US 11,860,649 B2
Method for monitoring temperature-controlled units in a store
Durgesh Tiwari, San Francisco, CA (US); and Bradley Bogolea, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Simbe Robotics, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Simbe Robotics, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/823,254.
Application 16/823,254 is a continuation of application No. 16/245,135, filed on Jan. 10, 2019, granted, now 10,642,293.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/615,809, filed on Jan. 10, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0218296 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. G05D 23/275 (2006.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G01N 21/25 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC G05D 23/27543 (2013.01) [G01N 21/255 (2013.01); G06T 7/0004 (2013.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30128 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for monitoring temperature-controlled inventory within a store, the method comprising:
at a robotic system, during a first scan cycle:
autonomously navigating toward a temperature-controlled unit in the store;
recording a photographic image and a thermal image of the temperature-controlled unit; and
identifying a set of products stocked in the temperature-controlled unit based on features detected in the photographic image;
for each product in the set of products:
retrieving an emissivity of a surface of the product based on an identity of the product;
selecting a thermal pixel, in the thermal image, depicting the product; and
calculating a temperature of the product during the scan cycle based on the emissivity of the surface of the product and a thermal value stored in the thermal pixel; and
generating a record of temperatures of the set of products stocked in the temperature-controlled unit during the first scan cycle.