Stock Aware Shelves

• US 20140172649A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Cancro, Richard Neil, Acker, Joel Bennett Jr., Pedley, Douglas James
• Application Number:
  US13/715,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172649A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for sending a request from a display apparatus server to a computing device corresponding to a retailer includes detecting a quantity of a selected item currently stocked at a display apparatus furnished within a facility of the retailer, the selected item indicating a product being offered for sale by the retailer. When the detected quantity of the selected item is less than a threshold, a request notification is generated to replenish the display apparatus with the selected item. The request notification is transmitted to the computing device corresponding to the retailer.

Claims

1. At a computer system monitoring a retail display, a method for requesting restocking of the retail display, comprising:

receiving communication from an item information database, the communication indicating a type of item that has been selected to be offered for sale at the retail display, the communication including item information for the selected item type, the item information including a per item weight for items of the selected item type;

receiving RFID labels for each of a plurality of items stocked at the retail display;

detecting that there are no misplaced items at the retail display based on the received RFID labels by detecting that each of the received RFID labels correspond to an item of the selected item type;

receiving a total weight of items at the retailer display from a scale;

estimating a quantity of items of the selected item type currently stocked at the retail display based on the per item weight and the total weight;

determining that the estimated quantity of items is less than a threshold; and

transmitting a restocking notification to restock the retail display to another computer system in response to the determination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is stored in the display preferences being indicative of the selected item explicitly preferred by the retailer for being stocked at the retail display.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the restocking notification comprises a restocking request notification being indicative of a required quantity of the selected item needed to fulfill the desired quantity of the selected item stocked at the display apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the restocking notification includes a time factor indicating a period of time that fulfilling the desired quantity of the selected item stocked at the display apparatus must be completed within.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retail display information that includes location specific information indicating a specific section of a facility wherein the retail display is located, wherein the generated request notification further includes the specific section of the facility.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the item information to a display monitor at the retail display; and

displaying the item information upon the display monitor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the item information includes information indicative of a description of the selected item, customer reviews of the selected item and current promotions being offered by the retailer related to the selected item.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting a restocking notification comprises transmitting a restocking notification to one of:

a mobile computing device corresponding to a facility attendant of the retailer and a stationary computing device corresponding to a specific section of the facility.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the retail display is selected from the group consisting of:

a shelf apparatus and a garment rack apparatus.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

13. At a computer system for a retailer, the computer system including a detection module and notification module comprising:

a processor;

system memory;

the computer system configured to receive communication from an item information database, the communication indicating a type of item that has been selected to be offered for sale at a retail display, the communication including item information for the selected item type, the item information including a per item weight for items of the selected item type;

the detection module configured to;

receive RFID labels for each of a plurality of items stocked at the retail display;

detect that there are no misplaced items at the retail display based on the received RFID labels by detecting that each of the received RFID labels correspond to an item of the selected item type;

receive a total weight of items at the retailer display from a scale;

estimate a quantity of items of the selected item type currently stocked at the retail display based on the per item weight and the total weight; and

determine that the estimated quantity of items is less than a threshold; and

the notification module configured to transmit a restocking notification to restock the retail display to another computer system in response to the determination.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the threshold is stored in display preferences being indicative of the selected item explicitly preferred by the retailer for being stocked at the retail display.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the restocking notification comprises a restocking request notification being indicative of a required quantity of the selected item needed to fulfill the desired quantity of the selected item stocked at the display apparatus.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the restocking notification includes a time factor indicating a period of time that fulfilling the desired quantity of the selected item stocked at the display apparatus must be completed within.

19. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising retail display information for a plurality of retail displays that includes location specific information indicating a specific section of a facility where each retail display apparatus is located.

22. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the item information includes customer reviews of the selected item and current promotions being offered by the retailer related to the selected item.

23. The computer system of claim 13, wherein transmitting a restocking notification comprises transmitting a restock notification to one of:

a facility attendant of the retailer and a stationary computing device corresponding to a specific section of the facility.

24. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the retail display is selected from the group consisting of:

a shelf apparatus and a garment rack apparatus.

14. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)