Managing home inventory

• US 7,065,501 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Lawrence, Kelvin Roderick
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/560,320
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 705/23, 705/28, 705/24, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a storage area is provided within a particular home for storing food-related items. A database of intended food-related inventory items for the storage area is adjusted by a controller according to food-related inventory preferences received at the controller. The controller updates the database of intended food-related inventory items according to inputs from a monitoring device that monitors the addition and removal of food-related items within the storage area. A communication medium coupled to the controller transmits a selection of items from among the database of intended inventory items that are absent from the storage area.

Claims

1. A method for managing inventory, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a controller for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area;

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller from a personal electronic memory digital data storage device proffered by said particular user at said controller;

adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said food-related inventory preferences; and

determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed.

2. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a controller for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area, further comprising the step of:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for each of said plurality of users at said controller from a plurality of portable computer systems.

3. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a controller for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area, further comprising the step of:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller via a particular universally accessible server system according to a particular universal identifier associated with said particular user.

4. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a controller for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area, further comprising the step of:

receiving food-related inventory preferences in an extensible mark-up language data format.

5. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

periodically receiving records of additions and removals of food-related items from said particular storage area at said controller.

6. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of adjusting a database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said food-related inventory preferences, further comprising the step of:

adding said food-related inventory preferences to a base list of amounts of food-related items intended to be maintained in inventory of said particular storage area.

7. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of adjusting a database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said food-related inventory preferences, further comprising the step of:

adding said food-related inventory preferences to previously received food-related inventory preferences for amounts of food-related items intended to be maintained in inventory of said particular storage area.

8. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of adjusting a database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said food-related inventory preferences, further comprising the step of:

adjusting amounts of food-related items included in said database of intended food-related inventory according to additions and removal of food-related items detected from said particular storage area.

9. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said step of adjusting a database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said food-related inventory preferences, further comprising the step of:

combining said food-related inventory preferences for each of said plurality of users.

10. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

transmitting said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area to a store.

11. The method for managing inventory according to claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a particular store for said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area at a universally accessible server system according to a particular universal identifier associated with said particular storage area;

enabling access to said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area if said particular store is included in a plurality of allowable requesters for said particular storage area.

12. A method for managing inventory by a portable computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for each of a plurality of users at a portable computer system that monitors current food-related inventory in a particular storage area;

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller from a personal electronic memory digital data storage device proffered by said particular user proffered by said particular user at said controller;

adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said portable computer system according to said food-related inventory preferences; and

determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed by said portable computer system.