Monitoring Unit Depletion in an Independent Real-Time Mass Storage Unit System by Using an Estimated Tare Mass of the Item
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring a storage unit, the method comprising:
- responsive to detecting an initial presence of an item in the storage unit, collecting an item identification of the item, a product type of the item, and an initial mass of the item; and
searching a database for a recorded item containing the item identification;
retrieving a total mass of the recorded item from the database;
comparing the initial mass of the item with the total mass of the recorded item; and
responsive to a difference between the initial mass of the item and the total mass of the recorded item that is less than a predetermined amount, setting a tare mass of the item equal to a tare mass of the recorded item retrieved from the database;
responsive to detecting the item has been removed and replaced in the storage unit, collecting a current mass of the item; and
determining a mass depletion of the item as the current mass of the item minus the tare mass of the item; and
responsive to the mass depletion of the item reaching a threshold depletion, alerting a user.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for estimating, refining, and using the tare mass for an item to determine and monitor item depletion. In response to detecting an initial presence of an item in the storage unit, a controller collects data about the item. The controller then searches a database for a recorded item containing the same item identification. The tare mass of the item is set equal to the refined tare mass of the recorded item retrieved from the database. The tare mass is then used to calculate a depletion threshold for the item.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring a storage unit, the method comprising:
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responsive to detecting an initial presence of an item in the storage unit, collecting an item identification of the item, a product type of the item, and an initial mass of the item; and searching a database for a recorded item containing the item identification; retrieving a total mass of the recorded item from the database; comparing the initial mass of the item with the total mass of the recorded item; and responsive to a difference between the initial mass of the item and the total mass of the recorded item that is less than a predetermined amount, setting a tare mass of the item equal to a tare mass of the recorded item retrieved from the database; responsive to detecting the item has been removed and replaced in the storage unit, collecting a current mass of the item; and determining a mass depletion of the item as the current mass of the item minus the tare mass of the item; and responsive to the mass depletion of the item reaching a threshold depletion, alerting a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer program product for monitoring a storage unit, the computer program product comprising:
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a computer readable storage device; program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to detect an initial presence of an item in the storage unit and responsive to detecting the initial presence of the item in the storage unit, collect an item identification of the item, a product type of the item, and an initial mass of the item; and program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to search a database for a recorded item containing the item identification; program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to retrieve a total mass of the recorded item from the database; program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to compare the initial mass of the item with the total mass of the recorded item; and program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to set a tare mass of the item equal to a tare mass of the recorded item retrieved from the database, responsive to a difference between the initial mass of the item and the total mass of the recorded item that is less than a predetermined amount; and program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to collect a current mass of the item responsive to detecting that the item has been removed and replaced in the storage unit; and program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to determine a mass depletion of the item as the current mass of the item minus the tare mass of the item; and program code, stored on the computer readable storage device, configured to alert a user, responsive to the mass depletion of the item reaching a threshold depletion. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus comprising:
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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 detect an initial presence of an item in a storage unit and responsive to detecting the initial presence of the item in the storage unit, collect an item identification of the item, a product type of the item, and an initial mass of the item; and
search a database for a recorded item containing the item identification;
retrieve a total mass of the recorded item from a database;
compare the initial mass of the item with the total mass of the recorded item; and
responsive to a difference between the initial mass of the item and the total mass of the recorded item that is less than a predetermined amount, set a tare mass of the item equal to a tare mass of the recorded item retrieved from the database; and
responsive to detecting the item has been removed and replaced in the storage unit, collect a current mass of the item; and
determine a mass depletion of the item as the current mass of the item minus the tare mass of the item; and
responsive to the mass depletion of the item reaching a threshold depletion, alert a user. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification