Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Sridhar Boyapati

Alexander Michael McNamara

Korwin Jon Smith

Benjamin Ralph Hollis

Dilip Kumar

David Echevarria Ignacio

David William Bettis

Aaron Craig Thompson

Jason Michael Famularo

Natalie Thuy-Tien Nguyen

Jack Bradley Jones

Varadarajan Gopalakrishnan

Subram Narasimhan

Amber Autrey Taylor

Jin Dong Kim

Alexander Clark Prater

Thomas Meilandt Mathiesen

Félix Joseph Étienne Pageau

Omar FawazHashim Zakaria

Nathan Lee Wesling

Kirk Arlo Petersen

Kevin Alexander Lee

Chang Yuan

Xiaofeng Ren

Waqas Syed Ahmed

Danny Guan

Jared Joseph Frank

Jacques Daniel Thomas

Elie Micah Kornfield

Sabarishkumar Iyer

Caylan Lee

Fei Xiong

Sudarshan Narasimha Raghavan

Ammar Chinoy

Christopher Andrew Stephens

Gary Paolo Raden

Lu Ye

Gianna Lise Puerini

Christopher Robert Towers

Steven Augustine Wilson

Wyatt David Camp

Kun Qian

Justin Joel Krohn

Omar Fawaz Hashim Zakaria

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

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 user (e.g., picker or picking agent) may retrieve an item from an inventory location and place the item into a tote. The systems described herein detect the item when it is added to or removed from the tote.

Image-based item detection and allocation

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

This disclosure describes a system for tracking removal or placement of items at inventory locations with a materials handling facility. In some instances, a user may remove an item from an inventory location and the inventory management system may detect that removal and update a user item list associated with the user to include an item identifier representative of the removed item. Likewise, if the user places an item at an inventory location, the inventory management system may detect that placement and update the user item list to remove an item identifier representative of the placed item.

Detecting inventory changes

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

Item detection and transitions

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

This disclosure describes interactive data processing systems configured to facilitate selection by a human associate of tentative results generated by an automated system from sensor data. In one implementation, an event may take place in a materials handling facility. The event may comprise a pick or place of an item from an inventory location, movement of a user, and so forth. The sensor data associated with the event is processed by an automated system to determine tentative results associated with the event. In some situations, an uncertainty may exist as to which of the tentative results accurately reflects the actual event. The system may then determine whether the event is to be merged with one or more temporally and spatially proximate events and, if so, the sensor data and tentative results for the merged event is sent to a human associate. The associate may select one of the tentative results.

Merging events in interactive data processing systems

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

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Sammamish, WA, United States of America

Sridhar Boyapati