Controlled inventory device and method using pressure transducer

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlled dispensing of consumable supply items, such as office supplies, wherein the quantity of items added or removed from the apparatus is determined by sensing a change in weight of items within the apparatus. The apparatus may be in the form of a cabinet having a plurality of doors, each door having a secured position preventing access to the items within the cabinet. The cabinet may be configured to unlock less than all of the doors to allow limited access to the items based on various factors, such as user identification and item cost.

1 . An industrial supply dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
 a cabinet defining an enclosed space and having at least one door, said at least one door having a secured position wherein access to said enclosed space is prevented;    at least one surface within said enclosed space, said at least one surface being configured to receive a quantity of an industrial supply item;    a controlled inventory arrangement comprising a memory for storing a programmable protocol, a processor for processing said programmable protocol, a user interface electrically connected to said processor, said user interface configured to receive a user identification input, a weight sensor electrically connected to said processor, wherein said weight sensor is operatively associated with said at least one surface to determine the weight of said quantity of said industrial supply item;    wherein said controlled inventory arrangement is configured to release said at least one door from said secured position in response to processing of said programmable protocol upon receiving an approved user identification input;    wherein said controlled inventory arrangement is additionally configured to determine a change in said quantity of an industrial supply item in response to processing of said programmable protocol upon determining a change in weight of said quantity of said industrial supply item; and    wherein said controlled inventory arrangement additionally comprises a calibration input device electrically connected to said processor, said processor operating to modify said programmable protocol in response to calibration data received from said calibration input device.    
   
   
       2 . The industrial supply dispensing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said user can further assign said change in said quantity of an industrial supply item to one or more accounts.  
   
   
       3 . The industrial supply dispensing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said one or more accounts are influenced by the user's department settings.  
   
   
       4 . A method of controlled dispensing of industrial supplies, comprising: 
 providing an enclosed space to store a selection of industrial supply items, each of said industrial supply items having a known weight;    assigning a user to a department;    authenticating the identification of said user;    allowing said user to access a portion of said enclosed space according to user access rights;    determining whether said industrial supply items are dispensed, replaced, or replenished based on the department settings of said user.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said user can further assign said dispensed, replaced, or replenished items to one or more accounts.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said one or more accounts are new accounts entered by said user.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said one or more accounts are existing accounts and are selected by said user from a database.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said one or more accounts include a main account and one or more sub-accounts.  
   
   
       9 . A method of controlled dispensing of industrial supplies, comprising: 
 providing a secured selection of industrial supply items, each of said industrial supply items having a known weight;    authenticating the identification of a user of said industrial supply items;    allowing said user to access a portion of said selection of said industrial supply items according to predetermined user access rights;    determining a quantity of said industrial supply items added or removed by said user by determining a change in weight of said industrial supply items;    recording said addition or removal of said supply items to said user;    wherein said authentication of user identification is achieved by reading electronic user identification, said method additionally comprising determining if said user is a new user and registering a name of said new user; and    wherein said electronic user identification includes an identification of a department associated with said new user, said method additionally comprising assigning said new user to said associated department.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said user can further assign said addition or removal to one or more accounts.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more accounts are new accounts entered by said user.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more accounts are existing accounts and are selected by said user from a database.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more accounts include a main account and one or more sub-accounts.  
   
   
       14 . A method of controlled dispensing of consumable supplies, comprising: 
 providing a secured selection of consumable supply items, each of said items having a known weight;    providing a plurality of bins for storing said items, each bin having an associated weight sensor for determining the weight of said items within said bin;    authenticating the identification of a user of said items;    allowing said user to access a portion of said bins according to predetermined user access rights;    determining a quantity of said items added or removed from one of said plurality of bins by said user by determining a change in a weight of said bin;    recording said addition or removal of said items to said user; and    wherein said user is prompted to correct the quantity of said items within said bin in response to an inconsistent weight reading from said weight sensor, said method additionally comprising asking user to count said items in said bin.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said user can further assign said addition or removal to one or more accounts.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said one or more accounts are new accounts entered by said user.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said one or more accounts are existing accounts and are selected by said user from a database.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said one or more accounts include a main account and one or more sub-accounts.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , additionally comprising creating a transaction log for each type of said item taken from said bin, said method additionally comprising logging said transaction to reflect said user taking a quantity of said items equal to difference of said items counted by said user and quantity of said items in said bin prior to said transaction.  
   
   
       20 . A method of controlled dispensing of consumable supplies, comprising: 
 providing a secured selection of consumable supply items, each of said items having a known weight;    providing a plurality of bins for storing said items, each bin having an associated weight sensor for determining the weight of said items within said bin;    authenticating the identification of a user of said items;    allowing said user to access a portion of said bins according to predetermined user access rights;    determining a quantity of said items added or removed from one of said plurality of bins by said user by determining a change in a weight of said bin;    recording said addition or removal of said items to said user;    additionally comprising creating a transaction log for each type of said item taken from said bin, said method additionally comprising logging said transaction to reflect said user taking entire quantity of said items from said bin in response to a weight reading from said weight sensor being below a tare weight of said bin.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said user can further assign said addition or removal to one or more accounts.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said one or more accounts are new accounts entered by said user.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said one or more accounts are existing accounts and are selected by said user from a database.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said one or more accounts include a main account and one or more sub-accounts.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , additionally comprising creating an error log for each error associated with said transaction, said method additionally comprising logging said error to reflect said user affected a weight reading from said weight sensor.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20 , additionally comprising logging said transaction to reflect said user adding maximum quantity of said items for said bin in response to said weight reading from said weight sensor being above a maximum limit of said weight sensor.  
   
   
       27 . A method of controlled dispensing of consumable supplies, comprising: 
 providing a secured selection of consumable supply items, each of said items having a known weight;    providing a plurality of bins for storing said items, each bin having an associated weight sensor for determining the weight of said items within said bin;    authenticating the identification of a user of said items;    allowing said user to access a portion of said bins according to predetermined user access rights;    determining a quantity of said items added or removed from one of said plurality of bins by said user by determining a change in a weight of said bin;    recording said addition or removal of said items to said user; and    wherein at least a portion of said consumable items have an expiration date, the method additionally comprising determining a transaction date and allowing access to said portion of said consumable items having an expiration date if the transaction date is on or before the expiration date.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said user can further assign said addition or removal to one or more accounts.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said one or more accounts are new accounts entered by said user.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said one or more accounts are existing accounts and are selected by said user from a database.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said one or more accounts include a main account and one or more sub-accounts.