Distributed Sensor System and Method for Inventory Management and Predictive Replenishment

Abstract

An system and a method for scoring products viewed by a user prior to making a purchase decision and also identify the products considered most before ultimately purchasing. The system uses sensors placed on the shelves to identify the item viewed before making a purchase decision and also track the time spent per decision. The tracking will allow viewed and ultimately bought scores and item similarity scores to be determined. The scores in conjunction with point-of-sale terminal data to identify times determinative of users' interest levels prior to a purchase. The system predicatively replenishes inventory of high interest items based on historical patterns of interest and historical point-of-sale terminal data.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A distributed sensor inventory management system comprising:
 an array of sensor modules distributed along a shelving unit in a facility, each of the sensor modules in the array being associated with items on the shelving unit;   a first server in selective communication with the sensor modules, the first server configured to:   receive sensing data from one or more of the sensor modules in the array in response to detection of one or more users by the one or more of the sensor modules;   detect, from the sensing data, a continued presence of the one or more users within range of the one or more of the sensor modules for a first period of time;   identify, from the sensing data, that at least one of the one or more users is located in front of a first item for a specified amount of time and removes the first item from the shelving unit; and   a second server in selective communication with the first server, the second server being configured to:   receive a message from the first server in response to the removal of the first item;   update an inventory record in a database, the inventory record corresponding to the first item;   determine, responsive to the updating of the inventory record, whether inventory record satisfies an inventory threshold; and   generate a replenishment signal, responsive to the determining, to notify a third party system to provide of a quantity of the first item to the facility.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second server is configured to:
 determine a probability that the first item is viewed and ultimately removed from the facility; and   update the inventory record in a database, responsive to the determining, when the probability is greater than a probability threshold;   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the server configured to:
 monitor an operation of a plurality of point-of-sale terminals to identify point of sale transactions corresponding to the first item during a second period of time after detection of the removal of the first item from the shelving unit;   determine whether the second period of time satisfies a first time threshold;   identify, responsive to the determining, a second time threshold corresponding to a shortest period of time of continuous detection of the one or more users within range of the first one of the sensor modules and a point of sale transaction within the first threshold.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the third party system is associated with a peer retailer, a distribution center, or a vendor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the each of the sensor modules includes a near-field communications transmitter for intercommunication between neighboring ones of the sensor modules in the array. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a spacing between the sensor modules on the shelving unit is determined by an average dimension of items in a category corresponding to the items. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inventory threshold is based at least in part on a capacity for transport and a transport time. 
     
     
         8 . An inventory management method in a distributed sensor system comprising:
 receiving, at a first server, sensing data from one or more of sensor modules in an array in response to detection of one or more users by the one or more of the sensor modules;   detecting, from the sensing data, a continued presence of the one or more users within range of one or more of the sensor modules, for a first period of time;   identifying, from the sensing data, that at least one of the one or more users is located in front of a first item for a specified amount of time and removes the first item from the shelving unit;   updating, an inventory record in a database via a second server in response to a message from the first server corresponding to the removal of the first item, the inventory record corresponding to the first item;   determining, via the second server, whether the inventory record satisfies an inventory threshold in response to the inventory record being updated; and   generating, via the second server, a replenishment signal to notify a third party system to provide a quantity of the first item to the facility in response to determining that the inventory record satisfies the inventory threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein updating the inventory record comprises:
 determining a probability that the first item is viewed and removed from the facility; and   updating the inventory record in the database, responsive to the determining, when the probability is greater than a probability threshold;   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the probability comprises:
 monitoring an operation of a plurality of point-of-sale terminals to identify transactions corresponding to the first item during a second period of time after detection of the removal of the first item from the shelving unit;   determining whether the second period of time satisfies a first time threshold;   identifying, responsive to the determining, a second time threshold corresponding to a shortest period of time of continuous detection of the one or more users within range of the first one of the sensor modules and a point of sale transaction within the first threshold.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the third party system is associated with a peer retailer, a distribution center, or a vendor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the sensor modules includes a near-field communications transmitter for intercommunication between neighboring ones of the sensors modules in the array. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a spacing between the sensor modules on the shelving unit is determined by an average dimension of items in a category corresponding to the items. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the inventory threshold is based at least in part on a capacity for transport and a transport time. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, having stored thereon, instructions that when executed in a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 receive sensing data from one or more of sensor modules in an array in response to detection of one or more users by the one or more of the sensor modules;   detect, from the sensing data, a continued presence of the one or more users within range of the one or more of the sensor modules, for a first period of time;   identify, from the sensing data, that at least one of the one or more users is located in front of a first item for a specified amount of time and removes the first item from the shelving unit;   update an inventory record in a database, the inventory record corresponding to the first item;   determine, responsive to the updating of the inventory record, whether inventory record satisfies an inventory threshold; and   generate a replenishment signal, responsive to the determining, to notify a third party system to provide a quantity of the first item to the facility.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions to update an inventory record comprises instructions to:
 determine a probability that the first item is viewed and removed from the facility; and   update the inventory record in the database, responsive to the determining, when the probability is greater than a probability threshold;   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions to determine a probability comprises instructions to:
 monitor an operation of a plurality of point-of-sale terminals to identify transactions corresponding to the first item during a second period of time after the detection of the removal of the first item from the shelving unit;   determine whether the second period of time satisfies a first time threshold;   identify, responsive to the determining, a second time threshold corresponding to a shortest period of time of continuous detection of the one or more users within range of the first one of the sensor modules and a point of sale transaction within the first threshold.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the third party system is associated with a peer retailer, a distribution center, or a vendor. 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein each of the sensor modules includes a near-field communications transmitter for intercommunication between neighboring ones of the sensors modules in the array. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein a spacing between the sensor modules on the shelving unit is determined by an average dimension of items in a category corresponding to the items.