IP Library Granted Patent US 10,595,163
Granted Patent B2
US 10,595,163 · App. 16/232,785 · Granted Mar 17, 2020

Apparatus and method for updating directions to a container

Inventor: Bruce W. Wilkinson (Rogers, AR)
Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
H04W4/027A47G29/141G01S19/49H04W4/70A47G2029/144A47G2029/149A47G2200/066A47G2200/166
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,595,163
App. No.
16/232,785
Granted
Mar 17, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for updating directions to a container. In one embodiment an apparatus for updating directions to a container comprises a container housing, a movement sensor attached to the container housing, a wireless transceiver; and a control circuit coupled to the movement sensor and the wireless transceiver. The control circuit being configured to: detect a relocation of the container housing via the movement sensor, determine an estimated new location of the container, and send, via the wireless transceiver, the estimated new location to a computing device to initiate an update of a direction to the container.

Claims (44)

1. An apparatus for updating directions to a container, comprising:

a container housing;

a movement sensor attached to the container housing;

a wireless transceiver; and

a control circuit coupled to the movement sensor and the wireless transceiver, the control circuit being configured:

detect a relocation of the container housing via the movement sensor;

detect a completion of the relocation based on the movement sensor not detecting movement for a set period of time;

determine an estimated new location of the container housing after the completion of the relocation;

cause power to be supplied to the wireless transceiver only after the completion of the relocation; and

send, via the wireless transceiver, the estimated new location to a computing device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the movement sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the estimated new location is determined via the movement sensor by dead reckoning from a known initial location.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, and wherein the estimated new location is determined based the GPS sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to turn on one or more of a GPS sensor and the wireless transceiver in response to detecting the completion of the relocation of the container.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a lid sensor configured to detect an opening of a lid of the container housing, wherein the control circuit is further configured to send a notification to the computing device when the lid of the container is opened.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to update a direction to the container based on the estimated new location and one or more of a satellite image of a location associated with the container, a location of a portable device when the container is opened, and a manually entered description.

8. A method for updating directions to a container, comprising:

detecting, by a control circuit, a relocation of the container via a movement sensor attached to the container;

detecting a completion of the relocation based on the movement sensor not detecting movement for a set period of time;

determining an estimated new location of the container after the completion of the relocation;

causing power to be supplied to a wireless transceiver coupled to the control circuit only after the completion of the relocation; and

sending, via the wireless transceiver, the estimated new location to a computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the movement sensor comprises an accelerometer.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the estimated new location is determined via the movement sensor by dead reckoning from a known initial location.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the estimated new location is determined based a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: turning on one or more of a GPS sensor and the wireless transceiver in response to detecting the completion of the relocation of the container.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting that a lid of the container is opened; and

sending a notification to the computing device to cause the computing device to retrieve a location of a portable device of a person opening the lid.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is configured to update a direction to the container based on the estimated new location and one or more of a satellite image of an address associated with the container, a location of a portable device when the container is opened, and manually entered description.

15. A method for updating directions to a container comprising:

establishing a connection with the container in response to the container detecting a completion of a relocation of the container wherein the container is configured to cause power to be supplied to a wireless transceiver only after detecting the completion of the relocation based on a movement sensor of the container not detecting movement for a set period of time;

receiving an estimated new location of the container from the container; and

updating a direction to the container based on the estimated new location.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

generating a natural language direction based on the updated direction.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing the direction to an autonomous vehicle as machine readable instructions.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the updating of the direction is further based on satellite images of a residence associated with the container.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the updating of the direction is further based on manually entered description.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving a notification from the container that a lid of the container is opened; and

retrieving a location information of a portable device associated with a person opening the lid;

wherein the updating of the direction is further based on the location information of the portable device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2019
From: WAL-MART STORES, INC.
To: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
Reel/Frame 048284/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2019
From: WILKINSON, BRUCE W.
To: WAL-MART STORES, INC.
Reel/Frame 047936/0090 →