ITEM POSITION INDICATOR AND OPTIMIZED ITEM RETRIEVAL FOR A SENSOR EQUIPPED STORAGE UNIT

• US 20080055084A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Watt, Stephen James, Bodin, William Kress, Masterson, Michael Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,495,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for communicating the shelf position of an item within a storage unit. An item to be located in the storage unit is identified. The storage unit system determines the shelf position of the identified item. The system then communicates the shelf position of the identified item to the user. If the user requests multiple items, the optimal sequence of retrieval for the items is determined based on a user configurable algorithm.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for communicating a shelf position of an item within a storage unit, the computer implemented method comprising:

identifying the item to be located, to form an identified item;

determining a shelf position of the identified item in the storage unit; and

communicating the shelf position of the identified item to a user.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the storage unit is one of a refrigeration unit, a freezer, an ice box, a retail store, a stockroom, a pantry, a cupboard, a cabinet, a furnace, or a warehouse shelf.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein communicating the shelf position of the identified item is performed by activating an item indicator located on or adjacent to a storage unit shelf.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein the item indicator is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a graphic on a display screen, an auditory device, an LED display, a light panel, or a combination visual and auditory device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 wherein the indicator is an audio device providing a text-to-voice message providing the shelf position of the item to the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein the indicator is a display providing a diagram of the shelf indicating the identified item to the user.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an optimal retrieval sequence of a set of items; and

communicating the optimal retrieval sequence of a set of items.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying the item further comprises:

receiving, by a radio frequency identifier reader, a unique radio frequency identifier signal from a radio frequency identifier tag associated with the item.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying the item further comprises:

receiving, by a universal product code scanner, a universal product code identification number from a universal product code associated with the item.

10. An apparatus for identifying a placement of an item within a storage unit, the apparatus comprising:

a user interface;

a tag reader; and

a controller, wherein the controller further comprises;

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains a computer usable program product; and

a processor unit, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program product to identify the item to be located,to form an identified item;

determine a shelf position of the identified item in the storage unit; and

communicate the shelf position of the identified item to a user.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the storage unit is of a refrigeration unit, a freezer, an ice box, a retail store, a stockroom, a pantry, a cupboard, a cabinet, a furnace, or a warehouse shelf.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein communicating the shelf position of the identified item is performed by an indicator located on or adjacent to a storage unit shelf.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the indicator is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a graphic on a display screen, an auditory device, an LED display, a light panel, or a combination visual and auditory device.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the indicator is an audio device providing a text-to-voice message providing the shelf position of the identified item to the user.

15. A computer program product for identifying a placement of an item within a storage unit, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code tangibly embodied thereon, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for identifying the item to be located, to form an identified item;

computer usable program code for determining a shelf position of the identified item in the storage unit; and

computer usable program code for communicating the shelf position of the identified item.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the storage unit is one of a refrigeration unit, a freezer, an ice box, a retail store, a stockroom, a pantry, a cupboard, a cabinet, a furnace, or a warehouse shelf.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein computer usable program code for communicating the shelf position of the identified item is performed by activating an item indicator located on or adjacent to a storage unit shelf.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the item indicator is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a graphic on a display screen, an auditory device, an LED display, a light panel, or a combination visual and auditory device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the indicator is an audio device providing a text-to-voice message providing the shelf position of the item to the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

computer usable program code for determining an optimal retrieval sequence of a set of items; and

computer usable program code for communicating the optimal retrieval sequence of a set of items.