Systems and methods for merchandise display, sale and inventory control

• US 9,135,216 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiosk Information Systems Incorporated (Posiflex Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kiosk Information Systems Incorporated (Posiflex Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malone, Richard L., Grow, Roger H., Stark, Donald W., Weihe, Jason Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/463,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 221/6, 221/13, 221/127, 221/129, 221130-131, 221/133, 221/155, 221/263, 700/232, 700/236, 700/242, 700/243
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/00 Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/32 two or magazines having a common delivery chute
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

An automated retail system according to embodiments of the present invention includes a front and/or rear product rack, each rack having a plurality of bins, each of which has a product door, the system further including a basket moveable along an x-y plane on a rail system to selectively open a product door of a product bin to permit the product within the bin to fall into the basket, the basket movable to a product delivery position to release the product from the basket. Such a system may include sensors and/or scanners to determine contents of each bin, such that any product may be placed in any bin, and inventory of each bin or all bins may be determined at any time. The basket may be configured to move in x and y but not z directions, and may also serve as the sole actuation mechanism for opening the doors.

Claims

1. A system for automated retail comprising:

a product rack, the product rack comprising a plurality of compartments arranged along one or both of a horizontal axis and a vertical axis;

wherein at least one compartment of the plurality of compartments comprises a door configured to open and close the at least one compartment, wherein at least a portion of the door is substantially transparent;

a basket;

a gantry system, wherein the basket is movably coupled to the gantry system, wherein the gantry system is configured to position the basket adjacent to any of the plurality of compartments by moving the basket along one or both of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis; and

a scanner that moves with the basket, wherein the scanner is configured to identify a product within the at least one compartment or to determine that the at least one compartment is empty, and wherein a scanner signal of the scanner is configured to pass through the at least a portion of the door.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the basket does not have any component of movement along a direction that is substantially orthogonal to both the horizontal axis and the vertical axis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the product rack is a first product rack, the system further comprising a second product rack, wherein the gantry system and basket are situated between the first and second product racks.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the basket and gantry system are configured to retrieve products from one or more compartments in the first product rack and one or more compartments in the second product rack.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a delivery chute.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a discard bin.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to determine when the product enters the basket.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising a sensor configured to determine when the product enters the delivery chute.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a door actuator, wherein the door actuator is configured to open the door upon movement of the basket along one or both of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the door comprises a contact element, and wherein the door actuator is configured to open the door when the door actuator is pushed against the contact element.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the door actuator is extendable and retractable.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the door actuator is mounted to the basket.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanner is mounted adjacent to the basket.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanner is mounted on the basket.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one compartment comprises a bottom that is at least partially sloped, wherein the bottom is configured to permit a product in the at least one compartment to slide out of the compartment when the door is opened.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a top of the basket is open to receive the product, and wherein a side wall of the basket closest to the product rack is at least partially sloped.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a delivery chute, wherein the basket comprises a trap door configured to open when the basket is positioned above the delivery chute.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the delivery chute comprises a door actuator and the trap door comprises a contact element, and wherein the trap door is configured to open when the contact element is lowered onto the door actuator.

19. A method for determining size and position of compartments in automated retail, the method comprising:

using a gantry system, moving a scanner along a product rack along a horizontal axis and a vertical axis;

recording a horizontal position and a width of each compartment or column of compartments of the product rack along the horizontal axis;

recording a vertical position and a height of each compartment or row of compartments of the product rack along the vertical axis;

scanning contents of each compartment of the product rack through a door on each compartment that is at least partially transparent.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein scanning contents of each compartment of the product rack through the door on each compartment comprises scanning the contents of each compartment without opening the door.