Some embodiments provide methods, systems and apparatus to enhance safety. In some embodiments, a system comprises: a central computer system comprising: a transceiver; a control circuit; and a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to perform the steps of: communicate positioning routing instructions to the plurality of motorized transport units directing the motorized transport units to one or more external areas of a shopping facility that are exposed to weather conditions; and communicate separate area routing instructions to each of the motorized transport units that when implemented cause the motorized transport units to cooperatively and in concert travel in accordance with the area routing instructions over at least predefined portions of one or more external areas to cause ground treatment systems to address ground level conditions.

Some embodiments include a track system comprising: an elevated track system comprising a series of elevated tracks that are positioned elevated above a sales floor and products distributed over at least a portion of the sales floor of a shopping facility, and configured such that multiple motorized transport units travel along the series of elevated tracks in traversing at least portions of the shopping facility.

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.

In some embodiments, a system may include a network interface configured to communicate with a network, a processor coupled to the network interface, and a memory coupled to the processor. The instructions, when executed, may cause the processor to automatically grab a selected product on behalf of the user.

A central computer system identifies a mobile item container in a retail shopping facility as being abandoned. The central computer system then directs a motorized transport unit through the retail shopping facility to the abandoned mobile item container and causes that motorized transport unit to physically attach to the abandoned mobile item container. The central computer system then directs that motorized transport unit through the retail shopping facility with the attached abandoned mobile item container to a specified destination within the retail shopping facility. Abandonment can be determined as a function, at least in part, of determining that the mobile item container is both stationary and unattended for at least a predetermined amount of time. By one approach the central computer system can use different predetermined amounts of time when assessing abandonment depending upon where in the retail shopping facility the mobile item containers are located.

Systems, apparatuses and methods for mapping a shopping space are provided. A system for mapping a shopping space includes a plurality of motorized transport units, a store map database, and a central computer system. The central computer system being configured to divide the map of the shopping space into a plurality of sections, assign a unique section identifier to each of the plurality of sections in the shopping space, associate a blocked tag with each section inaccessible to the plurality of motorized transport units, associate an accessible tag with each section accessible by at least one of the plurality of motorized transport units, for each section having an accessible tag, allow an access restriction setting to be configured, and provide navigation instructions to the plurality of motorized transport units based on access restriction settings of each section of the shopping space stored.

The present invention provides a method and system for an online marketplace designed for the resale of event tickets. This method includes the operation of a computer server managing an accessible online platform, featuring an interactive event venue map segmented into sections and rows. It enables sellers to list tickets with desired prices and buyers to submit purchase offers for specific rows or entire sections, without the need for exact seat identification. Secure transactions are facilitated through an integrated escrow service, and the platform provides sorting and filtering functions to organize listings and offers.

Data transfer in a secure processing environment is provided. A digital assistant can receive audio input detected by a microphone of a computing device. The digital assistant can determine, based on the audio input, to invoke a third-party application associated with the computing device. The digital assistant can generate, responsive to the determination to invoke the third-party application, a packaged data object. The digital assistant can forward, to the third-party application invoked by the digital assistant component to execute in a secure processing environment on the computing device, the packaged data object. The third-party application can transmit, responsive to a digital component request triggered in the third-party application, the packaged data object to a digital component selector to execute a real-time selection process based on the packaged data object.

A method and system for controlling a GUI on a user's network-connected device, the control being provided by a telephone call between the user and a speech recognition and speech synthesis system. An example of a restaurant ordering system is provided. The user calls a phone number and is guided through a verbal ordering process that includes one or more of: adding an item, deleting an item, changing quantities, changing sizes, and changing details of an item. The user's choices are added to a display so that a current status of the order is visible to the user. The GUI is updated as changes are made to the order. The GUI can also request additional information, upsell items, and show menus. The GUI aids the user in confirming that the order is correct. The system provides the final order to a restaurant for fulfillment.

The system and methods described herein allow users to give their applicant information when seeking to purchase a good with financing from multiple potential lenders, and may be pre-screened by one or more rule sets implemented by a marketplace client in an eligibility analysis to ultimately submit applicant information to a subset of the multiple potential lenders which are found to be suitable for lending to an applicant based on the applicant information, wherein lender microservices are then run in a jailed, firewalled, and self-contained, autonomous environment, and the results of said lender microservices are reported to the user and may be used to change the one or more rule sets implemented by the marketplace client for future pre-screening of applicants.