On-Shelf Tracking System
First Claim
1. A system to be installed on a merchandising unit comprising:
- One or more inventory zones, where within the inventory zones, the inventory zones present one or more units of product in one or more of the following arrangements;
the one or more units of product arranged in a container in a geometric pattern of one or more layers deep,the one or more units of product arranged loosely in a container, orthe one or more units of product each hanging from a peg hook;
One or more product sensors, each at least associated operatively with one of the one or more inventory zones, that convert a sensed quantity of the one or more units of product into a respective analog electromagnetic signal;
A mounting structure that secures the one or more product sensors to the merchandising unit relative to the one or more units of product so that the one or more product sensors sense a quantity of the one or more units of product;
An electromagnetic signal processor in communication with the one or more product sensors that samples output from the one or more product sensors periodically and converts the analog signal into a digital signal;
self-calibration system in communication with the electromagnetic signal processor that detects background variability of the analog electromagnetic signal and therefrom establishes an activity threshold for each of the one or more product sensors, wherein the activity threshold is a configurable multiple of the background variability, and wherein the activity threshold represents sensitivity of the associated product sensor; and
A pickup-event detection system that determines an initiation of an inventory event at one of the one or more inventory zones when variability of the respective analog signal exceeds the activity threshold, where the pickup-event detection system suspends self-calibration during the inventory event, where the pickup-event detection system identifies one or more other product sensors contributing to signaling the inventory event prior to completion of the inventory event, and where the pickup-event detection system determines termination of the inventory event when the variability of each of the respective analog electromagnetic signals has returned below the activity threshold of each of the contributing product sensors.
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Abstract
A system to be installed on a merchandising unit having one or more inventory zones, one or more units of product, one or more product sensors, a mounting structure, and an electromagnetic signal processor. The one or more product sensors, each at least associated operatively with one of the one or more inventory zones, converts a sensed quantity of the one or more units of product into a respective analog electromagnetic signal. The mounting structure secures the one or more product sensors to the merchandising unit. The electromagnetic signal processor in communication with the one or more product sensors can sample output from the one or more product sensors.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system to be installed on a merchandising unit comprising:
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One or more inventory zones, where within the inventory zones, the inventory zones present one or more units of product in one or more of the following arrangements; the one or more units of product arranged in a container in a geometric pattern of one or more layers deep, the one or more units of product arranged loosely in a container, or the one or more units of product each hanging from a peg hook; One or more product sensors, each at least associated operatively with one of the one or more inventory zones, that convert a sensed quantity of the one or more units of product into a respective analog electromagnetic signal; A mounting structure that secures the one or more product sensors to the merchandising unit relative to the one or more units of product so that the one or more product sensors sense a quantity of the one or more units of product; An electromagnetic signal processor in communication with the one or more product sensors that samples output from the one or more product sensors periodically and converts the analog signal into a digital signal;
self-calibration system in communication with the electromagnetic signal processor that detects background variability of the analog electromagnetic signal and therefrom establishes an activity threshold for each of the one or more product sensors, wherein the activity threshold is a configurable multiple of the background variability, and wherein the activity threshold represents sensitivity of the associated product sensor; andA pickup-event detection system that determines an initiation of an inventory event at one of the one or more inventory zones when variability of the respective analog signal exceeds the activity threshold, where the pickup-event detection system suspends self-calibration during the inventory event, where the pickup-event detection system identifies one or more other product sensors contributing to signaling the inventory event prior to completion of the inventory event, and where the pickup-event detection system determines termination of the inventory event when the variability of each of the respective analog electromagnetic signals has returned below the activity threshold of each of the contributing product sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification