Item Position Indicator and Optimized Item Retrieval for a Sensor Equipped Storage Unit

• US 20090099943A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Watt, Stephen James, Bodin, William Kress, Masterson, Michael Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,961,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/28 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading, distribution or shipping

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

1-9. -9. (canceled)

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;

to determine a shelf position of the identified item on a shelf in a set of shelves in the storage unit, wherein determining the shelf position further comprises receiving a signal from an identification tag associated with the identified item by a set of entry/exit readers coupled to the set of shelves, and determining the shelf position based on the signal from the identification tag, wherein the shelf position is a precise location of the identified item on the shelf in the set of shelves; and

to 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 the processor unit executes the computer usable program product to communicate the shelf position of the identified item further comprises the processor unit executes the computer usable program product to activate an item indicator associated with the set of shelves.

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 on a shelf in a set of shelves in the storage unit, wherein the computer usable program code for determining the shelf position further comprises computer usable program code for receiving a signal from an identification tag associated with the identified item by a set of entry/exit readers coupled to the set of shelves, and computer usable program code for determining the shelf position based on the signal from the identification tag, wherein the shelf position is a precise location of the identified item on the shelf in the set of shelves; 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 further comprises activating an item indicator associated with the set of shelves.

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, wherein the set of items comprises the identified item; and

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