SYSTEM FOR WIRELESSLY MONITORING INVENTORY IN THE DISPENSING OF ITEMS

• US 20090261974A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: New Scale Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: New Scale Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Bailey, Kenneth S., Mula, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/361,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20090261974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Items are automatically counted by proximity sensors, and correlated with a transaction. When items are removed from the proximity sensors, the system determines if a transaction for the proper amount was made at a time correlated to the time the item was removed. The person who was close to the proximity sensor is detected and correlated to the transaction.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

In a server computer device, receiving item information from a remote device, indicative of a quantity of products on a platform;

receiving identification information about a person who is in an area of said platform, said identification information indicative of an identity of said person;

receiving transaction information indicative of transactions carried out for said items on said platforms; and

using all of said item information, said identification information and said transaction information to determine said identification information at a same time as a time when said number of items on said platform is changed and at a same time when receiving said transaction information, and using said all of said item information, said identification information and said transaction information to determine if an amount paid for a transaction matches said number of items changed at a time, and determining said identification information.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said information is sent wirelessly.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said item information is a number of discrete items on the platform.

4. A system, comprising:

A product sensor, sensing a quantity of product and producing an output signal indicative thereof;

A person sensor, sensing a person adjacent said product and producing an output signal indicative thereof;

A transaction device, detecting a transaction produced by said person, and A correlating computer, correlating said quantity of product with said person and said transaction, and producing information indicative of a change in quantity of product that does not correlate in time with a transaction appropriate to said change in quantity of product, and producing an error signal indicative thereof.

5. A device as in claim 4, wherein said product sensor, said person sensor, and said transaction device, are connected wirelessly to said correlating computer.

6. A device as in claim 4, wherein said product sensor detects a number of items on said product sensor.