Inventory Management System

Abstract

A method for monitoring inventory of perishable goods in a refrigerator, comprising: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods on one or more weight measuring units; determining the amount of one or more perishable goods in a cold storage compartment of the refrigerator in response to the weight of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; and transmitting a notification to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than the selected amount.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Embodiments herein relate to the field of inventory management systems, and in particular to methods and apparatus for monitoring inventory.

[0002] Refrigeration systems require constant inventory checks to account for current inventory in the refrigeration system and removal of expired perishable goods. Inventory checks are often a time-consuming, manual process. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to an embodiment, a method for monitoring inventory of perishable goods in a refrigerator is provided. The method includes: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods on one or more weight measurement units; determining the amount of the one or more perishable goods in a refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator in response to the weight of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; and transmitting a notification to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0004] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include that the notification to the supplier device includes an order for a second quantity of one or more perishable goods.

[0005] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include: determining a supplier from the one or more suppliers that owns the supplier device in response to at least one of an approval rating of each of the one or more suppliers and a distance from the refrigerator to each of the one or more suppliers.

[0006] In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include locking a door to the refrigerator when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0007] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include reducing a cooling output of the refrigerator when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0008] In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include receiving an acceptance from the supplier device in response to the order for one or more perishable goods included in the notification.

[0009] In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include tracking the location of the supplier as the supplier is delivering the order for one or more perishable goods to the refrigerator.

[0010] In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include communicating the location of the supplier to the store management device.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include: determining when the supplier arrives at the refrigerator; detecting when the supplier opens the door of the refrigerator; tracking the amount of time the supplier leaves the door of the refrigerator open; and transmitting a notification to the supplier device when the amount of time is greater than or equal to a selected amount of time.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include: determining when the supplier arrives at the refrigerator; detecting when the supplier opens the door of the refrigerator; tracking the increase in weight of one or more perishable goods on the one or more weight measuring units; determining a new amount of the one or more perishable goods added by the supplier in response to the increase in weight; and transmitting payment to the supplier when the new amount is equal to the second amount of one or more perishable goods.

[0013] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include locking a door to the refrigerator when all of the one or more perishable goods within the refrigerator compartment have expired.

[0014] According to another embodiment, a perishable goods inventory monitoring system is provided. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system includes: a processor; and a memory, the memory including computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions when executed by the processor causing the processor to perform operations, the operations including: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods on one or more weight measurement units; determining the amount of the one or more perishable goods in a refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator in response to the weight of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; and transmitting a notification to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0015] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include that the notification to the supplier device includes an order for a second quantity of one or more perishable goods.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include the operations further comprising: determining a supplier from the one or more suppliers that owns the supplier device in response to at least one of an approval rating of each of the one or more suppliers and a distance from the refrigerator to each of the one or more suppliers.

[0017] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include the operations further comprising: locking a door to the refrigerator when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0018] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include the operations further comprising: reducing a cooling output of the refrigerator when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0019] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include the operations further comprising: receiving an acceptance from the supplier device in response to the order for one or more perishable goods included in the notification.

[0020] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include the operations further comprising tracking the location of the supplier as the supplier is delivering the order for one or more perishable goods to the refrigerator.

[0021] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include the operations further comprising: transmitting the location of the supplier to the store management device.

[0022] According to another embodiment, a method of monitoring inventory of perishable goods is provided. The method includes: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods on one or more weight measurement units; determining the amount of the one or more perishable goods within an area in response to the weight of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; and transmitting a notification to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0023] Technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure include utilizing weight sensing in refrigerators to perform inventory checks periodically or in real time to identify expired perishable goods and request restocking of perishable goods when inventory is low.

[0024] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the aforementioned features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity. These features and elements and their operation will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description and accompanying drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature and are non-restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of examples, and not limitation, in the accompanying figures in which like references indicate similar elements.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a perishable goods inventory monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0027] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method of monitoring the inventory of perishable goods in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 is a view of a perishable goods inventory monitoring system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that although the refrigerator 100 is used for exemplary illustration, the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to other perishable goods storage systems, such as, for example, dry goods storage equipment, etc. It should be recognized that although specific systems are defined separately in the schematic block diagram, each or any system may be combined or separated in other ways via hardware and / or software. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system 10 may include one or more refrigerators 100 configured to store perishable goods 104 under appropriate environmental conditions. The refrigerator 100 provides a cooling output to the refrigerated chamber 102. The perishable goods 104 may include, but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy products, seeds, flowers, meat, poultry, fish, ice, blood, medicines, or any other suitable products requiring refrigerated storage.

[0029] The refrigerator 100 includes a controller to control the cooling output of the refrigerator 100 and the operation of the refrigeration cycle, thereby controlling the environment within the refrigerator compartment 102. The controller 212 includes a processor 214 and an associated memory 216, the memory 216 including computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 214, cause the processor 214 to perform various operations, such as, for example, controlling the cooling output of the refrigerator 100. The processor 214 can be, but is not limited to, a single processor or multi-processor system of any wide range of possible architectures, including homogeneous or non-homogeneous arranged field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), central processing units (CPUs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or graphics processing units (GPUs) hardware. The memory 216 can be a storage device, such as, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer-readable medium.

[0030] The controller 212 may be in electronic communication with the communication module 220. The communication module 220 may be configured to transmit data from the controller 212 to the wireless access protocol device 250 via a short-range wireless protocol. The short-range wireless protocol may include, but is not limited to, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HaLow (801.11ah), ZWave, Zigbee, or Wireless M-Bus.

[0031] The refrigerator 100 can be electrically connected to a power source 222 configured to supply power to the refrigerator 100 and / or store power. The power source 222 can be an electrical outlet into which the refrigerator 100 is plugged. The power source 222 can include an energy storage system, such as, for example, a battery system, a capacitor, or other energy storage systems known to those skilled in the art. The power source 222 can also generate power for the sensing device 210. The power source 222 can also include an energy generation or power collection system, such as, for example, a synchronous generator, an induction generator, or other types of generators known to those skilled in the art.

[0032] Perishable goods 104 are stored on weight measurement units 120 within the refrigerating chamber 102 of the refrigerator 100. Each perishable goods 104 may be stored on a separate weight measurement unit 120, or a group of perishable goods 104 may be stored on a single weight measurement unit 120. A group of perishable goods 104 stored on a single weight measurement unit 120 may all be of the same type. For example, only apples may be stored on a first weight measurement unit 120, and only milk may be stored on a second weight measurement unit 120.

[0033] The weight measurement unit 120 is configured to detect the weight of the perishable goods 104 stored on the weight measurement unit 120. The weight measurement unit 120 may be a pad on which the perishable goods 104 may be placed, or the weight measurement unit 120 may require a pallet to hold the perishable goods 104. The pallet may need to be zeroed when installed to offset the weight of the pallet. The weight measurement unit 120 may be digital or analog. The weight measurement unit 120 may be digital so that the weight measurement unit 120 may be configured to detect whether a selected weight is on the measurement unit 120 (i.e., 1 or 0). The selected weight may be set at a specific selected weight, or may simply detect whether there is any weight on the weight measurement unit 120. For example, the weight measurement unit 120 may return a "yes" or "no" that the weight measurement unit has twenty pounds on it. In another example, the weight measurement unit 120 may return a "yes" or "no" that the weight measurement unit has more than zero pounds on it. The weight measurement unit 120 may be analog so that the weight measurement unit 120 may be configured to detect an exact weight instead of a digital return value.

[0034] The weight measurement unit 120 is configured to transmit the weight of the perishable goods 104 stored on the weight measurement unit 120 to the controller 212 of the refrigerator 100. The weight of the perishable goods 104 may be transmitted at periodic intervals, when the weight of the perishable goods 104 changes, and / or when the weight of the perishable goods 104 reaches a selected weight (i.e., a percentage of the original weight of the perishable goods 104). The weight measurement unit 120 may communicate with the controller 212 via a hardwired connection and / or wirelessly communicate with the controller 212. In an embodiment, the wireless communication between the weight measurement unit 120 and the controller 212 may be via the communication module 220 by means of a short-range wireless protocol. The controller 212 may be configured to adjust the operation of the refrigerator 100 in response to the weight of the perishable goods 102 detected within the refrigerated compartment 102. For example, if a large amount of perishable goods 104 is detected within the refrigerator compartment 102, the controller 212 may need to increase the cooling output of the refrigerator 104, while if a small amount of perishable goods 104 is detected within the refrigerator compartment 102, the controller 212 may be allowed to decrease the cooling output of the refrigerator 104 because there is less mass to cool within the refrigerator compartment 102. The controller 212 may also be able to analyze the performance of the refrigerator 100 by monitoring how the cooling output of the refrigerator 100 performs when there is a large amount of perishable goods 104 within the refrigerator compartment 102 (i.e., a high mass load) and when there is a small amount of perishable goods 104 within the refrigerator compartment 102 (i.e., a low mass load).

[0035] When the perishable goods 104 are placed on the weight measurement unit 120 by the supplier, the supplier 290 can enter the type and amount of the perishable goods 104. In one example, when the perishable goods are loaded into the refrigerator 100, the supplier 290 can enter the type and amount of the perishable goods 104 by scanning the barcode on the perishable goods. The information scanned from the barcode is then uploaded to the inventory database, which is connected to the controller 212. In another example, the supplier 290 can directly upload the inventory list of the reloaded perishable goods 104 from the mobile and web applications on the supplier device 280 to the controller 212 through the network 260, which can be automatic. The supplier 290 can also enter the expiration date of the perishable goods 104, or the expiration date of the perishable goods 104 can be determined by the controller 212 in response to the type of the perishable goods 104 and the date on which the perishable goods 104 enter the cold storage chamber 102. In the event that the perishable goods 104 are detected to still be on the weight measurement unit 120 after the expiration date of the perishable goods 104, the controller 212 is configured to transmit a notification 302 to the store management device 270 in order to alert the store management of the expired perishable goods 104. The notification 302 may also be transmitted to the supplier device 280 in order to alert the supplier 290 that an additional order of the expired perishable goods 104 is required.

[0036] The notification 302 may be transmitted from the communication module 220 to the wireless access protocol device 250, and the wireless access protocol device 250 is then configured to transmit the notification via one or more computer networks 260 (i.e., cloud computing networks, Internet of Things (IoT), etc.). The computer network 260 transmits the notification 302 to the store management device 270 and the supplier device 280.

[0037] The store management device 270 may be a computing device, such as, for example, a desktop computer. The store management device 270 may also be a mobile computing device typically carried by a person, such as, for example, a smart phone, a PDA, a smart watch, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, etc. The store management device 270 may also be two separate devices synchronized together, such as, for example, a cellular phone and a desktop computer synchronized via an Internet connection. The controller 212 may also be configured to transmit a notification 302 to the store management device 270 when the quantity of perishable goods 104 in the refrigerator 102 of the refrigerator 100 is less than or equal to the selected quantity, so that the store manager may be able to clean the refrigerator 102 of the refrigerator 100. For example, when the refrigerator 102 of the refrigerator 100 is empty, the notification 302 may be transmitted to the store management device 270, which may mean that the store manager may now clean the refrigerator 102 of the refrigerator 100.

[0038] The controller 212 may also communicate with a cash register within the store. When the controller 212 has detected moisture loss from the perishable goods 104 by detecting a decrease in the weight of the perishable goods 104 without sales of the perishable goods 104 from the cash register, the controller 212 may transmit a notification 302 to the store management device 270. For example, as fruit ages, it may lose moisture to the atmosphere within the cold storage compartment 102, resulting in a decrease in weight, which would otherwise register as a decrease in inventory of the perishable goods 104 if the controller 212 did not compare the decrease in the weight of the perishable goods 104 with sales of the perishable goods 104 from the cash register. The controller 212 may also communicate with a door sensor 140 on the door 142 to detect whether weight is being lost from the perishable goods 104 without removing the perishable goods 104 from the weight measurement unit 120 (i.e., the door 142 to the cold storage compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100 may never be opened, but weight is lost).

[0039] In addition, the perishable goods inventory monitoring system 10 may further include one or more cameras 160 configured to capture images of the perishable goods 104 within the refrigerating chamber 102 of the refrigerator 100 and perform image diagnosis. For example, when the perishable goods 102 are moved from the first weight measurement unit 120 to the second weight measurement unit 120, the camera 160 may be used to verify that the decrease in weight on the first weight measurement unit 120 and the increase in weight on the second weight measurement unit 120 are due to the movement of the perishable goods 102 from the first weight measurement unit 120 to the second weight measurement unit 120.

[0040] In addition, the controller 212 may also be configured to lock the door 142 to the refrigerator compartment 102 when the amount of perishable goods 104 within the refrigerator compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100 is less than or equal to a selected amount, so that customers of the store do not open and close the door 142 of the refrigerator 100 if there is not a sufficient amount of perishable goods 104 within the refrigerator compartment 102. For example, when the refrigerator compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100 is empty, the door 142 may be locked, which would advantageously help the refrigerator 100 save energy by not allowing customers to open and close the door 142 when no perishable goods 104 are present within the refrigerator 100 (opening and closing the door 142 would release cold air).

[0041] The supplier device 280 may be a computing device, such as, for example, a desktop computer. The store management device 270 may also be a mobile computing device typically carried by a person, such as, for example, a smart phone, a PDA, a smart watch, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, etc. The supplier device 280 may also be two separate devices synchronized together, such as, for example, a cell phone and a desktop computer synchronized via an Internet connection.

[0042] The controller 212 may also be configured to transmit a notification 302 to the supplier device 280 when the quantity of perishable goods 104 within the refrigerated compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100 is less than or equal to a specific quantity, such that more perishable goods may need to be delivered by the supplier 290. The controller may determine the quantity or amount of perishable goods 104 within the refrigerated compartment based on the weight detected by the weight measurement unit 120. For example, the perishable goods 104 may reach a selected amount, which may require the supplier 290 to deliver more perishable goods 104. The selected amount may vary relative to the time of day and the day of the year. For example, during the hot summer months, there may be a high demand for refrigerated water, so the selected weight prompting the notification to the supplier 290 may be higher due to the fact that the perishable goods 104 will be consumed more quickly.

[0043] The controller 212 may also be configured to transmit a notification 302 to the vendor device 280 when the door sensor 140 detects that the vendor 290 takes too long to load the perishable goods 104 into the refrigerator compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100 thereby releasing too much cold air or allowing frost to accumulate within the refrigerator compartment 102 .

[0044] There may be more than one supplier 290 in the perishable inventory monitoring system 10, and therefore more than one supplier device 280. The controller 212 is configured to determine which of the one or more suppliers 290 to transmit the notification to. The controller 212 may consider many variables, including, but not limited to, approval ratings and / or distance, when determining which supplier 290 to transmit the notification 302 to for refilling the perishables. Each supplier 290 may have an approval rating (e.g., a star rating) that rates the quality of the supplier's 290 service based on various factors, including responsiveness, timeliness, quality of the perishables 104, and the ability to fulfill orders for new perishables 104. The controller 212 may automatically pick the supplier 290 with the highest rating, and if the supplier 290 is unavailable or canceled, the next highest rated supplier 290 may be selected and sent to it a notification 302 requesting an order for the perishables 104. In addition, depending on the urgency of the need for the perishables 104, the distance between the supplier 290 and the refrigerator 100 may be factored into consideration. For example, if perishable goods 104 are needed to refill refrigerator 104 within the next few hours, controller 212 may have to weight the proximity of supplier 290 over the approval rating because time is of the essence.

[0045] The supplier 290 may accept an order for one or more perishable goods 104 and indicate the acceptance by transmitting an acceptance 304 to the communication module 220. Once the supplier 290 has received the notification 302 and accepted (i.e., transmitted the acceptance 304) the request to deliver the perishable goods, the location and progress of the supplier 290 may be tracked throughout the delivery of the perishable goods 104 using the supplier device 280. The location of the supplier 290 may be tracked and transmitted to the store management device 270 so that the store manager knows where the supplier 290 is located and when the supplier 290 will arrive with the perishable goods 104 to be loaded into the refrigerator 100. For example, the location of the supplier device 280 may be tracked via GPS. Using the location tracking of the supplier 290 and the weight measurement unit 120, it may be determined when the supplier 290 is at the refrigerator 100 and when the perishable goods 104 are loaded into the cold storage compartment 102 (e.g., the supplier 290 will be at the refrigerator 100 and the weight on the weight measurement unit 120 may be changing). The controller 212 may be configured to track how long it takes the vendor 290 to load the perishable goods 104 into the refrigerator 100 (ie, the loading time), and thus the loading time may affect the approval rating of the vendor 290 .

[0046] The controller 212 may be configured to authorize / release / transmit payment to the supplier 290 when the controller 212 has determined that the supplier 290 has completed restocking the perishable goods 104 according to the notification 302. For example, the notification 302 may indicate that fifty apples have been ordered, and when it is determined that the supplier 290 is located at the refrigerator 100 and the weight measurement unit 120 has detected that fifty apples have been loaded into the refrigerator compartment 102, then the controller 212 may pay the supplier 290.

[0047] Reference now Figure 2 , while referring to Figure 1 components. Figure 2 A flow chart of a method 400 for monitoring an inventory of perishable goods 104 within a refrigerator 100 is shown. At block 404, the weight of the one or more perishable goods 104 on the one or more weight measurement units is detected. At block 406, the amount of the one or more perishable goods 104 within the refrigerator compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100 is determined in response to the weight of the one or more perishable goods 104. At block 408, it is detected when the amount of the one or more perishable goods 104 is equal to or less than a selected amount.

[0048] At block 410, when the amount of the one or more perishable goods 104 is equal to or less than the selected amount, a notification 304 is transmitted to at least one of the store management device 270 and the supplier device 280. In an embodiment, the notification 302 to the supplier device 280 includes an order for a second amount of the one or more perishable goods 104 (i.e., a new order to replenish the perishable goods 104 purchased by the consumer). The supplier device 280 may have a supplier 290. As mentioned above, the supplier 290 may be determined from the one or more suppliers 290 in response to at least one of an approval rating of each of the one or more suppliers 290 and a distance from the refrigerator 100 to each of the one or more suppliers 290. To accept the order, the supplier device 280 may transmit the acceptance 304 back to the controller 212, so the method 400 may include: receiving the acceptance 304 from the supplier device 280 in response to the order for the one or more perishable goods 104 included in the notification 302. Once the supplier 290 has accepted the order, the location of the supplier 290 that is delivering the order for one or more perishable goods 104 to the refrigerator 100 can be tracked. The location of the supplier 290 can be transmitted to the store management device 270 so that the store manager knows when the supplier 290 can arrive at the store.

[0049] Method 400 may include: determining when supplier 290 arrives at refrigerator 100; detecting when supplier 290 opens door 142 of refrigerator 100; tracking the amount of time supplier 290 leaves door 142 of refrigerator 100 open; and transmitting a notification to supplier device 280 when the amount of time is greater than or equal to a selected amount of time.

[0050] The method 400 may also include: determining when the supplier 290 arrives at the refrigerator 100; detecting when the supplier 290 opens the door 142 of the refrigerator 100; tracking the increase in weight of one or more perishable goods 104 on the one or more weight measurement units 120; determining a new amount of the one or more perishable goods 104 added by the supplier 290 in response to the increase in weight; and transmitting payment to the supplier 290 when the new amount is equal to a second amount of the one or more perishable goods 104.

[0051] The method 400 may also include locking the door 142 to the refrigerator 100 when the amount of one or more perishable goods 104 is equal to or less than a selected amount. For example, the door 142 may be a lock 142 so that the customer does not inadvertently open the door 142 when there are no perishable goods 104 for purchase in the refrigerator 100. The method 400 may also include reducing the cooling output of the refrigerator 100 when the amount of one or more perishable goods 104 is equal to or less than a selected amount. The method 400 may also include locking the door 142 to the refrigerator 100 when all of the one or more perishable goods 104 in the refrigerated compartment 102 expire. The consumer may receive a notification that the refrigerator 100 is locked by various methods, including on a mobile device (i.e., a cell phone) belonging to the consumer. Once locked, the refrigerator 100 may only be opened by the supplier 290 or a store manager, while remaining locked to the consumer.

[0052] Although the above description has been described in a specific order Figure 2 However, it should be appreciated that the order of the steps may be changed unless otherwise specifically required in the appended claims.

[0053] The term "approximately" is intended to include the degree of error associated with the measurement based on the particular quantity and / or manufacturing tolerances of the equipment available at the time the application was filed.

[0054] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprises and / or comprising" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0055] Those skilled in the art will recognize that various example embodiments are shown and described herein, each of which has certain features in a particular embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited thereby. On the contrary, the present disclosure may be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, combinations, sub-combinations, or equivalent arrangements not previously described but commensurate with the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments. Therefore, the present disclosure will not be considered to be limited by the foregoing description, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the inventory of perishable goods in a refrigerator, the method comprising: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods by one or more weight measuring units; determining an amount of the one or more perishable items within a refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator in response to the weight of the one or more perishable items; detecting a decrease in weight of the one or more perishable goods by the one or more weight measurement units; determining that the weight reduction is attributable to moisture loss from the one or more perishable goods rather than a reduction in inventory of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; as well as When the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount, a notification is transmitted to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification to the supplier device includes an order for a second quantity of one or more perishable goods.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: A supplier is determined from the one or more suppliers, the supplier owning the supplier device, in response to at least one of an approval rating of each of the one or more suppliers and a distance from the refrigerator to each of the one or more suppliers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount, locking a door to the refrigerator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When the amount of the one or more perishable items is equal to or less than a selected amount, a cooling output of the refrigerator is reduced.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising: Responsive to the order for one or more perishable goods included in the notification, an acceptance is received from the supplier device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: The location of the supplier is tracked while the supplier is delivering the order for one or more perishable goods to the refrigerator.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: The location of the supplier is communicated to the store management device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining when said supplier arrives at said refrigerator; detecting when the supplier opens a door of the refrigerator; tracking an amount of time that said vendor leaves said door of said refrigerator open; as well as When the amount of time is greater than or equal to a selected amount of time, a notification is transmitted to the provider device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining when said supplier arrives at said refrigerator; detecting when the supplier opens a door of the refrigerator; tracking an increase in weight of one or more perishable goods on the one or more weight measurement units; determining a new amount of the one or more perishable goods added by the supplier in response to the increase in weight; as well as When the new amount equals the second amount of one or more perishable goods, a payment is transmitted to the supplier.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: When all of the one or more perishable goods in the refrigerated compartment expire, locking the door to the refrigerator.

12. A perishable goods inventory monitoring system comprising: processor; as well as a memory including computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods by one or more weight measuring units; determining an amount of the one or more perishable items within a refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator in response to the weight of the one or more perishable items; detecting a decrease in weight of the one or more perishable goods by the one or more weight measurement units; determining that the weight reduction is attributable to moisture loss from the one or more perishable goods rather than a reduction in inventory of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; and When the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount, a notification is transmitted to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device.

13. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the notification to the supplier device includes an order for a second quantity of one or more perishable goods.

14. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: A supplier is determined from the one or more suppliers, the supplier owning the supplier device, in response to at least one of an approval rating of each of the one or more suppliers and a distance from the refrigerator to each of the one or more suppliers.

15. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise: When the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount, locking a door to the refrigerator.

16. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise: When the amount of the one or more perishable items is equal to or less than a selected amount, a cooling output of the refrigerator is reduced.

17. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: Responsive to the order for one or more perishable goods included in the notification, an acceptance is received from the supplier device.

18. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: The location of the supplier is tracked while the supplier is delivering the order for one or more perishable goods to the refrigerator.

19. The perishable goods inventory monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise: The location of the supplier is communicated to the store management device.

20. A method of monitoring inventory of perishable goods, the method comprising: detecting the weight of one or more perishable goods by one or more weight measuring units; determining a quantity of the one or more perishable goods within an area in response to the weight of the one or more perishable goods; detecting a decrease in weight of the one or more perishable goods by the one or more weight measurement units; determining that the weight reduction is attributable to moisture loss from the one or more perishable goods rather than a reduction in inventory of the one or more perishable goods; detecting when the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount; as well as When the amount of the one or more perishable goods is equal to or less than a selected amount, a notification is transmitted to at least one of a store management device and a supplier device.

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