Method for tracking and maintaining inventory in a store

1 . A method for tracking and maintaining inventory in a facility comprising:

accessing a first image of a first inventory structure in the facility;

identifying a top shelf, in a first set of shelves in the first inventory structure, depicted in the first image;

identifying a first shelf, in the first set of shelves in the first inventory structure, depicted in the first image, the first shelf arranged below the top shelf in the first inventory structure;

detecting an understock condition at a first slot on the first shelf based on a first set of features detected in a first region of the first image adjacent the first shelf, the first slot assigned to a first product type;

identifying a first set of product units, of the first product type, occupying the top shelf at the first inventory structure based on a second set of features detected in a second region of the first image adjacent the top shelf; and

annotating a visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the first inventory structure.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a prompt to transfer product units of the first product type from the top shelf into the first slot on the first shelf at the first inventory structure.

3 . A method for tracking and maintaining inventory in a facility comprising:

accessing a first image of a first inventory structure in the facility;

identifying a first shelf, in a first set of shelves in the first inventory structure, depicted in the first image;

detecting an understock condition at a first slot on the first shelf based on a first set of features detected in a first region of the first image adjacent the first shelf, the first slot assigned to a first product type;

accessing a second image of a second inventory structure in the facility;

identifying a top shelf, in a second set of shelves in the second inventory structure, depicted in the second image;

identifying a first set of product units, of the first product type, occupying the top shelf at the second inventory structure based on a second set of features detected in a second region of the second image adjacent the top shelf; and

annotating a visual representation of the second inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units, of the first product type, on the top shelf at the second inventory structure.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

generating a prompt to transfer product units of the first product type from the top shelf at the second inventory structure into the first slot on the first shelf at the first inventory structure.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

annotating a first visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate the first slot on the first shelf at the first inventory structure; and

annotating the first visual representation of the first inventory structure and the visual representation of the second inventory structure to prompt transfer of product units of the first product type from the top shelf at the second inventory structure into the first slot on the first shelf at the first inventory structure.

6 . The method of claim 3 :

wherein annotating the visual representation of the second inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the second inventory structure comprises annotating the visual representation of the second inventory structure to indicate a first location of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the second inventory structure; and

further comprising:

identifying a second shelf, in the second set of shelves in the second inventory structure, depicted in the second image, the second shelf arranged below the top shelf in the second inventory structure;

detecting a second understock condition at a second slot on the second shelf based on a third set of features detected in a third region of the second image adjacent the second shelf, the second slot assigned to a second product type;

identifying a second set of product units, of the second product type, occupying the top shelf at the second inventory structure based on a third set of features detected in a third region of the second image adjacent the top shelf; and

annotating the visual representation of the second inventory structure to indicate a second location of the second set of product units on the top shelf at the second inventory structure.

7 . The method of claim 3 :

further comprising estimating an understock quantity of the first product type at the first slot; and

wherein annotating the visual representation of the second inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the second inventory structure comprises annotating the visual representation of the second inventory structure to indicate presence of a target quantity of product units, in the first set of product units, on the top shelf at the second inventory structure, the target quantity of product units approximating the understock quantity.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising annotating the visual representation of the second inventory structure to prompt transfer of the target quantity of product units from the top shelf at the second inventory structure into the first slot on the first shelf at the first inventory structure.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising serving the prompt to a computing device accessed by an associate affiliated with the facility.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the prompt comprises annotating the visual representation of the first inventory structure to prompt transfer of product units of the first product type from the top shelf into the first slot on the first shelf at the first inventory structure.

11 . The method of claim 1 :

wherein accessing the first image of the first inventory structure comprises accessing a sequence of images of the first inventory structure captured by a mobile robotic system while autonomously navigating through the facility during a scan cycle;

further comprising compiling the sequence of images into a panoramic image of the first inventory structure; and

wherein annotating the visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the first inventory structure comprises annotating the panoramic image of the first inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the first inventory structure.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the first image of the first inventory structure comprises accessing the first image of the first inventory structure captured by a first fixed camera, in a set of fixed cameras, deployed within the facility.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein annotating the visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the first inventory structure comprises annotating the visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate a first location of the first set of product units on the top shelf.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising serving the visual representation of the first inventory structure to a computing device assigned to an associate of the facility.

15 . The method of claim 1 :

further comprising estimating an understock quantity of the first product type at the first slot; and

wherein annotating the visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the top shelf at the first inventory structure comprises annotating the visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate presence of a target quantity of product units, in the first set of product units, on the top shelf at the first inventory structure, the target quantity of product units approximating the understock quantity.

16 . The method of claim 1 :

wherein identifying the first set of product units, of the first product type, occupying the top shelf at the first inventory structure comprises:

detecting a set of object boundaries of the first set of product units in the second region of the first image;

detecting a first set of barcodes within the set of object boundaries in the first image, the first set of barcodes associated with containers containing packaged product units;

identifying a first container, located on the top shelf at the first inventory structure and associated with the first product type, based on a first barcode in the first set of barcodes;

detecting a second set of barcodes within the set of object boundaries in the first image, the second set of barcodes associated with loose product units; and

identifying a second subset of loose product units, of the first product type, located on the top shelf at the first inventory structure based on the second set of barcodes; and

further comprising generating a prompt to preferentially transfer product units of the first product type from the first container stored on the top shelf, prior to transfer of the second subset of loose product units of the first product type stored on the top shelf, into the first slot on the first shelf.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing a second image of a second inventory structure in the facility;

identifying a second top shelf, in a second set of shelves in the second inventory structure, depicted in the second image;

identifying a second shelf, in the second set of shelves in the second inventory structure, depicted in the second image, the second shelf arranged below the second top shelf in the second inventory structure;

detecting a second understock condition at a second slot on the second shelf based on a third set of features detected in a first region of the second image adjacent the second shelf, the second slot assigned to a second product type;

detecting absence of product units, of the second product type, on the second top shelf at the second inventory structure based on a fourth set of features detected in a second region of the second image adjacent the second top shelf; and

in response to detecting absence of product units of the second product type on the second top shelf, generating a prompt to restock the second slot at the second inventory structure with product units from back-of-store inventory at the facility.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a second set of product units, of a second product type, occupying the top shelf at the first inventory structure based on the second set of features detected in the second region of the first image;

accessing a second image of a second inventory structure in the facility;

identifying a second shelf, in the second set of shelves in the second inventory structure, depicted in the second image, the second shelf arranged below the second top shelf in the second inventory structure;

detecting a second understock condition at a second slot on the second shelf based on a third set of features detected in a first region of the second image adjacent the second shelf, the second slot assigned to a second product type; and

annotating a second visual representation of the first inventory structure to indicate locations of the second set of product units of the second product type on the top shelf at the first inventory structure.

19 . A method for tracking and maintaining inventory in a facility comprising:

accessing a first image of an inventory structure in the facility;

identifying a non-consumer-accessible shelf, in a set of shelves in the inventory structure, depicted in the first image;

identifying a consumer-accessible shelf, in the set of shelves in the inventory structure, depicted in the first image, the consumer-accessible shelf arranged below the non-consumer-accessible shelf in the inventory structure;

detecting an understock condition at a first slot on the consumer-accessible shelf based on a first set of features detected in a first region of the first image adjacent the consumer-accessible shelf, the first slot assigned to a first product type;

identifying a first set of product units, of the first product type, occupying the non-consumer-accessible shelf at the inventory structure based on a second set of features detected in a second region of the first image adjacent the non-consumer-accessible shelf; and

annotating a visual representation of the inventory structure to indicate presence of the first set of product units on the non-consumer-accessible shelf at the inventory structure.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

generating a prompt to transfer product units of the first product type from the non-consumer-accessible shelf into the first slot on the consumer-accessible shelf at the inventory structure; and

serving the prompt to a computing device accessed by an associate of the facility.