IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,307,415
Granted Patent B2
US 12,307,415 · App. 17/565,524 · Granted May 20, 2025

Shelf inventory management system, shelf inventory management method, and program

Inventors: Kunihiro Iwamoto (Nagakute, JP); Yuta Itozawa (Nagoya, JP); Hirotaka Komura (Tokyo, JP); Yutaro Takagi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G06Q10/087G01G19/42G06V20/52B65G1/1371
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,307,415
App. No.
17/565,524
Granted
May 20, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A shelf inventory management system includes: a shelf including a plurality of storage boxes each of which is identified; a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf to detect a mass change of the storage boxes, and a second sensor for detecting that each of the storage boxes is pulled out from the shelf; and a management unit that manages an inventory of an article stored in each of the storage boxes. The management unit determines which article has been taken out from which of the storage boxes, based on detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor.

Claims (24)

1. A shelf inventory management system comprising:

a shelf including a plurality of storage boxes each of which is identified, wherein identification information for each storage box is provided on a side wall of each storage box, and the shelf comprises a partition plate and a plurality of readers each of which faces the identification information for each respective storage box;

a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf to detect a mass change of the storage boxes, and wherein the plurality of readers detect that each of the respective storage boxes has been pulled out from the shelf; and

a management unit that manages an inventory of an article stored in each of the storage boxes, wherein the management unit determines which article has been taken out from which of the storage boxes, based on detection results of the first sensor and the plurality of readers.

2. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the shelf is provided with a lock mechanism for locking each of the storage boxes;

each of the storage boxes is locked while accommodated in the shelf and unlocked when pulled out from the shelf; and

the plurality of readers detect that each of the storage boxes has been unlocked.

3. The shelf inventory management system according to claim 1 , further comprising a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in each of the storage boxes, wherein when an inventory of a predetermined article falls below a predetermined reference value, the management unit outputs to the terminal a notification for prompting replenishment of the article.

4. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism comprises a pin, the storage box has a protruding portion having a recess, and the pin fits into the recess.

5. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 1 , wherein the identification information comprises a character, a symbol, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code.

6. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 5 , wherein the identification information comprises a barcode or a two-dimensional code.

7. A shelf inventory management method for managing, using a computer, an inventory of an article stored in each of a plurality of storage boxes in a shelf including the storage boxes each of which is identified, the shelf inventory management method comprising:

detecting a mass change of the storage boxes by a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf;

detecting, by a plurality of readers, that each of the storage boxes has been pulled out from the shelf; and

determining which article has been taken out from which of the storage boxes, based on detection results of the first sensor and the plurality of readers.

8. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 7 , wherein:

each of the storage boxes is locked while accommodated in the shelf and unlocked when pulled out from the shelf; and

the plurality of readers detect that each of the storage boxes has been unlocked.

9. The shelf inventory management method according to claim 7 , further comprising outputting, when an inventory of a predetermined article falls below a predetermined reference value, a notification prompting replenishment of the article to a terminal for notifying a user of information related to the article stored in each of the storage boxes.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for managing, using a computer, an inventory of an article stored in each of a plurality of storage boxes in a shelf including the storage boxes each of which is identified, wherein identification information for each storage box is provided on a side wall of each storage box, and the shelf comprises a partition plate and a plurality of readers each of which faces the identification information for each respective storage box, wherein:

the instructions cause the computer to detect a mass change of the storage boxes by a first sensor provided for each row of the shelf;

the instructions cause the computer to detect, by the plurality of readers, that each of the storage boxes has been pulled out from the shelf, and

the instructions cause the computer to determine which article has been taken out from which of the storage boxes, based on detection results of the first sensor and the the plurality of readers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 30, 2021
From: IWAMOTO, KUNIHIRO; ITOZAWA, YUTA; KOMURA, HIROTAKA; TAKAGI, YUTARO
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058505/0645 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-025081 · Feb 19, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220270032A1 · Aug 25, 2022
References Cited (38)
US 11972394B2 · Nakamoto · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20020027507A1 · Yarin et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20060152339A1 · Mercier · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 20150254603A1 · Bashkin · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20180000692A1 · Born et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180075216A1 · Nurse et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190328618A1 · Hasegawa · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210256472A1 · Javidan · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220270034A1 · Iwamoto et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CN 102295131A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 102473173A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 105352260A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 109730462A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 209087176U · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP H10194411A · 1998 [cited by applicant]
JP H11165816A · 1999 [cited by applicant]
JP 2002316706A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2005343628A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007094655A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010052845A · 2010 [cited by examiner]
JP 2015513728A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015200839A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015228080A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017071470A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017122004A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018095450A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019197584A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2021080097 · 2021 [cited by examiner]
KR 20210150800A · 2021 [cited by examiner]
WO 2011008765A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO 2013123422A2 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018159269A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP2021080097 description EN translation espacenet with paragraph numbers (Year: 2021). [cited by examiner]
Kunihiro Iwamoto et al., U.S. Appl. No. 17/648,235, filed Jan. 18, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Kunihiro Iwamoto et al., Office Action issued to U.S. Appl. No. 17/648,235 on Dec. 20, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Kunihiro Iwamoto et al., U.S. Appl. No. 17/648,235, Final Office Action dated Mar. 26, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance issued to U.S. Appl. No. 17/552,569 on Feb. 28, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued to U.S. Appl. No. 17/552,569 on Nov. 2, 2023. [cited by applicant]