Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to line-powered wireless communications systems, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for providing persistent and ubiquitous wireless communications and sensor networks in physical premises to enable a wide variety of different applications and use cases.

An apparatus (1100) for generating an itinerary a travelling object has travelled comprising an input unit configured to receive location information data (3001 . . . 300n) from a mobile computer (1200) of said travelling object; an itinerary generation unit (1113) which is configured to generate itinerary history data (1105) including a plurality of itinerary subsection information data 6001 . . . 600n); and an output unit (1115) which is configured to output at least one itinerary of the travelling object based on the itinerary subsection information data (6001 . . . 600n) and based on a weight value to the mobile computer (1200).

Technologies for physical address aliasing include an alias server, an owner device, and a consumer device in communication over a network. The owner device submits an alias identifier and a physical address to the alias server. The alias server associates the alias identifier and the physical address in a secure address database. The alias identifier may be a human-readable unique identifier. The consumer device submits a request including the alias identifier to the alias server. The alias server authenticates the consumer device, retrieves the physical address associated with the alias identifier, and sends a response based on the physical address to the consumer device. The response may be generated based on an access role associated with the consumer device. The response may include the physical address, a lower-resolution address based on the physical address, or confirmation of validity of the alias identifier. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Techniques relating to delivery plan generation are improved. A delivery plan generation method comprises: generating a plurality of delivery patterns (S110); narrowing the plurality of delivery patterns down to a designated number of delivery patterns, based on a plurality of solutions calculated as a result of inputting the plurality of delivery patterns to an annealing machine (30) (S120); and generating a delivery plan based on delivery patterns selected from the designated number of delivery patterns (S130).

A method includes: generating a three-dimensional grid of cells representing respective portions of an interior of a container, each cell having a status indicator defining an occupancy state of the corresponding portion of the container interior; during loading of the container: maintaining, for each of the cells, a current status indicator, controlling a depth sensor to capture a sequence of point clouds, each point cloud depicting the container interior, in response to each point cloud capture in the sequence, generating updated status indicators for the cells, based on (i) the point cloud, and on (ii) the current status indicators, replacing the current status indicators with the updated status indicators, measuring a current fullness of the container based on the current status indicators, and transmitting the current fullness to a computing device for at least one of display of the current fullness, or alert generation associated with the current fullness.

An item drop box sensor system for detecting items deposited within a drop box may be configured to detect movement of an item deposit tray and to detect items deposited within the drop box. The drop box sensor system may comprise one or more tray movement sensors for detecting movement of the deposit tray, one or more item detection sensors configured to detect items passing into the drop box via the deposit tray, and an onboard controller for selectively activating the various sensors to conserve power and for transmitting data indicative of the status of the drop box to a central server configured for scheduling item pickups for various geographically spaced drop boxes.

An item drop box sensor system for detecting items deposited within a drop box may be configured to detect movement of an item deposit tray and to detect items deposited within the drop box. The drop box sensor system may comprise one or more tray movement sensors for detecting movement of the deposit tray, one or more item detection sensors configured to detect items passing into the drop box via the deposit tray, and an onboard controller for selectively activating the various sensors to conserve power and for transmitting data indicative of the status of the drop box to a central server configured for scheduling item pickups for various geographically spaced drop boxes.

Methods, apparatus, computing devices, computing entities, and/or the like associated with a robotic sortation system are provided. An example method may include receiving imaging data associated with a first item at a first sorting location of a material handling system, determining a sorting destination for the first item based at least in part on the imaging data, determining a plurality of first-tier robotic devices and a plurality of second-tier robotic devices based at least in part on the first sorting location and the sorting destination, and generating a first sortation scheme for the first item.

A liquid product distribution network includes a liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus for operation in association with a tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus. The liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus includes a radio transmitter device and sensing circuitry for sensing and communicating physical properties associating with the keg. A tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus senses flow of a liquid through a tap includes a tap handle radio transmitter device for fitting within and protected by a tap handle and a low-energy consumption tap handle radio/processing module. A mobile communications device with geographic position sensing device and/or said tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus passively and without user interaction within the liquid product distribution network, without using network uplink/gateway circuit devices for sensing and reporting fluid storage, flow, and financial operations relating to the distribution of said liquid product throughout the liquid product distribution network.

A liquid product distribution network includes a liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus for operation in association with a tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus. The liquid product distribution monitoring and reporting apparatus includes a radio transmitter device and sensing circuitry for sensing and communicating physical properties associating with the keg. A tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus senses flow of a liquid through a tap includes a tap handle radio transmitter device for fitting within and protected by a tap handle and a low-energy consumption tap handle radio/processing module. A mobile communications device with geographic position sensing device and/or said tap handle flow monitoring and reporting apparatus passively and without user interaction within the liquid product distribution network, without using network uplink/gateway circuit devices for sensing and reporting fluid storage, flow, and financial operations relating to the distribution of said liquid product throughout the liquid product distribution network.