System for security processing of retailed articles
First Claim
1. A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes, said system comprising:
- (a) code reader means for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code;
(b) conveyor means for receipt and transport of such aricle;
(c) sentry means for defining an inlet to a security zone extending along a portion of said conveyor means, said sentry means including sensor means for generating an output signal jointly indicative of entry of said article into said security zone and of a first measurable characteristic of said article;
(d) control means for selective movement of said conveyor means in respective article acceptance and article rejection senses, said control means being operableI. for storage, for each of a plurality of such articles, of a signal indicative of a predetermined value of said first article characteristic correlated with such article identification code,II. for response to said code reader means output signal for comparison of such stored signal with said output signal of said sentry means, andIII. for operation of said conveyor means selectively in response to the results of said comparison.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes comprises, in one version: (a) a code reader for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code; (b) a conveyor for receipt and transport of such article; (c) an entrance sentry for defining an inlet to a secured zone extending along a portion of the conveyor and for generating an output signal indicative of entry of the article into the secured zone and of a measurable characteristic of the article; and (d) a controller for selective movement of the conveyor in respective article acceptance and article rejection senses. The controller is operable in several respects, namely, for storage, for each of a plurality of such articles, of a signal indicative of a predetermined value of the measurable article characteristic correlated with such article identification code, for response to the code reader output signal for comparison of such stored signal with the output signal of the sentry, and for operation of the conveyor selectively in response to the results of such comparison.
180 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes, said system comprising:
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(a) code reader means for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code; (b) conveyor means for receipt and transport of such aricle; (c) sentry means for defining an inlet to a security zone extending along a portion of said conveyor means, said sentry means including sensor means for generating an output signal jointly indicative of entry of said article into said security zone and of a first measurable characteristic of said article; (d) control means for selective movement of said conveyor means in respective article acceptance and article rejection senses, said control means being operable I. for storage, for each of a plurality of such articles, of a signal indicative of a predetermined value of said first article characteristic correlated with such article identification code, II. for response to said code reader means output signal for comparison of such stored signal with said output signal of said sentry means, and III. for operation of said conveyor means selectively in response to the results of said comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes, said system comprising:
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(a) first code reader means for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code; (b) conveyor means for receipt and transport of such article; (c) means defining a secured zone extending along a portion of said conveyor means; (d) second code reader means for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code of articles in said secured zone; (e) control means for selective movement of said conveyor means in respective article acceptance and article rejections senses, said control means being operable for comparing said output signal of said first code reader means with said output signal of said second code reader means and for operation of said conveyor means selectively in response to the results of such comparison; and (f) EAS detection means for determining whether or not an article in said security zone is EAS-tagged, said control means being further operable for storing indication, for each of a plurality of such articles, of whether or not such article should be EAC-tagged and for operating said conveyor means selectively in response to such stored indication and determination. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes, said system comprising:
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(a) code reader means for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code; (b) conveyor means for receipt and transport of such article; (c) means defining a secured zone extending along a portion of said conveyor means; (d) sensing means for generating an output signal indicative of a measurable characteristic of said article; and (e) control means for selective movement of said conveyor means in respective article acceptance and article rejection senses, said control means being operable for compiling a store, for each of a plurality of such articles, of a signal indicative of a predetermined value of said article characteristic correlated with article identification code, by processing of said output signals of said code reader means and said sensing means, said control means being further operable for comparison of such stored signal for an article with said output signal of said sensing means and for operating said conveyor means selectively in response to the results of such comparison of such stored and measured article characteristic output signals.
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12. A system for processing articles selected for purchase and bearing distinct identification codes, said system comprising:
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(a) code reader means for generating an output signal indicative of such article identification code; (b) conveyor means for receipt and transport of such article; (c) means defining a secured zone extending along a portion of said conveyor means; (d) EAS detection means for determining whether or not an article in said secured zone is EAS-tagged and generating a corresponding output signal; and (e) control means for selective movement of said conveyor means in respective article acceptance and article rejection senses, said control means being operable for storing indication, for each of a plurality of such articles, correlated with such article identification code of whether or not such article should be EAS-tagged, for comparing said EAS detection means output signal with said stored indication, and for operating said conveyor means selectively in response to such comparison. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for use in purchase checkout of articles having respective unique identification codes therewith, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) discerning such identification code for an article selected for purchase; (b) disposing such selected article in a secured zone and therein, I. measuring a characteristic of such secured zone disposed article and II. A. again discerning such identification code for said article, and B. examining said article by EAS practice; and (c) rejecting said disposed article from such secured zone and returning to the purchaser upon I. failure of correspondence of such measured article characteristic with a stored predetermined value of such article characteristic, or II. A. failure of correspondence of such second discerned identification code for said article with such first discerned identification code therefor, and B. failure of such article to pass such EAS practice.
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15. A method for use in purchase checkout of articles having respective unique identification codes therewith, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) discerning such identification code for an article selected for purchase; (b) disposing such selected article in a secured zone and therein, I. measuring a characteristic of such secured zone disposed article and II. examining said article by EAS practice; and (c) rejecting said disposed article from such secured zone and returning to the purchaser upon I. failure of correspondence of such measured article characteristic with a stored predetermined value of such article characteristic, or II. failure of such article to pass such EAS practice. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification