Power harvesting inventory management system with identity verification
An inventory management system includes a beacon or button connected to a warehouse server. The beacon buttons are placed in or near a product storage area with a number of products. The beacon has a controller and a transceiver to communicate with a server. There is a user input on the front of the beacon and several sensors able to detect a user identity and interaction with the products. When the user input is triggered, the beacon sends a message to the warehouse server including a user identity and other sensor data. Additionally, the beacon includes an energy harvester configured to power the beacon from ambient or user provided energy.
1. An inventory management system comprising:
a beacon device; and
a server;
wherein the beacon device is adapted to be affixed to a product storage area and the beacon device comprises:
a controller;
a memory device, coupled to the controller, storing data that functions to at least uniquely identify the beacon device;
a transmitter, coupled to the controller, adapted to transmit a communication for reception by the server, the communication comprising the data stored in the memory device;
an energy storage device, coupled to the controller and the transmitter;
an output device, coupled to the controller and the energy storage device;
a user input button, coupled to the controller; and
an energy harvester device, coupled to the user input button and the energy storage device, the energy harvester device configured to generate an amount of electrical energy in response to a movement of the user input button for storage in the energy storage device;
wherein, when the amount of electrical energy stored in the energy storage device is determined by the controller to be sufficient to allow the transmitter to transmit the communication for reception by the server, the controller is further configured to activate the output device and cause the transmitter to transmit the communication in response to a subsequent movement of the user input button.
2. The inventory management system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a user identity, wherein the communication further comprises data indicative of the detected user identity.
3. The inventory management system of claim 1 wherein the energy storage device is a supercapacitor or an ionistor.
4. The inventory management system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is wirelessly connected to the server.
5. The inventory management system of claim 4 where the transmitter is wirelessly connected to the server via a low power Bluetooth connection.
6. The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein a reception of the communication from the beacon device signals to the server a removal of a predetermined amount of product from the product storage area and the server is configured to automatically initiate an order to replenish the product at the product storage area via a physical goods delivery means when the removal of the predetermined amount of product causes an amount of remaining product in the product storage area to fall below a predetermined threshold.
7. A beacon device for use with an inventory management system having a server, the beacon comprising:
a controller;
a memory device, coupled to the controller, storing data that functions to at least uniquely identify the beacon device;
a transmitter, coupled to the controller, adapted to transmit a communication for reception by the server, the communication comprising the data stored in the memory device;
an energy storage device, coupled to the controller and the transmitter;
an output device, coupled to the controller and the energy storage device;
a user input button, coupled to the controller; and
an energy harvester device, coupled to the user input button and the energy storage device, the energy harvester device configured to generate an amount of electrical energy in response to a movement of the user input button for storage in the energy storage device;
wherein, when the amount of electrical energy stored in the energy storage device is determined by the controller to be sufficient to allow the transmitter to transmit the communication for reception by the server, the controller is further configured to activate the output device and cause the transmitter to transmit the communication in response to a subsequent movement of the user input button.
8. The beacon device of claim 7 further comprising a sensor adapted to detect a user in the product storage area and wherein the communication further comprises data indicative of the detected user.
9. The beacon device of claim 7 further comprising a microphone and wherein the communication further comprises data generated by the microphone.