UnfoldIPThemes

Company patents

7-ELEVEN, INC.

7-ELEVEN, INC. demonstrates a surprising and strong focus on advanced computing technologies, with Image Processing (51.7% of portfolio) and Computer Vision (45.3% of portfolio) dominating its patent strategy, both showing significant growth in 2024 (95.8% and 100.0% YoY, respectively). While Business Methods & Fintech remains a substantial area (35.0%), its patenting in this category has seen a notable decline, with a 50.0% drop in 2025 and a further 37.5% decline so far in 2026, indicating a shifting priority towards more technical, vision-based innovations.

Patent Trend by Technology Area

Yearly patent publications since 2023

Product themes

Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.

234 US filings (since 2023) · 11 categories · 10 themes

Video Enhancement & Object Tracking

Methods and systems for improving the quality of video streams, generating intermediate frames, or continuously locating and following objects within a sequence of images, even under occlusion.

Image Processing
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117since 2023
-59.6%YoY
Vision-Based Object & Pose Estimationfiltered

Methods and apparatus for detecting objects and determining their three-dimensional position and orientation (pose) using imagery or point cloud data, often for navigation, surveying, or environmental understanding.

Computer Vision
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68since 2023
-48.0%YoY
Automated Visual Inspection

Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.

Pictorial / Video Communications
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38since 2023
-47.1%YoY
Efficient Visual Feature Extraction

Algorithms and hardware optimizations for rapidly identifying and characterizing relevant visual features (e.g., objects, motion, gradients) from images or video streams, often integrating machine learning for feature representation and recognition, with a focus on real-time performance and reduced computational cost.

Pattern Recognition & ML Models
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23since 2023
-77.8%YoY
Automated Transaction Systems

Systems designed to streamline and automate various commercial transactions, including mobile-enhanced processes, secure online checkouts, customer service interactions, and privilege issuance, often leveraging digital authentication.

Business Methods & Fintech
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9since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Multi-Sensor Imaging & Synthesis

Systems that combine data from multiple camera sensors or capture multiple images from different perspectives or qualities, often involving image processing techniques like synthesis to create enhanced or comprehensive views.

Pictorial / Video Communications
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7since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Multi-modal Sensor Fusion

Techniques for combining data from disparate sensor types (e.g., cameras, radar, mobile device signals) to achieve a more robust and comprehensive understanding of an environment or subject, often leveraging machine learning for interpretation and correlation.

Computer VisionPattern Recognition & ML ModelsRadar / Sonar / Lidar
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6since 2023
+200.0%YoY
Precise Positioning & Localization

Methods and systems for accurately determining the absolute or relative position of an object or device, often integrating satellite navigation (GNSS), inertial measurement units (IMU), and local ranging or wireless communication technologies.

Radar / Sonar / Lidar
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6since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Sensor-based Environment Perception

Techniques and hardware for autonomous systems to gather and interpret data about their surroundings, including obstacle detection, object recognition, and depth estimation, to inform control decisions.

Computer Vision
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3since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Network Traffic Management & QoS

Techniques and systems for optimizing network traffic flow, distributing loads across multiple paths or resources, and ensuring quality of service based on various criteria like application type, latency, or resource availability. This includes dynamic path selection, congestion control, and resource allocation.

Routing, Switching & QoS
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1since 2023
n/a

Patents

Showing 31-40 of 135

Vision-Based Object & Pose Estimation
Page 4 of 14
US 20240177340 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/73

HOMOGRAPHY ERROR CORRECTION USING A DISPARITY MAPPING

Filed:2024-02-02Pub:2024-05-30
Applicant:7-Eleven, Inc.

An object tracking system that includes a first sensor and a second sensor that are each configured to capture frames of at least a portion of a global plane for a space. The system is configured to identify a first pixel location for a marker within a first frame and to determine an (x,y) coordinate for the marker using a first homography. The system is further configured to identify a second pixel location for the marker in the second sensor using a second homography, to identify a third pixel location using a disparity mapping, and to determine a distance difference between the second pixel location and the third pixel location. The system is further configured to compare the distance difference to a difference threshold level and to recompute the first homography and/or the second homography in response to determining that the distance difference exceeds the difference threshold level.

US 20240177339 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/73

HOMOGRAPHY ERROR CORRECTION USING A DISPARITY MAPPING

Filed:2024-02-02Pub:2024-05-30
Applicant:7-Eleven, Inc.

An object tracking system that includes a first sensor and a second sensor that are each configured to capture frames of at least a portion of a global plane for a space. The system is configured to identify a first pixel location for a marker within a first frame and to determine an (x,y) coordinate for the marker using a first homography. The system is further configured to identify a second pixel location for the marker in the second sensor using a second homography, to identify a third pixel location using a disparity mapping, and to determine a distance difference between the second pixel location and the third pixel location. The system is further configured to compare the distance difference to a difference threshold level and to recompute the first homography and/or the second homography in response to determining that the distance difference exceeds the difference threshold level.

US 11974077 B2GRANTED
H04N7/18

Action detection during image tracking

Filed:2020-10-15Pub:2024-04-30
Applicant:7-ELEVEN, INC.

A system includes a sensor, a weight sensor, and a tracking subsystem. The tracking subsystem receives an image feed of top-view images generated by the sensor and weight measurements from the weight sensor. The tracking subsystem detects an event associated with an item being removed from a rack in which the weight sensor is installed. The tracking subsystem determines that a first person or a second person may be associated with the event. In response to determining that the first or second person may be associated with the event, buffer frames are stored of top-view images generated by the sensor during a time period associated with the event. The tracking subsystem then determines, using at least one of the stored buffer frames and a first action-detection algorithm, whether an action associated with the event was performed by the first person or the second person.

US 20240112434 A1APPLICATION
G06V10/147

EVENT TRIGGER BASED ON REGION-OF-INTEREST NEAR HAND-SHELF INTERACTION

Filed:2023-12-04Pub:2024-04-04
Applicant:7-Eleven, Inc.

An image sensor is positioned such that a field-of-view of the image sensor encompasses at least a portion of a rack storing items. The image sensor generates angled-view images of an object. A pixel position of a body part of a person is determined in at least a subset of the received image frames, thereby determining a set of pixel positions of the body part. An aggregated body part position is determined based on the set of pixel positions. If the aggregated body part position is determined to correspond to a position associated with the object, a trigger signal is provided indicating an interaction event has occurred.

US 20240106991 A1APPLICATION
H04N7/18

Action Detection During Image Tracking

Filed:2023-11-27Pub:2024-03-28
Applicant:7-ELEVEN, INC.

A system includes a sensor, a weight sensor, and a tracking subsystem. The tracking subsystem receives an image feed of top-view images generated by the sensor and weight measurements from the weight sensor. The tracking subsystem detects an event associated with an item being removed from a rack in which the weight sensor is installed. The tracking subsystem determines that a first person or a second person may be associated with the event. In response to determining that the first or second person may be associated with the event, buffer frames are stored of top-view images generated by the sensor during a time period associated with the event. The tracking subsystem then determines, using at least one of the stored buffer frames and a first action-detection algorithm, whether an action associated with the event was performed by the first person or the second person.

US 20240098228 A1APPLICATION
H04N7/18

Action Detection During Image Tracking

Filed:2023-11-27Pub:2024-03-21
Applicant:7-ELEVEN, INC.

A system includes a sensor, a weight sensor, and a tracking subsystem. The tracking subsystem receives an image feed of top-view images generated by the sensor and weight measurements from the weight sensor. The tracking subsystem detects an event associated with an item being removed from a rack in which the weight sensor is installed. The tracking subsystem determines that a first person or a second person may be associated with the event. In response to determining that the first or second person may be associated with the event, buffer frames are stored of top-view images generated by the sensor during a time period associated with the event. The tracking subsystem then determines, using at least one of the stored buffer frames and a first action-detection algorithm, whether an action associated with the event was performed by the first person or the second person.

US 20240087141 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/246

IMAGE-BASED ACTION DETECTION USING CONTOUR DILATION

Filed:2023-11-21Pub:2024-03-14
Applicant:7-ELEVEN, INC.

A system includes a first sensor configured to generate images of at least a first portion of a space. A processor of the system is configured to determine a position of a possible object in the space based on generated images.

US 20240086993 A1APPLICATION
G06Q30/0601

Detecting and Identifying Misplaced Items Using a Sensor Array

Filed:2023-11-20Pub:2024-03-14
Applicant:7-ELEVEN, INC.

An object tracking system that includes a sensor and a tracking system. The sensor is configured to capture a frame of at least a portion of a rack within a global plane for a space. The tracking system is further configured to receive the frame, to determine a pixel location for the first person, and to determine a person is within the predefined zone associated with the rack. The tracking system is further configured to identify the plurality of items in a digital cart associated with the person, to identify an item from the digital cart associated with the first person, and to remove the identified item from the digital cart associated with the person.

US 20240054677 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/73

ITEM IDENTIFICATION USING DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING

Filed:2023-10-25Pub:2024-02-15
Applicant:7-Eleven, Inc.

A device configured to detect a triggering event at a platform and to capture a depth image of items on the platform using a three-dimensional (3D) sensor. The device is further configured to determine an object pose for each item on the platform and to identify one or more cameras from among a plurality of cameras based on the object pose for each item on the platform. The device is further configured to capture one or more images of the items on the platform using the identified cameras and to identify items within the one or more images based on features of the items. The device is further configured to identify a user associated with the identified items on the platform, to identify an account that is associated with the user, and to associate the identified items with the account of the user.

US 11893759 B2GRANTED
G06T7/292

Homography error correction using a disparity mapping

Filed:2020-11-25Pub:2024-02-06
Applicant:7-Eleven, Inc.

An object tracking system that includes a first sensor and a second sensor that are each configured to capture frames of at least a portion of a global plane for a space. The system is configured to identify a first pixel location for a marker within a first frame and to determine an (x,y) coordinate for the marker using a first homography. The system is further configured to identify a second pixel location for the marker in the second sensor using a second homography, to identify a third pixel location using a disparity mapping, and to determine a distance difference between the second pixel location and the third pixel location. The system is further configured to compare the distance difference to a difference threshold level and to recompute the first homography and/or the second homography in response to determining that the distance difference exceeds the difference threshold level.

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