Inventory monitoring system

• US 8,319,607 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seeonic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seeonic, Inc.
• Inventors: Grimlund, Peter, Feldman, Harley, Drewlo, Ken, Singh, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/202,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.92, 340/505, 235/385, 700/236, 705/22, 705 28- 29
• US Class Current: 340/5.92
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An inventory monitoring system including a data collection and transmission module and a data evaluation module. The data collection and transmission module receives data from an RFID tag and transmits the data to the data evaluation module to thereby enable the presence of a product to which the RFID tag is attached.

Claims

1. An inventory monitoring system for monitoring the presence of a product having a product identification tag associated therewith, wherein the product identification tag contains product identification information, wherein the inventory monitoring system comprises:

a first data acquisition and transmission device arranged and configured to be coupled to a product storage structure for storing products thereon, the first data acquisition and transmission device comprising;

a battery power source operable to power the first data acquisition and transmission device;

a control subsystem;

a real time clock;

a wireless tag reader subsystem operably communicating with the control subsystem;

a first antenna switching subsystem electrically connected by at least one electrical conductor to the wireless tag reader subsystem, the first antenna switching subsystem having a connector interface;

a plurality of antennas electrically and removably connected by at least one electrical conductor to the first antenna switching subsystem at the connector interface, the plurality of antennas arranged and configured to receive the product identification information encoded in a radio frequency signal from the product identification tag when the product identification tag is within a transmission range of the antennas; and

a wireless communications subsystem operably communicating with the control subsystem, wherein the wireless communications subsystem transmits the product identification information via a wireless communication network;

a data evaluation subsystem arranged and configured to;

receive the product identification information from the wireless communications subsystem of the first data acquisition and transmission device;

monitor inventory of the products at the product storage structure;

issue automatic alerts based on the product identification information; and

transmit commands to the wireless communications subsystem of the first data acquisition and transmission device that change a configuration of the first data acquisition and transmission device, wherein at least some of the commands cause the first data acquisition and transmission device to;

download additional software to the first data acquisition and transmission device; and

set a periodicity of data transmissions from the first data acquisition and transmission system to the data evaluation subsystem.

2. The inventory monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the control subsystem, the wireless tag reader subsystem, the wireless communications subsystem and the plurality of antennas are removably mounted in the inventory monitoring system.

3. The inventory monitoring system of claim 1, and further comprising a location monitoring subsystem operably connected to the control subsystem, wherein the location monitoring subsystem is capable of tracking a location of the first data acquisition and transmission device.

4. The inventory monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the battery power source is operably attached to at least one of the control subsystem, the wireless tag reader subsystem and the wireless communications subsystem.

5. The inventory monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the battery power source is removably attached to the first data acquisition and transmission device.

6. The inventory monitoring system of claim 1, and further comprising a second data acquisition and transmission device comprising:

a second control subsystem;

a second wireless tag reader subsystem operably communicating with the second control subsystem;

a second antenna switching subsystem operably connecting the second wireless tag reader subsystem to at least one second antenna that are capable of receiving the product identification information from the product identification tag; and

a communications subsystem operably communicating with the second control subsystem, wherein the communications subsystem is arranged and configured to transmit the product identification information to the first data acquisition and transmission device.

7. A process for collecting and managing information about products, wherein the process comprises:

connecting a first data acquisition and transmission device to a product storage structure configured to support the products thereon, each product being associated with a product identification tag that contains product identification information, the first data acquisition and transmission device comprising;

a battery power source;

a first control subsystem;

a real time clock;

a first wireless tag reader subsystem in data communication with the first control subsystem;

a first antenna switching subsystem electrically connected by at least one electrical conductor to the wireless tag reader subsystem, the first antenna switching subsystem having a connector interface;

a plurality of antennas electrically and removably connected by at least one electrical conductor to the first antenna switching subsystem at the connector interface, the plurality of antennas including a first antenna arranged and configured to receive the product identification information encoded in a radio frequency signal from the product identification tag; and

a wireless communication subsystem operably communicating with the first control subsystem, wherein the wireless communications subsystem transmits the product identification information via a wireless communication network;

receiving the product identification information from the product identification tag with the first wireless tag reader subsystem and the first antenna; and

transmitting the product identification information with the wireless communication subsystem from the first data acquisition and transmission device connected to the product storage structure to a data evaluation subsystem via the wireless communication network,

transmitting commands from the data evaluation subsystem to the wireless communication subsystem that change a configuration of the first data acquisition and transmission device, wherein at least some of the commands cause the first data collection and transmission device to;

download additional software to the first data acquisition and transmission device; and

set a periodicity of data transmissions from the data collection and transmission device; and

issuing automatic alerts from the data evaluation subsystem based on the product identification information.

8. The process of claim 7, and further comprising placing at least one of the first control subsystem, the first wireless tag reader subsystem and the wireless communication subsystem in a reduced power operating mode when the first control subsystem is not receiving the product identification information and transmitting the product identification information.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication subsystem is configured to only permit connections initiated by the first control subsystem.

10. The process of claim 7, wherein issuing automatic alerts from the data evaluation subsystem comprises automatically indicating that product inventory has changed.

11. The process of claim 7, and further comprising powering the first data acquisition and transmission device with the battery power source.

12. The process of claim 7, and further comprising tracking a location of the first data acquisition and transmission device with a location monitoring subsystem that is operably connected to the first control subsystem.

13. The process of claim 7, and further comprising attaching an identification tag to the first antenna.

14. The process of claim 7, and further comprising attaching an identification tag to the product storage structure on which or in which the product is placed.

15. The process of claim 7, and further comprising transmitting additional information from the first data acquisition and transmission device, the additional information selected from the group consisting of power status, signal strength of the wireless communication network, ambient temperature, ambient humidity, location of the first data acquisition and transmission device, transmission integrity information and combinations thereof.

16. The process of claim 7, and further comprising:

providing a second data acquisition and transmission device comprising a second control subsystem, a second wireless tag reader subsystem and a communication subsystem;

receiving the product identification information from the product identification tag with a second antenna that is associated with the second wireless tag reader subsystem; and

transmitting the product identification information with the communication subsystem to the first data acquisition and transmission device.

17. The process of claim 7, and further comprising generating at least one of predictions and inventory optimization notifications for product replenishment based on a plurality of factors using an analytic data evaluation warehouse of the data evaluation subsystem.

18. An inventory monitoring system comprising:

a retail display configured to support products thereon, each of the products being associated with one of a plurality of product identification tags connected to the product or the product'"'"'s packaging, the product identification tags storing product identification information;

a data collection and transmission device coupled to the retail display, wherein the data collection and transmission device is free of physical attachment to a wired data communication network, the data collection and transmission device comprising;

a battery power source operable to power the data collection and transmission device;

a control device;

a real time clock that permits events to be time stamped;

a product identification tag reader device electrically coupled to the control device;

an antenna multiplexer electrically coupled by at least one electrical conductor to the product identification tag reader device, the antenna multiplexer having a connector interface;

a plurality of antennas electrically and removably coupled by at least one electrical conductor to the antenna multiplexer at the connector interface and arranged and configured to wirelessly communicate with the product identification tags;

a housing coupled to the retail display and at least partially enclosing the control device, the product identification tag reader device, and the antenna multiplexer therein; and

a cellular communication device electrically coupled to the control device;

wherein the data collection and transmission device operates to;

periodically receive product identification information from product identification tags of the products located at the retail display;

time stamp the received product identification information; and

communicate the product identification information using the cellular communication device; and

a data evaluation device arranged and configured to;

receive the product identification information from the cellular communication device of the data collection and transmission device;

monitor inventory of the products at the retail display;

issue automatic alerts based on the product identification information; and

transmit commands to the cellular communication device of the data collection and transmission device that change a configuration of the data collection and transmission device, wherein at least some of the commands cause the data collection and transmission device to;

download additional software to the data collection and transmission device;

disable the data collection and transmission device; and

set a periodicity of data transmissions from the data collection and transmission device to the data evaluation device.

20. The inventory monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the cellular communication device is a transmit only device.

19. A method of monitoring inventory at a product storage structure, the method comprising:

connecting a data collection and transmission device to the product storage structure configured to store products, the data collection and transmission device including;

a battery power source operable to power the data collection and transmission device;

a control device;

a real time clock;

a product identification tag reader device electrically coupled to the control device;

an antenna switching device electrically coupled by at least one electrical conductor to the product identification tag reader device, the antenna switching device having a connector interface;

a plurality of antennas electrically and removably coupled by at least one electrical conductor to the antenna switching device at the connector interface and arranged and configured to wirelessly communicate with product identification tags; and

a wireless communication device electrically coupled to the control device;

using the data collection and transmission device, wirelessly communicating with product identification tags connected to the products or packaging of the products to periodically receive product identification information;

periodically sending the product identification information to a data evaluation device using a wireless communication network after receiving the product identification information;

comparing at the data evaluation device the product identification information with previously received product identification information to identify changes in inventory of the products on the product storage structure;

sending an automatic alert based on the product identification information when changes in inventory are identified;

generating at least one of predictions and inventory optimization notifications for replenishment of the products based on a plurality of factors using an analytic data evaluation warehouse of the data evaluation device; and

transmitting commands to the wireless communication device of the data collection and transmission device that change a configuration of the data collection and transmission device, wherein at least some of the commands cause the data collection and transmission device to;

download additional software for the data collection and transmission device, and set a periodicity of data transmissions from the data collection and transmission device to the data evaluation device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising operating the data collection and transmission device in a low power sleep mode between the communication with the product identification tags and the periodic sending of the product identification information to the data evaluation device.