Shelf Compression Sensing for Non-Contact Stock Level Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retail stores face challenges in accurately determining the stock level of products on shelves, requiring manual counting and restocking, which can lead to inventory inaccuracies and stockouts.
Innovation Solution
A shelving assembly with a compression member that visually indicates the stock level through weight accumulation, combined with an electronic imaging device to capture images and estimate product quantity without manual manipulation, using a control circuit to analyze images and extrapolate the number of products based on compression levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual counting of products is performed to determine stock level, then inventory accuracy can be ensured, but time consumption and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical counting with an automated optical measurement system. An imaging device captures images of products on shelves, and image processing algorithms automatically count and track inventory levels, eliminating the need for manual product handling while maintaining accurate inventory data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies (images) of the physical inventory state. By capturing images of products on shelves and processing these images computationally, the system obtains accurate inventory counts without physically interacting with the products, thus saving time while maintaining measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If all products are removed from shelves to count them accurately, then complete inventory assessment is achieved, but product availability and sales opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses non-contact optical imaging and computational analysis to count products while they remain on the shelves. This substitution of mechanical removal with optical detection allows complete inventory assessment without disrupting product availability or sales operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary imaging system that indirectly measures inventory levels without direct physical contact with products. The imaging device and image processing algorithms serve as intermediaries between the inventory and the counting process, enabling accurate assessment while products remain in place.
3Reliability
If frequent manual inventory checks are performed, then stockout prevention is improved, but operational efficiency and customer service quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous automated inventory monitoring through imaging devices that continuously or periodically capture shelf images. This continuous action provides real-time inventory visibility without interrupting store operations, maintaining high reliability for stockout prevention while preserving operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the inventory system to self-monitor and self-report stock levels. The automated image capture and processing system independently tracks inventory without requiring staff intervention, improving both reliability for stockout prevention and ease of operation by eliminating manual checking tasks.
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
Enables accurate and efficient stock level monitoring without removing products, reducing the likelihood of stockouts and improving inventory management by providing real-time visual and data-driven insights into product quantities.
Implementation Method 1
The compression member (56) can be configured to visibly compress in response to one or more products (26) being stocked on the shelf assembly (50) to provide a visual indication of the number of products (26) stocked on the shelf assembly (50).
Implementation Method 2
The compression member (56) can be configured to visibly compress in response to one or more products (26) being stocked on the shelf assembly (50)
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses, and methods are described herein including a shelf assembly that utilizes the accumulated weight of products stocked thereon to compress a compression member disposed within the assembly. An electronic imaging device can be mounted proximate to the assembly and can be oriented to capture an image of the compression member to determine whether a particular shelf needs to be restocked and avoid having to manipulate or remove products from a shelf to determine a current stock level.