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Inventory management

  • US 6,990,462 B1
  • Filed: 06/17/2000
  • Issued: 01/24/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2000
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for allocating items to an available inventory of empty item slots, comprising the steps of:

  • determining a number of item slots available in an inventory that are empty, such that each item slot that is empty can be filled by either an item of a first type having a corresponding characteristic or an item of a second type having a corresponding characteristic, and wherein each item slot that is empty is filled by only a single item having the corresponding characteristic;

    organizing the item slots that are empty into item slot groups, each different item slot group including only those item slots which can be filled by items having the same characteristic;

    allocating each of a plurality of items of the first type to the item slots of the item slot groups that are unfilled by matching characteristics of the first type of items to characteristics of the item slot groups, such that allocating an item of the first type to an item slot fills the item slot with the item;

    allocating each of a plurality of items of the second type to the item slots of the item slot groups that are unfilled by items of the first type by matching characteristics of the second type of items to the characteristics of the item slot groups, such that allocating an item of the second type to an item slot fills the item slot with the item; and

    displaying the plurality of item slot groups as a histogram having a plurality of bars, where each bar corresponds to an item slot group and has a height corresponding to the number of item slots of the item slot group, wherein the bar has an indication as to how many of the number of item slots of the item slot group are filled and how many of the number of item slots of the item slot group are unfilled.

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