Patent ID: 7930221

Claim:
A system for managing inventory, said system comprising: a processor; an interconnect coupled to said processor; and a computer-usable storage medium embodying computer program code, said computer-usable storage medium being coupled to said interconnect, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for: receiving food-related inventory preferences for each of a plurality of users for a particular storage area that monitors current food-related inventory in said particular storage area; adjusting a current database of intended food-related inventory for said particular storage area according to said food-related inventory preferences; periodically receiving records of additions and removals of food-related items from said particular storage area at said controller; determining a selection of food-related items from among said current database of intended food-related inventory that are absent from said particular storage area based at least in part on said records, such that food-related inventory that is intended for said particular storage area is managed; receiving, at a universally accessible server system, a request from a provider of food-related items for said selection of food-related items that are absent from said particular storage area, said request identifying the particular storage area with a identifier uniquely associated with said particular storage area; and permitting access to said selection of food-related items by said provider of food-related items if said provider of food-related items is included in a plurality of allowable requesters for said particular storage area.