System and method for managing assets using a portable combined electronic article surveillance system and barcode scanner

• US 20030234288A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Leone, Steven V., Canipe, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,303,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/242 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A system and method of managing assets using a combined electronic article surveillance (EAS) and barcode scanning device. The combined EAS/Scanner is portable and wirelessly connected to a network for facilitating a number of asset management functions, including personal shopping, pre-checkout, data mining, and inventory tracking.

Claims

1. A method of managing an asset carrying a barcode and an EAS tag, the method comprising:

providing a point of sale (POS) network comprising a processor configured for accessing a database;

providing a portable EAS/Scanner wirelessly connected to said POS network for bi-directional communication with said processor, said EAS/Scanner comprising an EAS system for modifying an activation state of said EAS tag and a barcode scanner for scanning said barcode;

scanning said barcode using said EAS/Scanner;

transmitting a signal representative of said barcode from said EAS/Scanner for receipt by said processor;

accessing asset information in said database in response to said signal representative of said barcode; and

modifying said activation state of said EAS tag using said EAS/Scanner.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said modifying an activation state comprises deactivating said EAS tag.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said modifying an activation state comprises activating said EAS tag.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said modifying an activation state comprises re-activating said EAS tag.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said EAS/Scanner is enabled for modifying said activation state of said EAS tag in response to said asset information.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said asset information comprises sales transaction information for said asset.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said sales transaction information indicates whether said asset has been properly purchased.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said asset information indicates whether said barcode is valid.

9. A method according to claim 5, said method further comprising transmitting an asset information signal representative of said asset information to said EAS/Scanner.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said EAS/Scanner is manually enabled for modifying said activation state of said EAS tag.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said database is a customer-specific database.

12. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising storing said asset information and said activation state in a transaction database.

13. A method according to claim 12, said method further comprising reviewing said transaction database to identify repeated failure to deactivate EAS tags at a fixed POS station.

14. A method according to claim 12, said method further comprising reviewing said transaction database to identify EAS tag placement errors.

15. A method of facilitating purchase of an asset carrying a barcode and an EAS tag, the method comprising:

providing network comprising a processor configured for accessing a database;

providing a portable EAS/Scanner wirelessly connected to said POS network for bi-directional communication with said processor, said EAS/Scanner comprising an EAS system for modifying an activation state of said EAS tag and a barcode scanner for scanning said barcode;

scanning said barcode using said EAS/Scanner;

transmitting a signal representative of said barcode from said EAS/Scanner for receipt by said processor;

accessing asset information in said database in response to said signal representative of said barcode;

storing said asset information in a customer-specific database; and

deactivating said EAS tag using said EAS/Scanner.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said EAS/Scanner is enabled for deactivating said EAS tag in response to said asset information.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said asset information comprises sales transaction information for said asset.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said asset information indicates whether said barcode is valid.

19. A method according to claim 16, said method further comprising transmitting an asset information signal representative of said asset information to said EAS/Scanner.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein said EAS/Scanner is manually enabled for modifying said activation state of said EAS tag.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

performing a second scan of said barcode using said EAS/Scanner,

transmitting a second signal representative of said barcode from said EAS/Scanner for receipt by said processor; and

removing said asset information from said customer-specific database in said database in response to said second signal representative of said barcode.

22. A method according to claim 21, said method further comprising activating said EAS tag following removal of said asset information from said customer-specific database.

23. A method verifying an EAS tag status of an asset carrying a barcode, the method comprising:

providing a point of sale (POS) network comprising a processor configured for accessing a database;

providing a portable EAS/Scanner wirelessly connected to said POS network for bi-directional communication with said processor, said EAS/Scanner comprising an EAS system for modifying an activation state of said EAS tag and a barcode scanner for scanning said barcode;

scanning said barcode using said EAS/Scanner;

transmitting a signal representative of said barcode from said EAS/Scanner for receipt by said processor;

accessing asset information in said database in response to said signal representative of said barcode;

scanning said item using said EAS/Scanner to detect said EAS tag status;

transmitting a signal representative of said EAS tag status from said EAS/Scanner for receipt by said processor; and

storing data representative of said EAS tag status in a status database.

24. A method according to claim 23, said method further comprising storing said asset information said status database.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said asset information comprises an intended EAS status for said asset.

26. A method according to claim 23, said method further comprising transmitting an asset information signal representative of said asset information to said EAS/Scanner.

27. A method according to claim 23, said method further comprising reviewing said status database to identify failure to place an EAS tag on said asset.

28. A method according to claim 23, said method further comprising reviewing said status database to identify inadvertent affixation of an EAS tag on said asset.

29. A network comprising:

a processor configured for accessing a database; and

at least one portable EAS/Scanner wirelessly connected for bi-directional communication with said processor, said EAS/Scanner comprising an EAS system configured to modify an activation state of an EAS tag and a barcode scanner configured to scan said barcode.

30. A network according to claim 29, said network comprising at least one fixed point-of-sale (POS) station for facilitating purchase of an asset by a customer, said fixed POS station being connected for bi-directional communication with said processor.