Effectively re-stocking, re-organizing and removing items on display may reduce instances of dissatisfaction amongst shoppers/patrons and also may improve the profitability of a store. However, previous methods for managing displays of products that have limited shelf lives are sometimes time consuming and prone to errors. In contrast, some embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for managing the inventory of random weight items in such a way as to reduce the potential t...

An inventory management system for use, for example, in automatically distributing items (such as laundered items) to users within a particular facility (e.g., a hospital), and for monitoring the amount (e.g., weight) of items distributed by the system. The system may include, for example, at least one automated dispenser having a weighing mechanism (e.g., a scale) for measuring the weight of its inventory and for periodically transmitting this information to a computer system associated with a ...

A security system for inventory automatically detects removal of inventory items from an area or areas protected with security sensors. A person removing the item then scans an identifying code of the item, such as its bar code or radio-frequency identification ("RFID") tag, with a device such as a portable shopping assistant device; if the item is not scanned in an appropriate manner, such as within a particular a time period, then theft of the item may be suspected. Information for completing ...

An automated tracking process for items of manufacture and inventory, in which each item and each grouping or location of items is labeled with a unique nonvolatile machine-readable code identifying a corresponding data record maintained in a programmable digital computer. A plurality of label reading devices are utilized to report the passage or association of items to the computer, either directly in realtime or via delayed batch entry from offline storage. When an order is received, data reco...

An inventory locating device including an optical scanner for reading bar code labels containing product identifying information. A pair of measuring wheels, one positioned on each side of the scanner, is provided for running along a supporting surface as the optical scanner reads bar code labels on the surface. By means of an endless belt, rotational motion of the measuring wheels is transmitted to a shaft encoder permitting the distance traveled by the device to a given label to be calculated ...

An inventory-management system includes data-collection terminals that acquire product-identification data identifying products placed on store shelves, product-placement data identifying the locations of the products in the store, and sales data providing information about sales of the products. The system also includes a database that receives and stores the product-identification, product-placement, and product sales data collected by the terminals. A database-query component queries the data...

An inventory management system which determines item location and time spent on a shelf. The system includes an electronic shelf label (ESL) system including an ESL, a radio frequency identification (RFID) label interrogator associated with the ESL, RFID labels attached to items associated with the ESL, and a computer. The computer uses the ESL system to activate RFID labels on the items, obtains RFID label information from the RFID labels through the ESL system, and stores the RFID label inform...

A method is provided for inventory management which includes an initial step of receiving a customer request for an inventory item and then generating a table or menu of one or more inventory items that most closely correspond to the customer request using a price forecasting system. Based on negotiations concerning price, timing and other typical concerns, an item is selected from the table and a price quotation associated with the selected inventory item is generated using the price forecastin...

A novel encoding system, compositions for use therein and methods for determining the source, location and/or identity of a particular item or component of interest is provided. In particular, the present invention utilizes a collection of one or more sizes of populations of semiconductor nanocrystals having characteristic spectral emissions, to "track" the source or location of an item of interest or to identify a particular item of interest. The semiconductor nanocrystals used in the inventive...

A method and apparatus for managing inventory in a distressed inventory warehouse with the aid of a programmable computer is disclosed. The method and apparatus provides for the complete automation of the inventory management of a distressed inventory warehouse. The method and apparatus also provides for the continual updating of records related to the distressed inventory as it passes through various stages within the distressed inventory warehouse.