Smart hook for retail inventory tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9818081-B2
Application number	US-201514590127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A smart hook system for a store display including a hook configured to hang smart items having a resistor and a capacitor for display in a store. The hook at least one resistive electrical contact configured to come into electrical circuit contact with the resistor of the smart items hanging on the hook, and at least one capacitive electrical contact configured to come into electrical contact with the capacitor of the smart items that are hanging on hook. The smart hook also includes a processor configured to measure the resistance and capacitance of the smart items that are hanging on hook, and determine a quantity of the smart items hanging on the hook and identity of the smart items hanging on the hook based on the measured resistance and capacitance.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system comprising:
a hook shaped to receive and retain a plurality of hang tabs to be attached to a plurality of items for display,
each of the plurality of hang tabs including a resistor and a capacitor, and
the hook including a plurality of electrical contacts to electrically contact the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook,
the plurality of electrical contacts including:
at least two resistive electrical contacts to electrically contact the resistor of each of the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook, and
at least two capacitive electrical contacts to electrically contact the capacitor of each of the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook,
 the at least two resistive electrical contacts and the at least two capacitive electrical contacts being configured in a cross pattern; and

a processor connected to the at least two resistive electrical contacts and to the at least two capacitive electrical contacts,
the processor being to:
receive, from the at least two resistive electrical contacts, indications of resistances based on the at least two resistive electrical contacts electrically contacting the resistor of each of the plurality of hang tabs;
receive, from the at least two capacitive electrical contacts, indications of capacitances based on the at least two capacitive electrical contacts electrically contacting the capacitor of each of the plurality of hang tabs;
determine a quantity of the plurality of items based on one of the indications of the resistances or the indications of the capacitances; and
determine identities of the plurality of items based on another of the indications of the resistances or the indications of the capacitances.

2. The system of claim 1 , where the hook includes a cross-shaped cross-section.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display to display information indicating the quantity of the plurality of items and the identities of the plurality of items,
the display being electrically coupled to the processor; and

where the processor is further to:
provide, to a server device, the information indicating the quantity of the plurality of items and the identities of the plurality of items.

4. The system of claim 1 , where the processor is further to:
receive a stock request from a server device; and
provide, to the server device and based on the stock request, information indicating the quantity of the plurality of items and the identities of the plurality of items.

5. The system of claim 1 , where:
a cross-section of the hook is cross-shaped, and
each of the plurality of hang tabs includes a cross-shaped opening that is larger than the cross-shaped cross-section of the hook.

6. The system of claim 1 , where the at least two resistive electrical contacts are arranged orthogonally to the at least two capacitive electrical contacts.

7. The system of claim 1 , where the processor is further to:
provide, via a display associated with the system, information indicating the quantity of the plurality of items and the identities of the plurality of items.

8. A system comprising:
a hook shaped to receive and retain a plurality of hang tabs to be attached to a plurality of items for display,
each of the plurality of hang tabs including a resistor and a capacitor; and

a plurality of electrical contacts to electrically contact the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook,
the plurality of electrical contacts being included in the hook, and
the plurality of electrical contacts including:
at least two resistive electrical contacts to electrically contact the resistor of each of the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook, and
at least two capacitive electrical contacts to electrically contact the capacitor of each of the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook,
the at least two resistive electrical contacts and the at least two capacitive electrical contacts being configured in a cross pattern,
the at least two resistive electrical contacts providing, to a device, indications of resistances based on the at least two resistive electrical contacts electrically contacting the resistor of each of the plurality of hang tabs, and
the at least two capacitive electrical contacts providing, to the device, indications of capacitances based on the at least two capacitive electrical contacts electrically contacting the capacitor of each of the plurality of hang tabs.

9. The system of claim 8 , where the device is to:
receive the indications of the resistances and the indications of the capacitances;
determine a quantity of the plurality of items based on one of the indications of the resistances or the indications of the capacitances; and
determine identities of the plurality of items based on another of the indications of the resistances or the indications of the capacitances.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a display to:
receive, from the device, information indicating the quantity of the plurality of items and the identities of the plurality of items; and
display the information indicating the quantity of the plurality of items and the identities of the plurality of items.

11. The system of claim 8 , where the hook includes a cross-shaped cross-section.

12. The system of claim 8 , where:
a cross-section of the hook is cross-shaped, and
each of the plurality of hang tabs includes a cross-shaped opening that is larger than the cross-shaped cross-section of the hook.

13. The system of claim 8 , where the at least two resistive electrical contacts are arranged orthogonally to the at least two capacitive electrical contacts.

14. The system of claim 8 , where each of the at least two capacitive electrical contacts are spatially separated.

15. A smart hook comprising:
a hook shaped to receive and retain a plurality of hang tabs to be attached to a plurality of items for display,
each of the plurality of hang tabs including a resistor and a capacitor, and
the hook including a plurality of electrical contacts to electrically contact the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook,
the plurality of electrical contacts including:
at least two resistive electrical contacts to electrically contact the resistor of each of the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook, and
at least two capacitive electrical contacts to electrically contact the capacitor of each of the plurality of hang tabs retained by the hook,
 the at least two resistive electrical contacts and the at least two capacitive electrical contacts being configured in a cross pattern,
 the at least two resistive electrical contacts providing, to a device, indications of resistances based on the at least two resistive electrical contacts electrically contacting the resistor of each of the plurality of hang tabs, and
 the at least two capacitive electrical contacts providing, to the device, indications of capacitances based on the at least two capacitive electrical contacts electrically contacting the capacitor of each of the plurality of hang tabs.

16. The smart hook of claim 15 , where the device is to:
receive the indications of the resistances and the indications of the capacitances;
determine a quantity of the plurality of items based on one of the indications of the resistances or the indications of the capacitances; and
determine identities of the plurality of items based on another of the indications of the resistances or the indications of the capacitances.

17. The smart hook of claim 16 , further comprising:
a display to:
receive, from

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Khalid Mohammad Raheel
• Kim Ji Hoon
• Caceres Manuel Enrique
• Li Yuk Lun
• Rahman Sm Masudur

Classifications

• A47F5/0869 Primary

  Accessories for article-supporting brackets, e.g. price- indicating means, not covered by a single one of groups A47F5/08 (pushing means therefor A47F1/128) · CPC title

• A47F2010/025

  using stock management systems · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title