Materials monitoring systems, materials management systems and related methods
First Claim
1. A materials monitoring system comprising:
- a) a traffic-sensing electronic product-storage unit having;
i) a storage volume to store multiple materials product items arranged in side-by-side relationship;
ii) a storage volume defining surface to extend along said side-by-side multiple product items when stored, said stored product items each having a spatial form projecting an outline onto said storage volume defining surface; and
iii) an item activity-sensing subsystem continually to monitor the product items in the storage volume and produce a stored item activity output, said item activity-sensing subsystem including a sensing grid comprising an array of product item sensors distributed in relation to said storage volume defining surface so that each projected outline of a product item on the storage volume surface includes multiple sensors, each said sensor being responsive to the presence of a product item positioned in occluding relationship with the sensor to provide a sensor output, said multiple sensors providing sensor output pattern data indicative of said product item projected outline and useful for determining stored item activity; and
b) a data-processing subsystem to process said sensor output pattern data for said multiple product items and generate product item activity information including product item withdrawal information;
whereby said materials monitoring system can automatically generate a product traffic report, including withdrawals of product items from said storage volume as said withdrawals are made.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inventory monitoring system which is operative at a point of storage automatically to sense the presence and number of materials or product items stored in a storage volume generating a logical inventory map of the storage volume so that time-related mappings can be compared to detect item receipts and withdrawals. Preferred embodiments employ a novel electronic shelf unit equipped with a sensing grid or array of sensors that detect items supported on the shelf optically, or by pressure transducers or the like. Inventory information can be collected from multiple shelves and relayed to remote vendors or local computer systems for billing and reordering using infrared transceivers for communication between the shelves. A novel shelf supervisory unit has a modem to communicate remotely via the phone lines and an onboard processor to manage communications. The system has particular application to consignment marketing of surgical and medical supplies in medical suites.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A materials monitoring system comprising:
-
a) a traffic-sensing electronic product-storage unit having; i) a storage volume to store multiple materials product items arranged in side-by-side relationship; ii) a storage volume defining surface to extend along said side-by-side multiple product items when stored, said stored product items each having a spatial form projecting an outline onto said storage volume defining surface; and iii) an item activity-sensing subsystem continually to monitor the product items in the storage volume and produce a stored item activity output, said item activity-sensing subsystem including a sensing grid comprising an array of product item sensors distributed in relation to said storage volume defining surface so that each projected outline of a product item on the storage volume surface includes multiple sensors, each said sensor being responsive to the presence of a product item positioned in occluding relationship with the sensor to provide a sensor output, said multiple sensors providing sensor output pattern data indicative of said product item projected outline and useful for determining stored item activity; and b) a data-processing subsystem to process said sensor output pattern data for said multiple product items and generate product item activity information including product item withdrawal information; whereby said materials monitoring system can automatically generate a product traffic report, including withdrawals of product items from said storage volume as said withdrawals are made. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification