Virtual vendor shelf inventory management

• US 8,140,185 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Original Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: Simmons, Darren W., Antao, Leonard F., Insolia, Gerard E., Slagley, David O., Tran, Son Van, Kolls, H. Brock
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/135,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20090306820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/241, 700/232, 700/242, 700/244
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064

Abstract

A cooler system for providing goods. The cooler system may include a cooler with a refrigeration system and a shelf monitor, a data processing device remote from the cooler, and a vending bridge. The data processing device is in communication with the refrigeration system and the shelf monitor of the cooler.

Claims

1. A goods storage system for providing goods, comprising:

a goods storage unit;

the goods storage unit comprising a temperature control system and an inventory monitor without a vending machine controller;

a data processing device remote from the goods storage unit; and

a vending bridge;

the data processing device in communication with the temperature control system and the inventory monitor of the goods storage unit via the vending bridge such that the data processing device directly instructs the temperature control unit to maintain a desired temperature within the goods storage unit in a master-slave relationship.

2. The goods storage system of claim 1, wherein the inventory monitor comprises a shelf inventory sensor.

3. The goods storage system of claim 1, wherein the inventory monitor comprises an inventory imaging interface.

4. The goods storage system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device comprises an inventory module and wherein the inventory module is in communication with the inventory monitor via the vending bridge.

5. The goods storage system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device comprises an energy management system virtual equipment module and wherein the energy management system virtual equipment module is in communication with the temperature control system via the vending bridge.

6. The goods storage system of claim 5, wherein the data processing device comprises a humidity management system virtual equipment module and wherein the humidity management system virtual equipment module is in communication with the temperature control system via the vending bridge.

7. The goods storage system of claim 5, wherein the data processing device comprises a thermostat virtual equipment module and wherein the thermostat virtual equipment module is in communication with the temperature control system via the vending bridge.

8. The goods storage system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device comprises one or more data exchange files based upon output from the inventory monitor.

9. A method of operating a goods storage unit with a temperature control system and a number of goods positioned therein, comprising:

monitoring the number of goods positioned therein with an inventory monitor;

communicating the number of goods positioned therein directly from the inventory monitor to a remote data processing device; and

receiving instructions from the remote data processing device directly to the temperature control system in a master-slave relationship to maintain a desired temperature within the goods storage unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communicating and the receiving steps comprise communicating and receiving via a vending bridge.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises monitoring with an inventory monitor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises determining an inventory level adjustment.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a plurality of sales and marketing data related to the inventory level adjustment.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising analyzing the plurality of sales and marketing data to determine when restocking of the goods storage unit is appropriate.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a data exchange file based upon the plurality of sales and marketing data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating the data exchange file to a vending operation server.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising managing a route based in part on processing of the data exchange file by the vending operation server.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the data processing device comprises an inventory module and wherein the method further comprises determining restocking route planning via the inventory module.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises comparing a plurality of successive images to determine the number of goods added or removed.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises reading RFID tags associated with the goods.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein operating the temperature control system comprises operating the condenser.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein operating the temperature control system comprises controlling humidity.

23. A method of operating a vending machine with a number of goods positioned therein, comprising:

receiving a request for one of the number of goods at the vending machine;

communicating that request to a data processing device remote from the vending machine;

receiving instructions from the data process device to dispense one of the number of goods at the vending machine;

monitoring the number of goods positioned therein by comparing a plurality of successive images to determine the number of goods added or removed; and

communicating the number of goods positioned therein to the data processing device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the communicating and the receiving steps comprise communicating and receiving via a vending bridge.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises monitoring with a shelf monitor.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises determining a shelf inventory level adjustment.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising generating a plurality of sales and marketing data related to the shelf inventory level adjustment.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising analyzing the plurality of sales and marketing data to determine when restocking of the vending machine is appropriate.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating a data exchange file based upon the plurality of sales and marketing data.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising communicating the data exchange file to a vending operation server.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising managing a vending route based in part on processing of the data exchange file by the vending operation server.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the data processing device comprises an inventory module and wherein the method further comprises determining restocking route planning via the inventory module.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring the number of goods positioned therein comprises reading RFID tags associated with the goods.