Method and device for monitoring inventory

Abstract

A method and device for electronically controlling inventory utilizing multiple modularized integrated load cell weight indicating devices. An inventory monitoring system is provided having a central system controller and one or more modules. Each module includes a master integrated load cell weight indicating device having a microprocessor based controller, a communications controller, a A/D converter, and a weight indicating device. Connected to each master integrated load cell is one or more slave integrated load cell weight indicating devices not utilizing any separate communications controller or microprocessor-based controller. In practice, communications are implemented utilizing a data structure indicating a module address, a individual weight indicating device subaddress and a command and passed between the central system controller and the module. Both the integrated master and slave load cell include only a top platter and a load cell, with no base structure supporting the load cell. The present invention allows for multiple part inventory monitoring by reducing the costs of implementing and maintaining the monitoring system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.