Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an inventory management method and system. The present invention addresses the foregoing need of an inventory management system through which all size and shape of components can tracked before and after an assembly process in a manufacturing facility. The invention address the challenges faced by store keeping clerks in locating the position of excess components returned from assembly floor, which are taken in excess but not being utilized during assembly process. Since basic spare parts which are smaller in size but taken in large quantity from store room due to their frequent usage, excess components needs to be kept back in store keeping units for effective inventory management.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to India Patent Application No. 2946/CHE/2012, filed Jul. 18, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to a method and system for inventory management. In particular, it relates to a method and system for locating the position of components in store keeping unit for computer assisted inventory placement and auditing in manufacturing plant. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    To run a manufacturing unit successfully, it is important for companies to have a detailed, up-to-date record of their inventory. With the advent of computers, inputting and tracking inventories become easier by inventory management software and systems. For effective inventory management major technologies used are bar codes and RFID. One known bar code technique uses unique bar code patterns for each component and these codes are mapped to component details such as make, model number, location details in a computer system. Using a bar code reader, a storeroom clerk captures the barcode of the component and the details of that component are retrieved from the system. 
         [0004]    RFID technology is another alternate technology widely used for component and asset tracking in industries. RFID based solutions have several advantages over manual bar code based component location tracking, RFID systems are cheaper, fast, more secure and reliable. Another major advantage is that there is no need of line-of-sight for detecting a component in the RFID based location-tracking systems. Hence, even if components are in larger heaps without direct visibility to human eyes, RFID systems can still detect the components using embedded sensors. In this system, RFID tags are fitted with the component to be located. These systems contain RFID tags, which are radio frequency transmitters comprising a microchip and antenna and a tiny battery. RFID receiver detects the RF signals emitted by each tag and interprets the encoded identification details. 
         [0005]    One major limitation of above barcode and RFID based technology is that they are not appropriate for locating the position of small components like screws, bolts, nails, pins, etc. as they may not have enough surface area to attach a bar code or a RFID tag. In addition to this, these basic components are used in large quantity and it becomes a tedious task to attach a bar code or RFID tag with each component while archiving in storeroom. 
         [0006]    One solution to solve above problem is by collecting all smaller items in one container and attaching the bar code to container, but this also time consuming and may not help in identifying the components once brought outside the container. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present invention addresses the foregoing need of an inventory management system through which all size and shape of components can tracked before and after an assembly process in a manufacturing facility. 
         [0008]    The invention address the challenges faced by store keeping clerks in locating the position of excess components returned from assembly floor, which are taken in excess but not being utilized during assembly process. Since basic spare parts which are smaller in size but taken in large quantity from store room due to their frequent usage, excess components needs to be kept back in store keeping units for effective inventory management. 
         [0009]    The invention recites a method for identifying a component location in an inventory. The first method step is capturing images of the components and then selecting a component from the images of the components. The next method step is extracting features of the selected component and comparing the features of the selected component with the entries of a database. Then displaying a plurality of components from the database wherein at least one feature of the plurality of components is identical to the features of the selected component and selecting another component from the plurality of components that is identical to the previously selected component. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an illustrative diagram of an environment for the inventory management, in accordance with a described embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagram depicting a method for managing components in an inventory, in accordance with a described embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an illustrative schematic diagram of a system for inventory management, in accordance with a described embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    While systems and methods are described herein by way of example and embodiments, those skilled in the art recognize that systems and methods for inventory management are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to be limiting to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Any headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used herein, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to) rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including, but not limited to. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The following description is the full and informative description of the best method and system presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention which is known to the inventors at the time of filing the patent application. 
         [0016]    The present invention relates to methods and systems for inventory management. 
         [0017]    According to one preferred embodiment, an inventory management system is provided. This embodiment aids in managing the excess components that are left after an assembly process in a manufacturing unit. It helps a storekeeper to locate the store-keeping unit (SKU) for each component left at the assembly area and updates the database accordingly; thereby the store keeping process becomes easy and highly efficient. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is an illustrative diagram of an environment for the inventory management, in accordance with a described embodiment. The environment  100  shown in  FIG. 1  comprising a handheld device  102 , assembly area  108  and a database unit  106 , in operable communication with the handheld device  102 , is depicted. There are multiple components are present at the assembly area  108 . The components include a nail  110 , a screw  112 , a first bearing  114 , a second bearing  116  and a driller  118 . It is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the components illustrated at assembly area  108  in  FIG. 1  is for exemplary purpose only and may include various components, parts, tools, items, assets of various size, shape, weight, or color. 
         [0019]    The handheld device  102  includes an imaging device  104 , which is capable of capturing still and/or moving images of the assembly area  108 . The handheld device  102  can be a cellular phone, laptop, tablet, or any other mobile device with a camera. The database unit  106  as shown in  FIG. 1  is in connection with the handheld device  102  and is capable of sending data to and/or receiving data from the handheld device. The database unit  106  is connected through, either a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless arrangements, or Internet with the handheld device  102 . The database unit  106  contains data of all the available components, parts, tools items, assets etc. in the manufacturing unit. Data stored in the database unit  106  includes the name, image, size, shape, texture, color, weight, available quantity and location of each component, part or tool in a tabular form. The handheld device  102  can retrieve data from the database  106  and is capable of updating the information related to the availability of any component stored in the database unit  106 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is an illustrative flowchart for managing components in an inventory, in accordance with some embodiments. In the manufacturing unit after the assembly process completed some left overs such as components, tools, parts, items, assets etc. remains at the product assembly area  108  as shown in  FIG. 1 . At the first step  202 , the handheld device  102  shown in  FIG. 1  captures multiple images of the assembly area  108  using the imaging device  104 . The images include all the components left over the assembly area  108 . The handheld device  102  is capable of processing the images and displaying the processed images to a user. At step  204 , the handheld device  102  selects a component, part or tool from the image displayed to the user. The selection of the component could be done based on a predefined selection algorithm or it could be a random selection. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the user can also do the selection of the component displayed by the handheld device. The handheld device  102  extracts various features of the selected component at the next method step  206 . The extracted component features may include at least one of color, shape, size, weight, texture, dimensions, etc. The component feature extraction could be performed by using various image recognition techniques well known in the art. At step  208 , the system compares extracted features of the selected component with the data stored in the database unit  106  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The system can compare either all the features or some of the features of the selected component with the database  106  entries. A person ordinarily skilled in the art will appreciate that the user can select the extracted feature of the selected component for the comparison with the database entries. At the next step  210 , the handheld device  102  displays a list of components data stored in the database unit  106  that appears to be similar to the selected components based on the comparison performed at step  208 . The component list displayed on the handheld device  102  includes component name, image, color, texture, shape, size, quantity, location etc. The displayed list is in a chronological order i.e. the components having maximum number of features similar to the features extracted from the selected component will appear at the top of the list. The list of the components could also be displayed in alphabetical order, an ascending or descending order based on the available quantity or in any other order preferred by the user. At method step  212 , a component is selected from the component list displayed on the handheld device  102 . The component is selected by the handheld device  102  either based on the number of features matched with the features extracted from the component selected previously from the image data or on the bases of a historical event. The historical event is an event stored in the database  106  based on a component selection done by the user previously. The user could also select the component from the component list displayed on the handheld device  102 . If the user does the selection of the component from the displayed list, the selection information gets stored in the database unit  106  as historical event for future reference at step  214 . Based on the selection done at method step  212  the user find outs the exact location in a storeroom of the manufacturing unit of the component selected from the image data of the assembly area  106 . By following the method steps show in  FIG. 2  and described above the user can easily and efficiently identify the location of all the left overs at the assembly area in the storeroom of the manufacturing unit irrespective to the size, shape, color or texture of the components. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is an illustrative schematic diagram of an inventory management system  300 , in accordance with a described embodiment of the present invention. The inventory management system  300  includes a component search module  302 , component indexing module  304  and a component database  316 . 
         [0022]    The component search module  302  further includes an imaging unit  306 , an image-preprocessing unit  308 , a feature extraction unit  310 , a feature comparator  312  and location ID unit  314 . The imaging unit  306  is used for capturing images of the area where various components, parts or tools are present such as assembly area  108  shown in  FIG. 1 . The imaging unit  306  could be a mobile phone camera, video camera, still camera, webcam, or any other type of image capturing device. The imaging unit  306  is connected to the image-preprocessing unit  308 . The image-preprocessing unit  308  is used to check the quality of the image based on various quality parameters captured by the imaging unit  306 . It quality parameters includes ambient light of the scene, brightness value in the captures image, field of view of the imaging device etc. when the image-prepressing unit  308  receives captured image from the imaging unit  306 , it compares the quality parameters values of the captures image with a pre-define minimum quality parameter values stored in the prepossessing unit  308 . If any of the quality parameter value of the captured image is lesser than the pre-stored value of the quality parameter value then the preprocessing unit  308  either rejects the image or prompts an alert message to the user. Once an image captured by the imaging unit  306  passes all the quality parameters checks done by the preprocessing unit  308 , it sends the image to the feature extraction unit  310 . In the feature extraction unit  310 , a component of interest is being selected from the components present in the image either using a pre-defined algorithm stored in the component search module or by the user. The method steps followed by the feature extraction unit  310  for the selection of the component of interest are same as step  204  and step  206  of  FIG. 2  explained earlier. Another function of the feature extraction unit  310  is to extract features of the component of the interest. The features extracted from the component may include color, shape, texture, size, etc. The extracted features of the component send to the feature comparator  312  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The comparator  312  compares the extracted features with the data entries present in the component database  316 . The component database  316  contains data of all the available components, parts, tools etc. in the manufacturing unit. Data entries in the component database  316  includes the name, image, size, shape, texture, color, weight, available quantity and location ID of each component, part or tool. The location ID of a component is the location in the storeroom of the manufacturing unit where a similar kind of components is stored. The comparator  312  extract a list of components from the database  316  based on the comparison of the extracted features of the component in interest with database entries. The extracted list is displayed on the handheld device  102  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Then the location ID unit  314  selects a component that is same as the component of interest from the component list extracted by the feature comparator  312  by following the method recited earlier at step  212  of  FIG. 2 . If the user does the selection of the component from the extracted list then the selection is considered, as historical event and it get stored in the database  316  for future reference. The location ID associated with the component selected by the location ID unit  314  from the extracted list is presented to the user as the location information of the component of interest. 
         [0023]    Function of the component indexing module  304  is to create and update the database  316  that can in turn used for locating the location ID of any component by the component search module  302 . The indexing module  304  includes an imaging unit  318 , an image-processing unit  320 , a component feature extraction unit  322  and a feature-indexing unit  324 . The imaging unit  318  is similar to the imaging unit  306  and is used for capturing images of the individual components, parts and tools available in the storeroom of the manufacturing unit. Component images should be capture in the predetermined background, with as many angles as possible and with the best camera settings captured by the imaging device  318  for good and precise visibility of the components. The images of the individual components, parts and tools are sent image-processing unit  320  for further processing. The image-processing unit  320  removes noise and enhances the image quality using image-processing techniques known in the art. The processed images from processing unit  320  are sent to the component feature extraction unit  322 . The extraction unit  322  extracts the features of the component present in the image received from the processing unit  320 . The features extracted by the extraction unit  322  include color, texture, size, and shape. The next functional block is feature-indexing unit  324  receives the extracted features from the extraction unit  322  and store the feature details along with the image of each component in the component database  316 . A user can enter the component name, available quantity in the storeroom and the location ID information for each component stored by the indexing unit  322  in the database  316 . A means for inputting component name, available quantity and the location ID information user input means are provided with the database  316 . The user can also input one or more comments related to the component present in the image. The comments may include an observation stating a defect in the component, a command related to use of the component, a new type of component entry in the existing database entries and so on. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the user input means can also be provided along with the indexing unit  322  and the user can add information of each component along with the extracted features and component images that in turns stored as an individual component file in the database  316  by the indexing unit  322 . As recited, the component indexing module  304  create and maintain the component database  316  for the component search module  302  by storing information of the available and newly arrived components in the storeroom. 
         [0024]    Embodiments of the present invention enable faster, easier, more efficient and less tiring usage of inventory management. The present invention is applicable for all types, shape, and size of components; hence, it eliminates the size dependency limitation from the inventory management system. 
         [0025]    The present description includes the best presently contemplated method for carrying out the present invention. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and some features of the present invention may be used without the corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein. 
         [0026]    As will be appreciated by those ordinary skilled in the art, the aforementioned example, demonstrations, and method steps may be implemented by suitable code on a processor base system, such as general purpose or special purpose computer. It should also be noted that different implementations of the present technique may perform some or all the steps described herein in different orders or substantially concurrently, that is, in parallel. Furthermore, the functions may be implemented in a variety of programming languages. Such code, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skilled in the art, may be stored or adapted for storage in one or more tangible machine readable media, such as on memory chips, local or remote hard disks, optical disks or other media, which may be accessed by a processor based system to execute the stored code.