Automated inventory replenishment

US10936993B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael D. Essenmacher · Danbury, US
• Anthony M. Cocuzza · Poughkeepsie, US
• Nancy S. Tilley · Lloyd, US
• Janice M. Young · White Plains, US
• Yuk L. Chan · Rochester, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 8, 2017
• Grant date: Mar 2, 2021
• Expiry date: Oct 2, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/083
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Automated item replenishment for a plurality of items is accomplished by associating each item with one or more tags, which may in turn be associated with a particular consumption level of the item. One or more tag detection units are positioned to monitor an entry and/or an exit point of a monitored location. An inventory database maintains an inventory of the items currently present at the location and tracks consumption levels and exhaustion dates associated with each item.