A method to improve digestion for an individual, especially the digestion issue caused by the individual's mental issues, may include steps of choosing one or more individuals having digestive discomfort caused by mental issues that may happen periodically; generating a sound file of digestion sounds for a predetermined length of time; administrating the sound file to the individual for a predetermined period of time; and determining if the individual's digestion is improved. In one embodiment, the step of generating a sound file of digestion sounds may include steps of recording the digestion sounds from a person during good digestion and editing the digestion sounds. In another embodiment, the predetermined length of time can be ten minutes.

Disclosed are various embodiments for using fluorescent coatings to aid in robotic handling of items. In one embodiment, an image is captured. An item in the image is recognized from the image based at least in part on a fluorescence of the item relative to its surrounding environment caused by exposure of a fluorescent marking of the item to a radiation source. A robotic arm is operated relative to the item in response to recognizing the item.

System, method, and apparatus for providing route guidance to a customer in a shopping facility space are provided. A system for providing route guidance comprises a communication device configured to communicate with a user interface device, a store map database storing location information for a plurality of items available for purchase in the retail space, and a control circuit coupled to the communication device and the store map database. The control circuit is configured to receive a list of items for purchase from a user associated with the user interface device via the communication device, retrieve location information associated with each item of the list of items for purchase from the store map database, determine a route based on at least one user entered route preference and the location information associated with each item of the list of items for purchase, and provide the route to the user interface device.

The present application relates to a method of determining an action associated with an apparatus. The method comprises obtaining (100) data representing a visual code and a visual symbol; comparing (120) the visual code with a reference code, and comparing (130) the visual symbol with a reference symbol, to obtain comparison results; and determining (140) the action in response to the comparison results.

A checkout terminal, and method of using, having a goods receiving area for receiving goods, a goods recording area for recording the data of the goods, and a goods dispensing area for dispensing the goods. The checkout terminal further has a control unit configured for controlling the operation of the checkout terminal. The goods dispensing area has a first packing trough which is configured for temporarily collecting the goods. A goods transport means is configured for transporting the goods along a direction of transport form the goods receiving area via the goods recording area toward the first packing trough of the goods dispensing area. The goods recording area having a goods recording device having a scanner, which is configured for scanning a respective scannable identifier of the goods, located within a goods recording volume of the goods recording area and for providing a scanning result signal.

Some embodiments include apparatuses to fulfill customer orders comprising a motorized transport unit; a product pick unit (PPU) that cooperate with the motorized transport unit; a wireless communication network; and a central computer system configured to communicate with the multiple motorized transport units and the plurality of product pick units, and comprises a control circuit and memory storing instructions executed to cause the control circuit to: communicate an instruction to the motorized transport unit and direct the motorized transport unit to transport the product pick unit to a determined first location within the shopping facility proximate to where a first product having been ordered is located; and communicate an instruction to the product pick unit cooperated with the motorized transport unit and direct the product pick unit to retrieve the first product.

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.

Methods and apparatuses are provided, some apparatuses comprise: a location controller separate from a motorized transport unit, comprising: a transceiver configured to receive communications from the motorized transport unit; a control circuit; a memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of: obtain, from the communications, a unique light source identifier of a light source detected by the motorized transport unit, and relative distance information determined by the motorized transport unit through an optical measurement; process the at least one unique light source identifier and the relative distance information relative to a mapping of the shopping facility; and determine, in response to the processing, a location of the motorized transport unit within the shopping facility as a function of the at least one unique light source identifier and the relative distance information.

A method for connecting a mobile operator terminal to a device to be operated includes outputting a code using an output element associated with the device. The code is transmitted to the mobile operator terminal. At least one piece of information related to the device is determined by decoding the transmitted code using software installed on the mobile operator terminal. A connection from the mobile operator terminal to a control unit associated with the device is then established with the aid of the piece of information related to the device and a piece of information related to the mobile operator terminal is transmitted from the mobile operator terminal to the control unit associated with the device over the established connection. A mobile operator terminal, a device for medical diagnosis or therapy and a system including a mobile operator terminal and a device, are also provided.

A central computer system directs a motorized transport unit through a retail shopping facility to a particular mobile item container having at least one item disposed therein, that item being designated for return to a particular department within the retail shopping facility such that this item can then again be presented for sale. After causing that motorized transport unit to physically attach to this mobile item container, the central computer system then directs that motorized transport unit through the retail shopping facility with the attached particular mobile item container to the one or more departments to which the item or items are to be so returned.