System and method for management of product movement

Abstract

A shelving system includes customer shelves, and a top shelf is positioned generally above the customer shelves. The top shelf and a back room are not accessible to the public, but the customer shelves are accessible to the public. First scans of the top shelf and second scans of the customer shelves and back room inventory values for the selected product are obtained. A determination is made as whether there is inventory of the selected product in the back room. When there is available space on the top shelf, when the available space is within a predetermined distance of the location, and when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room, instructions are transmitted to an automated vehicle to cause the automated vehicle to selectively move at least some of the selected product from the back room to the top shelf.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system that is configured to control the movement of products between a back room in a retail store and a sales area in the retail store, the system comprising:
 an automated vehicle disposed at a retail store;   a shelving system disposed in the retail store, the retail store having a back room, the shelving system including a top shelf and customer shelves, wherein the top shelf is positioned generally above the customer shelves, wherein the top shelf and the back room are not accessible to the public, and wherein the customer shelves are accessible to the public;   a first sensor disposed at the retail store that is configured to obtain first scans of the top shelf;   a second sensor disposed at the retail store that is configured to obtain second scans of the customer shelves;   a database, the database disposed at the retail store and configured to store a back room inventory value for the selected product, the back room inventory value being the amount of the selected product present in the back room;   a transceiver circuit disposed at the retail store and coupled to the database, the first sensor and the second sensor;   a network that is coupled to the transceiver circuit;   a control circuit that is coupled to the network and is disposed at a central processing location, the control circuit configured to:
 receive the first scans from the first sensor, the second scans from the second sensor, and the back room inventory value from the database; 
 determine when there is available space and a location of the available space for a selected product on the top shelf of the set of shelves based upon a first analysis of the first scans; 
 based upon a second analysis of the second scans, determine a product location of the selected product on the customer shelves and whether the product location is within a predetermined distance of the available space on the top shelf; 
 determine when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room based at least in part upon the back room inventory value; 
 when there is available space on the top shelf, when the location of the available space is within a predetermined distance of the product location, and when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room, transmit first instructions to the automated vehicle to cause the automated vehicle to selectively move at least some of the selected product from the back room to the top shelf. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is coupled to a ceiling of the store. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first sensor is a camera. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is a scanner or a camera. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit second instructions to the automated vehicle to cause the automated vehicle to determine when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the back room includes a plurality of bins. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit transmits second instructions to place the selected product in a position in the back room allowing the automated vehicle to retrieve the selected product before other products. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the automated vehicle is an automated ground vehicle or an automated aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling the movement of products between a back room in a retail store and the top shelf of a shelving system in the retail store, the shelving system also including customer shelves, wherein the top shelf is positioned generally above the customer shelves, wherein the top shelf and the back room are not accessible to the public, and wherein the customer shelves are accessible to the public, the method comprising:
 obtaining first scans of the top shelf;   obtaining second scans of the customer shelves;   storing a back room inventory value for the selected product, the back room inventory value being the amount of the selected product present in the back room;   receiving the first scans from the first sensor, the second scans from the second sensor, and the back room inventory value from the database;   determining when there is available space for a selected product on the top shelf of the set of shelves based upon a first analysis of the first scans;   based upon a second analysis of the second scans, determining a location of the selected product on the customer shelves and whether the location is within a predetermined distance of the available space on the top shelf;   determining when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room based at least in part upon the back room inventory value;   when there is available space on the top shelf, when the available space is within a predetermined distance of the location, and when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room, transmitting first instructions to an automated vehicle to cause the automated vehicle to selectively move at least some of the selected product from the back room to the top shelf.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first sensor is coupled to a ceiling of the store. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sensing device is a camera. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second sensor is a scanner or a camera. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising transmitting second instructions to an automated vehicle to cause the automated vehicle to determine when there is inventory of the selected product in the back room. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the back room includes a plurality of bins. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising transmitting second instructions to place the selected product in a position in the back room allowing the automated vehicle to retrieve the selected product before other products. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the automated vehicle is an automated ground vehicle or an automated aerial vehicle.