US 6,616,037 B2Granted

Inventory system

OwnerRoger L Grimm, Dean P Grimminventors

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Abstract

A computer-based system for taking the physical inventory of beverages dispensed in full and partially full containers so as to effectively control the theft and overpouring. The products to be inventoried, such as liquor bottles are identified by conventional barcodes that can be scanned by a scanner that is operably interconnected with a hand-held computer. The step of scanning the barcodes produces, on the touch-sensitive screen of the hand-held computer, product information concerning the product contained within the scanned bottle including a silhouette of the bottle. In accomplishing the inventory, the user indicates by touching on the silhouette of the bottle the fluid level within the bottle. This information is inputted in the computer data storage and is used to calculate the volume of beverage remaining in the bottle.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A system for taking inventory of product contained within coded containers each having a readable code, said system comprising:

(a) input means for generating and transmitting for each coded container a signal identifying the product contained within the coded container and the silhouette of the coded container;
(b) data processing means operably associated with said input means for receiving said signal from said input means, said data processing means having data storage means containing, for each code on the coded containers, product information, including the type of product and the silhouette of the container associated with the code, said data processing means upon receiving said signal from said input means, operatively responding to correlate said signal with said product information corresponding to said code to produce a product description that includes an identification of the silhouette of the container within which the product is contained, said data processing means comprising:
(i) display means for displaying said product description, including a visual display of the silhouette of the container;
(ii) information entering means for entering product record information into the data storage means, including an indication on said silhouette of the coded container of the level of product remaining in the coded container;
and
(iii) program memory means containing data for controlling said data processing means and for creating at least one inventory report by operatively correlating said product identification information with said product record information to calculate the quantity of product contained within the coded container.

3 more elements

A system for taking inventory of beverages contained within coded containers having a readable barcode, said system comprising:

(a) a barcode reader for reading the barcode and for generating and transmitting for each coded container a signal identifying the product contained within the coded container and the silhouette of the container;
(b) a computer operably associated with said barcode reader for receiving said signal from said barcode reader, said computer having a touch sensitive screen and data storage means containing, for each code on the coded containers, product information, including the type of product and the silhouette of the container associated with the code, said computer upon receiving said signal from said barcode reader, operatively responding to correlate said signal with said product information corresponding to said barcode to produce a product description that includes an identification of the silhouette of the container within which the product is contained, said computer comprising:
(i) display means for displaying on said touch sensitive screen said product description, including a visual display of the silhouette of the container;
(ii) information entering means for entering product record information into the data storage means by means of said touch sensitive screen, said product record information including an indication on said silhouette of the coded container of the level of the beverage contained within the coded container;
and
(iii) program memory means containing data for controlling said computer and for creating at least one inventory report by operatively correlating said product identification information with said product record information to automatically calculate the quantity of beverage contained within the coded container.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/932,184Filed 17 Aug 2001
Published: US 2003/0034392 A120 Feb 2003
Granted: 9 Sep 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06K 7/10881
Further details of bar or optical code scanning devices: constructional details of hand-held scanners
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G06Q 10/08772
By inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting: inventory counting methods
G06K
Graphical data reading