Method for tracking stock level within a store

Abstract

One variation of a method for tracking stock level within a store includes: at a robotic system, navigating along a first inventory structure in the store, broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals according to a first set of wireless scan parameters, and recording a first set of wireless identification signals returned by radio frequency identification tags coupled to product units arranged on the first inventory structure; generating a first list of product units arranged on the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals; detecting a first product quantity difference between the first list of product units and a first target stock list assigned to the first inventory structure by a planogram of the store; and generating a stock correction prompt for the first inventory structure in response to the first product quantity difference.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for tracking stock level within a store comprises:
 at a robotic system, over a first time period:
 navigating along a first inventory structure in the store; 
 broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals; and 
 recording a first set of wireless identification signals returned by radio frequency identification tags coupled to product units proximal the first inventory structure; 
   identifying a first list of product units proximal the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   for each product unit in the first list of product units:
 calculating a location of the product unit within the store based on:
 characteristics of a first instance of a wireless identification signal received from a radio frequency identification tag, coupled to the product unit, by the robotic system when occupying a first position adjacent the first inventory structure during the first time period; and 
 characteristics of a second instance of the wireless identification signal received by the robotic system when occupying a second position adjacent the first inventory structure during the first time period; and 
 
 detecting presence of the product unit on the first inventory structure in response to the location of the product unit intersecting a known volume of the first inventory structure within the store; and 
   in response to detecting a product quantity difference between the first list of product units and a first target stock list assigned to the first inventory structure, generating a restocking prompt for the first inventory structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein calculating a location of a product unit within the store for each product unit in the first list of products comprises calculating a first location of a first product unit, in the first list of product units, within the store; and   further comprising:
 detecting a product location difference between the first location of the first product unit and a corresponding first location assignment specifying a product type of the first product unit; and 
 in response to detecting the product location difference, generating a stock correction prompt for the first product unit on the first inventory structure. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a second product unit proximal the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   calculating a second location of the second product unit within the store based on:
 characteristics of a first instance of a second wireless identification signal received from a second radio frequency identification tag, coupled to the second product unit, by the robotic system when occupying the first position adjacent the first inventory structure during the first time period; and 
 characteristics of a second instance of the second wireless identification signal received by the robotic system when occupying the second position adjacent the first inventory structure during the first time period; and 
   detecting presence of the second product unit outside of the first inventory structure in response to the second location of the second product unit falling outside of the known volume of the first inventory structure within the store; and   flagging the second product unit in response to detecting presence of the second product unit outside of the first inventory structure.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 calculating a third location of the second product unit within the store based on characteristics of a third instance of the second wireless identification signal received by the robotic system when occupying a third position, following the first position and the second position adjacent the first inventory structure, during the first time period;   predicting spillage of the second product unit into an aisle adjacent the first inventory structure in response to the third location approximating the second location; and   generating a spill correction prompt to retrieve the second product unit from the aisle.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at the robotic system:
 navigating to an orientation that positions the third location of the second product unit within a field of view of an optical sensor in the robotic system; and 
 recording an optical image of the particular product unit through the optical sensor; 
   inserting the optical image into the spill correction prompt; and   serving the spill correction prompt to a computing device associated with an associate of the store.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 calculating a third location of the second product unit within the store based on characteristics of a third instance of the second wireless identification signal received by the first the robotic system when occupying a third position, following the first position and the second position adjacent the first inventory structure, during the first time period;   predicting presence of the second product unit in a shopping cart in response to the third location differing from the second location.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising, in response to predicting presence of the second product unit in a shopping cart, adding an identifier of the second product unit to a list of product units placed in shopping carts within the store. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein identifying the first list of product units proximal the first inventory structure comprises identifying the first list of product units comprising quantities of unique stock keeping units stored on the first inventory structure based on associations between stock keeping units and unique wireless identification signals stored in a name mapping system; and   further comprising detecting the product quantity difference comprising one of:
 a quantity of a particular stock keeping unit specified in the first list of product units exceeding a target count of the particular stock keeping unit specified in the first target stock list; and 
 the target count of the particular stock keeping unit specified in the first target stock list exceeding the quantity of the particular stock keeping unit by more than a threshold difference. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 :
 further comprising:
 retrieving a target quantity of product units assigned to the first inventory structure; 
 in response to a first quantity of product units identified in the first list of product units falling within a threshold difference of the target quantity of product units; and 
 characterizing a high confidence score for completeness of the first list of product units; and 
   wherein generating the restocking prompt for the first inventory structure comprises generating the restocking prompt for the first inventory structure based on first list of product units responsive to the high confidence score completeness of the first list of product units.   
     
     
         10 . A method for tracking stock level within a store comprises:
 at a robotic system, over a first time period:
 navigating along a first inventory structure in the store; 
 broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals; 
 recording a first set of wireless identification signals returned by radio frequency identification tags coupled to product units located on the first inventory structure; and 
 recording an optical image of the first inventory structure; 
   identifying a first group of product units, of a first product type, clustered proximal a first location on the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   in the optical image, detecting a first shelf tag proximal the first location on the first inventory structure;   extracting a first value, depicted on the first shelf tag, from the optical image;   in response to the first value differing from a target value assigned to the first product type, generating a first prompt to verify the first shelf tag; and   in response to a first quantity of product units in the first group of product units differing from a target quantity of product units of the first product type assigned to the first inventory structure, generating a second prompt to restock the first product type on the first inventory structure.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein identifying the first group of product units, of the first product type, clustered proximal the first location on the first inventory structure comprises:
 identifying a first list of product units located on the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   identifying product types of the first list of product units based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   approximating locations of product units, in the first list of product units, located on the first inventory structure based on characteristics of the first set of wireless identification signals; and   defining the first group of product units, in the first list of product units, corresponding to the first product type.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 :
 wherein extracting the first value, depicted on the first shelf tag, from the optical image comprises extracting the first value comprising a first price from a region of the optical image depicting the first shelf tag; and   wherein generating the first prompt to verify the first shelf tag comprises:
 retrieving the target value, comprising a target price assigned to the first product type, from an electronic database; 
 in response to the first price differing from the target price, generating the first prompt to replace the first shelf tag. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 :
 wherein identifying the first group of product units comprises identifying the first group of product units, of the first product type, arranged on a first shelf of the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   wherein detecting the first shelf tag in the optical image comprises detecting the first shelf tag on the first shelf of the first inventory structure; and   further comprising linking the first shelf tag to the first cluster of product units based on presence of the first shelf tag and the first cluster of product units on the first shelf of the inventory structure.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 :
 wherein identifying the first group of product units comprises identifying the first group of product units of the first product type assigned the target value comprising a target stock keeping unit value;   wherein extracting the first value, depicted on the first shelf tag, from the optical image comprises extracting the first value comprising a first stock keeping unit value from a region of the optical image depicting the first shelf tag; and   wherein generating the first prompt to verify the first shelf tag comprises, in response to the first stock keeping unit's value differing from the target stock keeping unit value, generating the first prompt to verify alignment of the first shelf tag and the first group of product units located on the first inventory structure.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 :
 wherein identifying the first group of product units comprises identifying the first group of product units as the first product type corresponding to a target stock keeping unit value; and   further comprising:
 extracting a first stock keeping unit value from a region of the optical image depicting the first shelf tag; and 
 linking the first shelf tag to the first cluster of product units in response to the first stock keeping unit value matching the target stock keeping unit value. 
   
     
     
         16 . A method for tracking stock level within a store comprises:
 at a robotic system, over a first time period:
 navigating along a first inventory structure in the store; 
 broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals; and 
 recording a first set of wireless identification signals returned by radio frequency identification tags coupled to product units proximal the first inventory structure; 
   identifying a first list of product units proximal the first inventory structure based on the first set of wireless identification signals;   retrieving a target quantity of product units assigned to the first inventory structure;   in response to a first quantity of product units identified in the first list of product units falling below the target quantity of product units by more than a threshold difference, flagging the first inventory structure for insufficient scanning;   at the robotic system, over a second time period:
 navigating along the first inventory structure; 
 broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals; and 
 recording a second set of wireless identification signals returned by radio frequency identification tags coupled to product units proximal the first inventory structure; 
   identifying a second list of product units proximal the first inventory structure based on the second set of wireless identification signals;   in response to a second quantity of product units on the second list of product units falling within the threshold difference of the target quantity of product units, calculating a stock state of the first inventory structure during the second time period based on the second list of product units.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising selecting the threshold difference from the set comprising:
 a first percentage during a low-traffic period; and   a second percentage, greater than the first percentage, during a high-traffic hour.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 :
 wherein navigating along the first inventory structure, broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals, and recording the first set of wireless identification signals during the first time period comprises navigating along the first inventory structure, broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals, and recording the first set of wireless identification signals during the first time period within a first scan cycle; and   wherein navigating along the first inventory structure, broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals, and recording the second set of wireless identification signals during the second time period comprises navigating along the first inventory structure, broadcasting radio frequency interrogation signals, and recording the second set of wireless identification signals during the second time period, succeeding the first time period, within the first scan cycle.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 for each product unit in the second list of product units:
 calculating a location of the product unit within the store based on:
 characteristics of a first instance of a wireless identification signal received from a radio frequency identification tag, coupled to the product unit, by the first the robotic system when occupying a first position adjacent the first inventory structure during the second time period; and 
 characteristics of a second instance of the wireless identification signal received by the first the robotic system when occupying a second position adjacent the first inventory structure during the second time period; and 
 
 detecting presence of the product unit on the first inventory structure in response to the location of the product unit intersecting a known volume of the first inventory structure within the store; and 
   detecting a product quantity difference between the second list of product units and a target stock list assigned to the first inventory structure; and   in response to detecting the product quantity difference, generating a restocking prompt for the first inventory structure.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at the robotic system, recording an optical image of the first inventory structure during the second time period;   identifying a first group of product units, of a first product type, clustered proximal a first location on the first inventory structure based on the second set of wireless identification signals;   in the optical image, detecting a first shelf tag proximal the first location on the first inventory structure;   extracting a first value, depicted on the first shelf tag, from the optical image;   in response to the first value differing from a target value assigned to the first product type, generating a first prompt to verify the first shelf tag; and   in response to a first quantity of product units in the first group of product units differing from a target quantity of product units of the first product type assigned to the first inventory structure, generating a second prompt to restock the first product type on the first inventory structure.