Shelf inventory management system, shelf inventory management method, and non-transitory storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11972394-B2
Application number	US-202117552569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Feb 19, 2021
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A shelf inventory management system includes: a shelf installed in a house; a sensor that detects that an article is taken out from the shelf; a management unit that manages an inventory status of the article stored in the shelf, based on a detection result of the sensor; and a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in the shelf. The management unit stores, for each user, a taken out amount of each health-related product a consumption amount of which affects health, of the article stored in the shelf, and is able to output the taken out amount of each health-related product to the terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shelf inventory management system comprising:
a shelf installed in a house;
a sensor that detects that an article is taken out from the shelf;
a management unit that manages an inventory status of the article stored in the shelf, based on a detection result of the sensor; and
a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in the shelf,
wherein:
the management unit stores, for each user, a taken out amount of each health-related product stored in the shelf and a consumption amount of which affects health, and outputs the taken out amount of each health-related product to the terminal;
when the user takes out the health-related product, the management unit outputs to the terminal question information inquiring about a person who actually consumes the health-related product that has been taken out;
the shelf includes a plurality of storage boxes each of which is identified;
the sensor includes: a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf to detect a mass change of the storage boxes, and a second sensor that detects that each of the storage boxes is pulled out from the shelf;
when the user takes out the health-related product instead of the person who actually consumes the health-related product that has been taken out, the management unit is configured to increase the taken out amount of the health-related product that is stored for the person by the detected mass change; and
when the user takes out the health-related product and the taken out amount of the health-related product in a predetermined period exceeds a reference amount for health management, the management unit outputs to the terminal attention calling information for calling attention to health management.

2. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the shelf is provided with a lock mechanism for locking each of the storage boxes, and each of the storage boxes is locked while the article is stored and unlocked when the article is taken in and out; and
the second sensor detects that each of the storage boxes has been unlocked.

3. The shelf inventory management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera configured to capture an image of the user, and
wherein the management unit is configured to recognize a user who has taken out the health-related produce from the shelf based on the image captured by the camera.

4. The shelf inventory management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of readers,
wherein each of the storage boxes includes identification information, and
wherein the management system is configured to determine that a storage box is pulled out from the shelf by detection results of the readers.

5. The shelf inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each storage box comprises a pair of sliding protruding portions that slide along a corresponding pair of rails, and the locking mechanism is provided on the upper side of each pair of rails.

6. A shelf inventory management method for detecting by a sensor that an article stored in a shelf installed in a house is taken out from the shelf, and managing an inventory of the article stored in the shelf by using a computer based on a detection result of the sensor, the shelf inventory management method comprising:
storing, for each user, a taken out amount of each health-related product stored in the shelf and a consumption amount of which affects health;
outputting the taken out amount of each health-related product to a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in the shelf;
when the user takes out the health-related product, outputting to the terminal question information inquiring about a person who actually consumes the health-related product that has been taken out;
when the user takes out a health-related product instead of the person who actually consumes the health-related product that has been taken out, increasing the taken out amount of the health-related product that is stored for the person by a detected mass change; and
outputting to the terminal an attention calling information for calling attention to health management, when the user takes out the health-related product and the taken out amount of the health-related product in a predetermined period exceeds a reference amount for health management;
wherein:
the shelf includes a plurality of storage boxes each of which is identified, and
the sensor includes: a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf to detect the mass change of the storage boxes, and a second sensor that detects that each of the storage boxes is pulled out from the shelf.

7. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 6 , wherein:
the shelf is provided with a lock mechanism for locking each of the storage boxes, and each of the storage boxes is locked while the article is stored and unlocked when the article is taken in and out; and
the second sensor detects that each of the storage boxes has been unlocked.

8. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by a processor and that cause the processor to perform functions, the instructions being for detecting by a sensor that an article stored in a shelf installed in a house is taken out from the shelf, and managing an inventory of the article stored in the shelf by using the processor based on a detection result of the sensor, wherein the functions comprise:
storing, for each user, a taken out amount of each health-related product stored in the shelf and a consumption amount of which affects health;
outputting the taken out amount of each health-related product to a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in the shelf;
when the user takes out the health-related product, outputting to the terminal question information inquiring about a person who actually consumes the health-related product that has been taken out;
when the user takes out the health-related produce instead of the person who actually consumes the health-related product that has been taken out, increasing the taken out amount of the health-related product that is stored for the person by a detected mass change; and
outputting to the terminal an attention calling information for calling attention to health management, when the user takes out the health-related product and the taken out amount of the health-related product in a predetermined period exceeds a reference amount for health management;
wherein:
the shelf includes a plurality of storage boxes each of which is identified, and
the sensor includes: a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf to detect the mass change of the storage boxes, and a second sensor that detects that each of the storage boxes is pulled out from the shelf.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamoto Yoshiaki
• Itozawa Yuta
• Komura Hirotaka
• Takagi Yutaro
• Ota Junya
• Iwamoto Kunihiro

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• B65G1/04 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title