Fiber Optic Shelving System for Real-Time Inventory Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for counting and tracking inventory on store shelves are costly and time-consuming, especially in configurations where space between shelves is limited, and existing solutions like weight-based systems are expensive, while image-based systems require unfeasible or expensive overhead imaging.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optic shelving system with a shelf having holes, fiber optic filaments, and cameras that capture images of terminal surfaces and product sides, using processors to identify blocked holes and determine product quantities, enabling real-time inventory tracking and orientation analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If weight-based systems are used to count inventory, then inventory tracking accuracy is improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces weight-based mechanical sensing systems with an optical detection system using fiber optic filaments and cameras. The fiber optic filaments transmit light to detect product presence through shadow detection, eliminating the need for expensive weight sensors while maintaining inventory tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates optical copies (images) of products using cameras that capture visual information. Instead of physically weighing products, the system captures images and processes them to determine inventory levels, replacing mechanical measurement with optical replication and analysis.
2Measurement precision
If image-based systems are used to count inventory, then non-contact measurement is achieved, but overhead imaging space requirements become unfeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional overhead top-down imaging to a side-view imaging approach. Fiber optic filaments are positioned vertically along the shelf edge, and cameras capture images from the side, detecting product shadows in a different spatial dimension. This eliminates the need for overhead space while maintaining inventory detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber optic filaments act as intermediaries between the light source and the camera. They transmit light horizontally along the shelf edge, and products cast shadows on these filaments, which are then detected by side-mounted cameras. This intermediary optical path enables inventory detection without requiring overhead imaging space.
3Measurement precision
If traditional inventory counting methods are used, then manual verification is achieved, but time consumption and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service inventory monitoring by automatically detecting product presence and counting items through optical sensing. The fiber optic filaments and cameras continuously monitor the shelf without human intervention, and the processing system automatically generates inventory data, eliminating the need for manual counting while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous inventory monitoring rather than periodic manual checks. The fiber optic filaments and cameras operate continuously, detecting product presence in real-time as items are placed or removed from shelves, eliminating downtime and ensuring up-to-date inventory information without interrupting store operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Accurately determines inventory quantities and product orientation in real-time, facilitates restocking, identifies expired or decayed products, and prevents theft, while occupying minimal shelf space.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of fiber optic filaments, each of the plurality of fiber optic filaments having a first end and a second end, and the first end being coupled to one of the plurality of holes
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber optic shelving system includes a shelf including a plurality of holes, a plurality of fiber optic filaments, each of the plurality of fiber optic filaments having a first end and a second end, and the first end being coupled to one of the plurality of holes, a first camera configured to capture an image of the terminal surfaces of the plurality of fiber optic filaments, and a second camera configured to capture an image of a side of one or more products on the shelf. The fiber optic shelving system identifies, among the plurality of holes, a set of holes that are blocked from light based on the captured image of terminal surfaces of the second ends of the plurality of fiber optic filaments, and determines a number of products on the shelf based on the identified set of holes blocked from light and the captured image of the side of one or more products on the shelf.