SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING PRODUCT MOVEMENT USING A SENSOR
First Claim
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1. An inventory tracking apparatus comprising:
- one or more sensor pads which comprise one or more sensors, wherein said sensor pads are configured to detect each of a proximity, presence, absence, movement, placement, or removal of an item or a body via a change in sensor capacitance caused by an interaction between said sensor and said item or said sensor and said body respectively;
a controller communicatively connected to said one or more sensor pads; and
a database that receives data from said controller and is configured to generate a signal signature based in part on said change in said sensor capacitance.
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Abstract
The present invention is a system and method for determining product movement using a sensor. Through the interaction of a body or items placed near to or on an array of sensors connected to a circuit board controller, the apparatus is configured to detect a change in capacitance caused by the interaction and thereby associate it with a movement or placement of an item or groups of items. Detection and association of such signals recorded in a database with items displaced in a storage location permits a user to keep track of said items remotely through a computing device.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An inventory tracking apparatus comprising:
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one or more sensor pads which comprise one or more sensors, wherein said sensor pads are configured to detect each of a proximity, presence, absence, movement, placement, or removal of an item or a body via a change in sensor capacitance caused by an interaction between said sensor and said item or said sensor and said body respectively; a controller communicatively connected to said one or more sensor pads; and a database that receives data from said controller and is configured to generate a signal signature based in part on said change in said sensor capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of inventory tracking comprising the steps of:
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detecting a capacitance change when an item is placed or moved on a sensor pad, when a body comes in proximity to said sensor pad, moves relative to said sensor pad after having come in proximity to said sensor pad, or interacts with an item located on or in proximity to said sensor pad; generating a signal signature representative of and based at least in part on said capacitance change; and tracking a movement of said item or said body respectively based in part on a respective change in said item'"'"'s or said body'"'"'s location indicated by said signal signature. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of inventory tracking comprising the steps of:
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detecting a capacitance change when an item is placed or moved on a sensor pad, when a body comes in proximity to said sensor pad, moves relative to said sensor pad after having come in proximity to said sensor pad, or interacts with an item located on or in proximity to said sensor pad; generating a signal signature representative of and based at least in part on said capacitance change; and tracking a movement of said item or said body respectively based in part on a change in said item'"'"'s or said body'"'"'s location respectively indicated by said signal signature; wherein the steps are performed at least in part by an apparatus comprising; one or more sensor pads which comprise one or more sensors configured to operate as part of a ground circuit when inactive, wherein said sensor pads are configured to detect each of a proximity, presence, absence, movement, placement, or removal of an item or a body via a change in sensor capacitance caused by an interaction between said sensor and said item or said sensor and said body respectively; a controller communicatively connected to said one or more sensor pads; and a database that receives data from said controller and is configured to generate a signal signature based in part on said change in said sensor capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification