AI Visual Inventory Catalog for Owner-Guided Item Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to provide efficient logistical control and inventory management for moving or storing disparate physical items, particularly lacking owner-centric control over the process and item placement.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing generative artificial intelligence (AI) on mobile devices to capture images of items and their layout, generating human-readable descriptions and condition reports, building a visual database, and enabling a collaborative portal for real-time owner control over item relocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual inventory methods are used for tracking items during moving, then personnel can create inventories and manage resources, but the system lacks centralized owner control and real-time visibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinventory managementVSAvoidowner control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements real-time feedback mechanisms where item locations, movement status, and inventory changes are continuously communicated to the owner through the digital platform. This allows the owner to maintain centralized control and visibility without interfering with the operational ease of crew members who continue to use the same platform for inventory management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The digital platform acts as an intermediary between the moving crew and the item owner. It enables the owner to access real-time inventory data and provide directional input without directly managing the physical moving process, thus preserving both owner control and operational efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If detailed tracking of each item's location is implemented, then item visibility is improved, but operational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveitem location visibilityVSAvoidlogistical system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a digital replica or virtual model of the physical inventory and its locations. Instead of physically tracking each item through complex manual processes, the system maintains a digital copy of the inventory data that automatically updates, providing complete visibility without proportionally increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If real-time inventory updates are provided to owners, then owner control is enhanced, but information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveowner visibilityVSAvoiddata processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary organization and categorization of inventory data before presenting it to the owner. Items are pre-grouped by location, status, and destination, which reduces the raw data processing burden while still providing comprehensive real-time visibility to the owner.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4708166A1Systems and methods for providing logisitical structure and inventories during storage and movement of disparate physical items
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 CADOGAN TATE GRP
  • EP4708166A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4708166A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4708166A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods that apply generative artificial intelligence (AI) processes to facilitate the inventorying and moving of physical items. In certain embodiments crew members of a moving team are provided with mobile devices running an application to take an image of an item to be moved. Once the image is taken, the systems and methods initiate a generative artificial intelligence process to provide a human readable description of the item. This description and the image can be built into a file that is stored in an item database to create a visual catalog for a user. Room layout images can be captured and stored as well. The visual catalog provides a real time record of items being moved and the cartons holding the items. A portal into the visual database allows a client to deliver instructions where to locate or store an item being moved and the system can get those instructions to the crew in realtime.