Method and apparatus for monitoring depletion of an item
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for monitoring a real-time depletion of an item in a storage unit, the computer implemented method comprising:
- identifying an item placed on a mass sensor shelf in the storage unit to form an identified item, wherein the identified item is placed anywhere on the mass sensor shelf;
generating a mass footprint of the identified item, wherein the mass footprint comprises information regarding an estimated location of the identified item and an impression of a portion of the identified item in contact with the mass sensor shelf;
detecting a change in a mass sensor data from the mass sensor shelf, wherein the mass sensor shelf has a mass sensor grid, and wherein each mass sensor in the mass sensor grid detects a mass of the identified item based upon the mass footprint of the identified item;
associating the change in the mass sensor data with the identified item to form a current mass for the identified item;
anddetermining a depletion of the identified item based on a difference between the current mass and a previous mass for the identified item.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer implemented method, apparatus, system, and computer usable program code for monitoring a real-time depletion of an item in a storage unit. A controller identifies an item placed in the storage unit to form an identified item. The controller detects a change in mass sensor data from a mass sensor shelf in a set of mass sensor shelves associated with the storage unit. The controller associates the change in mass sensor data with the identified item to form a current mass for the identified item. The controller determines a depletion of the identified item based a difference between the current mass and a previous mass for the identified item.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for monitoring a real-time depletion of an item in a storage unit, the computer implemented method comprising:
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identifying an item placed on a mass sensor shelf in the storage unit to form an identified item, wherein the identified item is placed anywhere on the mass sensor shelf; generating a mass footprint of the identified item, wherein the mass footprint comprises information regarding an estimated location of the identified item and an impression of a portion of the identified item in contact with the mass sensor shelf; detecting a change in a mass sensor data from the mass sensor shelf, wherein the mass sensor shelf has a mass sensor grid, and wherein each mass sensor in the mass sensor grid detects a mass of the identified item based upon the mass footprint of the identified item; associating the change in the mass sensor data with the identified item to form a current mass for the identified item; and determining a depletion of the identified item based on a difference between the current mass and a previous mass for the identified item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17)
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10. An apparatus comprising:
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a mass sensor shelf in a storage unit having a mass sensor grid, wherein the mass sensor grid detects a mass of an item placed on the mass sensor shelf and generates a plurality of mass sensor data; and a controller operably coupled with the mass sensor shelf and with a storage device storing a plurality of instructions configured to cause a processor of the controller to identify an item placed anywhere on the mass sensor shelf to form an identified item;
generate a mass footprint of the identified item based on an estimated location of the identified item on the mass sensor shelf and an impression of a portion of the identified item in contact with the mass sensor shelf;
detect a change in the plurality of mass sensor data from the mass sensor shelf;
associate the change in mass sensor data with the identified item based upon the mass footprint of the identified item to form a current mass for the identified item; and
determine a depletion of the identified item based on a difference between the current mass and a previous mass for the identified item. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer-recordable storage medium storing computer usable program code for identifying a depletion of an item in a storage unit, the computer program product comprising; computer usable program code for identifying an item on a mass sensor shelf in the storage unit to form an identified item, wherein the identified item is placed anywhere on the mass sensor shelf; computer usable program code for generating a mass footprint of the identified item, wherein the mass footprint comprises information regarding an estimated location of the identified item and an impression of a portion of the identified item in contact with the mass sensor shelf; computer usable program code for detecting a change in mass sensor data from the mass sensor shelf wherein the mass sensor shelf has a mass sensor grid, and wherein each mass sensor in the mass sensor grid detects a mass of the identified item based upon the mass footprint of the identified item; computer usable program code for associating the change in mass sensor data with the identified item to form a current mass for the identified item; and computer usable program code for determining a depletion of the identified item based a difference between the current mass and a previous mass for the identified item.
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16. A system for identifying a depletion of an item, the system comprising:
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a set of mass sensor shelves, wherein a given mass sensor shelf in the set of mass sensor shelves detects a change in mass sensor data; a set of item identifiers, wherein an item identifier in the set of item identifiers obtains an identification code from an identification tag associated with the item placed anywhere on the given mass sensor shelf to form an identified item; and a control unit, wherein the control unit generates a mass footprint of the identified item based upon data received from the set of mass sensor shelves and the set of item identifiers, wherein the mass footprint comprises information regarding an estimated location of the identified item and an impression of a portion of the identified item in contact with the mass sensor shelf;
wherein the control unit associates the change in mass sensor data with the identified item based upon the mass footprint of the identified item to form a current mass for the identified item; and
wherein the control unit determines a depletion for the identified item based on a difference between the current mass and a predefined non-depleted mass for the identified item.
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Specification