US-12626217-B2 - Automatic inventory monitoring and search system

Abstract

In general terms, this disclosure is directed to automatic inventory monitoring and interfacing an inventorying monitoring system with a search system. In some embodiments, and by non-limiting example, the automatic inventory monitoring system monitoring the presence of a product having a product identification tag associated therewith. In some embodiments, the search system provides search results based at least in part on data collected by the automatic inventory monitoring system.

Inventors

• Nicholas F. Singh

Assignees

• SEEONIC LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230414

Claims (9)

1. 1 . An automatic inventory monitoring and search system for monitoring presence of a product having a product identification tag associated therewith, wherein the product identification tag contains product identification information, wherein the automatic inventory monitoring and search system comprises: a first data acquisition and transmission device arranged and configured to be coupled to a product storage structure for storing products thereon, the first data acquisition and transmission device comprising: a controller; a wireless tag reader operably communicating with the controller; and a wireless communications unit operably communicating with the controller, wherein the wireless communications unit transmits the product identification information via a wireless communication network; a data evaluation system configured to: receive the product identification information from the wireless communications unit of the first data acquisition and transmission device; determine a location of the products, the location represented by a store identifier; compile an inventory of the products, the inventory comprising: the product identification information; one or more timestamps corresponding to times at which the first data acquisition and transmission device detected the product identification information; and the location of the products; and a search system configured to: connect to the data evaluation system; receive the inventory of the products at the location; receive electronic input from a user computing device; prioritize the inventory based on recency according to the one or more timestamps of the inventory; remove stale data from the inventory; and provide information about the inventory of the products at the location of the products to the user computing device based upon the electronic input.
2. 2 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the product identification tag is an RFID tag.
3. 3 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication network is a cellular network.
4. 4 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the first data acquisition and transmission device further comprises: a first antenna switching system electrically connected by at least one electrical conductor to the wireless tag reader, the first antenna switching system having a connector interface; and a plurality of antennas electrically and removably connected by the at least one electrical conductor to the first antenna switching system at the connector interface, the plurality of antennas arranged and configured to receive the product identification information encoded in a radio frequency signal from the product identification tag when the product identification tag is within a transmission range of the plurality of antennas.
5. 5 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the first data acquisition and transmission device further comprises a battery power source operable to power the first data acquisition and transmission device.
6. 6 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the first data acquisition and transmission device further comprises a real time clock.
7. 7 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the automatic inventory monitoring and search system comprises a plurality of data acquisition and transmission devices including the first data acquisition and transmission device.
8. 8 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the data evaluation system comprises one or more servers.
9. 9 . The automatic inventory monitoring and search system of claim 1 , wherein the search system generates and provides, to the user computing device, a user interface displaying the products alongside the inventory of the products at the location of the products.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/330,969, filed Apr. 14, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Inventory management is a difficult task for businesses that stock physical inventory. The dynamic nature of retail environments, characterized by frequent product movement, varying customer demands, and the need to restock shelves, can make it difficult for retailers to track inventory levels accurately and in real-time (or near real-time). Inaccurate inventory information may lead to lost sales opportunities, dissatisfied customers, and inefficiencies in store operations. Search platforms, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, are important tools for helping users find relevant information including information related to products and services. The search platforms process search queries and presenting them with a list of search results. These search results often include links to websites, news articles, images, videos, and other types of content related to the query. It is common for users interested in purchasing an item to being the shopping process by providing a related query to a search platform. Traditional retail integrations with search platforms typically are focused on retailers with a large online presences and e-commerce websites. SUMMARY A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based. In general terms, this disclosure is directed to automatic inventory monitoring and interfacing an inventorying monitoring system with a search system. In some embodiments, and by non-limiting example, the automatic inventory monitoring system monitoring the presence of a product having a product identification tag associated therewith. In some embodiments, a search system provides search results based at least in part on the inventory data collected by the automatic inventory monitoring system. One aspect is an automatic inventory monitoring and search system for monitoring presence of a product having a product identification tag associated therewith, wherein the product identification tag contains product identification information, wherein the automatic inventory monitoring and search system comprises a first data acquisition and transmission device arranged and configured to be coupled to a product storage structure for storing products thereon, the first data acquisition and transmission device comprising a controller, a wireless tag reader operably communicating with the controller, and a wireless communications unit operably communicating with the controller, wherein the wireless communications unit transmits the product identification information via a wireless communication network, a data evaluation system configured to receive the product identification information from the wireless communications unit of the first data acquisition and transmission device, monitor inventory of the products at the product storage structure, and determine a location of the inventory of the products including but not limited to via geographic identification or business identification, and a search system configured to connect to the data evaluation system, receive the inventory of the products at the location, receive electronic input from a user computing device, and provide information about the inventory of the products at the location of the products to the user computing device based upon electronic input. Another aspect is an inventory monitoring system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor cause the inventory monitoring system to receive product identification information for products at a retail store from a data acquisition and transmission system, wherein the data acquisition and transmission system includes one or more wireless tag readers configured to detect the product identification information from a product identification tag associated with a product, monitor inventory of the products based on the received product identification information, determine a location of the inventory, and send the inventory of the products at the location of the products to a search system to allow the search system to provide information about the inventory of the products at the location of the products to a user device in response to a search request. Yet another aspect is a method of providing inventory data to a search service, the method comprising receiving product identification information for products at a retail stor