System and method for perpetual inventory management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11868960-B2
Application number	US-202117199619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

An analysis of the scans is performed to determine whether the selected item was moved from the back room to the shelf, then returned from the shelf to the back room. The analysis also determines a re-bin time when the selected product was returned to the back room. An adjustment to the PI is blocked when last PI adjustment time is later than the re-bin time. An adjustment to the PI is also blocked when an audit indicator is received at the interface indicating that the retail store is under an audit. An adjusted PI value is determined when the analysis indicates that the selected item was moved from the back room to the shelf, then returned from the shelf, the adjusted PI value being at least one more than the shelf capacity value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, the system comprising:
a retail store, the retail store including product display units and a back room, wherein the back room is disposed within the store and structured so as to not be accessible to the public;
wherein the product display units are configured to present products to customers;
wherein customers purchase and remove the products from the product display units, and wherein the products are delivered to the back room by a shipper, and wherein perpetual inventory (PI) values for each of the products are adjusted as the products are purchased and removed, or when the products are delivered;
one or more first sensors disposed in the back room of the retail store, the one or more first sensors configured to obtain scans of the back room, the one or more first sensors deployed on an automated device or fixed in location within the backroom;
a transceiver circuit disposed at the retail store and coupled to the one or more first sensors;
a network electronically coupled to the transceiver circuit;
a plurality of other retail stores that are electronically coupled to the network;
an interface disposed at a central processing center, coupled to the network, and configured to receive from the retail store scans of the back room made by one or more first sensors in the back room, the interface also configured to receive adjusted PI values for a selected product from the other retail stores;
a database disposed at a central processing center and that is configured to store the scans, a selected perpetual inventory (PI) value from the PI values for the selected product, a last PI adjustment time when the selected PI value was last adjusted, and a product display capacity value, the product display capacity value being an amount of the selected product capable of being stored on the selected product display;
a control circuit disposed at a central processing center and that is coupled to the interface and the database, the control circuit configured to:
obtain the selected PI value, the scans, and the product display capacity value from the database;
perform an analysis of the scans to determine whether the selected item was moved from the back room to the product display unit, then returned from the product display unit, the analysis also determining a re-bin time when the selected product was returned to the back room;
block an adjustment to the selected PI value when last PI adjustment time is later than the re-bin time;
block an adjustment to the selected PI value when an audit indicator is received at the interface indicating that the retail store is under an audit;
determine an adjusted PI value when the analysis indicates that the selected item was moved from the back room to the product display unit, then returned from the product display unit, the adjusted PI value being at least one more than the product display capacity value and based at least in part upon the adjusted PI values of the selected product in the other retail stores that have been received from the other retail stores via the network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the adjusted PI value to the store via the network and the interface.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface also receives second scans from one or more second sensors disposed at the selected product display unit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit also analyzes the second scans to determine whether the selected item was moved from the back room to the selected product display, then returned from the selected product display.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected product display unit is a top shelf that is not accessible to the public.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the re-bin time is confirmed with a determination that no shipment of the item has been received at the retail store.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit sends a message to an employee of the retail store, the message advising the removal of at least some of the selected product from the retail store to another location.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit sends a message to an employee of the retail store advising of the change in the PI value.

9. A method, the method comprising:
providing a retail store, the retail store including product display units and a back room, wherein the back room is disposed within the store and structured so as to not be accessible to the public;
wherein the product display units are configured to present products to customers;
by customers, purchasing and removing the products from the product display units, and delivering the products to the back room by a shipper, and wherein perpetual inventory (PI) values for each of the products are adjusted as the products are purchased and removed, or when the products are delivered;
receiving at a central processing center and from the retail store scans of the back room made by one or more first sensors in the back room, the one or more first sensors deployed on an automated device or fixed in location within the backroom;
receiving adjusted PI values for a selected product from other retail stores;
storing at a database at the central processing center the scans, a selected perpetual inventory (PI) value from the PI values for the selected product, a last PI adjustment time when the selected PI value was last adjusted by the retail store, and a product display capacity value, the product display capacity value being an amount of the selected product capable of being stored at a selected one of the product display units;
obtaining the PI value, the scans, and the product display capacity value from the database;
performing an analysis of the scans to determine whether the selected item was moved from the back room to the selected product display unit, then returned from the selected product display unit, the analysis also determining a re-bin time when the selected product was returned to the back room;
blocking an adjustment to the selected PI value when last PI adjustment time is later than the re-bin time;
blocking an adjustment to the selected PI value when an audit indicator is received at the interface indicating that the retail store is under an audit;
determining an adjusted PI value when the analysis indicates that the selected item was moved from the back room to the selected product display unit, then returned from the selected product display unit, the adjusted PI value being at least one more than the product display capacity value, the adjusted PI value also being based at least in part upon adjusted PI values for the selected product that have been received from the other retail stores via the network.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transmitting the adjusted PI value to the store via the interface.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving second scans from one or more second sensors disposed at the selected product display unit.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising analyzing the second scans to determine whether the selected item was moved from the back room to the selected product display unit, then returned from the selected product display unit.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selected product display unit is a top shelf that is not accessible to the public.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the re-bin time is confirmed with a determination that no shipment of the item has been received at the retail store.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transmitting a message to an employee

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Bryan Greg A
• Brooks Cristy C
• Brightwell David Blair
• Enssle Benjamin D
• Jones Matthew A
• Eaton Jesse L

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q50/28

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title