Methods, devices and computer readable storage devices for tracking inventory

• US 9,916,561 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marathe, Nikhil S., Baldwin, Christopher, Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Kenny, Patrick, Kenny, Susan, Towster, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, IG TAI
• Application Number:
  US14/071,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The location of a container and the location of a storage device that stores a particular item are determined. A determination is made that the particular item is placed in the container. The locations of the particular item and the container are tracked as the container moves through a premises. For a purchase-related transaction, a determination is made whether the location of the particular item corresponds to the location of the container. If the location of the particular item corresponds to the location of the container, a cost for the particular item is included in the purchase-related transaction. If not, the cost for the particular item is not included in the purchase-related transaction, and the location of the particular item is accounted for.

Claims

1. An inventory security system comprising:

a first communication device associated with a mobile container, the first communication device configured to electrically couple to a first sensor, wherein the first sensor detects weight changes associated with the mobile container, and wherein the first communication device comprises a positioning device configured to determine a position of the mobile container;

a second communication device associated with an item bin, the second communication device configured to electrically couple to a second sensor, wherein the second sensor detects weight changes associated with the item bin; and

a tracking system comprising

a processor, and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the tracking system to perform operations comprising

receiving, from the first communication device associated with the mobile container when the first sensor associated with the first communication device detects a weight change associated with the mobile container, location information indicating the position of the mobile container, weight information indicating the weight change associated with the mobile container, and time information indicating a time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected,

receiving, from the second communication device associated with the item bin when the second sensor associated with the second communication device detects a weight change associated with the item bin, weight information indicating the weight change associated with the item bin and time information indicating a time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected,

determining the position of the item bin,

determining whether the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin,

determining whether the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin,

determining whether the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected correlates with the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected, and

based, at least in part, on determining that the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin, that the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin, and that the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected correlates with the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected, determining that an item from the item bin has been removed from the item bin and placed into the mobile container, wherein the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected is determined to correlate with the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected when the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected is within a time window from the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected, and wherein the time window varies based on whether the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin and whether the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin such that the time window is extended when the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin and when the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin.

2. The inventory security system of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin comprises determining whether the position of the mobile container matches the position of the item bin within a position tolerance of difference; and

determining whether the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin comprises determining whether the weight change associated with the mobile container matches the weight change associated with the item bin within a weight tolerance of difference.

3. The inventory security system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise adding the item to a list of items in response to determining that the item from the item bin has been removed from the item bin and placed into the mobile container.

4. The inventory security system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise determining that an additional item not on the list of the items has been added to the mobile container by comparing a total weight of the items on the list of the items with a weight of the mobile container to determine that the total weight of the items on the list of the items is less than the weight of the mobile container by a weight difference.

5. The inventory security system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise determining an identity of the additional item not on the list of the items by checking historical positions of the mobile container to determine any item bin, within a vicinity of one of the historical positions of the mobile container, that store at least one item having a weight associated with the weight difference.

6. The inventory security system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that an additional item on the list of the items has been removed from the mobile container by comparing a total weight of the items on the list of the items with a weight of the mobile container to determine that the total weight of the items on the list of the items is more than the weight of the mobile container by a weight difference; and

determining an identity of the additional item on the list of the items that has been removed from the mobile container by checking historical positions of the mobile container to determine any item bin, within a vicinity of one of the historical positions of the mobile container, that reported an addition in weight corresponding to the weight difference.

13. The inventory security system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise verifying the identity of the additional item not on the list of the items based on size recognition of the additional item determined using an image captured by an image system of the first communication device.

7. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first sensor of a first communication device associated with a mobile container, a weight change associated with the mobile container;

determining, by a positioning device of the first communication device, a position of the mobile container;

detecting, by a second sensor of a second communication device associated with an item bin, a weight change associated with the item bin;

receiving, by a tracking system, from the first communication device associated with the mobile container when the first sensor associated with the first communication device detects the weight change associated with the mobile container, location information indicating the position of the mobile container, weight information indicating the weight change associated with the mobile container, and time information indicating a time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected;

receiving, by the tracking system, from the second communication device associated with the item bin when the second sensor associated with the second communication device detects the weight change associated with the item bin, weight information indicating the weight change associated with the item bin and time information indicating a time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected;

determining, by the tracking system, the position of the item bin;

determining, by the tracking system, whether the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin;

determining, by the tracking system, whether the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin;

determining, by the tracking system, whether the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected correlates with the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected; and

based, at least in part, on determining that the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin, that the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin, and that the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected correlates with the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected, determining, by the tracking system, that an item from the item bin has been removed from the item bin and placed into the mobile container, wherein the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected is determined to correlate with the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected when the time at which the weight change associated with the mobile container is detected is within a time window from the time at which the weight change associated with the item bin is detected, and wherein the time window varies based on whether the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin and whether the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin such that the time window is extended when the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin and when the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

determining whether the position of the mobile container correlates with the position of the item bin comprises determining whether the position of the mobile container matches the position of the item bin within a position tolerance of difference; and

determining whether the weight change associated with the mobile container correlates with the weight change associated with the item bin comprises determining whether the weight change associated with the mobile container matches the weight change associated with the item bin within a weight tolerance of difference.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising adding, by the tracking system, the item to a list of items in response to determining that the item from the item bin has been removed from the item bin and placed into the mobile container.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, by the tracking system, that an additional item not on the list of the items has been added to the mobile container by comparing a total weight of the items on the list of the items with a weight of the mobile container to determine that the total weight of the items on the list of the items is less than the weight of the mobile container by a weight difference.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining an identity of the additional item not on the list of the items by checking historical positions of the mobile container to determine any item bin, within a vicinity of one of the historical positions of the mobile container, that stores at least one item having a weight associated with the weight difference.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the tracking system, that an additional item on the list of the items has been removed from the mobile container by comparing a total weight of the items on the list of the items with a weight of the mobile container to determine that the total weight of the items on the list of the items is more than the weight of the mobile container by a weight difference; and

determining an identity of the additional item on the list of the items that has been removed from the mobile container by checking historical positions of the mobile container to determine any item bin, within a vicinity of one of the historical positions of the mobile container, that reported an addition in weight corresponding to the weight difference.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising verifying the identity of the additional item not on the list of the items based on size recognition of the additional item determined using an image captured by an image system of the first communication device.