Systems and methods for protecting retail display merchandise from theft

• US 8,878,673 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InVue Security Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: InVue Security Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Grant, Jeffrey A., Johnston, Michael R., Phillips, Jonathon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US13/474,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.8
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/002 Devices for protection against sunlight or theft
• 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: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0233 System arrangements with pre-alarms, e.g. when a first distance is exceeded
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0266 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact distance between parent and child or surveyor and item
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

Security systems and methods configured for use with an item of merchandise for retail display include a housing, at least one sensor carried by the housing and at least one output device carried by the housing. The security system further includes a controller carried by the housing and operably coupled to the sensor and to the output device. The controller is operable to determine a distance traveled by the item of merchandise from a retail display “home” position based upon a sensor input from the sensor, and to activate the output device based upon the distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding a threshold distance. The controller may utilize the at least one sensor in conjunction with an inertial navigation system (INS) and motion processing algorithms or techniques to determine the distance traveled by the item of merchandise from the retail display “home” position.

Claims

1. A security system for retail display, the security system comprising:

an item of merchandise comprising;

at least one sensor,

at least one output device;

a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one output device; and

wireless communication circuitry operably coupled to the controller; and

a cradle configured to removably support the item of merchandise thereon and to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication circuitry,

wherein the controller and/or the cradle is configured to establish a retail display “

home”

position in response to the item of merchandise being positioned on the cradle, and

wherein the controller is configured to activate the at least one output device based upon a variable associated with the item of merchandise in relation to the retail display “

home”

position exceeding at least one threshold variable.

2. The security system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. The security system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor further comprises a digital compass.

4. The security system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor further comprises a gyroscope.

5. The security system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one output device comprises at least one of an audio output device, a haptic output device, and a visual output device.

6. The security system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one threshold variable comprises distance traveled by the item of merchandise from the retail display “

home”

position, and wherein the at least one threshold distance comprises first and second threshold distances; and

wherein the controller is operable to activate the at least one output device with a first indication based upon the distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding the first threshold distance and to activate the at least one output device with a second indication based upon the distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding the second threshold distance.

7. The security system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one threshold variable comprises distance traveled by the item of merchandise from the retail display “

home”

position, and wherein the controller is operable to deactivate the at least one output device based upon the item of merchandise subsequently being brought within the at least one threshold distance.

8. The security system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one input device operably coupled to the controller;

and wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the at least one output device based upon an input from the at least one input device.

9. The security system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one satellite positioning signal receiver operable to receive a satellite positioning signal and to thereby determine a geographical position of the item of merchandise.

10. The security system of claim 1, further comprising display battery pack configured to replace a service battery pack of the item of merchandise, the display battery pack comprising:

a housing configured to be operably coupled to the item of merchandise;

at least one battery cell carried by the housing and operable to supply electrical power to the item of merchandise;

wherein the at least one sensor, the at least one output device, and the controller are carried by the housing.

11. The security system according to claim 1, further comprising a security module configured for operation with the item of merchandise, the security module comprising:

a housing adapted for being coupled to the item of merchandise;

wherein the at least one sensor, the at least one output device, and the controller are carried by the housing.

14. The security system of claim 1, wherein the at least one variable comprises at least one of time or distance.

15. The security system of claim 1, wherein the item of merchandise is not tethered to the cradle.

16. The security system of claim 1, further comprising a security monitoring device configured to be wirelessly paired with the wireless communications circuitry, wherein the security monitoring device is configured to activate an alarm based upon failure to receive a return signal from the wireless communications circuitry.

17. The security system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of items of merchandise, wherein the security monitoring device is configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the items of merchandise.

18. The security system of claim 16, wherein the security monitoring device is associated with the cradle.

19. The security system of claim 1, wherein the cradle is configured to charge the item of merchandise when the item of merchandise is supported on the cradle.

20. The security system of claim 19, wherein the controller and/or the cradle is configured to establish the retail display “

home”

position based on the item of merchandise being charged by the cradle.

21. The security system of claim 19, wherein the cradle is configured to charge the item of merchandise inductively or capacitively when the item of merchandise is supported on the cradle.

22. The security system of claim 1, wherein the cradle is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communications circuitry when the item of merchandise is positioned at the retail display “

home”

position.

23. The security system of claim 1, wherein the at least one threshold variable comprises first and second thresholds, and wherein the controller is operable to activate the at least one output device with a first indication based upon the variable exceeding the first threshold and to activate the at least one output device with a second indication based upon the variable exceeding the second threshold.

12. A method for protecting an item of electronic merchandise from theft comprising at least one sensor, at least one output device, a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one output device, and wireless communication circuitry operably coupled to the controller, the method comprising:

establishing a retail display “

home”

position in response to positioning the item of merchandise on a cradle configured to removably support the item of merchandise thereon and to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication circuitry; and

activating the at least one output device based upon a variable associated with the item of merchandise in relation to the retail display “

home”

position exceeding at least one threshold variable.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured for use with an item of merchandise for retail display comprising at least one sensor, at least one output device, a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one output device, and wireless communication circuitry operably coupled to the controller, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a security system configured for operation with the item of merchandise to perform steps comprising:

establishing a retail display “

home”

position in response to positioning the item of merchandise on a cradle configured to removably support the item of merchandise thereon and to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication circuitry; and

activating the at least one output device based upon a variable associated with the item of merchandise in relation to the retail display “

home”

position exceeding at least one threshold variable.

24. A security system for retail display, the security system comprising:

an item of merchandise comprising;

at least one sensor;

at least one output device configured to activate an alarm;

a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one output device; and

wireless communication circuitry operably coupled to the controller; and

a security monitoring device configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the security monitoring device is configured to activate an alarm based upon a failure to receive a return signal from the wireless communications circuitry,

wherein the controller is operable to activate an alarm with the at least one output device based upon a distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding at least one threshold distance from a retail display “

home”

position.

25. The security system of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of items of merchandise, wherein the security monitoring device is configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the items of merchandise.

26. The security system according to claim 24, further comprising a security module configured for operation with the item of merchandise, the security module comprising:

a housing configured to be coupled to the item of merchandise;

wherein the at least one sensor, the at least one output device, the wireless communication circuitry, and the controller are carried by the housing.

27. The security system of claim 26, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a separation between the housing and the item of merchandise.

28. A security system for retail display, the security system comprising:

an item of merchandise comprising;

at least one sensor;

at least one output device configured to activate an alarm;

a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one output device; and

wireless communication circuitry operably coupled to the controller; and

a cradle configured to removably support the item of merchandise thereon, the cradle located at a retail display “

home”

position and configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication circuitry,

wherein the controller is operable to activate the at least one output device based upon a distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding at least one threshold distance from the retail display “

home”

position.

29. The security system of claim 28, wherein the at least one threshold distance comprises first and second threshold distances;

and wherein the controller is operable to activate the at least one output device with a first indication based upon the distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding the first threshold distance and to activate the at least one output device with a second indication based upon the distance traveled by the item of merchandise exceeding the second threshold distance.

30. A security system for retail display, the security system comprising:

an item of merchandise comprising;

at least one sensor;

at least one output device; and

a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the at least one output device; and

a cradle configured to removably support the item of merchandise thereon,

wherein the controller and/or the cradle is configured to establish a retail display “

home”

position in response to the item of merchandise being positioned on the cradle,

wherein the controller is configured to activate the at least one output device based upon a variable associated with the item of merchandise in relation to the retail display “

home”

position exceeding at least one threshold variable, and

wherein the item of merchandise is not tethered to the cradle.