Security System for Inventory

• US 20090066515A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• 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 7,808,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 system for enabling item purchase directly from a protected area, comprising:

at least one radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

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

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions configured to execute, using the processor, to implement functions comprising;

responsive to detecting, by at least one of the RFID security sensors, a removal of any of the at least one items from the protected area, performing a purchase verification process comprising;

obtaining a unique identifier of the removed item by interrogating the RFID security tag coupled to or integrated within the removed item;

identifying a person who removed the item;

starting a first timer to monitor a first time interval during which the removed item remains outside the protected area;

upon expiration of the first timer without receiving a notification that a purchase has been completed for the removed item during the first time interval, issuing a first warning to the person who removed the item, and starting a second timer to monitor a second time interval during which the removed item remains outside the protected area;

upon expiration of the second timer without receiving the notification that the purchase has been completed for the removed item during the second time interval, issuing a security alert for the removed item; and

upon receiving the notification, at the protected area, that the person removing the item completes the purchase of the removed item, recording an indication that the removed item was purchased, wherein;

the purchase of the removed item is initiated upon a scan of the RFID tag of the removed item by the person;

the notification is generated upon detecting a completion of the purchase of the removed item; and

the security alert indicates that the removed item was stolen.

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

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

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first time interval and the second time interval are configurable for each of the items.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein identifying a person further comprises capturing an image of the person, responsive to detecting the removal, and wherein the instructions are further configured to implement functions comprising:

providing the captured image with the security alert when the security alert is issued; and

deleting the captured image upon receiving the notification.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the captured image is a photo image of the person.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the captured image is a video image of the person.

8. A computer program product for enabling item purchase directly from a protected area, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable media and comprising computer-usable program code for:

monitoring, by at least one radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) 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 has a transmission mechanism coupled thereto or integrated therewithin, the transmission mechanism comprising an RFID security tag sending signals that are detectable by the at least one RFID security sensor while the item remains within proximity of at least one of the at least one RFID security sensors;

responsive to detecting, by at least one of the RFID security sensors, a removal of any of the at least one items from the protected area, performing a purchase verification process comprising;

obtaining a unique identifier of the removed item by interrogating the RFID security tag coupled to or integrated within the removed item;

identifying a person who removed the item;

starting a first timer to monitor a first time interval during which the removed item remains outside the protected area;

upon expiration of the first timer without receiving a notification that a purchase has been completed for the removed item during the first time interval, issuing a first warning to the person who removed the item, and starting a second timer to monitor a second time interval during which the removed item remains outside the protected area;

upon expiration of the second timer without receiving the notification that the purchase has been completed for the removed item during the second time interval, issuing a security alert for the removed item; and

upon receiving the notification, at the protected area, that the person removing the item completes the purchase of the removed item, recording an indication that the removed item was purchased, wherein;

the purchase of the removed item is initiated upon a scan of the RFID tag of the removed item by the person;

the notification is generated upon detecting a completion of the purchase of the removed item; and

the security alert indicates that the removed item was stolen.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the protected area comprises a display case.

10. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the area comprises at least a portion of a shelf.

11. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the first time interval and the second time interval are configurable for each of the items.

12. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein identifying a person further comprises capturing an image of the person, responsive to detecting the removal, and further comprising computer-usable program code for:

providing the captured image with the security alert when the security alert is issued; and

deleting the captured image upon receiving the notification.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the captured image is a photo image of the person.

14. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the captured image is a video image of the person.