Shopping Facility Assistance Systems, Devices, and Methods to Facilitate Returning Items to Their Respective Departments

摘要

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.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of motorized transport units configured to move through a retail shopping facility that is organized as a plurality of departments that present corresponding items for sale; a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with the plurality of motorized transport units and wherein the central computer system is configured to:
direct a particular one of the plurality of motorized transport units through the retail shopping facility to a particular mobile item container having at least one item disposed therein, the at least one item being designated for return to a particular one of the plurality of departments such that the at least one item can then be presented for sale;cause the particular one of the plurality of motorized transport units to physically attach to the particular mobile item container; anddirect, via a wireless network connection, the particular one of the plurality of motorized transport units through the retail shopping facility with the attached particular mobile item container to the particular one of the plurality of departments.