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Systems and methods for merchandise display, sale and inventory control

  • US 9,640,015 B2
  • Filed: 08/24/2015
  • Issued: 05/02/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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, the plurality of compartments being configured to carry items to be delivered by the system, wherein each of the plurality of compartments comprises a door configured to open and close the compartment, wherein at least a portion of the door is substantially transparent;

    a product delivery device;

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

    a scanner that moves with the product delivery device, wherein the gantry system is configured to move the product delivery device and the scanner to positions corresponding to each of the plurality of compartments, wherein a scanner signal of the scanner is configured to pass through the at least a portion of the door of each of the plurality of compartments; and

    a controller comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the following;

    determining an inventory of the system by at least one of (1) for each of the plurality of compartments, using the scanner to transmit the scanner signal through the at least a portion of the door to identify an item carried by the compartment or determine that the compartment is empty; and

    (2) using the scanner to transmit the scanner signal through the at least a portion of the door to determine a location of each item carried by the plurality of compartments;

    receiving a request for delivery of an item carried by the product rack;

    in response to receiving the request, using the scanner to confirm the identity of the item by transmitting the scanner signal through the at least a portion of the door of a compartment of the plurality of compartments carrying the item; and

    in response to confirming the identity of the item, instructing the product delivery device to deliver the item.

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