Managing home inventory

• US 20060190363A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini, Michael Wayne Brown
• Original Assignee: Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini, Michael Wayne Brown
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Lawrence, Kelvin Roderick
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a storage area is provided within a particular home for storing food-related items. A database of intended food-related inventory items for the storage area is adjusted by a controller according to food-related inventory preferences received at the controller. The controller updates the database of intended food-related inventory items according to inputs from a monitoring device that monitors the addition and removal of food-related items within the storage area. A communication medium coupled to the controller transmits a selection of items from among the database of intended inventory items that are absent from the storage area.

Claims

1. A system for managing inventory, said system comprising:

a processor;

an interconnect coupled to said processor;

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said interconnect said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for;

receiving food-related inventory preferences for each of a plurality of users for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area;

adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area according to said food-related inventory preferences; and

determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed.

2. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller from a portable computer system associated with said particular user.

3. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user.

4. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users via a particular universally accessible server system according to a particular universal identifier associated with said particular user.

5. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

receiving food-related inventory preferences in an extensible mark-up language data format.

6. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

periodically receiving records of additions and removals of food-related items from said particular storage area at said controller.

7. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

adding said food-related inventory preferences to a base list of amounts of food-related items intended to be maintained in inventory of said particular storage area.

8. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

adding said food-related inventory preferences to previously received food-related inventory preferences for amounts of food-related items intended to be maintained in inventory of said particular storage area.

9. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

adjusting amounts of food-related items included in said database of indented food-related inventory according to additions and removal of food-related items detected from said particular storage area.

10. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

transmitting said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area to a market.

11. The system for managing inventory according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further configured for:

receiving a request from a particular store for said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area at a universally accessible server system according to a particular universal identifier associated with said particular storage area;

only allowing access to said selection of food-related items if said particular store is included in a plurality of allowable requesters for said particular storage area.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A program for managing inventory, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a controller for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area;

means for adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said food-related inventory preferences; and

means for determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed.

28. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences for a particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller from a portable computer system associated with said particular user.

29. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences for said particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user at said controller.

30. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences for said particular user from among said plurality of users at said controller via a particular universally accessible server system according to a particular universal identifier associated with said particular user.

31. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences in an extensible mark-up language data format.

32. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for periodically receiving records of additions and removals of food-related items from said particular storage area at said controller.

33. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for adding said food-related inventory preferences to a base list of amounts of food-related items intended to be maintained in inventory of said particular storage area.

34. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for adding said food-related inventory preferences to previously received food-related inventory preferences for amounts of food-related items intended to be maintained in inventory of said particular storage area.

35. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for adjusting amounts of food-related items included in said database of intended food-related inventory according to additions and removal of food-related items detected from said particular storage area.

36. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for transmitting said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area to a market.

37. The program for managing inventory according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

means for receiving a request from at particular store for said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area at a universally accessible server system according to a particular universal identifier associated with said particular storage area;

means for only allowing access to said selection of food-related items if said particular store is included in a plurality of allowable requesters for said particular storage area.

38. (canceled)

39. A system for managing inventory by a portable computer system, said system comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a portable computer system that monitors current food-related inventory in a particular storage area;

means for adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said portable computer system according to said food-related inventory preferences; and

means for determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed by said portable computer system.

40. A program for managing inventory by a portable computer system, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for receiving food-related inventory preferences for a each of a plurality of users at a portable computer system that monitors current food-related inventory in a particular storage area;

means for adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said portable computer system according to said food-related inventory preferences; and

means for determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed by said portable computer system.

41. (canceled)

42. A system for managing inventory, said system comprising:

means for receiving records of additions and removals of food-related inventory in a particular storage area at a controller for said particular storage area;

means for adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said records of additions and removals; and

means for determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed.

43. A program for managing inventory, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for receiving records of additions and removals of food-related inventory in a particular storage area at a controller for said particular storage area;

means for adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area at said controller according to said records of additions and removals; and

means for determining a selection of food-related items from among said database of intended inventory items that are absent from said particular storage area, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed.