US 12,430,605 B2Granted

Systems and methods for automated inventory control and replenishment of depleted goods

AssigneeTeliiport, Inc.

InventorsRadha Nandula, Anil Lakshmi Narasimha Telikepalli

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Abstract

Systems and methods for carrying out automated inventory control by automatically sensing product levels in-situ, and automatically ordering new product when product levels are determined to be excessively low. Sensor modules may be placed under, over, or near products such as consumer goods, to continuously detect their levels as they are stored in normal use. When detected product levels are sufficiently low, new product can be automatically ordered, or instructions can be transmitted to refill or replace the product. In this manner, product depletion can be detected without user intervention or manual disturbance of the product, and new product can be automatically requested to refill or replace the depleted product.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A system for facilitating automated product reorder, the system comprising:

at least one sensor module having battery-powered sensors configured to perform measurements of one or more properties of a product for monitoring a quantity of the product, each sensor module including a wireless transceiver that is configured to operate in a sleep mode when the wireless transceiver is not to send or receive data;
one or more processors;
and
memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
receiving, from the at least one sensor module, first signals corresponding to the monitored quantity of the product;
sending, in response to receipt of the first signals, second signals to the at least one sensor module to update firmware of the at least one sensor module;
sending, in response to receipt of the first signals, third signals to the at least one sensor module for calibrating the at least one sensor module, to compensate for temperature of the at least one sensor module and drift of the at least one sensor module to ensure accuracy of measurements performed by the sensors of the at least one sensor module;
determining, at least in part from the received first signals, whether a depletion of the product has occurred;
in response to a determination that a depletion of the product has occurred, automatically transmitting a request for an additional quantity of the product, so as to facilitate an automatic replenishment of the product;
determining a consumption pattern of the product from multiple ones of the first signals received at different times to indicate how much quantity of the product is consumed over a time period;
and
controlling the at least one sensor module to decrease a frequency of the measurements performed by the sensors of the at least one sensor module in response to the consumption pattern of the product indicating that use of the product is not expected, to extend time spent by the wireless transceiver in the sleep mode and decrease power consumption of the at least one sensor module and thereby conserve life of a battery of the at least one sensor module;
and
monitor a price change pattern in response to the consumption pattern of the product and delay reordering until a target lowest price is reached.

11 more elements

A method for facilitating automated product reorder, the method comprising:

receiving, from one or more battery powered sensor modules performing measurements of one or more properties of a product for monitoring a quantity of the product, first signals corresponding to the monitored quantity of the product, each sensor module including a wireless transceiver that is configured to operate in a sleep mode when the wireless transceiver is not to send or receive data;
sending, in response to receipt of the first signals, second signals to the one or more sensor modules to update firmware of the one or more sensor modules;
sending, in response to receipt of the first signals, third signals to the one or more sensor modules for calibrating the one or more sensors modules, to compensate for temperature of the one or more sensor modules and drift of the one or more sensor modules to ensure accuracy of measurements performed by the one or more sensor modules;
determining, at least in part from the first signals, whether a depletion of the product has occurred;
in response to a determination that the product has depleted below a predetermined user set threshold, automatically transmitting a request for an additional quantity of the product, so as to facilitate an automatic replenishment of the product;
determining a consumption pattern of the product from multiple ones of the first signals received at different times to indicate how much quantity of the product is consumed over a time period;
controlling the one or more sensor modules to decrease a frequency of the measurements performed by the one of more sensor modules in response to the consumption pattern of the product indicating that use of the product is not expected, to extend time spent by the wireless transceiver of the sensor module in the sleep mode and decrease power consumption of the one or more sensor modules and thereby conserve life of a battery of the one or more sensor modules;
and
monitoring a price change pattern in response to the consumption pattern of the product and delay reordering until a target lowest price is reached.

6 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by an electronic computing device, cause the electronic computing device to:

receive, from at least one sensor module having battery-powered sensors configured for performing measurements of one or more properties of a product for monitoring a quantity of the product, first signals corresponding to the monitored quantity of the product, each sensor module including a wireless transceiver that is configured to operate in a sleep mode when the wireless transceiver is not to send or receive data;
send, in response to receipt of the first signals, second signals to the at least one sensor module to update firmware of the at least one sensor module;
send, in response to receipt of the first signals, third signals to the at least one sensor module for calibrating the at least one sensor module, to compensate for temperature of the at least one sensor module and drift of the at least one sensor module to ensure accuracy of measurements performed by the at least one sensor module;
determine, at least in part from the received first signals, whether a depletion of the product has occurred;
in response to a determination that a depletion of the product has occurred, automatically transmit a request for an additional quantity of the product, so as to facilitate an automatic replenishment of the product;
determine a consumption pattern of the product from multiple ones of the first signals received at different times to indicate how much quantity of the product is consumed over a time period;
control the at least one sensor module to decrease a frequency of the measurements performed by the sensors of the at least one sensor module in response to the consumption pattern of the product indicating that use of the product is not expected, to extend time spent by the wireless transceiver of the at least one sensor module in the sleep mode and decrease power consumption of the at least one sensor module and thereby conserve life of a battery of the at least one sensor module;
and
monitor a price change pattern in response to the consumption pattern of the product and delay reordering until a target lowest price is reached.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/875,239Filed 27 Jul 2022 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Jul 2021
Published: US 2023/0029808 A12 Feb 2023
Granted: 30 Sep 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G01G 19/42
With provisions for indicating, recording, or computing price or other quantities dependent on the weight: for counting by weighing
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G01G 19/414
Using electromechanical or electronic computing means: using electronic computing means only
G06Q 10/08726
Using inventory planning: for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation