INVENTORY CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

An inventory control (24) and communication system provides automated real-time polling of stock levels and ordering to allow stock levels to be maintained. A bin (12) is established for each stock item. Transducers (14) are associated with each storage unit to produce a signal (18) indicative of the weight of the stock items. The signals are transmitted at regular intervals to a central inventory server, which maintains information about transducer location and the corresponding stock item. Inventory logic in the central inventory server computes the quantity of each stock item from the transducer signals and the weight of the stock items. Iventory logic also includes threshold values for the minimum and maximum quantity of each stock item. When the quantity of a stock item reaches a minimum threshold, inventory logic sends and order to the supplier to restore the stock item to the maximum quantity threshold.