Security System for Inventory

• US 20080001747A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kangas, P. Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

A security system for inventory automatically detects removal of inventory items from an area or areas protected with security sensors. A person removing the item then scans an identifying code of the item, such as its bar code or radio-frequency identification (“RFID”) tag, with a device such as a portable shopping assistant device; if the item is not scanned in an appropriate manner, such as within a particular a time period, then theft of the item may be suspected. Information for completing a purchase transaction can be sent from the portable shopping assistant device. In this manner, items can be purchased directly from the protected areas.

Claims

1. A security system for inventory, comprising:

at least one security sensor positioned to protect an area by detecting presence of each of at least one items contained within the area, wherein each of the at least one items sends has a transmission mechanism coupled thereto or integrated therewithin, the transmission mechanism capable of sending signals that are detectable by the at least one security sensor while the item remains within proximity of at least one of the at least one security sensors; and

a processing circuit configured to process removal of any of the at least one items, responsive to failing to detect the presence thereof within the area, comprising;

identifying the removed item and a person removing it; and

awaiting a signal that the person removing the item completes a removal transaction within a designated time period, and if not, treating the removal as a potential theft.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one security sensors comprises at least one radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) antenna.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one security sensors is a radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) sensor and wherein the transmission mechanism is an RFID security tag.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein identifying the removed item further comprises obtaining an item identifier from the RFID security tag.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a scan of an identifier of the removed item and an indication that the person removing the item is paying for the removed item.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the scan of the identifier comprises a bar code scan.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the removal transaction comprises a purchase transaction.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a scan of an identifier of the removed item and an indication that the person removing the item is taking ownership of the removed item.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a scan of an identifier of the removed item and an indication that the person removing the item is taking responsibility for the removed item.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the area comprises a display case.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the area comprises at least a portion of a shelf.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the designated time period is configurable for each of the items.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein identifying the person comprises capturing a photo image of the person.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein identifying the person comprises capturing a video image of the person.

15. The system according to claim 13, further comprising deleting the captured photo image of the person, responsive to a notification that the removal transaction is completed within the designated time period.

16. A method of enabling item purchase directly from a protected area, the method comprising steps of:

monitoring, by at least one security sensor positioned to protect the area, presence of each of at least one items expected to be contained within the area, wherein each of the at least one items sends has a transmission mechanism coupled thereto or integrated therewithin, the transmission mechanism capable of sending signals that are detectable by the at least one security sensor while the item remains within proximity of at least one of the at least one security sensors; and

responsive to detecting, by at least one of the security sensors, a removal of any of the at least one items, identifying the removed item and awaiting a signal that a person removing the item completes a purchase of the item within a designated time period following the removal, and if not, treating the removal as a potential theft.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein each of the at least one the security sensors comprises a radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) sensor and wherein the transmission mechanism is an RFID security tag.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein identifying the removed item further comprises obtaining an item identifier from the RFID security tag.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising capturing a video image of the person, responsive to detecting the removal, wherein the signal comprises a scan of an identifier of the removed item and an indication that the person removing the item is paying for the removed item.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one computer useable media, the media embodying computer-usable program code for enabling item ownership transfer directly from a protected area, the computer program product comprising:

computer-usable program code for receiving notification that a security sensor disposed to protect an area from theft has detected removal of an item from the area, wherein the security sensor is adapted to receive communication signals from the item while the item remains within proximity of the security sensor and the item is adapted for iteratively transmitting the communication signals;

computer-usable program code for notifying a remover of the item that the item should be purchased to avoid signalling a security system of the removal; and

computer-usable program code for receiving notification, within a designated time period, that the remover of the item requests to purchase the item, and responsive to receiving the notification, for invoking a purchase transaction, or for signalling the security system of the removal otherwise.