Shopping facility assistance system and method having a motorized transport unit that selectively leads or follows a user within a shopping facility

Abstract

A shopping facility assistance system includes a plurality of motorized transport units, a plurality of user interface units, and a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the motorized transport units and the user interface units. The central computer system is configured to control movement of the motorized transport units through a shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the user interface units. More particularly, the central computer system controls movement of the motorized transport units such that a given one of the plurality of motorized transport units selectively leads a user to a destination within the shopping facility or follows the user within the shopping facility as determined by the central computer system. By one approach, the motorized transport units move through the shopping facility via a plurality of preferred pre-determined path segments.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shopping facility assistance system comprising:
 a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a retail store space;   a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit; and   a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the plurality of motorized transport units and the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the retail store space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units such that a given one of the plurality of motorized transport units selectively:   leads a user to a destination within the retail store; or   follows the user within the retail store;   
       as determined by the central computer system; 
       wherein the central computer system is further configured to, when the given one of the plurality of the motorized transport units is following the user within the retail store:
 detect that the user has entered an off-limits area in the retail store; 
 in response to detecting that the user has entered the off-limits area in the retail store, halting the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units from following the user into the off-limits area of the retail store. 
 
     
     
         2 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 1  wherein the central computer system causes the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units to move through the retail store via a plurality of preferred pre-determined path segments. 
     
     
         3 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 2  wherein at least most of the pre-determined path segments are substantially straight. 
     
     
         4 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 2  wherein the central computer system causes the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units to move other than via one of the plurality of preferred pre-determined path segments to avoid an obstacle on one of the preferred pre-determined path segments. 
     
     
         5 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 4  wherein the given one of the motorized transport units includes at least one obstacle detector. 
     
     
         6 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 1  wherein the central computer system determines whether to have the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units lead a user or follow a user based at least in part upon input from the user via a corresponding one of the user interface units. 
     
     
         7 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 6  wherein the corresponding one of the user interface units comprises a portable two-way communications device possessed by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 1  further comprising an item container that is attached to the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units such that the user can place items to be purchased in the item container to be carried to a point of sale within the retail store. 
     
     
         9 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 1  wherein the central computer system is further configured to, in response to detecting that the user has entered the off-limits area in the retail store, cause the given one of the motorized transport units to emit an audible warning to attract attention of a store associate. 
     
     
         10 . The shopping facility assistance system of  claim 1  wherein the central computer system is further configured to, in response to detecting that the user has entered the off-limits area in the retail store, cause the given one of the motorized transport units to emit an audible warning to alert the user that they have improperly entered au off-limits area. 
     
     
         11 . A method employed by a shopping facility assistance system having:
 a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a retail store space;   a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit; and   a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the plurality of motorized transport units and the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the retail store space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units;   
       the method comprising: 
       by the central computer system:
 determining whether a given one of the plurality of motorized transport units is to:
 lead a user to a destination within the retail store; or 
 follow the user within the retail store; 
 
 detecting that the user has entered an off-limits area in the retail store while the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units is following the user within the retail store; 
 in response to detecting that the user has entered the off-limits area in the retail store, automatically halting the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units from following the user into the off-limits area of the retail store. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the central computer system causes the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units to lead or follow the user via a plurality of preferred pre-determined path segments. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least most of the pre-determined path segments are substantially straight. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising causing the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units to lead or follow the user other than via one of the plurality of preferred pre-determined path segments to avoid an obstacle on one of the preferred pre-determined path segments. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the given one of the motorized transport units includes at least one obstacle detector. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the central computer system determines whether to have the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units lead a user or follow a user based at least in part upon input from the user via a corresponding one of the user interface units. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the corresponding one of the user interface units comprises a portable two-way communications device possessed by the user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the given one of the plurality of motorized transport units is attached to an item container such that the user can place items to be purchased in the item container to be carried to a point of sale within the retail store. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, in response to detecting that the user has entered the off-limits area in the retail store, causing the given one of the motorized transport units to emit an audible warning to attract attention of a store associate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, in response to detecting that the user has entered the off-limits area in the retail store, causing the given one of the motorized transport units to emit an audible warning to alert the user that they have improperly entered au off-limits area.