Item monitoring system and methods using an item monitoring system

• US 20060071774A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Pearson, Scott D., Hamerly, Michael E., Knudson, Orlin B., Sainati, Robert A., Jesme, Ronald D., Erickson, David P., McGee, James P., Brown, Katherine A., Lorentz, Robert D., Yungers, Christopher R., Chen, Kaileen, Solefack, Lucien B., Tungjunyatham, Justin, Behun, Catherine H.
• Application Number:
  US11/209,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071774A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation

Abstract

An item monitoring system and method of using an item monitoring system. The present invention relates more particularly to an item monitoring system including a sensor, that senses a plurality of items in a first amount of space associated with the sensor and that senses both items containing metal and items containing no metal, a communications network, and a computer that receives information from the sensor through the communications network. The present invention also relates more particularly to a method of monitoring items to determine the number of items within a first amount of space associated with the sensor.

Claims

1. An item monitoring system, comprising:

a first sensor, wherein the first sensor senses a plurality of items in a first amount of space associated with the sensor, wherein the first sensor is capable of sensing both items containing metal and items containing no metal;

a second sensor, wherein the second sensor is selected from the group consisting of temperature sensors, motion detectors, accelerometers, chemical sensors and biological sensors;

a communications network; and

a computer, wherein the computer receives information from the first and second sensors through the communications network.

2. An item monitoring system, comprising:

a first sensor, wherein the first sensor senses a plurality of items in a first amount of space associated with the sensor, wherein the sensor is capable of sensing both items containing metal and items containing no metal, wherein the sensor is attached to temporary or disposable displays;

a communications network; and

a computer, wherein the computer receives information from the first and second sensors through the communications network.

3. An item monitoring system, comprising:

a first sensor, wherein the first sensor senses a plurality of items in a first amount of space associated with the sensor, wherein the sensor is capable of sensing both items containing metal and items containing no metal, wherein the sensor is attached to a spring-loaded or gravity-fed dispenser;

a communications network; and

a computer, wherein the computer receives information from the first and second sensors through the communications network.

4. A method of monitoring items, comprising the steps of:

providing a sensor, wherein the sensor senses a plurality of items in a first amount of space associated with the sensor, wherein the sensor is capable of sensing both items containing metal and items containing no metal;

placing a plurality of items in the first amount of space;

sensing the plurality of items in the first amount of space a first instance with the sensor;

determining the quantity of items within the first amount of space;

providing a surface, a communications network, and a computer, wherein the sensor is attached to the surface, and wherein the computer receives information from the sensor through the communications network;

after the sensing step, sending information related to the sensing step to the computer through the communications network;

determining the quantity of items within the first amount of space with the computer;

sensing the plurality of items in the first amount of space a second instance and sending related information to the computer through the communications network;

wherein the determining step includes comparing the information from the first instance and the second instance to determine changes in the quantity of items within the first amount of space; and

wherein after the determining step, the computer signals to a user an alarm indicating theft of items from the first area of space.