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Systems and methods for locating containers with low inventory

  • US 10,089,599 B2
  • Filed: 03/31/2017
  • Issued: 10/02/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for identifying and determining the location of merchandise bins in a low inventory condition in shopping facilities, the system comprising:

  • a bin configured to hold a plurality of merchandise items in a shopping facility;

    a light sensor disposed at the bottom of the bin;

    the light sensor configured to be covered by merchandise items in a normal inventory condition and to be partially or fully uncovered by merchandise items in a low inventory condition;

    the light sensor calibrated to detect an ambient light level and to respond when the detected ambient light level exceeds a predetermined ambient light threshold;

    a speaker configured to emit a predetermined audio signal indicating a low inventory condition;

    a control circuit operatively coupled to the light sensor and to the speaker, the control circuit configured to activate the speaker to transmit the predetermined audio signal indicating a low inventory condition when the light sensor determines the detected ambient light level exceeds the predetermined ambient light threshold; and

    a predetermined array of microphones arranged about a predetermined area of the shopping facility, the array of microphones arranged to receive the audio signal and to triangulate the location of the bin with the low inventory condition within the shopping facility based on signal strength of the audio signal received at different microphones in the predetermined array;

    wherein the light sensor, when it detects ambient light above the threshold, triggers the control circuit to activate the speaker; and

    wherein the audio signal is detected and triangulated by the predetermined array of microphones to determine the location of the bin in the shopping facility.

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