Method and apparatus for maintaining and locating lost, misplaced or stolen articles

• US 8,451,118 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TrackThings LLC
• Original Assignee: TrackThings LLC
• Inventors: Gabara, Quinton Andrew, Gabara, Thaddeus John
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US12/695,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.32, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.25, 340/825.69, 340/568.1, 340/539.23, 340/572.1, 340/5.61, 340/568.8, 340/571, 340/539, 340/572.3, 455/574, 455/410, 455/411, 381 56- 57, 381 77- 79, 381/111, 381/124, 348/143, 348/152, 705/26, 705/23, 705/16
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

Theft increases the average product cost to consumers. A mentoring system is presented that can help to reduce or prevent the inventory from lost or theft. Theft is a serious concern in the consumer market place. Industry loses billions per year on theft of merchandise. According to a Reuters report, last year, thefts by employees of U.S. retail merchandise accounted for $15.9 billion, or 44 percent of theft losses at stores, more than shoplifting and vendor fraud combined. Thus,total thief by the customers and store employees during the year 2008 amounted to $36 billion. Several embodiments of ways to control or reduce the thefts in the market place are presented.

Claims

1. A portable hand held system apparatus comprising:

a plurality of components with different amplitudes of stimulus, placed in a pattern by a first user;

an energy transfer unit remotely powering the components;

a wireless link is formed between components and a portable hand held unit;

a list of the components are transmitted over the wireless link;

a touch screen displays the list of the components, whereby selecting one of the components in the list causes a stimulus to be emitted from the component; and

a second user can locate the component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the stimulus is audio or visual.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

an output power of the component can be adjusted.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the second user follows the components that emit stimulus in the pattern.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the pattern is a maze.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the components have a larger output power signature.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the second user follows the components that emit stimulus in either increasing or decreasing order.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a component'"'"'s electronics are incorporated in at least one integrated circuit.

4. A method of notifying a visual monitoring system to follow a component once the component is outside a cell comprising the steps of:

using a wireless monitoring system to verify the component is within the cell;

wirelessly identifying if the component is removed from the cell; and

notifying the visual monitoring system to continuously follow the component outside the cell.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

visually identifying the component is placed in a cart.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

using a energy transfer unit to power up the component within the cart.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

using a second wireless monitoring system to verify the component is within the cart.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

visually identifying the component is being carried by a customer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

following the carried component to a register.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

sounding an alarm if the component enters a restricted area.

11. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

using a energy transfer unit to power up the component within the cell.

12. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

checking the component against a database.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

checking the cart position in an aisle.