Shopping facility assistance systems, devices and methods to detect and handle incorrectly placed items

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to address incorrectly placed items. Some systems comprise: a plurality of motorized transport units that are each configured to perform multiple different tasks at a retail shopping facility; and a central computer system configured to instruct various ones of the plurality of motorized transport units to implement at least one of the multiple different tasks relative to the retail shopping facility, receive and analyze input data detected and provided by the motorized transport units while the motorized transport units perform the at least one of the tasks, and detect and categorize each item of multiple items that are incorrectly placed within the retail shopping facility according to one of multiple different predefined categories.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system to address incorrectly placed items, comprising:
 a plurality of motorized transport units that are each configured to perform multiple different tasks at a retail shopping facility; and   a central computer system configured to instruct various ones of the plurality of motorized transport units to implement at least one of the multiple different tasks relative to the retail shopping facility, receive and analyze input data detected and provided by the motorized transport units while the motorized transport units perform the at least one of the tasks, and detect and categorize each item of multiple items that are incorrectly placed within the retail shopping facility according to one of multiple different predefined categories.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central computer system in categorizing the items is further configured to:
 categorize at least some of the items as one of merchandize sold by the shopping facility, customer property, and a recyclable waste item.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central computer system is further configured to:
 determine for each of the items, based on the categorization of the items, a location of multiple predefined different potential locations of the retail shopping facility the categorized item is to be taken; and   communicate an instruction, relative to each of the categorized items, to cause the categorized item to be taken to the determined location.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the central computer system in communicating the instruction communicates the instruction to a first motorized transport unit, of the plurality of motorized transport units, to retrieve the item and transport the item through at least a portion of the retail shopping facility to the determined location. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the central computer system in categorizing each of the multiple items determines that a first item is not a retail item being offered for sale by the retail shopping facility, and further determines that the first item is presumed to be owned by a customer and should not be discarded; and
 the central computer system, in determining the location, determines that the first item is to be taken to a lost and found location.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central computer system is further configured to receive image data captured by at least one camera fixed at a first location within the retail shopping facility, cause image processing of the image data, and detect at least a first item is incorrectly placed based on the image processing of the image data. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central computer system in categorizing a first item communicates instructions to a first motorized transport unit to pick up the first item and communicate a weight of the first item to the central computer system, and categorizes the first item based on the weight of the first item. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central computer system is further configured to determine that a first item has not been at a location where the first item was detected for more than a threshold period of time, and communicate an instruction, based on the categorization of the first item and in response to determining that the first item has not been at the location where the first item was detected for more than the threshold period of time, to leave the first item at the location. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central computer system is further configured to receive additional sensor data, identify based on the additional sensor data that a customer is within a first threshold distance of a first item; and
 communicate an instruction, based on the categorization of the first item and when the customer is within the first threshold distance of the first item, instructing that the first item is to be left at a location where the first item is detected.   
     
     
         10 . A method to address incorrectly placed items, comprising:
 by a central computer system for a retail shopping facility:   tasking various ones of a plurality of motorized transport units to implement at least one of the multiple different tasks relative to the retail shopping facility;   receiving and analyzing input data detected and provided by the motorized transport units while the motorized transport units perform the at least one of the tasks;   detecting and categorizing each item of multiple items that are incorrectly placed within the retail shopping facility according to one of multiple different predefined categories.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the categorizing the items comprises categorizing at least some of the items as one of merchandize sold by the shopping facility, customer property, and a recyclable waste item. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining for each of the items, based on the categorization of the items, a location of multiple predefined different potential locations of the retail shopping facility the categorized item is to be taken; and   communicating an instruction, relative to each of the categorized items, to cause the categorized item to be taken to the determined location.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communicating the instruction comprises communicating the instruction to a first motorized transport unit, of the plurality of motorized transport units, to retrieve the item and transport the item through at least a portion of the retail shopping facility to the determined location. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the categorizing each of the multiple items comprises:
 determining that a first item is not a retail item being offered for sale by the retail shopping facility and determining that the first item is presumed to be owned by a customer and should not be discarded; and   wherein the determining the location comprises determining that the first item is to be taken to a lost and found location.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving image data captured by at least one camera fixed at a first location within the retail shopping facility and cause image processing of the image data; and   detecting at least a first item is incorrectly placed based on the image processing of the image data.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 communicating instructions to a first motorized transport unit to pick up and weigh a first item of the multiple items;   receiving a communication from the first motorized transport unit a weight of the first item;   wherein the categorizing each of the items comprises categorizing the first item based on the weight of the first item.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining that a first item has not been at a location where the first item was detected for more than a threshold period of time; and   communicating an instruction, based on the categorization of the first item and in response to determining that the first item has not been at the location where the first item was detected for more than the threshold period of time, to leave the first item at the location.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving additional sensor data;   identifying based on the additional sensor data that a customer is within a first threshold distance of a first item; and   communicating an instruction, based on the categorization of the first item and when the customer is within the first threshold distance of the first item, instructing that the first item is to be left at a location where the first item is detected.