A system and method for crowd-sourced environmental system control and building maintenance includes a server for providing selective access to building occupants and managers. Users are permitted to generate building reports in the form of (i) thermal reports using a thermal report module, and/or (ii) maintenance reports using a maintenance report module. The reports are each geo-located to locations within the building, and are then captured, stored, and aggregated at the server. The aggregated reports are sorted according to their geo-locations and comfort rules are used to (i) permit a manager at a client computer to access the server to respond, and/or (ii) automatically respond and assign a response status to particular reports. An inspection checklist interface is generated and populated to display a list of preventative maintenance tasks, each of the tasks being user-selectable to designate completion, with the updated status of the reports being stored at the server.

A robotic system is disclosed that include an articulated arm and a first perception system for inspecting an object, as well as a plurality of additional perception systems, each of which is arranged to be directed toward a common area in which an object may be positioned by the robotic arm such that a plurality of views within the common area may be obtained by the plurality of additional perception systems.

Apparatuses, components and methods are provided herein useful to provide assistance to customers and/or workers in a shopping facility. In some embodiments, a shopping facility personal assistance system comprises: a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space; a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit during use of the 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 shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units.

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.

Systems and methods of associating data to an item being transported by a conveying system are disclosed. The item and data associated with the item are received at a first zone of the conveying system. The data is stored in a first computer-readable storage medium associated with the first zone. The item is transported to a second zone of the conveying system, and the data stored in the first computer-readable storage medium is transferred to a second computer-readable storage medium associated with the second zone.

Systems and methods of associating data to an item being transported by a conveying system are disclosed. The item and data associated with the item are received at a first zone of the conveying system. The data is stored in a first computer-readable storage medium associated with the first zone. The item is transported to a second zone of the conveying system, and the data stored in the first computer-readable storage medium is transferred to a second computer-readable storage medium associated with the second zone.

An intelligent light bulb is provided as well as a method, devices and computer program product of configuring such an intelligent light bulb. The intelligent light bulb comprises an LED lighting element and a programmable controller. The programmable controller comprises a memory module having stored therein firmware including instructions for controlling operations of the LED lighting element, where the memory module including a passive memory on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored. The passive memory component of the memory module is responsive to a signal carrying firmware update information received over a wireless communication link from a device external to the intelligent light bulb for causing a firmware update process to be performed to modify the instructions of the firmware based on the update information carried by the signal. The programmable controller also includes a processing unit in communication with the memory module for operating the LED lighting element at least in part in accordance with the instructions of the firmware. Advantageously, the proposed intelligent light bulb can be configured using the signal carrying the firmware update information. In some embodiments, this may allow modifications of certain operating characteristic of the intelligent light bulb to be performed after manufacturing, including modifications pertaining to light color emitted and/or manner of operating the light bulb.

In one aspect of the invention for which protection is sought there is provided reader apparatus for reading an identification code carried by a surface feature device, the surface feature device having a plurality of respective surface feature portions each provided at respective lateral locations over a lateral surface at one of a plurality of predetermined distances from a lateral reference plane, the apparatus comprising a light source and a light detector, the apparatus being configured to direct light from the light source onto the respective surface feature portions of the surface feature device and to detect by means of the detector light scattered by the respective surface feature portions, the detector being configured to output a detector signal indicative of the intensity of light incident thereon, the apparatus being configured to generate a reader signal responsive to the distance of each of the respective surface feature portions of the surface feature device from the reference plane in dependence on the detector signal.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. Some embodiments provide an apparatus configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive communications; a product monitoring control circuit coupled with the transceiver; a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: obtain a composite three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of 3D scan data; evaluate the 3D scan mapping to identify multiple product depth distances; and identify, from the evaluation of the 3D scan mapping, when one or more of the multiple product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference offset distance of the product support structure.

A robotic system is disclosed that include an articulated arm and a first perception system for inspecting an object, as well as a plurality of additional perception systems, each of which is arranged to be directed toward a common area in which an object may be positioned by the robotic arm such that a plurality of views within the common area may be obtained by the plurality of additional perception systems.