Beacon-Based Fresh Perishable Item Notification System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customers are not aware when fresh perishable items like fruits, vegetables, and meats are added to store shelves, relying on physical observation or packaging dates, while retailers face challenges in quickly selling perishable goods due to limited shelf life and spoilage.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses beacons and inventory tracking devices to detect the addition of fresh perishable items to store shelves, updating a freshness tracking system and sending notifications to shoppers' mobile devices, either when they are inside the store or remotely, based on location detection using geo-fencing, GPS, or Wi-Fi technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If physical observation or packaging dates are used to determine freshness, then customers can identify fresh items, but customers are not timely notified when fresh items are added to shelves
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by notifying customers before they need to purchase fresh items. Beacons and inventory tracking devices detect when fresh perishable items are added to shelves and proactively send notifications to customers' mobile devices, allowing customers to plan their shopping around fresh item availability rather than discovering it only when physically in the store.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where beacons continuously monitor shelf inventory status and automatically trigger notifications when fresh items are detected. The inventory tracking system provides real-time feedback about product availability, and this information is fed back to customers through mobile notifications, creating a closed-loop information system that keeps customers informed of freshness status.
2Productivity
If retailers manually monitor and manage perishable inventory, then they can track product freshness, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The inventory system performs self-service by automatically detecting when fresh perishable items are added to shelves using beacons and tracking devices. The system autonomously monitors shelf status, identifies fresh product additions, and triggers notifications without requiring manual intervention from staff, thereby significantly improving inventory management efficiency and reducing labor time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring methods with automated electronic detection systems. Beacons, GPS, Wi-Fi, and barcode scanning technologies substitute for human workers physically checking shelves, automatically tracking inventory status, and managing freshness data, thereby dramatically increasing productivity in perishable goods management.
3Reliability
If automated beacon systems are deployed to track fresh items, then real-time notifications can be sent to customers, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon system is designed with multi-functionality to reduce overall complexity. The same beacons that track inventory status also enable location detection for notification delivery, and the system integrates multiple detection methods (GPS, Wi-Fi, geo-fencing) into a unified notification platform. This universal approach allows a single system architecture to handle multiple functions that would otherwise require separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing shoppers with product freshness notifications, comprise a beacon that determines that a fresh perishable item of interest has been added to a store shelf; an updater that updates the system with information about the fresh perishable item added to the store shelf; and a notification generator that sends a notification to a mobile electronic device of the shopper regarding the addition of the fresh perishable item to the store shelf.