Apparatus and method for tracking consumer premises inventory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018144292-A1
Application number	US-201715818112-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2017
Priority date	Nov 22, 2016
Publication date	May 24, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for consumer premises inventory tracking. A system for consumer premises inventory tracking comprises an inventory sensor coupled to an inventory tracking device configured to detect changes in an inventory associated a premises comprising a plurality of inventory tracking devices, a communication device configured to communicate with a plurality of other inventory tracking devices, and a control circuit coupled to the inventory sensor and the communication device, the control circuit being configured to: detect a change in the inventory via the inventory sensor, determine a purchase order based on the change in the inventory, determine whether to automatically submit the purchase order to a remote server based on direct communications with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via the communication device, and submit the purchase order to the remote server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for consumer premises inventory tracking comprising:
an inventory sensor coupled to an inventory tracking device configured to detect changes in an inventory associated a consumer premises comprising a plurality of inventory tracking devices; a wireless communication device configured to communicate with a plurality of other inventory tracking devices; and a control circuit coupled to the inventory sensor and the wireless communication device, the control circuit being configured to:
detect a change in the inventory via the inventory sensor;
determine a purchase order based on the change in the inventory;
directly communicate with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via the wireless communication device and with a broadcasted signal;
determine whether to automatically submit the purchase order to a remote server based on communications with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices; and
submit the purchase order to the remote server.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
broadcast the change in the inventory detected by the inventory sensor to the plurality of other inventory tracking devices.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
broadcast the purchase order; and determine whether to submit the purchase order based on responses and/or an absence of a response from the plurality of other inventory tracking devices.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a memory device configured to store an inventory database updated based at least on the inventory changes detected by the inventory sensor.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
monitor for signals conveying inventory information and/or order information from the plurality of other inventory tracking devices; and update the inventory database stored on the memory device based on signals from the plurality of other inventory tracking devices.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
receive a query from one of the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via the wireless communication device; and respond to the query based on information stored in the memory device via the wireless communication device.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the query comprises a request for one of more of: current estimated inventory, recent orders submitted, and recent inventory changes detected.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices comprises blockchain updates.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of inventory tracking devices are configured to store a blockchain comprising an inventory database recording an inventory ledger associated with the premises comprising the plurality of inventory tracking devices.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inventory tracking devices comprise one or more of a smart appliance, a smart shelf, a smart receptacle, and an inventory tracking attachment.

11 . A method for consumer premises inventory tracking comprising:
communicatively coupling a plurality of inventory tracking devices; detecting a change in an inventory associated with a consumer premises comprising the plurality of inventory tracking devices via an inventory sensor coupled to an inventory tracking device; determining, with a control circuit of the inventory tracking device, a purchase order based on the change in the inventory; directly communicating with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via a wireless communication device and with a broadcasted signal; determining, with the control circuit, whether to automatically submit the purchase order to a remote server based on communications with a plurality of other inventory tracking devices; and submitting, with the control circuit, the purchase order to the remote server.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
broadcasting the change in the inventory detected by the inventory sensor to the plurality of other inventory tracking devices.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
broadcasting the purchase order; and determining whether to submit the purchase order based on responses and/or an absence of a response from the plurality of other inventory tracking devices.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the inventory tracking device further comprises: a memory device configured to store an inventory database updated based at least on the inventory changes detected by the inventory sensor.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
monitoring for signals conveying inventory information and/or order information from the plurality of other inventory tracking devices; and update the inventory database stored on the memory device based on signals from the plurality of other inventory tracking devices.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a query from one of the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via the wireless communication device; and responding to the query based on information stored in the memory device via the wireless communication device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the query comprises a request for one of more of: current estimated inventory, recent orders submitted, and recent inventory changes detected.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the communication with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices comprises blockchain updates.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the plurality of inventory tracking devices are configured to store a blockchain comprising an inventory database recording an inventory ledger associated with the premises comprising the plurality of inventory tracking devices.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of inventory tracking devices comprise one or more of a smart appliance, a smart shelf, a smart receptacle, and an inventory tracking attachment at a location.

21 . An apparatus for consumer premises inventory tracking comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions; and a control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which causes to the control circuit to:
communicatively couple, via a wireless communication device of an inventory tracking device, to a plurality of other inventory tracking devices;
detect a change an inventory with a premises comprising a plurality of inventory tracking devices via an inventory sensor coupled to the inventory tracking device;
determine a purchase order based on the change in the inventory;
directly communicate with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices via the wireless communication device and with a broadcasted signal;
determine whether to automatically submit the purchase order to a remote server based on communications with the plurality of other inventory tracking devices; and
submit the purchase order to the remote server.

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Mattingly Todd D
• High Donald R
• Taylor Robert J
• Tovey David

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• G06F17/30964

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q10/08726

  for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation · CPC title

• G06Q10/08774 Primary

  using consumer inventory reporting · CPC title

• G06F16/903

  Querying (for retrieval from the web G06F16/953) · CPC title