System and Method for Managing the Dispensation of a Bulk Product
First Claim
1. A system for managing a dispensation of a bulk product (56) from a container (26) in which said bulk product is stored and from which said bulk product is dispensed by tilting said container away from an inactive orientation (58), said system comprising:
- an asset tag (48) coupled to said container, said asset tag having a first tilt sensor (74) configured to detect an orientation for said container of greater than a first angle (65) displaced from said inactive orientation, said asset tag having a second tilt sensor (76) configured to detect an orientation for said container of greater than a second angle (63) displaced from said inactive orientation, said second angle being greater than said first angle, said asset tag being configured to generate first data (146) describing a duration said container spends at said orientation greater than said first angle and second data (148) describing a duration said container spends at said orientation greater than said second angle, and said asset tag being configured to electronically transmit said first and second data;
a computer (46) remotely located from said asset tag and configured to obtain said first and second data transmitted from said asset tag, said computer being configured to calculate a total amount (238) of bulk product dispensed in response to said first and second data; and
an information-presentation system (196) in data communication with said computer, said information-presentation system being configured, in cooperation with said computer, to present information describing said total amount dispensed.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A premises (20) is equipped with a plurality of containers (26) in which are stored bulk products (56) that are dispensed from the containers (26) for individual transactions. The containers (26) are equipped with asset tags (48) that monitor the dispensation of products (56). Event records (96) are electronically communicated from the asset tags (48) to a host (46) for processing. A tag event process (198) evaluates the event records (96) and calculates actual dispensation rates (224) that self-calibrate for a number of potential dispensation variances. The tag event process (198) detects when a container (26) becomes empty (68) and then performs a reconciliation (266) for the container (26). The process (198) also detects when inventory usage data is incomplete, whether by failure to receive communications or from missing a single event record (96), and causes a warning to be presented so that an audit may be performed.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A system for managing a dispensation of a bulk product (56) from a container (26) in which said bulk product is stored and from which said bulk product is dispensed by tilting said container away from an inactive orientation (58), said system comprising:
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an asset tag (48) coupled to said container, said asset tag having a first tilt sensor (74) configured to detect an orientation for said container of greater than a first angle (65) displaced from said inactive orientation, said asset tag having a second tilt sensor (76) configured to detect an orientation for said container of greater than a second angle (63) displaced from said inactive orientation, said second angle being greater than said first angle, said asset tag being configured to generate first data (146) describing a duration said container spends at said orientation greater than said first angle and second data (148) describing a duration said container spends at said orientation greater than said second angle, and said asset tag being configured to electronically transmit said first and second data;
a computer (46) remotely located from said asset tag and configured to obtain said first and second data transmitted from said asset tag, said computer being configured to calculate a total amount (238) of bulk product dispensed in response to said first and second data; and
an information-presentation system (196) in data communication with said computer, said information-presentation system being configured, in cooperation with said computer, to present information describing said total amount dispensed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-assisted method for managing dispensations of bulk products (56) from containers (26), said method comprising:
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detecting (212), at a computer (46), a dispensation of one of said bulk products from one of said containers;
obtaining, at said computer, an expected dispensation rate (226) and an actual dispensation rate (224) for said one of said containers;
adjusting, at said computer, inventory data (256, 292) in response to said actual dispensation rate to account for said dispensation; and
providing performance feedback information (255) about said dispensation through an information-presentation system, said performance feedback information being configured in response to said expected dispensation rate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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16. A method as claimed in claim 111 additionally comprising recording a cost (239) for said dispensation, said cost being calculated in response to said actual dispensation rate.
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28. A computer-assisted method for managing dispensations of bulk products (56) from containers (26), said method comprising:
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maintaining, at a computer (46), a collection of graphic images, wherein said graphic images correspond to said containers;
detecting (212), at said computer, dispensations of said bulk products from said containers;
adjusting (256, 292), at said computer, inventory data for said containers in response to said dispensations;
receiving (288), at said computer, a request for inventory audit information about one of said containers;
selecting one of said graphic images in response an identity (227) of said one container; and
providing said requested inventory audit information through an information-presentation system (196) in data communication with said computer, said inventory audit information being configured to depict said one graphic image and to depict a product level (60) relative to said one graphic image, said product level being responsive to said inventory data for said one container. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for managing a dispensation of a bulk product (56) from a container (26), said method comprising:
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equipping said container with an asset tag (48);
collecting (104) user input at said asset tag, said user input indicating a sales price of said bulk product to be dispensed;
collecting (134, 135) dispensation data (146, 148) at said asset tag, said dispensation data describing a quantity of said bulk product dispensed from said container during a dispensation;
evaluating (136, 255) said dispensation data and said user input to determine whether a quantity of said bulk product dispensed is within a dispensation range (240) for said sales price; and
presenting (138, 255) humanly perceivable information which reflect results of said evaluating activity. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification