| 摘要 |
An inventory system comprising a plurality of stations 3 for receiving and temporarily storing items, means associated with each station for sensing delivery of an item to a station or removal therefrom and means for transmitting this information to a remote controller which stores data relating to the time of delivery or removal of the item, wherein the sensing means 2, according to a first aspect of the invention, includes first and second sensors arranged to detect displacement of the item sequentially, the order of detection being indicative of either a delivery of the item to the station or a removal therefrom. The first and second sensors are preferably infrared sensors. According to a second aspect, the sensing means includes a pressure pad arranged to detect placement or removal of an item. The inventory system may further include a recorder with a memory, a counter and a display 4. Thus information which may also be sent to the controller, preferably wirelessly, and stored in a database for subsequent retrieval, analysis and display, includes the location of an item, i.e. the station where the item is/was located, and the number of items at a station. |
