US 11,852,394 B1
System, method and apparatus for remotely monitoring inventory
Juan E. Marti, Danville, CA (US); Nicolas Garcia, Castro Valley, CA (US); and Patrick J. Inglesby, Danville, CA (US)
Assigned to ICE Q, LLC, Danville, CA (US)
Filed by ICE Q, LLC, Alamo, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/831,767.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/824,867, filed on Mar. 27, 2019.
Int. Cl. F25C 5/187 (2018.01); G01S 17/08 (2006.01)
CPC F25C 5/187 (2013.01) [G01S 17/08 (2013.01); F25C 2700/02 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ice merchandiser with inventory monitoring system comprising:
an ice merchandiser including an icebox defining a volume bounded, at least in part, by a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a back surface;
a plurality of daisy chained Time-of-Flight (ToF) Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) modules each having a field-of-view (FoV), the plurality of LiDAR modules being disposed within the volume of the icebox and positioned proximate to the top surface such that the FoV of each LiDAR module is at least partially directed towards the bottom surface to obtain distance data such that a FoV of a LiDAR module does not overlap with a FoV of another LiDAR module, wherein each LiDAR module is associated with a unique address, whereby each of the LiDAR modules has a different address than the remainder of the plurality of LiDAR modules;
one or more inter-module cables having wiring including power, ground and data lines for the plurality of daisy chained LiDAR modules;
a controller disposed outside of the volume of the icebox;
a cable having wiring including power, ground and data lines connecting the controller to an upstream LiDAR module of the plurality of LiDAR modules; and
whereby the controller provides power to the plurality of LiDAR modules via the cable and the one or more inter-module cables and can obtain distance data from the plurality of LiDAR modules by communicating with each of the daisy-chained LiDAR modules using its unique address.