CPC G06Q 30/0635 (2013.01) [G01G 19/414 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
1. An automatic ordering apparatus comprising:
a processor configurable to be operably coupled to an external network;
a machine-readable code scanner (MRCS) operably coupled to the processor and configured to capture product identifying information associated with a product container;
a force sensor operably coupled to the processor and adapted to output a force signal representative of a level of contents within the product container; and
a data store operably coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations to automatically generate a product reorder signal, the operations comprising:
receiving, via the MRCS, the captured product identifying information for the product container;
validating the captured product identifying information;
sending, based on the validation, an electronic request message to a product information database to access force information associated with the received identifying information;
receiving, from the force sensor, the force signal representative of a current level of contents within the product container;
retrieving a predetermined threshold for the level of contents within the product container;
comparing the current level of contents in the product container to the predetermined threshold for the level of contents within the product container; and,
generating a reorder signal when the force signal indicates a higher level of contents in the product container than the predetermined threshold.
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