Accel Robotics Corporation

Christopher Lai

Marius Buibas

Jose Miguel Rodriguez

Aleksander Bapst

Mark Graham

John Quinn

Michael Brandon Maseda

Martin Alan Cseh

System that allows devices of an autonomous store, such as sensors in product display areas, to receive power and communicate data over conductive rails of store fixtures. By using fixtures to transmit data and power, the need for cabling to these devices, or for batteries to power the devices, is eliminated or greatly reduced, thereby dramatically simplifying installation and maintenance. Illustrative fixtures over which devices can communicate include slatwalls, pegboards, and rectangular support bars. Power and data may be multiplexed onto the same pair of conductive rails. Embodiments may use device hubs to coordinate communication with devices and to act as gateways between devices and centralized store servers. Devices may communicate their identities and locations to store servers to facilitate installation; for example, they may display their identities on electronic labels that are imaged by store cameras, so that the store server can learn the location of each device automatically.

Store device network that transmits power and data through mounting fixtures

A sensor bar shelf monitor, for example that may be added to an existing shelving system to convert a store to autonomous operation. The sensor bar may contain distance sensor to detect shoppers reaching towards items on a shelf, and cameras to determine which items shoppers have taken. It may be installed into shelf supports such as gondola shelving uprights. The sensor bar may be located at the front edge of a shelf, and may monitor the shelf below. Placing the sensor bar along the front edge prevents damage to electronics from spills or shelf cleaning, and prevents heat from the sensor bar electronics from damaging items on the shelf. The sensor bar may have a local sensor bar processor that collects sensor data; images may be analyzed locally or transferred to more powerful store processors. A sensor bar may also have controllable lights and controllable electronic labels.

Sensor bar shelf monitor

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Christopher Lai