Shelf inventory management system, shelf inventory management method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12033115-B2
Application number	US-202117560659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2021
Priority date	Feb 19, 2021
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A shelf inventory management system includes: a shelf including storage boxes that is each identified; a first sensor that detects a mass change of the storage boxes; a management unit that manages an inventory of an article stored in each storage box, based on a detection result of the first sensor; and a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in each storage box. The management unit stores the article stored in each storage box and an expiration date related to consumption of the article in association with each other, and outputs to the terminal reminder information for notifying that the expiration date of the article is approaching, when a period until the expiration date of the article not detected by the first sensor falls below a predetermined standard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shelf inventory management system comprising:
a shelf including a plurality of storage boxes each of which is identified;
a first sensor that detects a mass change of the plurality of storage boxes and outputs a detection result;
a terminal; and
a management unit communicatively coupled to each of the shelf, the first sensor, and the terminal, the management unit comprising a memory storing a program and a processor which executes the program and thereby:
manages an inventory of an article stored in each of the plurality of storage boxes, based on the detection result received from the first sensor,
stores, in the memory, information of an article stored in each of the plurality of storage boxes and an expiration date related to consumption of the article in association with each other, and
outputs to the terminal reminder information for notifying that the expiration date of the article is approaching, and controls the terminal to indicate the reminder information, when a period until the expiration date of the article falls below a predetermined standard and removal of the article is not indicated by the detection result; and
the reminder information includes storage box information indicating which of the plurality of storage boxes the article with the approaching expiration date is stored in.

2. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first sensor comprises a plurality of first sensors, wherein one of the plurality of first sensors is provided for each row of the shelf; and
the shelf inventory management system further comprises a second sensor that detects that each of the plurality of storage boxes is pulled out from the shelf.

3. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the shelf comprises a lock mechanism for locking each of the plurality of storage boxes, and each of the plurality of 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 plurality of storage boxes has been unlocked.

4. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the terminal comprises a display unit configured to display the reminder information; and
the reminder information further includes identification information of the article with the approaching expiration date, the expiration date of the article, and an amount of the article, and is collectively displayed on the display unit.

5. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 4 , wherein the reminder information further includes a method of consuming the article with the approaching expiration date, and is collectively displayed on the display unit.

6. A shelf inventory management method comprising:
detecting, by a first sensor, a mass change of a plurality of storage boxes stored on a shelf;
managing an inventory of the article stored in each of the plurality of storage boxes based on a detection result output from the first sensor;
storing, in a memory, information of an article stored in each of the plurality of storage boxes and an expiration date related to consumption of the article in association with each other; and
outputting to a terminal reminder information for notifying that the expiration date of the article is approaching, and controlling the terminal to indicate the reminder information, when a period until the expiration date of the article falls below a predetermined standard, and removal of the article is not indicated by the detection result;
wherein the reminder information includes storage box information indicating which of the plurality of storage boxes the article with the approaching expiration date is stored in.

7. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 6 , wherein:
the first sensor comprises a plurality of first sensors, wherein one of the plurality of first sensors is provided for each row of the shelf; and
the method further comprises a second sensor configured to detect that each of the plurality of storage boxes is pulled out from the shelf.

8. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 7 , wherein:
each of the plurality of storage boxes is locked while the article is stored and unlocked when the article is taken in and out; and
the method further comprises the second sensor detecting that each of the plurality of storage boxes has been unlocked.

9. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 6 , wherein:
the terminal includes a display unit able to display the reminder information; and
the reminder information further includes identification information of the article with the approaching expiration date, the expiration date of the article, and an amount of the article, and is collectively displayed on the display unit.

10. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 9 , wherein the reminder information further includes a method of consuming the article with the approaching expiration date, and is collectively displayed on the display unit.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a program for shelf inventory management method that causes a computer to perform a process comprising:
receiving, from a first sensor, a detection result of a detection of a mass change of a plurality of storage boxes in a shelf;
storing, in a memory, information of an article stored in each of the plurality of storage boxes and an expiration date related to consumption of the article in association with each other; and
outputting, to a terminal, reminder information for notifying that the expiration date of the article is approaching, and controlling the terminal to indicate the reminder information, when a period until the expiration date of the article falls below a predetermined standard and removal of the article is not indicated by the detection result;
wherein the reminder information includes storage box information indicating which of the plurality of storage boxes the article with the approaching expiration date is stored in.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G01G19/52

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title