Inventory control system

• US 4,961,533 A
• Filed: 10/30/1989
• Issued: 10/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Constantin Dumba, Otto Friedrich
• Original Assignee: Viac Inc.
• Inventors: Teller, David M., Ong, Lance, Sheryll, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/428,408
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 177/25.19, 177/25.13, 364/403
• US Class Current: 177/25.19
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/06 Mountings or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in or on shop or bar counters shop or bar counters per se A47F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00091 Bar management means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/415 combined with recording means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically determining the weight of a plurality of articles, each of the articles having a surface portion with a unique element thereon, comprises a plurality of assemblies and a computer. Each assembly includes a surface for supporting an article, a transducer in operative contact with the supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an article placed on the supporting surface, and a sensor in operative relationship with an article on the supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the unique element on the surface portion of the article. A computer receives the transducer output signals and the sensor output signals and, for each article on the supporting surfaces, computes the weight of the article based on the transducer output signal and identifies the article based on the sensor output signal. The apparatus is especially useful as an inventory control system for a bar.

Claims

1. Apparatus for automatically determining the weight of a plurality of articles, each of the articles having a surface portion with a unique element thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each including (i) a surface for supporting an article, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an article placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a sensor in operative relationship with an article on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the unique element on the surface portion of the article; and

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each article on said supporting surfaces, for computing the weight of the article based on said transducer output signal and for identifying the article based on said sensor output signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the articles are containers having liquid contents, and said receiving and computing means has stored therein data on the density of the liquid contents and the weight of the empty container and computes the volume of the liquid contents.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said receiving and computing means essentially continuously receives said output signals and, for any appreciable change in the weight of an article, computes the change.

4. An apparatus for automatically determining the volume contents of a plurality of containers, each of the containers having a surface portion with a unique element thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each comprising (i) a surface for supporting a container, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of a container placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a sensor in operative iu relationship with a container on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the unique element on the surface portion of the container; and

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each container 5 on said supporting surface, for computing the volume of the contents of each container based on said transducer output signal, and for identifying the container based on said sensor output signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the containers have liquid contents, and said receiving and computing means has stored therein data on the density of the liquid contents and the weight of the empty container and computes the volume of the liquid contents.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said receiving and computing means essentially continuously receives said output signals and, for any appreciable change in the weight of an article, computes the change.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said sensor comprises a light sensor, said unique element comprises a light reflector, and said output signal from sensor is an electrical signal indicative of the light reflected by said unique element.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of weight sensing means in the vicinity of said plurality of assemblies, each weight sensing means comprising a transducer for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an article placed thereon, and means for receiving said output signals from said weight sensing pads for determining whether or not an article has been placed thereon

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computing means for determining which weight sensing means in said plurality of weight sensing means is producing an output signal indicating that an article is placed thereon.

10. Apparatus for monitoring the sale of articles including inventory item components and detecting discrepancies between the article identified as sold and the inventory item components actually depleted from inventory, comprising:

(A) storage means associating with each article for sale, its name, the price thereof, the inventory item component or components thereof, and the quantity of each inventory item component in the article;

(B) entry means for entering data representing each article sold;

(C) print means for printing a statement including indicia identifying the article sold as entered in each entry means by its name and the price thereof as associated in said storage means with the article sold;

(D) display means for displaying data representing inventory item components and the quantities thereof actually depleted from inventory; and

(E) decrementing means for decrementing from the data represented on said display means the inventory item components and quantities thereof associated in said storage means with the articles represented by the article sold data entered on said entry means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said articles are beverages.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said entry means is a keyboard.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 additionally including means for signalling when the data displayed on said display means remains over a predetermined period of time.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said entry means includes means for entering data representing the names of the articles sold and the number thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said display means additionally displays the locations from which and the times at which the inventory item components were taken.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 including means for automatically determining the weight of a plurality of inventory item components, each of the inventory item components having a surface portion with a unique element thereon, said weight determining means comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each including (i) a surface for supporting an inventory item component, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an inventory item component placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a sensor in operative relationship with an inventory item component on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the unique element on the surface portion of the inventory item component; and

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each inventory item component on said supporting surfaces, for computing the weight of the inventory item component based on said transducer output signal and for identifying the inventory item component based on said sensor output signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 additionally including means for essentially continuously receiving said output signals and, for any appreciable change in the weight of an inventory item component, computing the quantity actually depleted from inventory and communicating to said display means data representing the inventory item component and the quantity thereof actually depleted rom inventory.

16. Apparatus for monitoring the sale of articles including inventory item components and detecting discrepancies between the articles identified as sold and the inventory item components actually depleted from inventory, comprising:

(A) storage means associating with each article for sale, its name, the price thereof, the inventory item component or components thereof, and the quantity of each inventory item component in the article;

(B) entry mans for entering data representing each article sold by the name and number of the article;

(C) print means for printing a statement including indicia identifying the article sold as entered in said entry means by its name and the price thereof as associated in said storage means with the article sold;

(D) display means for displaying data representing inventory item components, and the quantities thereof actually depleted from inventory, the locations from which they were taken, and the times at which they were taken;

(E) decrementing means for decrementing from the data represented on said display means the inventory item components and quantities thereof associated in said storage means with the articles represented by the article sold data entered on said entry means; and

(F) means for signalling when the data displayed on said display means remains over a predetermined period of time.

19. An apparatus for automatically determining the volume contents of a plurality of containers, each of the containers having a surface portion with a unique light reflecting colored patch thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each comprising (i) a surface for supporting a container, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of a container placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a color sensor in operative relationship with a container on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the light reflected by the colored patch on the surface portion of the container; and

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each container on said supporting surface, for computing the volume of the signal, and for identifying the container based on said sensor output signal.

20. An apparatus for automatically determining the volume contents of a plurality of containers, each of the containers having a surface portion with a unique light reflector thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each defining a volume and comprising (i) a surface for supporting a container, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of a container placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a light sensor disposed within said volume in operative relationship with a container on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the light reflected by the light reflector on the surface portion of the container;

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each container on said supporting surface, for computing the volume of the signal, and for identifying the container based on said sensor output signal; and

(C) a light source disposed in said volume, a first transparent section in said supporting surface for accommodating light transmission from said source to said light reflector, and a second transparent section in said supporting surface for accommodating light transmission from said light reflector to said sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said light reflector is a colored patch and said light sensor is a color sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said light reflector is a colored patch and said light sensor is a color sensor.

22. An apparatus for automatically determining the volume contents of a plurality of containers, each of the containers having a surface portion with a unique element thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each comprising (i) a surface for supporting a container, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of a container placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a sensor in operative relationship with a container on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the unique element on the surface portion of the container;

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each container on said supporting surface, for computing the volume of the contents of each container based on said transducer output signal, and for identifying the container based on said sensor output signal; and

(C) a multiplexing circuit for sequentially scanning the output signals from each enclosure and transmitting the same to said receiving and computing means.

23. Apparatus for automatically determining the weight of a plurality of articles, each of the articles having a surface portion with a unique light reflecting colored patch thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each including (i) a surface for supporting an article, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an article placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a color sensor in operative relationship with an article on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the light reflected by the colored patch on the surface portion of the article; and

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each article on said supporting surface, for computing the weight of the article based on said transducer output signal and for identifying the article based on said sensor output signal.

24. Apparatus for automatically determining the weight of a plurality of articles, each of the articles having a surface portion with a unique light reflector, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each defining a volume and including (i) a surface for supporting an article, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an article placed on said supporting surface, and (iii) a light sensor disposed within said volume in operative relationship with an article on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the light reflected by the light reflector on the surface portion of the article;

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each article on said supporting surfaces, for computing the weight of the article based on said transducer output signal and for identifying the article based on said sensor output signal; and

(C) a light source disposed in said volume, a first transparent section in said supporting surface for accommodating light transmission from said source to said light reflector, and a second transparent section in said supporting surface for accommodating light transmission from said light reflector to said sensor.

26. Apparatus for automatically determining the weight of a plurality of articles, each of the articles having a surface potion with a unique element thereon, comprising:

(A) a plurality of assemblies, each including (i) a surface for supporting an article, (ii) a transducer in operative contact with said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the weight of an article placed on relationship with an article on said supporting surface for producing an output signal indicative of the unique element on the surface portion of the article;

(B) means for receiving said transducer output signals and said sensor output signals and, for each article on said supporting surfaces, for computing the weight of the article based on said transducer output signal and for identifying the article based on said sensor output signal; and

(C) a multiplexing circuit for sequentially scanning the output signals from each enclosure and transmitting the same to said receiving and computing means.