INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130144757A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bauer, Donald G., Campero, Richard J., Rasband, Paul B., Weel, Martin D.
• Application Number:
  US13/658,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144757A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with certain aspects related to the present invention collect item information from RFID tags attached to items in an inventory, and uses the collected item information to perform various inventory management processes. In one aspect, the inventory management processes may include determining, reporting, and/or providing corrective actions for one or more events associated with at least one of depletions of items in the inventory, changes in the design of items in the inventory, defects with one or more items, misplaced items, the movement of an unusual number of items within a short period of time (i.e., shrinkage), and malfunctions of one or more components included in the environment.

Claims

1. A method of providing inventory information in an environment including an inventory of items each positioned within a respective location within an environment and is associated with a corresponding wireless identification device, and an inventory monitoring process that periodically performs an inventory count of the items in the environment by retrieving item information from each wireless identification device associated with each item and storing the retrieved information in a database, the method comprising:

receiving from a user a request for an availability of an item within the environment;

searching the item information within the database to determine whether the requested item is available in the environment; and

providing an indication reflecting a result of the search.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request includes:

receiving the request at a first processing device associated with the environment, wherein a user interfaces with a second processing device to create the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second processing device is a computer system operated by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request is received from a network connected to the first and second processing devices.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the request is sent to the first processing device over the Internet.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the second processing device is a kiosk computer device located within the environment.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first processing device is located within the environment.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the first processing device is located outside the environment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first processing device forwards the request to a third processing device located in the environment that performs the searching step.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication includes at least one of an indication that the item is available in the environment, an indication that the item is not available in the environment, an offer for a discount on a sale price of the item, an offer for a discount on a sale price of an alternative item, and an indication reflecting one or more alternative environments that the item is available.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication reflecting one or more alternative environments includes directions to the one or more alternative environments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the indication includes providing a message displayed on a display device mounted in proximity of the item'"'"'s respective location in the environment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the message includes at least one of an indication that the item is not available in the environment, an offer for a discount on a sale price of the item, an indication reflecting one or more alternative environments that the item is available, and directions to the one or more alternative environments.

14. A system for providing inventory information in an environment including an inventory of items each positioned within a respective location within an environment and is associated with a corresponding wireless identification device, and an inventory monitoring process that periodically performs an inventory count of the items in the environment by retrieving item information from each wireless identification device associated with each item and storing the retrieved information in a database, the system comprising:

means for receiving from a user a request for an availability of an item within the environment;

means for searching the item information within the database to determine whether the requested item is available in the environment; and

means for providing an indication reflecting a result of the search.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving the request includes:

means for receiving the request at a first processing device associated with the environment, wherein a user interfaces with a second processing device to create the request.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second processing device is a computer system operated by the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the request is received from a network connected to the first and second processing devices.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the request is sent to the first processing device over the Internet.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the second processing device is a kiosk computer device located within the environment.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first processing device is located within the environment.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the first processing device is located outside the environment.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first processing device forwards the request to a third processing device located in the environment that performs the searching step.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the indication includes at least one of an indication that the item is available in the environment, an indication that the item is not available in the environment, an offer for a discount on a sale price of the item, an offer for a discount on a sale price of an alternative item, and an indication reflecting one or more alternative environments that the item is available.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the indication reflecting one or more alternative environments includes directions to the one or more alternative environments.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for providing the indication includes providing a message displayed on a display device mounted in proximity of the item'"'"'s respective location in the environment.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the message includes at least one of an indication that the item is not available in the environment, an offer for a discount on a sale price of the item, an indication reflecting one or more alternative environments that the item is available, and a directions to the one or more alternative environments.

27. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for providing inventory information in an environment including an inventory of items each positioned within a respective location within an environment and is associated with a corresponding wireless identification device, and an inventory monitoring process that periodically performs an inventory count of the items in the environment by retrieving item information from each wireless identification device associated with each item and storing the retrieved information in a database, the method comprising:

receiving from a user a request for an availability of an item within the environment;

searching the item information within the database to determine whether the requested item is available in the environment; and

providing an indication reflecting a result of the search.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein receiving the request includes:

receiving the request at a first processing device associated with the environment, wherein a user interfaces with a second processing device to create the request.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the second processing device is a computer system operated by the user.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the request is received from a network connected to the first and second processing devices.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the request is sent to the first processing device over the Internet.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the second processing device is a kiosk computer device located within the environment.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first processing device is located within the environment.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first processing device is located outside the environment.

168. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the first processing device forwards the request to a third processing device located in the environment that performs the searching step.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the indication includes at least one of an indication that the item is available in the environment, an indication that the item is not available in the environment, an offer for a discount on a sale price of the item, an offer for a discount on a sale price of an alternative item, and an indication reflecting one or more alternative environments that the item is available.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the indication reflecting one or more alternative environments includes directions to the one or more alternative environments.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein providing the indication includes providing a message displayed on a display device mounted in proximity of the item'"'"'s respective location in the environment.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the message includes at least one of an indication that the item is not available in the environment, an offer for a discount on a sale price of the item, an indication reflecting one or more alternative environments that the item is available, and directions to the one or more alternative environments.