System for Inventory Management

• US 20160132823A1
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Costello, Patrick, Swafford, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,339,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods related to sensor-equipped display management systems. In one aspect, the systems and methods may be utilized to calculate a number of products removed from a display management system based upon motion of one or more mechanisms within the display management system. In another aspect, the systems and methods may be utilized to detect patterns from the sensor data, which may be indicative of attempted theft of products stored within the display management system.

Claims

1. A display management system comprising:

a mechanism configured to move upon removal of one or more display products from the display management system;

a sensor device configured to output motion data responsive to a motion of the mechanism;

a control circuit, configured to receive the motion data, wherein the control circuit, in response to the received motion data exceeding a threshold value, is further configured to communicate the received motion data to a remote processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by the remote processor cause the remote processor to perform at least;

calculate, from the motion data, a current position of the mechanism; and

calculate, based on the position of the mechanism, a number of products removed from the display management system.

2. The display management system of claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a pusher of a pusher assembly, the pusher assembly further comprising:

a front rail, the front rail configured to be removably-coupled to a display surface with a front rail length of the front rail parallel to a front edge of the display surface;

a divider, the divider having a front end configured to be removably-coupled to the front rail, a back end, and a floor structure spaced between the front end and the back end along a divider length;

a coiled spring, the coiled spring having a first end coupled to the front end of the divider and a second end coupled to the pusher, wherein the coiled spring is configured to urge the pusher from the back end of the divider to the front end of the divider along the divider length.

3. The display management system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor further comprising a capacitive circuit board configured to be positioned along the floor structure, wherein a signal output of the capacitive sensor is indicative of a position of the pusher on the floor structure.

4. The display management system of claim 3, wherein the signal output from the capacitive sensor is proportional to a capacitance value based upon an uncoiled length of the coiled spring along the capacitive circuit board.

5. The display management system of claim 1, wherein communication between the control circuit and the remote processor is via a wireless network.

6. The display management system of claim 5, wherein the wireless network utilizes an industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio band.

7. The display management system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by the remote processor further cause the remote processor to:

compare a previous position of the mechanism to the current position; and

calculate, based on the comparison of the previous position to the current position, a depth of a product displayed in the display management system.

8. The display management system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by the remote processor further cause the remote processor to:

receive, in response to the motion data exceeding the threshold value, sensor data from a second sensor.

9. The display management system of claim 8, wherein the second sensor is a camera.

10. The display management system of claim 8, wherein the second sensor is a transceiver, and

wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by the remote processor further cause the remote processor to:

receive, via the transceiver, one or more pieces of biographic information from a mobile device carried by a person removing the one or more display products from the display management system.

11. A display management system comprising:

a mechanism configured to move upon removal of one or more display products from the display management system;

a sensor device configured to output motion data responsive to a motion of the mechanism;

a transmitter circuit, configured to transmit the motion data to a remote processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by the remote processor cause the remote processor to perform at least;

calculate, from the motion data, a current position of the mechanism; and

calculate, from the motion data, a product removal pattern from the display management system.

12. The display management system of claim 11, wherein the calculation of the product removal pattern further comprises an estimation of a number of products being removed from the display management system.

13. The display management system of claim 12, wherein if the calculation of the product removal pattern estimates that the number of products being removed is above a removal rate threshold, the computer-executable instructions further cause the remote processor to perform at least:

identifying the product removal pattern as a potential attempted theft.

14. The display management system of claim 11, wherein the mechanism is a flip window.

15. The display management system of claim 11, wherein the mechanism is a spiral rail.

16. The display management system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

17. The display management system of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by the remote processor further cause the remote processor to:

automatically determine a zeroed position of the mechanism after removal a predetermined number of products from the display management system.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor are configured to perform at least:

receive sensor data from a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of display management systems;

calculate, from the received sensor data, a number of products removed from the plurality of display management systems; and

detect, based on a the number of products removed from the plurality of display management systems, a product removal pattern.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform at least:

determine that the detected product removal pattern likely represents an attempted theft of one or more products from the plurality of display management systems; and

communicate an alert message.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the product removal pattern is detected based on a rate of removal of one or more products from the plurality of display management systems.

21. A display management system comprising:

a support structure having an upper rail coupled to a lower rail at a first end,

wherein the support structure is configured to be removably coupled to a surface at the first end, and wherein the lower rail is configured to support a hanging product that is added to, and removed from, the lower rail at a second end of the lower rail;

a label holder pivotably coupled to a second end of the upper rail, wherein the label holder is configured to pivot between a closed position and an open position, the label holder further comprising;

a display plate having a front surface configured to receive a display label, and a back surface; and

an arm structure coupled to the back surface of the display plate, wherein the arm structure is configured to prevent more than one product from being added to, or removed from, the lower rail each time the label holder is pivoted from the closed position to the open position.

22. The display management system of claim 21, further comprising:

a label holder rotation sensor device in operative communication with a sensor, and having a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform at least;

receive motion data from the sensor;

detect, from the received data, a motion of the label holder; and

output a signal indicating that the label holder has moved.

23. The display management system of claim 22, wherein when in the closed position, the label holder abuts the second end of the lower rail to form a closed electrical circuit.

24. The display management system of claim 23, wherein the label holder rotation sensor device outputs data indicative of an electrical current through the closed electrical circuit.

25. The display management system of claim 22, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

26. The display management system of claim 22, wherein the sensor is a product contact sensor coupled to the arm structure.

27. The display management system of claim 26, wherein the product contact sensor is configured to contact the product to predict when product is being added to, and removed from the lower rail.

28. The display management system of claim 21, wherein the label holder further comprises an opening configured to receive the second end of the lower rail when in the closed position.

29. The display management system of claim 21, wherein the label holder is urged into the closed position by the force of gravity.

30. The display management system of claim 22, further comprising a transceiver, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

communicate the output signal to a remote processor.

31. The display management system of claim 22, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive sensor.

32. A display management system comprising:

a support structure having an upper rail coupled to a lower rail at a first end, wherein the support structure is configured to be removably-coupled to a surface at the first end, and wherein the lower rail is configured to support a hanging product that is added to, and removed from, the lower rail at a second end of the lower rail;

a label holder pivotably-coupled to a second end of the upper rail, wherein the label holder is configured to pivot between a closed position and an open position, the label holder further comprising;

a display plate having a front surface configured to receive a display label, and a back surface;

a sensor device comprising one of a label holder rotation sensor, label holder contact sensor, or product sensor.

33. The display management system of claim 32, wherein the sensor device is a label holder contact sensor configured to detect contact between the label holder and either the upper rail or the lower rail.

34. The display management system of claim 33, wherein the label holder contact sensor assists in predicting when a potential theft is occurring.

35. The display management system of claim 33 further comprising a second label holder contact sensor configured to engage the other of the upper rail or the lower rail and wherein the label holder sensor and the second label holder sensor completes an electrical circuit such that an electrical current can pass through the upper rail and the lower rail.

36. The display management system of claim 32, wherein the sensor device is configured to predict a product removal pattern.

37. The display management system of claim 32, further comprising a label holder rotation sensor and wherein the sensor device is a product sensor and wherein the product sensor together with the label holder rotation sensor are configured to detect a product-removal event, a non-removal event, and a product-stocking event.

38. The display management system of claim 37, wherein the sensor is a label holder rotation sensor and wherein the label holder rotation sensor measures the angular movement of the label holder.

39. The display management system of claim 38, wherein the label rotation sensor predicts a product removal pattern from the display management system.

40. The display management system of claim 32, further comprising an arm structure coupled to the back surface of the display plate, wherein the arm structure is configured to prevent more than one product from being added to, or removed or removed from, the lower rail each time the label holder is pivoted from the closed position to the open position

41. The display management system of claim 32, wherein the label holder further comprises an opening configured to receive the second end of the lower rail when in the closed position.