Inventory control system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inventory control system where the most updated number of products displayed on a display space is electronically determined and communicated to a computer for remote users, and electronically displayed along with other relevant information about the products.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is related to and claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 497,437 filed on Aug. 22, 2003 entitled “Inventory Control Systems,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to monitoring inventory items on a display shelf or a storage space and communicating and displaying the counting results and other relevant information concerning the inventory items. [0004] 2. General Background and State of the Art [0005] Grocery stores and general merchandising stores, such as Wal-mart® and Target®, commonly place and display products on a shelf. In an effort to organize products in a more cost-effective and time-efficient manner, and display them in an esthetically pleasing way, stores began placing dividers and pusher paddles on shelves. Dividers may vary in length and height to facilitate better organiza...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention provides an improved inventory monitoring system that allows users to keep their existing organization and display mechanism of products, yet monitors and communicates the most updated inventory of the products almost at the same time a change is made to the inventory. At the very moment a customer picks up a product and removes it from a product display space, the present inventory monitoring system would determine the number of the products remaining on the display space and transmits that information to a computer to be viewed by any user whoever has access to the computer, e.g., the manager of the store, an employee of the store, or the supplier of the products. The manager or any other employee of the store can react to the information by immediately replenishing the display space with a new set of the products. The supplier of the products may alert the store to order more supplies of the products.

[0009] Further, the present invention can be used to prevent theft. Knowing the most updated count of products displayed on the display space alert the store of a potential shoplifting. Because most shoplifters steal more than one item at a time, the significant decrease of the number of products in a short period of time will alert the store whether a potential shoplifting has taken place. Before the perpetrator leaves the store, the store security, acting based upon the most updated information, can locate and capture the perpetrator.

Problems solved by technology

However, this service limits the use of a spring to products having an identical depth.

Further, the service requires an employee to manually look at each spring to determine the number of inventory products remaining on the display space, which translates to more time.

Further, painting numerical orders is a tedious process that requires hours of man power and typically diminishes the esthetic value of the display.

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