# US 11,308,443 B2 · Goods shelf system and method of monitoring items thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,308,443 B2 - Document ID: US11308443B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/336,707 - Filed: 2018-09-30 - Published: 2020-12-10 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-19 - Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Wei Deng; Shijie Cao; Hongyan Pei; Huawei Yu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308443B2 ## CPC - G06M 1/101: {by electro-optical means} - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - A47F 5/0043: {Show shelves (shelves in general A47B96/02; brackets or similar shelf-supporting means A47B96/06; advertising or price indication G09F)} - A47F 10/02: for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets (A47F10/06 takes precedence; hand-carts B62B; baskets B65D) - G06Q 10/08772: {Inventory counting methods} - G08B 21/182: {Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold} - H04B 10/1141: {One-way transmission} - A47B 2220/0091: Electronic or electric devices - A47F 11/10: Arrangements of light sources - A47F 2010/025: {using stock management systems} - G06M: COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - A47F: SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - H04B: TRANSMISSION - A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B) ## Abstract Embodiments of this disclosure provide a goods shelf system and a method of monitoring items of the goods shelf system. The goods shelf system comprises: a goods shelf comprising a bearing body for bearing an item; a signal transmitting unit located on a side of the bearing body; a plurality of signal receiving units, located on the bearing body, for receiving a signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit; and a processing unit, electrically connected with the signal receiving unit, for acquiring a storage state of the item on the bearing body according to an signal outputted by the signal receiving unit, wherein one or more of the plurality of signal receiving units shielded by the items are not able to receive the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A goods shelf system comprising: a goods shelf comprising a bearing body for bearing items; a signal transmitting unit located on a side of the bearing body; a plurality of signal receiving units, located on the bearing body, for receiving a signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit, wherein the signal receiving units output a first magnitude when the signal receiving units receive the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit, and output a second magnitude when the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit is shielded by the items on the bearing body; and a processing unit, electrically connected with the signal receiving units, for acquiring a storage state of the items on the bearing body according to a signal outputted by the signal receiving units, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether or not a tally action occurs by: acquiring the first magnitude or the second magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in a preset area range on the bearing body near an entrance of the goods shelf, and summing the first magnitude or the second magnitude to obtain a total magnitude, the first magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in the preset area range indicates that a tally device is not sensed in the goods shelf, and the second magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in the preset area range indicates that a tally device enters the goods shelf; determining whether or not a tally action occurs according to a result of comparison between the total magnitude and an initial total magnitude; and calculating the quantity of the items stored on the bearing body according to the signal outputted by the signal receiving units when the processing unit determines that a tally action occurs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The goods shelf system according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitting unit comprises a signal transmitting plate, the signal transmitting plate is disposed opposite to the bearing body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The goods shelf system according to claim 2, wherein the signal receiving units is a photosensitive element; the signal transmitting unit is an optical signal transmitting unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The goods shelf system according to claim 3, wherein the signal transmitting plate is a light guide plate; the signal transmitting unit further comprises a light source disposed on a side of the light guide plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The goods shelf system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm module electrically connected with the processing unit, and the alarm module is configured to generate alarm information when a quantity of the items stored is less than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The goods shelf system according to claim 5, wherein the goods shelf system further comprises a communication module for sending the alarm information to a mobile terminal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The goods shelf system according to claim 6, wherein the communication module is further used for sending identification information identifying the goods shelf and the quantity of the items stored on the goods shelf to the mobile terminal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The goods shelf system according to claim 2, wherein the goods shelf further comprises a bracket disposed between the bearing body and the signal transmitting plate, the bearing body and the signal transmitting plate are fixed by the bracket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The goods shelf system according to claim 2, wherein the bearing body comprises a support and a circuit board; the signal receiving units are disposed on the circuit board, and the circuit board is disposed on a side of the support away from the signal transmitting plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The goods shelf system according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of signal receiving units arranged on the bearing body in an array. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The goods shelf system according to claim 1, wherein the bearing body is a plate-shaped bearing body or a mesh-shaped bearing body. ### Claim 12 A method of monitoring items of a goods shelf system comprising: a goods shelf comprising a bearing body for bearing items; a signal transmitting unit located on a side of the bearing body; a plurality of signal receiving units, located on the bearing body, for receiving a signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit; and a processing unit, electrically connected with the signal receiving units, for acquiring a storage state of the item on the bearing body according to a signal outputted by the signal receiving units, the method comprises: outputting a first magnitude to the processing unit when the signal receiving units receive the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit, and outputting a second magnitude to the processing unit when the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit is shielded by the items on the bearing body; and acquiring, by the processing unit, the storage state of the item on the bearing body of the goods shelf according to the signal outputted by the signal receiving units, wherein acquiring, by the processing unit, the storage state of the item on the bearing body of the goods shelf according to the signal outputted by the signal receiving units comprises: after the processing unit determines that a tally action occurs, calculating the quantity of the items stored on the bearing body according to the signal outputted by the signal receiving units, determining whether or not a tally action occurs comprises: acquiring the first magnitude or the second magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in a preset area range on the bearing body near an entrance of the goods shelf, the first magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in the preset area range indicates that a tally device is not sensed in the goods shelf, and the second magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in the preset area range indicates that a tally device enters the goods shelf; summing the first magnitude or the second magnitude to obtain a total magnitude; and determining whether or not a tally action occurs according to a result of comparison between the total magnitude and an initial total magnitude. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the goods shelf system further comprises an alarm module electrically connected with the processing unit; the method further comprising: when a quantity of the items stored is less than a predetermined threshold, generating, by the alarm module, alarm information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: acquiring, before the tally action, the first magnitude outputted by the signal receiving units in the preset area range on the bearing body near the entrance of the goods shelf, to obtain the initial total magnitude. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein acquiring, by the processing unit, the storage state of the item on the bearing body of the goods shelf according to the signal outputted by the signal receiving units comprises: after the processing unit determines that a tally action occurs, calculating a quantity of the items stored on the bearing body according to the signal outputted by the signal receiving units; and determining whether or not a tally action occurs comprises: determining whether or not a tally action occurs according to a change trajectory of the signal receiving units that output the second magnitude on the bearing body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising calculating a quantity of the items stored on the bearing body comprises: acquiring a quantity nt of the signal receiving units that output the first magnitude on the bearing body; calculating the quantity mt of the item stored on the bearing body through the equation m t = ( N - n t ) ⁢ M N - n 0 , where M is the quantity of the items when the number of the items stored on the bearing body reaches a maximum, no is a quantity of the signal receiving units that output the first magnitude when the number of the item stored on the bearing body reaches the maximum, and N is a quantity of the signal receiving units on the bearing body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the goods shelf system further comprises a communication module and the method further comprising: sending, by the communication module, the alarm information generated by the alarm module to a mobile terminal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising: sending the identification information identifying the goods shelf and the quantity of the items stored on the goods shelf to the mobile terminal.