Retail item management using wireless sensor networks

• US 9,318,011 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Rasband, Paul Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US13/847,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A system for identifying handling events of an item is provided. The system includes at least one wireless sensor node, WSN, tag associable with the item. The WSN tag includes a transceiver and at least one sensor. The at least one sensor is configured to generate sensor data based at least in part on motion of the wireless sensor node. The WSN tag includes a memory configured to store at least one event filter and the sensor data. The WSN tag further includes a tag processor that is configured to filter the sensor data based on the at least one event filter. The tag processor is configured to determine whether an event occurred based on the filtering of the sensor data and generate event data in response to determining an event occurred. The tag processor is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit the event data.

Claims

1. A system for identifying handling events of an item, the system comprising:

at least one wireless sensor node, WSN, tag associable with the item, the WSN tag comprising;

a transceiver;

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to generate sensor data based at least in part on motion of the WSN tag;

a memory, the memory configured to store at least one event filter and the sensor data;

a tag processor, the tag processor configured to;

filter the sensor data based on one of the at least one event filters, the one of the at least one event filters defining a plurality of movements and a threshold, each of the plurality of movements having to meet the threshold for the one of the least one event filters to be met;

determine whether an event occurred based on the filtering of the sensor data;

generate event data in response to determining an event occurred; and

cause the transceiver to transmit the event data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one event filter includes a plurality of filter parameters, the filter parameters indicating a required series of movements of minimum force within a predetermined amount of time that must occur for the event filter to indicate an event.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive filter parameters;

and

the tag processor is further configured to update the at least one event filters based on the received filter parameters, the filtering of sensor data being based on the updated one of the at least one event filters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the event indicates at least one of:

a person is examining a retail item associated with the WSN tag and the retail item associated with the WSN tag has come to rest after being handled.

5. A method for identifying handling of an item, the method comprising:

generating, by a wireless sensor node (WSN) tag, sensor data based at least in part on motion of a wireless sensor node associable with the item;

storing, by the WSN tag, at least one event filter and the sensor data;

filtering, by WSN tag, the sensor data based on one of the at least one event filters, the one of the at least one event filters defining a plurality of movements and a threshold, each of the plurality of movements having to meet the threshold for the one of the event filters to be met;

determining, by the WSN tag, whether an event occurred based on the filtering of the sensor data;

generating, by the WSN tag, event data in response to determining the event occurred; and

transmitting the event data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one of the at least one event filter includes a plurality of filter parameters, the filter parameters indicating a required series of movements within a predetermined amount of time that must occur for the event filter to indicate an event.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving filter parameters; and

updating the at least one event filters based on the received filter parameters, the filtering of sensor data being based on the updated at least one event filter.