Article inventory tracking apparatus and method

• US 6,438,447 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Brace, Thomas J., Belka, Anthony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US09/108,580
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214, 700/236, 700/235, 700/227
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging
• 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 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure

Abstract

An article inventory tracking and control system tracks and controls removal of articles from a secured facility. Exemplary facilities in which the system may be useful include libraries, rental stores and retail stores. Each article is marked with an EAS marker to prevent unauthorized removal. In the system, each user of a facility and each article in the facility is uniquely identifiable. Upon receiving the user and article information, the system queries a central database to ensure that the user is a valid user and that the desired transaction is authorized. A receiving compartment is specifically designed to receive a particular type of article, such as a video or audio cassette. Sensors in the receiving compartment ensure that the article is properly placed within the receiving compartment. Proper placement of the article within the receiving compartment ensures that the marker is properly re/desensitized, and also ensures that only one transaction on one article can be performed at a time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in tracking and control of articles out of or into a protected area, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving compartment adapted to receive an article of a plurality of articles, each of the plurality of articles containing prerecorded magnetic data, each article of the plurality of articles having a same predefined configuration with a dual status marker located at a same predetermined position at or near a surface of each article, the receiving compartment sized to accept the article in a predetermined orientation within the receiving compartment; and

a magnetic field generating device operable to deactivate the marker and to reactivate tee marker by creating a magnetic field proximate the marker, wherein the apparatus further includes at least one sensor for use in determining that the article is in a particular position in the receiving compartment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each article of the plurality of articles includes article identification information, and further wherein the apparatus includes an identification reader for use in reading the article identification information when the article is determined to be in the particular position in the receiving compartment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further for determining when an article in the receiving compartment is being removed from the receiving compartment.

4. A method for use in tracking articles out of or into protected areas, the method comprising:

providing a receiving compartment adapted to receive an article of a plurality of articles, each of the plurality of articles including prerecorded magnetic data, each article of the plurality of articles having a same predefined configuration with a dual status marker located at a same predetermined position at or near a surface of each article, the receiving compartment sized to accept the article in a predetermined orientation within the receiving compartment;

inserting a first article having a dual status marker in an activated state into the receiving compartment;

sensing that the article is properly placed within the receiving compartment; and

deactivating the marker of the article in the receiving compartment by creating a magnetic field of sufficient magnitude proximate only the marker, wherein the magnetic field is of a lesser magnitude at a distance from the marker such that the prerecorded magnetic data of the article is not detectably degraded.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein deactivating the marker of the article includes:

removing the article from the receiving compartment;

sensing that the article is being removed;

generating the magnetic field upon sensing that the article is being removed; and

deactivating the marker as the article is being removed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each article of the plurality of articles includes article identification information, and further wherein the method includes:

providing user information;

reading the article identification information when the article is properly placed in the receiving compartment; and

validating a transaction based on the user information and the article information, the marker being deactivated only after the transaction is validated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further includes updating the user information and the article information with transaction information if the transaction is validated.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the marker of the article is deactivated during removal of the article from receiving compartment after the transaction is validated.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further includes:

inserting another article having a dual status marker in a deactivated state into the receiving compartment;

sensing that the article is properly placed within the receiving compartment; and

reactivating the marker of the article in the receiving compartment by creating a magnetic field of sufficient magnitude proximate only the marker, wherein the magnetic field is of a lesser magnitude at a distance from the marker such that the prerecorded magnetic data of the article is not detectably degraded.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each article of the plurality of articles includes article identification information, and further wherein the method includes:

providing user information; and

reading the article identification information when the article is properly placed in the receiving compartment; and

validating a transaction based on the user information and the article information, the marker being reactivated after the transaction is validated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the marker of the article is reactivated during removal of the article from receiving compartment after the transaction is validated.

12. A method for use in tracking articles out of or into protected areas, the method comprising:

providing a receiving compartment adapted to receive an article of a plurality of articles, each of the plurality of articles including prerecorded magnetic data, each article of the plurality of articles having a same predefined configuration with a dual status marker located at a same predetermined position at or near a surface of each article, the receiving compartment sized to accept the article in a predetermined orientation within the receiving compartment;

inserting an article having a dual status marker in a deactivated state into the receiving compartment;

sensing that the article is properly placed within the receiving compartment;

reactivating the marker of the article in the receiving compartment by creating a magnetic field of sufficient magnitude proximate only the marker, wherein the magnetic field is of a lesser magnitude at a distance from the marker such that the prerecorded magnetic data of the article is not detectably degraded.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein reactivating the marker of the article includes:

removing the article from the receiving compartment;

sensing that the article is being removed;

generating the magnetic field upon sensing that the article is being removed; and

reactivating the marker as the article is being removed.

14. The method of claim 14, wherein each article of the plurality of articles includes article identification information, and further wherein the method includes:

providing user information; and

reading the article identification information when the article is properly placed in the receiving compartment; and

validating a transaction based on the user information and the article information, the marker being reactivated after the transaction is validated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes updating the user information and the article information with transaction information if the transaction is validated.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the marker of the article is reactivated during removal of the article from the receiving compartment after the transaction is validated.