Modular Storage Shelves With Pulse-Sampled Load Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional inventory tracking systems in materials handling facilities, such as shelves, are inefficient due to the need for hard-wired connections and continuous power consumption, making them costly and difficult to retrofit or use in varying environments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of load sensors with self-powered or photovoltaic energy sources that transmit load signals at pulsed intervals, allowing for efficient tracking of item placement and removal without continuous power usage, and can be easily integrated into existing systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If computer-based systems are integrated into traditional storage units to enable inventory tracking, then measurement precision and automation are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of installation increase due to requirements for hard-wired connections and continuous power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hard-wired mechanical connections with wireless communication technology. Load sensors communicate inventory data to remote systems via wireless signals, eliminating the need for physical cable installations through shelves and reducing system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-powered load sensors that automatically detect and transmit inventory changes without requiring external power connections or manual intervention. The sensors self-regulate their operation based on detected load changes, providing automated inventory tracking that reduces installation and maintenance complexity.
2Productivity
If continuous monitoring is implemented to track inventory levels, then productivity and measurement precision are improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The load sensors operate on a periodic trigger basis rather than continuously. They activate only when a load change is detected (such as when an item is placed on or removed from a shelf), transmit data, and then enter low-power mode. This periodic operation maintains inventory monitoring effectiveness while dramatically reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring systems.
3Reliability
If hard-wired connections are used to power sensors and communicate data, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation and adaptability deteriorate due to difficulty in retrofitting existing storage systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical hard-wired connections with wireless communication infrastructure. This substitution allows the system to be easily adapted to existing storage systems without requiring physical modifications such as drilling holes for cables or installing power outlets, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining reliable data transmission through robust wireless protocols.
4Adaptability or versatility
If batteries are used instead of hard-wired power connections, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to frequent battery replacement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The load sensors are designed as self-powered units that harvest energy from their operational environment or use energy-efficient harvesting mechanisms. This eliminates the need for external battery replacements while maintaining installation flexibility, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and operational reliability.
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
This solution reduces power consumption, enables efficient tracking of inventory, and allows for easy integration into various environments, enhancing the utility and flexibility of inventory management systems.
Implementation Method 1
a storage system including a plurality of load sensors and a photovoltaic power source
Data Source
AI summary
Modular storage systems include load sensors disposed beneath or in association with platforms. The load sensors are pulse-sampled for signals corresponding to loads at time intervals, rather than continuously, in order to conserve electrical power. An item associated with a transaction is identified based on a change in the loads, as determined from the pulse-sampled signals. The platforms are aligned at horizontal or non-horizontal angles, and photovoltaic power sources with banks of photovoltaic cells are mounted to front edges of the platforms. When a user reaches over one of the photovoltaic cells to access an item on a platform, a level of power or voltage generated by the photovoltaic cell is diminished. The item closest to the photovoltaic cell having the diminished power or voltage, or a customer that accessed the item, may be identified accordingly.