Container inventory management systems, methods and tools

• US 20060015414A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Archer Daniels Midland Company
• Original Assignee: Archer Daniels Midland Company
• Inventors: McClellan, Richard L., Congram, Courtney B.
• Application Number:
  US10/881,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An inventory management system configured for use in association with at least one container containing an amount of inventory material at a monitored location is provided. The system includes at least one measurement instrument operatively associated with the container, the measurement instrument being configured to generate at least one data signal representative of the amount of the inventory material in the container; a telemetry unit in communication with the measurement instrument, the telemetry unit being configured to receive at least the generated data signal from the measurement instrument and to convert the generated data signal into inventory information; a first server in communication with the telemetry unit via an Internet connection, the first server configured to receive at least the inventory information from the telemetry unit; and, at least a second server in communication with the first server, the second server configured for receiving at least the inventory information from the first server into at least one data storage medium operatively associated with the second server to process the inventory information for presentation on at least one website.

Claims

1. An inventory management system configured for use in association with at least one container containing an amount of inventory material at a monitored location, said system comprising:

at least one measurement instrument operatively associated with said container, said measurement instrument being configured to generate at least one data signal representative of said amount of said inventory material in said container;

a telemetry unit in communication with said measurement instrument, said telemetry unit being configured to receive at least said generated data signal from said measurement instrument and to convert said generated data signal into inventory information;

a first server in communication with said telemetry unit via an Internet connection, said first server configured to receive at least said inventory information from said telemetry unit; and

,

at least a second server in communication with said first server, said second server configured for receiving at least said inventory information from said first server into at least one data storage medium operatively associated with said second server to process said inventory information for presentation on at least one website.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first server includes a monitoring mail server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said second server includes an inventory management server.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one web server in operative association with at least one of said servers.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising said web server being configured to display at least one customer summary screen including a product inventories section having for a customer at least one of a listing of products stored at said monitored location, a total inventory material amount associated with each said product at said monitored location, and a listing of said monitored locations associated with said customer.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising said web server being configured to display at least one location summary screen including for said monitored location a product inventory section having inventory material data displayed on a product-by-product basis for said containers at said monitored location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said location summary screen further includes at least one of a number of tanks, a delivery date, daily product usage data, average daily usage data, and reorder point data.

8. The system of claim 3, further comprising an order processing system in operative association with said inventory management server.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a payment processing system in operative association with at least one of said order processing system and a web server.

10. The system of claim 3, further comprising said inventory management system being configured to calculate whether an order for additional said inventory material should be placed for said monitored location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said order calculation is based on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of a usage rate of said inventory material and a predetermined order point.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising said inventory management server being configured for generating at least one notification in association with said inventory information.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising said inventory management server being configured for generating at least one notification in association with at least one order estimation based on said inventory information.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising said inventory management server being configured to generate automatically an order for additional said inventory material.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said order generation is based on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of a calculated re-order point, a projected usage of said inventory material, a production schedule, and a historical usage rate for said inventory material.