SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESIDUAL INVENTORY MANAGEMENT WITH MOBILE MODULAR DISPLAYS

• US 20180189725A1
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Published: 07/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Granted Patent: US 10,552,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/02 Storage devices furniture A47B; shop fittings A47F
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/10 with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/048 Advertisement panels on sides, front or back of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for managing residual mobile display inventory. A system for managing a store inventory comprises a plurality of mobile modular displays, a mobile modular display inventory database, and a control circuit coupled to the mobile modular display inventory database and configured to: track, in the mobile modular display inventory database, inventory levels of mobile modular displays in a store location, detect a modular display replacement condition, cause a replacement mobile modular display to be deployed to replace the at least one mobile modular display on at a sales floor of the store location in response to detecting the modular display replacement condition, and determine a residual handling instruction selected from a plurality of residual handling methods for the residual products, and communicate the residual handling instruction to a user interface device.

Claims

1. A system for managing a store inventory of a store with mobile displays comprising:

a plurality of mobile modular displays each comprising a product sensor and configured to be stocked with a plurality of types of products in a plurality of shelf spaces at a stocking location by an automated stocking system, transport the plurality of types of products to a store location, and display the plurality of types of products at the store location;

a mobile modular display inventory database; and

a control circuit coupled to the mobile modular display inventory database and configured to;

track, with product sensors on mobile modular displays and in the mobile modular display inventory database, inventory levels of the mobile modular displays in the store location;

detect a modular display replacement condition for at least one mobile modular display based on the inventory levels of the mobile modular displays at the store location stored in the mobile modular display inventory database;

cause a replacement mobile modular display to be deployed to replace the at least one mobile modular display on at a sales floor of the store location in response to detecting the modular display replacement condition;

in an event that residual products remain on the at least one mobile modular display being replaced on the sales floor, determine a residual handling instruction selected from a plurality of residual handling methods for the residual products; and

communicate the residual handling instruction to automated units at the store location to handle the residual products.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the residual handling instruction is selected based on one or more of:

residual product type, residual product quantity, residual product condition, residual product sales history, products displayed on other mobile modular displays at the store location, and products assigned to be transported to the store location with the replacement mobile modular display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises returning the residual products to a mobile modular display stocking center with the at least one mobile modular display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises relocating the residual products to another modular display at the store location prior to returning the at least one mobile modular display to a mobile modular display stocking center.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises moving the at least one mobile modular display to a backroom storage area at the store location and using the residual products to restock other mobile modular displays on the sales floor of the store location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises moving the residual products to the replacement mobile modular display when the replacement mobile modular display arrives at the store location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to select a plurality of products to stock the replacement mobile modular display and leave room for the residual products on shelve spaces of the replacement mobile modular display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inventory levels are tracked by one or more product sensors on one or more of the mobile modular displays and/or a point of sales system of the store location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more product sensors comprises one or more of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, an optical sensor, an optical light curtain, a weight sensor, and a mechanical pusher device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the modular display replacement condition comprises one or more:

an quantity of one or more products on the at least one mobile modular display falling below a threshold, an quantity of all products on the at least one mobile modular display falling below a threshold, and a sales rate of one or more products on the at least one mobile modular display falling below a threshold.

11. A method for managing a store inventory of a store with mobile displays comprising:

tracking, with a control circuit, statuses of a plurality of mobile modular displays each comprising a product sensor and configured to be stocked with a plurality of types of products in a plurality of shelf spaces at a stocking location by an automated stocking system, transport the plurality of types of products to a store location, and display the plurality of types of products at the store location;

tracking, with product sensors on mobile modular displays and in a mobile modular display inventory database, inventory levels of the mobile modular displays in the store location;

detecting, with the control circuit, a modular display replacement condition for at least one mobile modular display based on the inventory levels of the mobile modular displays at the store location stored in the mobile modular display inventory database;

causing a replacement mobile modular display to be deployed to replace the at least one mobile modular display on at a sales floor of the store location in response to detecting the modular display replacement condition;

in an event that residual products remain on the at least one mobile modular display being replaced on the sales floor, determining, with the control circuit, a residual handling instruction selected from a plurality of residual handling methods for the residual products; and

communicating the residual handling instruction to automated units at the store location to handle the residual products.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual handling instruction is selected based on one or more of:

residual product type, residual product quantity, residual product condition, residual product sales history, products displayed on other mobile modular displays at the store location, and products assigned to be transported to the store location with the replacement mobile modular display.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises returning the residual products to a mobile modular display stocking center with the at least one mobile modular display.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises relocating the residual products to another modular display at the store location prior to returning the at least one mobile modular display to a mobile modular display stocking center.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises moving the at least one mobile modular display to a backroom storage area at the store location and using the residual products to restock other mobile modular displays on the sales floor of the store location.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual handling instruction comprises moving the residual products to the replacement mobile modular display when the replacement mobile modular display arrives at the store location.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of products to stock the replacement mobile modular display and leave room for the residual products on shelve spaces of the replacement mobile modular display.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the inventory levels are tracked by one or more product sensors on one or more of the mobile modular displays and/or a point of sales system of the store location.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the modular display replacement condition comprises one or more:

an quantity of one or more products on the at least one mobile modular display falling below a threshold, an quantity of all products on the at least one mobile modular display falling below a threshold, and a sales rate of one or more products on the at least one mobile modular display falling below a threshold.

20. An apparatus for managing a store inventory of a store with mobile displays, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions; and

a control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which causes to the control circuit to;

track statuses of a plurality of mobile modular displays each comprising a product sensor and configured to be stocked with a plurality of types of products in a plurality of shelf spaces at a stocking location by an automated stocking system, transport the plurality of types of products to a store location, and display the plurality of types of products at the store location;

track, with product sensors on mobile modular displays and in a mobile modular display inventory database, inventory levels on the mobile modular displays in the store location;

detect a modular display replacement condition for at least one mobile modular display based on the inventory levels of the mobile modular displays at the store location stored in the mobile modular display inventory database;

cause a replacement mobile modular display to be deployed to replace the at least one mobile modular display on at a sales floor of the store location in response to detecting the modular display replacement condition;

in an event that residual products remain on the at least one mobile modular display being replaced on the sales floor, determine a residual handling instruction selected from a plurality of residual handling methods for the residual products; and

communicate the residual handling instruction to automated units at the store location to handle the residual products.