DISTRIBUTED ITEM DISPENSER MANAGEMENT

• US 20120109372A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Edwards, Thomas V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Systems and techniques for distributed dispenser management are provided. A list of item selections is received, the list including at least one item with an item type. A collection of one or more dispenser groups may be identified, where each dispenser group in the collection includes a unique combination of one or more item dispensers with a combined unreserved inventory sufficient to dispense each item in the list. An item dispenser group may then be selected from the collection based on even depletion. The items in the list may be reserved from the selected dispenser group.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of item dispensers;

one or more self-service checkout terminals, each of the one or more self-service checkout terminals including one or more hardware processors and a user interface configured to receive a list of item selections, the list including at least one item with an item type, and each of the one or more self-service checkout terminals configured to;

identify a collection of one or more item dispenser groups, each item dispenser group in the collection being a unique combination of one or more item dispensers from the plurality of item dispensers with a combined unreserved inventory sufficient to dispense each item in the list;

select an item dispenser group from the collection based on even depletion; and

reserve the items in the list from the selected item dispenser group.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein to select an item dispenser group from the collection based on even depletion comprises:

to select, from the collection, a current item dispenser group having an unreserved inventory in a first item type from the list greater than or equal to all other item dispenser groups in the collection;

if the list has more than one item type, to process each additional item type from the list until all item types in the list are processed, to process each additional item type from the list comprising;

to select a next item type from the list, the next item type being unprocessed;

if dispensing items associated with the next item type from the current item dispenser group would deplete the current item dispenser group'"'"'s unreserved inventory in the next item type, to identify candidate item dispenser groups, from the collection, each candidate item dispenser group having unreserved inventory in each processed item type sufficient to have no more item type depletions than the current item dispenser;

if there is one candidate item dispenser group, to select the candidate item dispenser group to be the current item dispenser group; and

if there are a plurality of candidate item dispenser groups, to iterate through all processed item types to remove candidate item dispenser groups when a candidate item dispenser group has a smaller unreserved inventory for a current processed item type than any other candidate item dispenser groups and, after iterating though all processed item types, to select a remaining candidate item dispenser group to be the current item dispenser group; and

to select the current item dispenser group.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-service checkout terminal is further configured to trigger item replenishment in one or more item dispensers in the plurality of item dispensers when low item levels are detected in the one or more item dispensers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein to trigger item replenishment includes recommending replenishment of items at low levels based on one or more sales volume profiles associated with one or more item categories, the one or more item categories also being associated with the items at low levels.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of independently synchronized item views each residing on a different computer from any other independently synchronized item view, the independently synchronized item views being in a store which also contains the plurality of item dispensers, each of the plurality of independently synchronized item views configured to:

initialize by iterating through each item slot in each item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers and recording an item in each item slot to the view; and

removing items associated with a failed item dispenser when the failed item dispenser fails; and

wherein each of the plurality of item dispensers is configured to transmit each item dispense and load operation to each of the plurality of independently synchronized item views; and

wherein the one or more self-service checkout terminals is further configured to request unreserved inventory information of an item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers from the plurality of independently synchronized item views.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a guaranteed delivery mechanism associated with each of the plurality of independently synchronized item views to deliver messages;

wherein to request unreserved inventory information includes to request inventory information from all of the plurality of independently synchronized item views;

wherein the plurality independently synchronized item views are arranged in a hierarchy;

wherein the plurality of independently synchronized item views are further configured to respond to the request after a predetermined period of time following a failure of an immediately superior view to respond to the request; and

wherein an unsynchronized view is excluded from the request, a unsynchronized view being a view in the plurality of independently synchronized item views having an associated guaranteed delivery mechanism with undelivered messages.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of price-check services each residing on a different computer from any other price-check service, each of the plurality of price-check services configured to:

run at pre-defined periods to update, in each of the plurality of independently synchronized item views, pricing information for each item type in the plurality of item dispensers; and

update, in each of the plurality of independently synchronized item views, pricing information for each item type that is new in an item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers following replenishment.

8. In a system with a plurality of item dispensers, a method comprising:

receiving, using one or more hardware processors, a list of item selections, the list including at least one item with an item type;

identifying a collection of one or more item dispenser groups, each item dispenser group in the collection being a unique combination of one or more item dispensers from the plurality of item dispensers with a combined unreserved inventory sufficient to dispense each item in the list;

selecting an item dispenser group from the collection based on even depletion; and

reserving the items in the list from the selected item dispenser group.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting an item dispenser group from the collection based on even depletion comprises:

selecting, from the collection, a current item dispenser group having an unreserved inventory in a first item type from the list greater than or equal to all other item dispenser groups in the collection;

if the list has more than one item type, processing each additional item type from the list until all item types in the list are processed, the processing comprising;

selecting a next item type from the list, the next item type being unprocessed;

if dispensing items associated with the next item type from the current item dispenser group would deplete the current item dispenser group'"'"'s unreserved inventory in the next item type, identifying candidate item dispenser groups, from the collection, each candidate item dispenser group having unreserved inventory in each processed item type sufficient to have no more item type depletions than the current item dispenser group;

if there is one candidate item dispenser group, selecting the candidate item dispenser group to be the current item dispenser group; and

if there are a plurality of candidate item dispenser groups, iterating through all processed item types to remove candidate item dispenser groups when a candidate item dispenser group has a smaller unreserved inventory for a current processed item type than any other candidate item dispenser groups and, after iterating though all processed item types, selecting a remaining candidate item dispenser group to be the current item dispenser group; and

selecting the current item dispenser group.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying a collection of one or more item dispenser groups includes triggering item replenishment in one or more item dispensers in the plurality of item dispensers when low item levels are detected in the one or more item dispensers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein triggering item replenishment includes recommending replenishment of items at low levels based on one or more sales volume profiles associated with one or more item categories, the one or more item categories also being associated with the items at low levels.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein inventory information of an item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers is requested from a plurality of independently synchronized views, the independently synchronized views each residing on a different computer, the independently synchronized views being in a store which also contains the plurality of item dispensers, the method of synchronizing the independently synchronized views comprising:

initializing each view in the plurality of independently synchronized views by iterating through each item slot in each item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers and recording an item in each item slot to the view;

removing items associated with a failed item dispenser when the failed item dispenser fails; and

recording each item dispense and item load operation, for each item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers, to each of the plurality of independently synchronized views, the recording including sending each item dispense and item load operation from an item dispenser via a guaranteed delivery mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inventory information is requested from all of the plurality of independently synchronized views, the independently synchronized views being in a hierarchy and responding to the request based on the hierarchy, subordinate views in the hierarchy responding to the request after a predetermined period of time following a failure of an immediately superior view to respond to the request, a view in the hierarchy being unsynchronized when a guaranteed delivery mechanism associated with the view includes outstanding messages, an unsynchronized view being excluded from the request.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein pricing information for each item type in the plurality of item dispensers is updated in the plurality of independently synchronized views by a plurality of price-check services, the price-check services each residing on a different computer, the price-check services running at pre-defined periods and when an item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers is replenished.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, using one or more hardware processors, a list of item selections, the list including at least one item with an item type;

identifying a collection of one or more item dispenser groups, each item dispenser group in the collection being a unique combination of one or more item dispensers from the plurality of item dispensers with a combined unreserved inventory sufficient to dispense each item in the list;

selecting an item dispenser group from the collection based on even depletion; and

reserving the items in the list from the selected item dispenser group.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein selecting an item dispenser group from the collection based on even depletion comprises:

selecting, from the collection, a current item dispenser group having an unreserved inventory in a first item type from the list greater than or equal to all other item dispenser groups in the collection;

if the list has more than one, item type, processing each additional item type from the list until all item types in the list are processed, the processing comprising;

selecting a next item type from the list, the next item type being unprocessed;

if dispensing items associated with the next item type from the current item dispenser group would deplete the current item dispenser group'"'"'s unreserved inventory in the next item type, identifying candidate item dispenser groups, from the collection, each candidate item dispenser group having unreserved inventory in each processed item type sufficient to have no more item type depletions than the current item dispenser group;

if there is one candidate item dispenser group, selecting the candidate item dispenser group to be the current item dispenser group; and

if there are a plurality of candidate item dispenser groups, iterating through all processed item types to remove candidate item dispenser groups when a candidate item dispenser group has a smaller unreserved inventory for a current processed item type than any other candidate item dispenser groups and, after iterating though all processed item types, selecting a remaining candidate item dispenser group to be the current item dispenser group; and

selecting the current item dispenser group.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein identifying a collection of one or more item dispenser groups includes triggering item replenishment in one or more item dispensers in the plurality of item dispensers when low item levels are detected in the one or more item dispensers.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein triggering item replenishment includes recommending replenishment of items at low levels based on one or more sales volume profiles associated with one or more item categories, the one or more item categories also being associated with the items at low levels.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein inventory information of an item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers is requested from a plurality of independently synchronized views, the independently synchronized views each residing on a different computer, the independently synchronized views being in a store which also contains the plurality of item dispensers, the method of synchronizing the independently synchronized views comprising:

initializing each view in the plurality of independently synchronized views by iterating through each item slot in each item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers and recording an item in each item slot to the view;

removing items associated with a failed item dispenser when the failed item dispenser fails; and

recording each item dispense and item load operation, for each item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers, to each of the plurality of independently synchronized views, the recording including sending each item dispense and item load operation from an item dispenser via a guaranteed delivery mechanism.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the inventory information is requested from all of the plurality of independently synchronized views, the independently synchronized views being in a hierarchy and responding to the request based on the hierarchy, subordinate views in the hierarchy responding to the request after a predetermined period of time following a failure of an immediately superior view to respond to the request, a view in the hierarchy being unsynchronized when a guaranteed delivery mechanism associated with the view includes outstanding messages, an unsynchronized view being excluded from the request.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein pricing information for each item type in the plurality of item dispensers is updated in the plurality of independently synchronized views by a plurality of price-check services, the price-check services each residing on a different computer, the price-check services running at pre-defined periods and when an item dispenser in the plurality of item dispensers is replenished.