STORAGE CONTAINER WITH INVENTORY CONTROL

• US 20140297487A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3 Strike LLC
• Original Assignee: 3 Strike LLC
• Inventors: BASHKIN, LEONARD M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/02 Shelves movable shelves coupled to doors A47B96/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/02 for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets A47F10/06 takes precedence; hand-carts B62B; baskets B65D
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/46 for drawers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/462 for two or more drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods of the invention relate to managing an inventory of items within a storage container. A storage container can house one or more items for distribution among one or more users such as, for instance, employees. The storage container discussed herein provides authentication of a user, tracking of the inventory each user removes or returns, video/image capture of user during access of the storage container, wireless tracking of items housed within the storage container, among others.

Claims

1. An inventory system, comprising:

a storage container that houses a first item and a second item, wherein the first item includes a first amount and a second item includes a second amount;

a verification component that is configured to receive a portion of data from a user;

a lock mechanism for the storage container that secures an access thereto based upon the portion of data from the user;

a lock signal indicating a locked status or an unlocked status of the storage container;

a motion sensor that provides a motion signal based on detected motion in proximity to the storage container;

a camera system that comprises;

a first camera focused on the user and energized in response to the motion signal, the first camera is unpowered in the absence of a motion signal with the container in the locked status;

a second camera focused on at least the first item and energized in response to the container in the unlocked status, the second camera is unpowered with the container in the locked status; and

a third camera focused on the second item and energized in response to the container in the unlocked status, the third camera is unpowered with the container in the locked status;

a controller component that is configured to record media from the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera upon verification of the portion of data from the user; and

a scanning device that provides a scan of a portion of the first item or a portion of the second item to indicate a removal from the storage container,

the controller component monitors at least one of the first amount of the first item or the second amount of the second item based on at least one of the scan or recorded media, and

the controller component stores at least one of the portion of data, the scan, or the recorded media.

2. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the portion of data is at least one of a biometric data of the user, a barcode, an identification badge, a number, a code, a face detection of the user, a fingerprint of the user, or a wireless communication from the user.

5. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

a scale system that measures a weight associated with at least one of the first item or the second item to determine at least one of the first amount or the second amount; and

a signal representing the at least one of the first amount or the second amount that is transmitted after the weight remains stable for a preset time.

6. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display component configured to locally display a status of the storage container, the first item, or the second item; and

a notification component that is configured to communicate a notification via a network based upon the status of the storage container, the first item, or the second item.

7. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

the scanning device provides a scan of a portion of the first item or a portion of the second item to indicate a return to the storage container;

wherein the controller component is further configured to monitor the return of at least one of the first item or the second item.

9. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising a fourth camera of the camera system, the fourth camera focuses on an area inside the storage container distinct from that of the first item and the second item.

10. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the controller component is further configured to provide an estimation of consumption for at least one of the first item or the second item based upon collected historical data related to removal of the first item or the second item from the storage container.

21. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first shelf at a first location of the storage container supporting at least the first item; and

a second shelf at a second location of the storage container supporting at least the second item,

wherein the second camera provides a view of at least a portion of the first shelf, and

wherein the third camera provides a view of at least a portion of the second shelf.

22. The inventory system of claim 6, wherein the status indicates the first item is exhausted, and wherein the display component further displays an alternative location where the first item is in inventory.

23. The inventory system of claim 6, wherein the display component further displays usage patterns associated with at least one user of the storage container.

24. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising a remote access component that provides remote control of at least one of the verification component, the lock mechanism, the camera system, the controller component, or the scanning device.

25. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising a security sector that securely isolates the first item from the second item in the storage container, the security sector is unsecured based at least in part upon verification distinct from the portion of data from the user.

26. The inventory system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first door of the access to the storage container;

a second door of an access to the storage container; and

a partition dividing the storage container into a first item portion and a second item portion, the first door and the partition isolate the first item portion, the second door and the partition isolate the second item portion;

the lock mechanism selectively locks and unlocks one or both of the first door and the second door based upon the portion of data from the user.

27. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the verification component, the lock mechanism, the controller component, or the scanning device is selectively powered based on the motion signal.

29. The inventory system of claim 5, wherein the scale system is energized based on weight added to or removed from the scale system.

30. The inventory system of claim 21, wherein the first shelf at the first location is outside of a field of view of the third camera, and wherein the second shelf at the second location is outside a field of view of the second camera.

31. The inventory system of claim 6, wherein the display component further displays information related to a shelf life of at least one of the first item or the second item.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A system, comprising:

means for retaining an inventory in an enclosure;

means for detecting activity related to the system;

means for verifying a user requesting the inventory with a user verification;

means for permitting access to the inventory within the enclosure based on the user verification;

means for capturing an image related to the user;

means for capturing an image related to the inventory;

means for determining removal of at least a portion of the inventory;

means for recording removal of at least the portion of the inventory of the inventory in a data; and

means for selectively energizing one or more of the means for verifying the user, the means for permitting access, the means for capturing an image related to the user, the means for capturing an image related to the inventory, the means for determining removal, and means for recording removal based at least in part on the detected activity.

32. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for indicating exhaustion of the first item; and

means for displaying an alternative location where the first item is in inventory.

28. An inventory system, comprising:

a storage container that houses a first item and a second item, wherein the first item includes a first amount and a second item includes a second amount;

the storage container further includes;

a first shelf at a first location of the storage container supporting at least the first item; and

a second shelf at a second location of the storage container supporting at least the second item;

a verification component that is configured to receive a portion of data from a user;

a lock mechanism for the storage container that secures an access thereto based upon the portion of data from the user;

a camera component including one or more cameras that are selectively energized and de-energized based on activity within one or more fields of view respectively associated with the one or more cameras;

a scale component that measures a weight associated with at least one of the first item or the second item to determine at least one of the first amount or the second amount, wherein a signal representing the at least one of the first amount or the second amount is transmitted after the weight remains stable for a preset time;

a inventory control component that is configured to monitor at least one of the first amount of the first item or the second amount of the second item based on at least the weight and the preset time; and

a data storage component to store at least one of imagery from the camera component and data from the inventory control component.