Method and apparatus for maintaining and locating lost, misplaced or stolen articles

• US 20110181415A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TrackThings LLC
• Original Assignee: LC Tank LLC
• Inventors: Gabara, Thaddeus, Gabara, Quinton
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

Theft increases the average product cost to consumers. A mentoring system is presented that can help to reduce or prevent the inventory from lost or theft. Theft is a serious concern in the consumer market place. Industry loses billions per year on theft of merchandise. According to a Reuters report, last year, thefts by employees of U.S. retail merchandise accounted for $15.9 billion, or 44 percent of theft losses at stores, more than shoplifting and vendor fraud combined. Thus, the total thief by the customers and store employees during the year 2008 amounted to $36 billion. Several embodiments of ways to control or reduce the thefts in the market place are presented.

Claims

1. An apparatus that identifies when a component is removed from a cell comprising:

at least one reference block positioned a first distance from a local processor;

a boundary of the cell surrounding the local processor is adjusted to align with the first distance; and

a wireless link is established within the cell to couple the component to the local processor, wherein a loss of the wireless link identifies that the component was removed from the cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one wall to physically confine the cell.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an energy transfer unit that powers the component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a component'"'"'s electronics are incorporated in at least one integrated circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the reference block is permanently positioned.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the boundary of the cell is adjusted by varying a output power of the reference block.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

a component'"'"'s output power is set to the output power of the reference block.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein

a local processor'"'"'s output power is set to the output power of the reference block.

9. An apparatus that identifies when a component is removed from a cell comprising:

the component programmed with a pre-defined output power level;

a boundary of the cell surrounding a local processor is determined by the pre-defined power output level; and

a wireless link is established within the cell to couple the component to the local processor, wherein a loss of any wireless link identifies that a component was removed from the cell.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one wall to physically confine the cell.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an energy transfer unit that powers the component.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a component'"'"'s electronics are incorporated in at least one integrated circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the boundary of the cell is adjusted by varying a output power of the component.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein

a local processor'"'"'s output power is set to the output power of the component.

15. An portable hand held system apparatus comprising:

at least one component;

an energy transfer unit remotely powering the component;

a wireless link is formed between the component and the portable hand held unit;

an identity of the component is transmitted over the wireless link;

a screen displays the identity of the component;

the identity of the component is selected on the screen; and

the selected component emits a stimulus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the stimulus is audio or visual.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

an output power of the component can be adjusted.

18. A method of notifying a visual monitoring system to follow a component once the component is outside a cell comprising the steps of:

using a wireless monitoring system to verify the component is within the cell;

wirelessly identifying if the component is removed from the cell; and

notifying the visual monitoring system to follow the component outside the cell.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

visually identifying the component is placed in a cart.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using a energy transfer unit to power up the component within a cart.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using a second wireless monitoring system to verify the component is within a cart.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

visually identifying the component is being carried by a customer.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

following the carried component to a register.