Multiple station inventory control system

Abstract

An inventory control system may include one or more paddles, a position of which is changed by adding or removing items to be inventoried, a plurality of encoder strips, each connected for motion with a paddle, and a plurality of detectors at least some of which are each responsive to the motion of an encoder strip to determine the addition or removal of the items. The encoding strip may be in the form of a loop mounted for rotation or a linear member such as self coiling strip. An alternate embodiment may include an illumination target mounted for motion with each paddle and a light source and detector for determining motion of the target.

1 . An inventory control system comprising: 
 one or more paddles, a position of which is changed by adding or removing items to be inventoried;    one or more encoder strips, each connected for motion with a paddle; and    one or more detectors at least one of which is responsive to the motion of an encoder strip to determine the addition or removal of the items.    
   
   
       2 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein the one or more encoder strips each further comprise: 
 an elongate member having a plurality of contrasting bars detectable by the detector associated therewith.    
   
   
       3 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein each detector further comprises: 
 an illumination source; and    a pair of photo detectors configured to detect motion and the direction of motion of the contrasting bars of the encoder strip associated therewith to determine how many items were added or how many items were removed.    
   
   
       4 . The invention of  claim 3  in which the pair of photo detectors are configured to detect the direction of motion of the encoder strip associated therewith for determining how many items were added and how many items were removed from inventory associated with the encoder strip.  
   
   
       5 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the encoder strips forms a continuous loop mounted for rotation in response to motion of the paddle associated therewith.  
   
   
       6 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the encoder strips forms a linear member mounted for linear motion in response to motion of the paddle associated therewith.  
   
   
       7 . The invention of  claim 6  wherein each of the encoder strips which form a linear member includes a self coiling portion from which the linear member may automatically be extended or retracted by motion of the paddle associated therewith.  
   
   
       8 . The invention of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 a post associated with each detector for mounting the self coiling portion of an encoder strip for rotation.    
   
   
       9 . The invention of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 one or more turning guides associated with each post to cause the linear portion of the encoding strip to change direction after being extended or retracted from the self-coiling portion mounted the post associated therewith.    
   
   
       10 . The invention of  claim 9  wherein at least some of the turning guides further comprise: 
 a housing for an illumination source or for a pair of photo detectors configured to detect motion of the contrasting bars of the encoder strip associated therewith to determine how many items were added or how many items were removed associated with the encoder strip.    
   
   
       11 . The invention of  claim 10  in which the pair of photo detectors are configured to detect the direction of motion of the encoder strip associated therewith for determining how many items were added and how many items were removed from inventory associated with the encoder strip.  
   
   
       12 . The invention of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 one or more housings, 
 each including a plurality of monitoring stations,  
 each monitoring station including a number of the plurality of detectors,  
 each detector including a source of illumination and one or more photo detectors configured to detect motion of the contrasting bars of an encoder strip associated therewith to determine how many items were removed from inventory associated therewith, and  
 each detector further including a post on which may be mounted a self coiling portion of an encoder strip, a linear member of which is extended or retracted in response to the motion of one of the paddles;  
   whereby changes in the configuration of the items to be inventoried may easily be accommodated by changing the number and position of the paddles, attaching a portion of the linear member of an encoder strip to each paddle and mounting the self coiling portion of that encoder strip on a convenient post.    
   
   
       13 . The invention of  claim 12  in which the pair of photo detectors are configured to detect the direction of motion of the encoder strip associated therewith for determining how many items were added and how many items were removed from inventory associated with the encoder strip.  
   
   
       14 . An inventory control system comprising: 
 one or more paddles, a position of which is changed by adding or removing items to be inventoried, each paddle including an illumination target;    one or more sources of illumination, each illuminating one or more targets; and    one or more detectors, each responsive to light reflected from the one or more targets for detecting motion of each paddle to determine how many items to be inventoried were removed from inventory related to each such paddle.    
   
   
       15 . An inventory control system, comprising: 
 a housing including a plurality of detectors, each detector including a source of illumination and one or more photo detectors configured to detect motion of the contrasting bars of an encoder strip which may be associated therewith to determine how many items were removed from inventory associated therewith, each detector further including a post on which may be mounted a self coiling portion of an encoder strip, a linear member of which may be extended or retracted in response to the motion of a pusher associated with a subset of the items,    whereby changes in the configuration of the items to be inventoried may easily be accommodated by changing the number and position of the pushers, attaching a portion of the linear member of an encoder strip to each pusher and mounting a self coiling portion of that encoder strip on a convenient post.    
   
   
       16 . The invention of  claim 15  wherein each detector further comprises: 
 one or more turning guides associated with each post to cause the linear portion of the encoding strip to change direction after being extended or retracted from the self-coiling portion mounted on the post associated therewith.    
   
   
       17 . A method for inventory control, comprising: 
 providing a plurality of detectors mounted on a housing;    providing a plurality of encoding strips, one of which may be associated with each of the detectors and connected for motion with a pusher associated with items to be inventoried; and    detecting motion of the encoder strips to determine items removed from inventory.    
   
   
       18 . The invention of  claim 17  wherein detecting motion further comprises: 
 detecting motion of contrasting bars on the encoder strip.    
   
   
       19 . The invention of  claim 17  wherein providing the encoding strips further comprises: 
 providing encoding strips with self coiling portions configured for removably mounting in association with each detector.    
   
   
       20 . The invention of  claim 19  wherein providing the encoding strips further comprises: 
 providing turning guides through which the encoding strips may be threaded to change direction of a linear portion of each encoding strip to reduce a dimension of the housing.