Inventory control

• US 7,245,221 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Claudatos, Christopher Hercules, Andruss, William Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bugg; George A.
• Application Number:
  US10/956,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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

Abstract

A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for inventory control of items in a location are disclosed. In an embodiment, this comprises a surveillance system comprising a plurality of cameras and at least one display, at least one identification tag, at least one identification tag reader configured to read the identification tag and placed to cover at least a portion of the location, and a computer configured to process information including the identification tag read by the reader. In response to the information, the computer controls a video camera to display an image showing an area around the identification tag. This may be based on a determination of heightened risk, such as when the identification tag is associated with a receipt and is brought back to the location after being removed from the location.

Claims

1. A system for inventory control of items stored at a location, comprising:

a surveillance system comprising a plurality of cameras, a recorder for storing video or audio information from at least one camera, and at least one display;

at least one identification tag;

at least one identification tag reader configured to read the identification tag and placed at an egress to the location;

a computer configured to process information including the identification tag read by the reader and in response to the information;

select one of the plurality of video cameras to display an image showing an area around the identification tag, using data representing associations between readers and cameras operable to view areas around the readers;

determine if the identification tag has been removed from the location;

determine if the identification tag has been returned to the location by using the reader to detect the identification tag after the identification tag has been determined to have been removed from the location; and

store the information, wherein the information includes the identity of the reader, at least a portion of information contained by the identification tag, and a timestamp.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the identification tag is associated with a transaction authorizing some items to be removed from the location.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the identification tag includes a radio frequency identification tag.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to issue an alert when the identification tag has been returned to the location.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cameras are operable to pan, tilt, or zoom, the data includes pan, tilt, or zoom information for a camera to view an area around a reader, and the computer is configured to control a selected camera to pan, tilt, or zoom to view the area around the reader.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the surveillance system comprises an override operable to allow manual control of tilt, pan, or zoom of the selected camera.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the information further includes data associating the identification tag read with a portion of a database or index to a database where information regarding the associated event is stored.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the information further includes data associating the identification tag read with a portion of the recording where the image is stored.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to select an additional camera for viewing an area around an additional reader, when the additional reader detects the identification tag.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer is further configured to control the surveillance system to show an image from the additional camera on a display.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer is configured to deselect the camera when the reader no longer detects the identification tag.

12. A method of controlling inventory of items stored at a location using at least one identification tag reader and a surveillance system including a plurality of cameras and at least one display, the method comprising:

using the identification tag reader to detect an identification tag;

selecting a camera to view an area around the identification tag;

determining risk associated with the identification tag based on whether the identification tag has previously been removed from the location and whether the identification tag is being returned to the location;

determining, based on risk associated with the identification tag, whether to select the camera to view the area around the identification tag; and

displaying an image from the camera on the display.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the identification tag includes a radio frequency identification tag.

14. A computer program product for controlling inventory of items stored at a location using at least one identification tag reader and a surveillance system including a plurality of cameras and at least one display, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having machine readable code embodied therein for:

using the identification tag reader to detect an identification tag;

selecting a camera to view an area around the identification tag;

determining risk associated with the identification tag based on whether the identification tag has previously been removed from the location and whether the identification tag is being returned to the location;

determining, based on risk associated with the identification tag, whether to select the camera to view the area around the identification tag; and

displaying an image from the camera on the display.