Household consumable item automatic replenishment system including intelligent refrigerator

• US 6,204,763 B1
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Jujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sone, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/274,429
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/585, 340/825.35, 221/2, 221/11, 221/6, 232/19, 232/20, 232/21, 232/1.A, 235/381
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/147 the receptacle comprising heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/06 Sensors detecting the presence of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A household consumable item automatic replenishment system automatically maintains a desired inventory of household consumable items. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system has a refrigerator compartment having an indoor access and an outdoor access and an unrefrigerated compartment having an indoor access and an outdoor access. An automatic inventory system has a plurality of sensors configured to provide information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment. An inventory processor is coupled to the sensors to process the information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment, so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished. An automatic ordering system comprises a telecommunications device coupled to cooperate with the inventory processor to communicate at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor.

Claims

1. A household consumable item automatic replenishment system for automatically maintaining a desired inventory of household consumable items, the household consumable item automatic replenishment system comprising:

a refrigerated compartment having an indoor access through which consumable items are removed for use and having an outdoor access through which the refrigerated compartment is restocked;

an unrefrigerated compartment having an indoor access through which consumable items are removed for use and having an outdoor access through which the unrefrigerated compartment is restocked;

an automated inventory system comprising;

a plurality of sensors configured to provide information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment;

an inventory processor coupled to the sensors for processing the information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished; and

an automated ordering system comprising a telecommunications device coupled to cooperate with the inventory processor to communicate at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor.

2. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensors is a weight sensor.

3. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensors is a presence sensor.

4. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the inventory processor comprises a dedicated computer.

5. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the inventory processor comprises a signal processing device such as a personal computer, set-top-box or a purpose-built electronic entertainment apparatus.

6. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device comprises a modem.

7. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to communicate at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor via an Internet connection.

8. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 2, wherein the inventory processor is configured to add an item to the list when a weight of the item decreases to below a predetermined threshold.

9. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the inventory processor is configured to add an item to the list after the item has been in at least one of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment for a predetermined length of time.

10. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the outdoor access of the refrigerated compartment and the outdoor access of the unrefrigerated compartment comprise at least one lockable door.

11. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system of claim 1, wherein the outdoor access of the refrigerated compartment and the outdoor access of the unrefrigerated compartment comprise at least one of a key lock, a card key lock and an electronic password lock configured to limit access to the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment.

12. A method for automatically maintaining a desired inventory of household consumable items, the method comprising the steps of:

removing items from at least one of a refrigerated compartment and an unrefrigerated compartment via an indoor access thereof;

sensing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment;

processing information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished;

automatically communicating at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor to effect automatic ordering; and

restocking at least one of the refrigerated and the unrefrigerated compartments via an outdoor access thereto.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of sensing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment comprises sensing a weight of at least one item.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of sensing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment comprises sensing a presence of at least one item.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of processing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment comprises processing the information with a dedicated computer.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of processing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment comprises processing the information with a signal processing device such as a personal computer, set-top-box or a purpose-built electronic entertainment apparatus.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, the step of automatically communicating at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor comprises communicating via a modem.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, the step of automatically communicating at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor comprises communicating via an Internet connection.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of processing information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished comprises adding at least one item to the list when a weight of the item decreases to a predetermined threshold.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of processing information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished comprises adding at least one item to the list when the item has been in at least one of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment for a predetermined length of time.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of restocking at least one of the refrigerated and the unrefrigerated compartments via an outdoor access thereto comprises unlocking at least one door.

22. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of restocking at least one of the refrigerated and the unrefrigerated compartments via an outdoor access thereto comprises unlocking at least one door via one of a key lock, a card key lock and an electronic password lock.

23. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of making a list comprises comparing an actual inventory to a desired inventory.

24. An intelligent refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerated compartment for storing perishable food items;

an automated inventory system comprising;

a plurality of sensors configured to provide information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment, at least one of the sensors further configured to trigger a start of a storage time in the refrigerated compartment; and

an inventory processor coupled to the sensors for processing the information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished, the inventory processor being configured to add an item to the list after the item has been in the refrigerated compartment for a predetermined length of time.

25. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the refrigerated compartment comprises an indoor access through which consumable items are removed for use and an outdoor access through which the refrigerated compartment is restocked.

26. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, further comprising an automated ordering system comprising a telecommunications device coupled to cooperate with the inventory processor to communicate at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor.

27. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 26, wherein the telecommunications device comprises a modem.

28. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 26, wherein the telecommunications device is configured to communicate at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor via an Internet connection.

29. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein at least one of the sensors is a weight sensor.

30. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein at least one of the sensors is a presence sensor.

31. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the inventory processor comprises a dedicated computer.

32. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the inventory processor comprises a personal computer.

33. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the inventory processor is configured to add an item to the list when a weight of the item decreases to below a predetermined threshold.

34. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the inventory processor is configured to add an item to the list when a quantity of the item decreases to below a predetermined threshold.

35. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the outdoor access of the refrigerated compartment comprises at least one lockable door.

36. The intelligent refrigerator of claim 24, wherein the outdoor access of the refrigerated compartment comprises at least one of a key lock, a card key lock and an electronic password lock configured to limit access to the refrigerated compartment.

37. A method for automatically maintaining a desired inventory of consumable items in a refrigerator, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerator;

trigerring a start of storage time for the inventory of refrigerator; and

processing information representative of the inventory of refrigerator so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished, the inventory processor being configured to add an item to the list after the item has been in the refrigerator for a predetermined length of time.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of displaying the list on a display proximate the refrigerator.

39. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the steps of removing consumable items from the refrigerator for use via an indoor access and restocking the refrigerator via an outdoor access.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the step of restocking the refrigerator via an outdoor access comprises unlocking a lockable door defining the outdoor access.

41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the step of restocking the refrigerator via an outdoor access comprises using at least one of a key lock, a card key lock and an electronic password lock to open the outdoor access.

42. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of automatically ordering at least some of the items on the list.

43. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of automatically ordering at least some of the items on the list via a telecommunications device coupled to an inventory processor of the refrigerator.

44. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of automatically ordering at least some of the items on the list via a modem.

45. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of automatically ordering at least some of the items on the list via an Internet connection.

46. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the step of sensing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerator comprises sensing a presence of at least one item stored within the refrigerator.

47. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the step of sensing information representative of an inventory of the refrigerator comprises sensing a weight of at least one item stored within the refrigerator.

48. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the step of processing information representative of the inventory of the refrigerator comprises processing information with a dedicated computer.

49. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the step of processing information representative of the inventory of the refrigerator comprises processing information with a personal computer.

50. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of adding an item to the list when a weight of the item decreases to below a predetermined threshold.

51. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of adding an item to the list when a quantity of the item decreases to below a predetermined threshold.

52. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the step of making a list comprises comparing an actual inventory to a desired inventory.