tags to a separate RFID transmitter, the system frees up the RFID reader to spend more time on inventory read operations, which reduces the risk that an RFID tag will stay hidden when it briefly exists in a hot spot.

Systems and methods for detecting and tracking out of place RFID tags

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to facilitating the vehicle pick up of orders at shopping facilities. In some embodiments, there is provided a system including: an electronic interface configured to receive an order corresponding to a customer; a control circuit configured to: determine the location of the customer; determine shopping facilities near the customer's location; determine time intervals when the order will be available for pick up at each of the shopping facilities; transmit a visual representation indicating the time intervals of availability at the shopping facilities; and a shopping facility where the order is made available for pick up by the customer during one of the time intervals.

Systems and methods for generating a visual representation showing order availability at shopping facilities

In some embodiments, systems and methods provide distributed item authentication. In some embodiments systems comprise: a housing; a set of sensor systems; a transceiver; and an authentication control circuit configured to: obtain first sensor data of an item being authenticated, obtain an initial identification of the item; access an item authentication block specific to the item; obtain a first set of authentication instructions; control one or more sensor systems in accordance with the first set of authentication instructions; compare multiple current authentication sensor data to the set of multiple historic authentication sensor data; confirm that each of a threshold number of the multiple current authentication sensor data is consistent within a threshold variation of a corresponding one of the set of multiple historic authentication sensor data; and cause the item authentication block to be updated to include the confirmation of authentication of the item.

Systems and methods of authenticating items

Described in detail herein is an autonomous object storage and retrieval system. In one embodiment, an object storage and retrieval system includes a computing system hosting a service application and in communication with a database and storage and retrieval apparatuses configured to store and dispense physical objects. Each storage and retrieval apparatus is in communication with the computing system. The computing system can transmit instructions to a first one of the storage and retrieval apparatuses to render the status of the first physical object on the interactive display of the storage and retrieval apparatus.

Systems and methods for object storage and retrieval

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to receiving retail products. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for receiving retail products including a storage container. The storage container includes one or more chambers; one or more sensors including at least a radio frequency sensor; a locking assembly; and a storage container control circuit configured to provide an unlock signal based on a first trigger signal associated with at least one of the one or more sensors and a second trigger signal associated with an electronic control device to enable access to the one or more chambers.

Systems and methods for receiving retail products

A check-in system for an dispensing items includes a computing device having an application installed thereon. The computing device is configured to check in a customer to notify the kiosk of a time range during which an order of the customer is picked up. The kiosk is configured to receive a check-in message from the computing device, receive the location of the computing device, receive a message indicative of the arrival of the customer at the automated tower, retrieve information of the order from an order database stored on a remote server, assemble the order based on the check-in message and the information of the order, and move the assembled order close to a pick-up location of the automated tower to facilitate pick-up of the assembled order.

Check-in systems and methods for an automated tower that stores and dispenses customer orders

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to facilitating the vehicle pick up of orders at shopping facilities. In some embodiments, there is provided a system including: an electronic interface for receiving an order corresponding to a customer and for receiving a time period during which the customer requests to pick up the order; a control circuit configured to: determine the location of the customer; determine a plurality of shopping facilities near the customer's location; determine when the order would be available for pick up; determine the subset of shopping facilities where the order would be available within the time period requested by the customer; transmit the location to the customer; and at least one shopping facility where the order is made available for pick up by the customer during the requested time period.

System and method for determining shopping facilities available for order pick up

In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided herein useful to assess or determine available cargo capacity for multiple commercial product delivery vehicles ('delivery vehicles'). In some embodiments, systems are provided to assess delivery vehicles and may include multiple electronic user devices each having a delivery agent interface operating thereon and an association with one or more delivery agents. At least one control circuit is communicatively coupled to the electronic user devices. By one approach, the control circuit may estimate delivery requirements for purchased orders, which includes volume requirements and geometric configurations of purchased orders. The control circuits may evaluate delivery vehicles, utilizing cargo space sensor data, to determine which are suitable for the purchased order by comparing delivery requirements with the available vehicular cargo spaces, and present, to the appropriate electronic user devices, an opportunity to deliver at least a portion of the purchased order to a delivery location.

Systems and methods for assessing delivery vehicles

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 customer-specified restricted areas accessible by an entryway openable via an access code.

Systems and methods for delivering products via autonomous ground vehicles to restricted areas designated by customers

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to creating a crowdsourced delivery plan. In some embodiments, a system for creating a crowdsourced delivery plan for a package comprises a certification system configured to receive, from a retailer, an indication of items included in the package, determine, based on the indication of items included in the package, a set of requirements, and transmit, to a plurality of portable devices, information regarding the delivery, each of the plurality of portable devices configured to receive, from the certification system, the information regarding the delivery, transmit, to the certification system, an acceptance of the delivery, wherein only ones of the plurality of portable devices associated with delivery agents meeting the set of requirements is capable of acceptance of the delivery, receive, in response to the transmission of the acceptance, an authorization, and present, at a pickup point, the authorization.

Crowdsourced delivery based on a set of requirements

Growing community of inventors

Rogers, AR, United States of America

Bruce Walter Wilkinson