RETAIL ITEM MANAGEMENT USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

• US 20130249692A1
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Paul Brent Rasband
• Inventors: RASBAND, Paul Brent
• Granted Patent: US 9,318,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A system for identifying handling events of an item is provided. The system includes at least one wireless sensor node, WSN, tag associable with the item. The WSN tag includes a transceiver and at least one sensor. The at least one sensor is configured to generate sensor data based at least in part on motion of the wireless sensor node. The WSN tag includes a memory configured to store at least one event filter and the sensor data. The WSN tag further includes a tag processor that is configured to filter the sensor data based on the at least one event filter. The tag processor is configured to determine whether an event occurred based on the filtering of the sensor data and generate event data in response to determining an event occurred. The tag processor is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit the event data.

Claims

1. A system for identifying handling events of an item, the system comprising:

at least one wireless sensor node, WSN, tag associable with the item, the WSN tag comprising;

a transceiver;

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to generate sensor data based at least in part on motion of the wireless sensor node;

a memory, the memory configured to store at least one event filter and the sensor data;

a tag processor, the tag processor configured to;

filter the sensor data based on the at least one event filter;

determine whether an event occurred based on the filtering of the sensor data;

generate event data in response to determining an event occurred; and

cause the transceiver to transmit the event data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one event filter includes a plurality of filter parameters, the filter parameters indicating a required series of movements of minimum force within a predetermined amount of time that must occur for the event filter to indicate an event.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive filter parameters;

and

the tag processor is further configured to update the at least one event filter based on the received filter parameters, the filtering of sensor data being based on the updated at least one event filter.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analytics device, the analytics device including:

a transceiver, the transceiver configured to;

receive tag state change data;

a analytics processor, the analytics processor configured to;

track changes in tag states based at least in part on tag state change data;

generate an alert if the tag state change data meets a reporting threshold, the reporting threshold being based at least in part on WSN tag motion indicated by the tag state change data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the analytics processor is further configured to divide the tag state change data into at least a reporting group and a non-reporting group, the reporting group being associated with changes in WSN tag states meeting the reporting threshold, the non-reporting group being associated with changes in WSN tag states that that do not meet the reporting threshold.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the tag state change data includes at least one of a type of motion sense event and intensity level of the event.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a wireless access point in communication with the at least one WSN tag and the analytics device, the wireless access port including:

a transceiver, the transceiver configured to;

receive event data from the at least one wireless sensor node; and

receive a request for tag state change data associated with changes in WSN tag states;

an access point processor, the access point processor configured to;

track changes in WSN tag states based at least part on received event data;

cause transmission of the tag state change data in response to the received request.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the access point processor is further configured to:

determine attention is required based at least in part on tag state change data; and

transmits an alert message directly to an employee device in response to the determination that attention is required.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the event indicates at least one of:

a person is examining a retail item associated with the WSN tag and the retail item associated with the WSN tag has come to rest after being handled.

10. An analytics device for retail item management, the analytics device including:

an analytics processor, the analytics processor configured to;

track changes in wireless sensor node, WSN, tag states based at least in part on tag state change data, the tag state change data corresponding to changes in WSN tag states; and

generate an alert if the tag state change data meets a reporting threshold, the reporting threshold being based at least in part on WSN tag motion indicated by the tag state change data.

11. The analytics device of claim 10, wherein the analytics processor is further configured to divide the tag state change data into at least a reporting group and a non-reporting group, the reporting group being associated with changes in WSN tag states meeting the reporting threshold, the non-reporting group being associated with changes in WSN tag states that that do not meet the reporting threshold.

12. The analytics device of claim 10, further comprising a transceiver, the transceiver configured to receive sensor data associated with at least one WSN tag;

and

the analytics processor is further configured to;

filter the sensor data based on the at least one event filter; and

generate state change data based at least in part on the filtering of sensor data, the state change data indicating whether an event occurred at the at least one WSN tag.

13. The analytics device of claim 12, wherein the event indicates at least one of:

a person is examining a retail item associated with the WSN tag and the retail item associated with the WSN tag has come to rest after being handled.

14. The analytics device of claim 10, further comprising a transceiver, the transceiver configured to:

receive tag state change data from a WSN access point; and

transmit the alert to an employee device.

15. A method for identifying handling of an item, the method comprising:

generating sensor data based at least in part on motion of a wireless sensor node associable with the item;

storing at least one event filter and the sensor data;

filtering the sensor data based on the at least one event filter;

determining whether an event occurred based on the filtering of the sensor data;

generating event data in response to determining the event occurred; and

transmitting the event data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one event filter includes a plurality of filter parameters, the filter parameters indicating a required series of movements of minimum force within a predetermined amount of time that must occur for the event filter to indicate an event.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving filter parameters; and

updating the at least one event filter based on the received filter parameters, the filtering of sensor data being based on the updated at least one event filter.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving tag state change data;

tracking changes to wireless sensor node, WSN, tag states based at least in part on tag state change data; and

generating an alert if the tag state change data meets a reporting threshold, the reporting threshold being based at least in part on WSN tag motion indicated by the tag state change data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering is performed by an analytics device in communication with a wireless sensor node access point.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising dividing the tag state change date into at least a reporting group and a non-reporting group, the reporting group being associated with changes in WSN tag states meeting the reporting threshold, the non-reporting group being associated with changes in WSN tag states that that do not meet the reporting threshold.