System and method for securing and displaying items for merchandising

• US 8,089,357 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Irmscher, Julia, Rapp, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US12/752,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/024 with provisions for preventing unauthorised removal show cases with devices for prevention of theft A47F3/002; devices for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal E05B73/0017
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1445 with detection of interference with a cable tethering an article, e.g. alarm activated by detecting detachment of article, breaking or stretching of cable furniture, e.g. shelves for displaying merchandise, incorporating tethers to prevent theft A47F7/024, A47F5/0861
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS

Abstract

A system and method for automatically advertising items put on display, as well as protecting those items against theft. The system and method include an event sensor associated with the item and connected to a monitoring and alarm transmitter for initiating an advertising experience on an associated and local graphic display whenever the item is manipulated or approached by a patron. Should the item be removed or taken from its display stand, a wireless alarm is automatically transmitted to a receiver of an authorized person. The system and method also perform a logging function when a patron approaches the item or removes it without taking it away. The system and method also include the ability to provide power to electronic items that are on display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of merchandise items at a merchandise display allowing a customer to handle the merchandise items;

providing audio video information at the merchandise display, wherein the audio video information is based on one or more of the plurality of merchandise items;

detecting a possible theft when one of the merchandise items is removed from the merchandise display;

generating an alarm when the possible theft is detected;

accepting a customer purchase request from a purchasing customer, wherein the purchase request is accepted at the merchandise display to purchase a product related to the plurality of merchandise items;

forwarding the customer purchase request over a network to a remote location remote from the merchandise display; and

processing the customer purchase request at the remote location to allow the purchasing customer to pick up the product at a remote location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding the customer purchase request over a network within a store where the merchandise display is located; and

processing the customer purchase request at the store to allow the purchasing customer to pick up the product at the store or at the remote location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing the customer purchase request at the remote location; and

mailing the product to the purchasing customer.

4. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of merchandise items at a merchandise display allowing a customer to handle the merchandise items;

providing audio video information at the merchandise display, wherein the audio video information is based on one or more of the plurality of merchandise items;

detecting a possible theft when one of the merchandise items is removed from the merchandise display;

generating an alarm when the possible theft is detected; and

accepting a customer purchase request from a purchasing customer, wherein the purchase request is accepted at the merchandise display to purchase a product related to the plurality of merchandise items, wherein the plurality of merchandise items are wireless devices and the customer purchase request is a monthly service request related to the wireless devices.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless devices are cellular phones and the customer purchase request is a cellular phone service request.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

cryptographically manipulating data associated with the customer purchase request to produce encrypted data; and

transmitting the encrypted data over a network to a remote location.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the accepting the customer purchase request further comprises:

accepting information from at least one of the group of;

a customer address, customer payment information, a product being purchased, a quantity of the product being purchased and a delivery method of the product being purchased.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to the purchasing customer, wherein the accepting the customer purchase request is accepted through the GUI.

9. A merchandise display comprising:

a display area for displaying a plurality of merchandise items, and wherein the display area is configured to permit customer handling of the merchandise items;

detection logic configured to detect the removal of one of the merchandise items from the merchandise display;

alarm logic configured to generate an alarm responsive to the detection logic detecting the removal of one of the merchandise items from the merchandise display;

an audio visual display device configured to play audio visual data at the merchandise display;

purchase logic configured to prompt a purchaser for purchase data associated with one or more of the plurality of merchandise items, and wherein the purchase logic is configured to receive the purchase data;

network logic configured to transmit the purchase data over a network to a remote device at a location remote from the merchandise display; and

wherein the purchase data contains information to allow the remote device to process the purchase data at the remote location to create a processed request and to send a result of the processed request to the remote location.

10. The merchandise display of claim 9 further comprising:

network logic configured to transmit the purchase data over a network within a store where the merchandise display is located, wherein the purchase data is received by a remote device that processes the purchase data at the store instead of at the remote location allowing the purchaser to pick up the product at the store.

11. The merchandise display of claim 9 wherein the purchase logic includes a touch screen display device configured to allow the purchaser to input the purchase data.

12. A merchandise display comprising:

a display area for displaying a plurality of merchandise items, and wherein the display area is configured to permit customer handling of the merchandise items;

detection logic configured to detect the removal of one of the merchandise items from the merchandise display;

alarm logic configured to generate an alarm responsive to the detection logic detecting the removal of one of the merchandise items from the merchandise display;

an audio visual display device configured to play audio visual data at the merchandise display; and

purchase logic configured to prompt a purchaser for purchase data associated with one or more of the plurality of merchandise items, and wherein the purchase logic is configured to receive the purchase data, wherein the plurality of merchandise items are wireless devices and the purchase data is part of a purchase request for a monthly service request associated with the wireless devices.

13. The merchandise display of claim 12 wherein the wireless devices are cellular phones and the purchase request is a cellular phone service request.

14. The merchandise display of claim 12 further comprising:

cryptographic logic to encrypt the purchase data to produce encrypted data, and wherein the merchandise display is configured to transmit the encrypted data through a network to a remote device.

15. The merchandise display of claim 12 the purchasing logic is further configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to the purchaser, wherein the purchasing logic is further configured to receive the purchase data from the GUI.

16. The merchandise display of claim 15 wherein the GUI is configured to prompt the purchaser for different fields of data associated with a type of purchase the purchaser is requesting.

17. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of merchandise items at a merchandise display allowing a customer to handle the merchandise items;

providing audio video information at the merchandise display, wherein the audio video information is based on one or more of the plurality of merchandise items;

detecting a possible theft at the merchandise display when one of the merchandise items is removed from the merchandise display;

generating an alarm at the merchandise display when the possible theft is detected; and

accepting a customer purchase request from a purchasing customer, wherein the purchase request is accepted at the merchandise display to purchase a product related to the plurality of merchandise items.