Portable Scanner with Estimation Unit for Retail Inventory Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face inefficiencies in scanning multiple products in stores, particularly in clothing stores where frequent layout changes require frequent scanning, making it difficult to track which areas of the store are being scanned when multiple people operate multiple scanners.

Innovation Solution

A scanning system equipped with a portable scanner that includes a reading unit, estimation unit, and display control unit to differentiate between completed and incomplete furniture scans, allowing for efficient identification and display of product positions by associating RFID tags with furniture and using a server to update and display positional information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple people share operation of scanning products using multiple scanners, then scanning coverage increases, but it becomes difficult to grasp which parts of the store are scanned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescanning coverageVSAvoidscan progress tracking

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines scan data from multiple scanners and multiple operators into a unified database system. The server aggregates information from all scanners, creating a consolidated view of scanning progress across the entire store, allowing all users to access the same centralized scan status information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides real-time feedback to users about scanning progress through display devices. The display control unit shows which furniture has been scanned and which remains, giving immediate visual feedback to operators about their progress and preventing duplicate scanning efforts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If frequent layout changes are made in clothing stores, then product display adaptability improves, but scanning frequency must increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelayout flexibilityVSAvoidscanning time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary scanning of furniture positions and stores this information in the database before products are arranged. When products are placed on furniture, their positions are automatically associated with the pre-scanned furniture data, eliminating the need to re-scan furniture after layout changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital copy of the store layout and furniture positions in the database. This virtual representation can be updated independently of physical layout changes, allowing the system to maintain accurate position information without requiring physical re-scanning of the entire store.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If estimation processing is performed to determine which furniture tags belong to, then product position accuracy improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct position accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The estimation unit performs partial estimation processing by using available scanner position information and furniture layout data to make reasonable assumptions about tag-furniture associations. The system processes only the necessary portion of data required to achieve sufficient accuracy without performing exhaustive analysis on all possible combinations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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

Improves scanning efficiency by enabling clear distinction between completed and incomplete scans, allowing users to intuitively track progress and ensuring accurate product positioning, thereby enhancing the overall scanning process in retail environments.

Implementation Method 1

a reading unit 101 configured to read information from a tag attached to the product

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRFID (Radio Frequency Identification): Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS11568157B2Scanner, control method of scanner, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and scanning system

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 FAST RETAILING

AI summary

There is provided a scanner that scans a plurality of pieces of furniture on which products are arranged. The scanner includes a reading unit configured to read information from a tag attached to the product, an estimation unit configured to perform estimation processing of estimating which furniture the tagged products read by the reading unit belongs to, and a display control unit configured to display furniture for which the estimation processing is completed and furniture for which the estimation processing is not completed so as to be distinguished from each other.