EP0712521A1 - Improvements in labelling - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for use in a store at point of sale and/or refund in conjunction with an article of merchandise having associated physically therewith in a manner resistant to accidental or unintentional removal a concealed or displayed electronic read/write tag with a non-volatile memory, the tag being fabricated to respond to a radiofrequency source as an external stimulus permitting the reading or writing facility, where such equipment defines a space into or through which the article can be moved, and possesses (a) a source of radiofrequency signal of strength adequate to provide within the said space a signal capable of being received by the tag to be converted into data and stored in memory and/or capable of stimulating a transmission of data from the tag memory as a radiofrequency signal, (b) a receiver for the stimulated signals corresponding to the stored data and (c) display means to produce point of sale information such as a customer receipt utilising the information in such signals.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN LABELLING

THIS INVENTION relates to the labelling of separate articles subject to transfer between different parts of an organisational structure and/or transfer out from an organisational structure; to equipment for reading from or writing to such labels; and to installations and procedures using such equipment.

The invention has a wide range of applicability in manufacturing procedures, stockholding or distribution. A major area of applicability is however in the labelling of articles for stockholding and subsequent release to retail stores and sale to the public.

In one aspect the invention consists in an article of merchandise having associated physically therewith in a manner resistant to accidental or unintentional removal a concealed or displayed electronic read/write tag with a non-volatile memory.

The term "tag" as used herein refers to material capable of electronic storage, embodied as a single component, or group of components, and made, handled and used as a unit. It does not refer to a physical paper or fabric labelling member attached at one or more locations as a projecting unit.

The article of merchandise may be a component or package or container but in a preferred aspect of the invention is a garment, or like article of use or wear. The tag may be attached to the outer surface of such garment so as to be always visible or to an inner surface, so as to be visible on casual search. It may alternatively be attached within a hem or folded element of the garment, no be invisible, and perhaps unknown, to the purchaser. It may be located loose within a zone of padding or the like, rather than be fixedly attached to a particular region. Association of the tag with articles other than garments can be of a similar nature.

The read/write tag must be of a nature to accept an external stimulus permitting the reading or writing facility. It may be internally located, or hidden, or require facility of reading from/writing to the tag when the garment (e.g.) is folded or packaged to cover the tag, whereby the tag is fabricated to respond to some energy source of a penetrative nature such as a radio frequency source.

The tag preferably comprises a silicon chip configured at its surface to constitute, or connected to, signal reception means to receive a signal triggering a read-out of data or writing in of additional data. For instance in the preferred embodiment in which the tag is sensitive to radio frequency it may comprise the chip connected to a loop aerial wound in a spiral in a flat plane surrounding the chip.

The tag itself and its preferred constructional and operational features constitutes another separate aspect of the invention which is discussed in more detail below.

The article with the tag attached can typically be a garment with the tag attached at the label portion, either prominently or discreetly. Such a label, with the tag attached, is also an aspect of the invention.

Use of the tag gives the supplier of such goods a number of useful features, if and as required, such as (i) basic product information for stock-control (ii) accumulating of handling information, a major aspect of which is point-of-sale information creating an electronic receipt permanently attached to the article as a counterpart to a print-out receipt for the customer, thereby controlling a major area of fraud and (iii) position transfer information, especially in respect of unauthorized removal of the article from the store or department where displayed, thereby providing an alarm facility acting as a deterrent or detection for theft. In addition to the above facilites of interest to a store operator, the tag can be used to show the manufacturers name, operative names, distributors name, or eventual owners name, and such other information as may be necessary or desirable and present itself for ready incorporation at some storage or transfer stage.

As indicated above, the tag per se is an aspect of the invention, which therefore envisages such a tag comprising an electronic chip with a non-volatile memory and configured to constitute, or attached to, a signal detection means for radiofrequency signals, the chip being programmed to at least (a) convert a signal thereby received into data for writing to memory and (b) transmit upon predetermined stimulus a signal corresponding to the data stored in memory.

It will be appreciated that the garment as defined, (for example) may have a tag attached, within the scope of the invention, not including such a specifically defined chip. Conversely, the tag as defined above could be used for other purposes than for labelling as discussed above.

The chip and any connected signal reception means are preferably encapsulated within a body of encapsulating material allowing the signal to pass, typically constituted by a polymer such as an expoxy resin, which is otherwise suitable for the intended end use. For example, a garment tag will be encapsulated in material which is resistant to heat, mechanical pressure, aqueous detergents or soap, and dry-cleaning fluids.

The signal reception means is preferably a radiofrequency aerial, acting also to retransmit the signal for reading the memory. Such an aerial can be wrapped as a spiral e.g. a spirally-wound loop so that the whole assembly is generally circular in nature, although other configurations are possible. The larger the aerial configuration the more sensitive the pickup of signal, or re-transmission of signal, but the more obtrusive the tag; generally a circular encapuslated tag from 0.5 to 2.0 cms in diameter is preferred, e.g. 1.0 to 1.5 cms, although other shapes and sizes are possible.

The chip is typically a silicon chip constituting an EEPROM, an electronically erasable programmable non-volatile memory, although chips from other emerging technologies of equivalent function may also be used.

An EEPROM chip as conventionally used possesses a longterm non-volatile memory, a repeated facility for reading and writing, and a large capacity memory. It is consequently a moderately expensive form of chip and does not suggest itself for incorporation, as an added cost, on to articles presented for sale. There have been limited proposals to use memory chips, attached temporarily to e.g. an automobile body during' manufacture, but these are retrieved for re-use before sale of the article. Also, the technology of "smart cards" i.e. financial transaction cards uses relatively expensive memory chips to record transactions. Since there are repeated transactions, and consequent information, to be recorded over an extended period the cost is acceptable.

The present invention at least in preferred forms uses a memory chip in such a way that only a limited number of read/write transactions and only limited non-volatility (say, up to two years) is required. Most significantly, the memory required is much less than that provided on conventional EEPROM chips. Capacities of 512-bit or less are preferred, and memory capacities of 128-bit or less are particularly preferable. Indeed, we have established that basic requirements for retail store operation, as discussed below (universal product code number, point of sale information and a selectively enabled alarm trigger) can be compressed into a 64-bit memory chip.

Use of these small memory capacities is not only counterindicated by the known art but is a valuable feature of the invention, since the resultant chip is physically small, allowing for unobtrusive fabrication and good aerial area, and is cheaper than the chips of larger memory capacity. Physically the chip is usually more or less square and from 1 to 3 mm edge length.

The invention thus presents the tagged article (e.g. the garment) and the tag per se as separate aspects. Other aspects of the invention include individual forms of read/write equipment and the combined installation of equipment at the retail store level, as well as the method of operating procedures, from manufacture to sale, of retailing of articles so tagged.

Before defining these further aspects of the invention in more detail it will be found convenient to describe in outline the production of garments, their internal transfers and their sale.

A customised and dedicated tag, comprising a chip duly provided with the signal detection means and then encapsulated, is made to order by a chosen manufacturer.

These tags, with memories blank, go to a stipulated label manufacturer, (or manufacturers) who attaches them by stitching or glueing to a range of the store's presecribed labels. Typically, at some convenient time at this stage the tags are passed through a radiofrequency field carrying a signal corresponding to a given UPC (Universal Product Code) number. The otherwise blank memory thus carries this number, so that the labels are then particular to a given type of article.

The garment manufacturer then attaches the tagged labels to the garment in the usual way.

From the manufacturer they pass into warehouse storage. At this point they are again passed through an RF field, to enable the alarm trigger, so that the tags are now UPC-labelled and alarm-enabled.

From the warehouse they are taken into the store. They can be taken into a garment department with a secure perimeter and portals at which an RF field is generated, but there are differing policies on theft protection and alarm and (as discussed below) other systems may be used.

At the time of sale the shopper selects the garment and takes it to a point-of-sale facility i.e. automatic till. Here it is passed through an RF field which carries a signal triggering a reading of the UPC and also disenabling the alarm. The UPC reading passes to a central computer in the store as a unit of data for stock control and statistics. The central computer sends back a price signal to the point-of-sale facility. It may also send signals relevant for example to the store, date and perhaps time; alternatively these can be generated by the point of sale facility together with operator or unit identification. The totality of this information in compressed form is fed by the RF field to be stored in the chip, typically accompanied by the printout of a conventional receipt slip.

The customer can then leave the department and the store with the alarm trigger disabled and without therefore causing an alarm to sound or to notify store staff discreetly. As they go through the portal where an RF field is transmitted any customer taking goods without payment will of course cause such an alarm to sound when passing the RF field at one or other of the portals.

If the customer should seek an exchange or refund of the goods, the article is first of all placed in the point-of-sale facility (or a dedicated and similar refund facility) from which the internal electronic receipt i.e. the original point of sale details, are read out, using an RF field as the stimulus for this transmission of data. Thus, unequivocal information about the original sale can be established, even when the purchaser has lost, or claims to have lost, the paper receipt. This defeats fraudulent refund claims based on purchase in a 'Sale' period and refund claim in a normal-price period; or claims based on a refund for successfully stolen articles (where the chip memory will show no sale information) ; or claims for articles purchased in another store.

While in the above description reference is made to a sequence of (1) UPC numbering (for eventual receipt information and stock control) (2) alarm enabling, and (3) point-of-sale call-up of data, with transfer to the chip and alarm disabling it will be appreciated that the three stages need not all be present. In some instances UPC numbering only will suffice, in others the necessary point-of-sale information can be generated at individual stations. In particular, the alarm facility may not be present, or be present only in a modified form as discussed below. Nonetheless it will be generally appreciated by persons engaged in retailing techniques and management that the present invention represents a step forward, beyond bar-coding systems. Before the incorporation of bar-coding the salesperson had to identify the garment, establish the price, and make out a receipt, manually or at the till, based on this information. Stock control and re-ordering was delayed and inaccurate. Bar-codes enable transmission of data into an automatically operating till, and communication with a central inventory and prices computer, but still need the salesperson to find the bar-code and ensure it is in line-of-sight with a reader. They also give no record of the transaction permanently united with the article. Using the present invention, however, the salesperson only needs to introduce the garment, with the tag visible or not, with an RF field and the other information is automatically added to the permanently • attached chip as well as being printed out as the conventional paper slip receipt.

It will be apparent from the foregoing discussion that the invention, in another aspect, consists in equipment for use in a store at point of sale and/or refund such equipment structurally defining a space into or through which a tagged garment as defined above can be moved, and possessing (a) a source of radiofrequency signal of strength adequate to provide within the said space a signal capable of being received by the tag to be converted to data and stored in memory and/or capable of stimulating a transmission of data from the tag memory as radio/frequency signals (b) a receiver for the stimulated signals corresponding to the stored data and (c) printout means to produce a point of sale customer receipt utilising the information in such signals.

Because such equipment only requires physical placement of the garment in the space in order to create a valid receipt (and optionally disable any alarm trigger) it must at all times be under close control and supervision by an operator. Thus, the equipment typically further comprises a security access means e.g. a locking key, or a coded input on a keyboard.' Preferably moreover it includes connections for link-up with a central computer.

In another aspect the invention consists in equipment for use in electronically labelling a tagged garment as described above, such equipment structurally defining a space into or through which tags or tagged garment labels can be moved and possessing (a) a source of a radiofrequency signal of strength adequate to provide within the whole of the said space a signal capable of being received by the tag to be converted into data and stored in memory and (b) means for inputting data into said signal for storage on the tag as garment or tag identification.

In another aspect the invention consists in equipment for use in store security operation comprising a restricted portal; means for generating a static or moving radiofrequency signal across the portal of strength adequate to cause an enabled alarm trigger on the tag to operate; a receiver at the portal, for the transmitted signal; and open or discreet alarm means operated by the received signal.

The means for generating the signal can be static but preferably are driven or mounted to move and thus increase the likelihood of effective intersection of the signal field and the tag. For example such means can be mounted on a motor driven oscillating or rotary head, alone or in an array. Another example is to mount the means on a pivotal portal barrier e.g. a gate or bar so that as the gate or bar moves, the field changes direction to maximise the chance of intersection with the tag signal-detection means.

Other alarm expedients can be adopted, e.g. battery-driven pocket device for use by store detectives near a suspected shoplifter with an enabled alarm trigger still on the garment.

The invention further consists an installation of equipment in a retail store, comprising at least one unit of the point of sale and/or refund equipment together with a plurality of racks, shelves or counters for garment display, all located within a secure perimeter provided with at least one unit of store ^■ security equipment including a restricted portal, as described above, said point-of-sale and/or refund equipment being operatively connected to a central computer.

Optionally, other security equipment capable of generating an alarm could be provided outside the perimeter to chart progress of an article through the various parts of a store e.g. towards an exit.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram of an encapsulated EEPROM chip;

Figure 2 is a section along II-II of the Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows diagrammatically a garment label having attached thereto an encapsulated EEPROM chip as shown in Figure 1 and

Figure 4 shows diagrammatically the chain of progression through the various suppliers, and sales procedures, of a retail establishment selling garments having labels as shown in Figure 3.

The encapsulated EEPROM chip shown in Figures 1 and 2 is essentially a small silicon chip 1 surrounded by a spiral radio-frequency aerial 2 in the form of an elongate spiral loop. This arrangement is embedded in a circular disc of encapsulating material 3 so as to be resistant to heat, aqueous detergent and dry cleaning fluid, and mechanical pressure but nonetheless permits the passage of the radio frequency signal.

A suitable encapsulating material is an epoxy resin. The cross-sectional shape of the disc, presenting a thin edge 3a, is such that when the disc is incorporated in a garment it presents no discontinuity or detectable protrusion.

Figure 3 shows a garment label 4 on the back of which is attached the encapsulated EEPROM chip 1,2,3 as shown in Figures l and 2. This attachment can be in the form of a pocket in double thickness material, or can be effected by a suitable adhesive, in either case in such a way as to leave the normal attachability of the label to the garment unimpaired.

While it is not practical to give numerical and dimensional detail which covers every instance, it will normally be found adequate to provide an EEPROM chip 1 with the memory of not more than 64 bits to record the basic point of sale information such as, in code, the name of the store, the date the time and the price. The physical size of the chip will reflect this small memory capacity, and the overall size of the encapsulated chip is typically about 10 mm in diameter and 2 mm maximum thickness. It can range from 5 to 20 mm diameter.

The label 4 is attached to a garment at any conventional location. While a purchaser may reasonably claim to have lost any separate paper receipt given upon purchase, to lose the label and the associated tag is not a normal unintentional occurrence, and can reasonably be taken as involving intentional removal.

Using the basic artefacts shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a system for securitising the retail sale of garments can be evolved.

Figure 4 shows in diagrammatic form the relationships in such a system.

The retail company arranges for garment manufacture in accordance with the invention from three categories of supplier.

Stage 1 of manufacture provides for a chip manufacturer to supply the relevant type of inexpensive, typically small, chip of limited memory - 64 bit is quite useable - attached to a spiral loop aerial and encapsulated in epoxy resin, as described above, to provide tags T. In these tags the chip memory is empty.

Stage II of manufacture provides for a label manufacturer to purchase tags T and make up fabric or like labels L with tags attached (LT) ; attachment will be such as to resist accidental detachment. At this stage the memory of the chip is provided by a radiofrequency signal with a Universal Product Code number or UPC number relevant to the eventual garment to which it is to be attached.

Stage III of manufacture requires garment manufacturers to go to the stipulated label manufacturers and purchase labels with UPC numbers on the chip suitable for attachment to the garments to be produced. The label attachment should be secure and prevent accidental detachment. (In practice, label manufacturer will work to orders from manufacturers of the garments, and will themselves order tags accordingly) . The chip upon the garments with labels tagged (GLT) is at this stage not further affected.

) After manufacture the garments pass to warehouse storage. They are accumulated (Stage IV) in an unchanged physical form, but the warehouse can enable the alarm trigger (A) to assist its own security measures.

From storage the garments (GLT) pass to the store. If an alarm facility is required the relevant Sales Department can have a secure perimeter with one or more exit gates, as discussed below. The first stage in the sales procedure (Stage V) is therefore to display of the garments, unchanged as to their nature and chip memory, on suitable racks, shelves or counters. Stage VI is a key stage in the understanding of this invention. The customer selects a garment (GLT) and brings it to the point-of-sale operative. This operative is responsible for the control and supervision of point-of-sale equipment which is a form of automatic till. Such equipment possesses a space into which the garment, folded if necessary, can be placed to subject the tag to an RF field generated by the equipment. The constraints on this RF field in operating terms are that it shall be effectively restricted to a volume of space large enough to receive any garment displayed but not so large as to interact with garments still on the shelf or brought near, but not into, the equipment. While the man in the art will be able to envisage many combinations of power and frequency to achieve this, in practice most countries place allocation constraints on wave bands and power of transmissions. For example in Great Britain there are by regulation three available frequency bands, with a maximum of 10 watts of power which are available for this equipment. The Applicants have discovered that frequencies in the highest of the three permitted bands (2-32 MHz), and more especially of about a 4MHz frequency gives a range of 8 - 10 cm as a depth of field into which the garment can be placed. Th2 other bands are also possible, especially the 0-185 KHz band (where a frequency of 153 KHz would give a 20 cm read/write availability) but can affect the circuitry requirements on the chip and thus affect capacity and cost. Nonetheless, they are intended to fall within the scope of this invention.

The RF field within the volume is capable of carrying information to the chip and disenabling the alarm trigger (A) . It is also capable of stimulating a return signal carrying (at this stage) the UPC. Thus the equipment further comprises means to receive such a signal, and a connection to a central computer which will identify the UPC, store the data for stock control etc, and provide receipt information and especially the cost of the item (C) , the date (D) and the place of sale (P) . This information is fed to the chip, and to a printout for a customer receipt.

Thus the operative typically activates the point-of-sale equipment by some security expedient and inserts the garment (GLT) into or through the space of the RF field. If required the garment can be folded (FGLT) and it is not necessary for the tag T to be in a line-of-sight relationship with the origin of the RF signal. A paper receipt including the C, D and P information is produced for the customer as a tangible proof of purchase, and the garment bagged for removal. Also, an electronic receipt for C, D and P is recorded on the chip.

Stage VII is optional. If it is used, at this exit stage, the customer passes through an exit gate also equipped with an RF signal transmitter which will stimulate a signal from any tag where the alarm is still activated. However, a normal customer will be carrying a garment (GLT) where the tag is carrying U, C, D and P information but where the alarm trigger (A) is disabled by the point-of-sale equipment, and can therefore pass unhindered.

The design of the exit gate is also coordinated with the chip and the available field frequencies an strengths. A 4 MHz frequency gives a range of something over one metre for the detect aerials i.e. those responsive to the stimulated signal. Where this is felt to be inadequate it is possible to create a moving aerial (or array of such aerials) to sweep a larger volume of space.

Another possibility is to mount the tag detection aerials on glass or other doors at the exits of the departments, or of the main store, instead of on some form of frame or portal. By doing this the aerials can be mounted at "carrying" height to give better detection. Also, as the door swings the direction of the field encountered by the tag will change and in one or other orientation will therefore give a good signal, which might be more difficult to achieve if by chance a tag is presented edge on to the field and not otherwise moved. The use of alarm systems must in all cases be handled carefully since wrongful (or unproveable) accusation of theft can give rise to litigation and damage to the finances and reputation of the store. Thus, the discussion given above relates to a theoretically complete system; in practice the garment with a tagged label (GLT) might be subject to variations in handling and treatment, and omit any alarm stage altogether, in favour of conventional methods.

However, small hand-held RF reading equipment could be constructed for discreet use by store detectives wearing 'silent' alarms and alert them to the need for supervision and interrogation of a particular customer. Also, such hand-held reading equipment would be of material assistance in stock-control or (for articles other than garments) age and sell-by date control.

The next possible stage VIII is refund. Most

« customers are of course honest, and return the article with the bill receipt to claim only their appropriate refund. Some, however, attempt to claim a refund on stolen goods, either stolen from shelves that day but not removed from the department, or goods stolen successfully earlier and now brought back for cash refund. Others have purchased articles legitimately during "sale" periods or at like concessionary prices, but maintain they have lost their till receipts and then claim the full price back.

In stage VIII of the present invention, any such article with a claim to refund is again passed either through the point-of-sale equipment, (operating in suitable mode to interrogate the tag information) , or through analogous but dedicated refund equipment. If the garment has been stolen, the C, D and P features of memory will still be blank. If it has been purchased but fraudulently refunded the C, D and P memory features will not agree with the customers claim, so that refund is refused and optionally further action is taken by the store management. The refund procedure is also typically accompanied by a re-enabling of any alarm trigger, and a deletion of the C, P and D information so that the tag is then in the same state as the others and the garment can be offered for sale again.

The man skilled in the art will appreciate that other consequences and advantages flow from the provision of an essentially permanent record of the nature and history of a garment. It allows store staff to check whether by collusion there is an unexplained concentration of refunds from one desk. It allows warehouse and retail staff to take stock readily. It can also identify origin of garments, e.g. for police or medical purposes years after sale.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. Equipment for use in a store at point of sale and/or refund in conjunction with an article of merchandise having associated physically therewith in a manner resistant to accidental or unintentional removal a concealed or displayed electronic read/write tag with a non-volatile memory, the tag being fabricated to respond to a radiofrequency source as an external stimulus permitting the reading or writing facility, such equipment defining a space into or through which the article can be moved, and possessing

(a) a source of radiofrequency signal of strength adequate to provide within the said space a signal capable of being received by the tag to be converted into data and stored in memory and/or capable of stimulating a transmission of data from the tag memory as a radio frequency signal

(b) a receiver for the stimulated signals corresponding to the stored data and

(c) display means to produce point of sale information such as a customer receipt utilising the information in such signals.

2. Equipment as claimed in claim 2 further comprising security access means.

3. Equipment as claimed in claim 1 or 2 further comprising connections for link-up with a central computer.

4 . An installation of equipment in a retail store, comprising at least one unit of the point of sale and/or refund equipment as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 together with a plurality of racks, shelves or counters for garment display, all located within a secure perimeter provided with at least one unit of store security equipment including a customer portal; means for generating a static or moving radiofrequency signal across the portal of strength adequate to cause an enabled alarm trigger on a tag as defined in claim 1 to operate; a receiver at the portal for the transmitted signal; and open or discreet alarm means operated by the received signal, said point-of-sale and/or refund equipment being operatively connected to a central computer.

5 . A method of operating a retail establishment utilising the installation of equipment as claimed in claim 4 comprising:

locating on the racks shelves or counters a display of tagged garments in which the chip is provided with data indicative of the nature of the product; passing a customer-chosen garment into or through the radio frequency signal space in the point of sale/refund apparatus, whereby a stimulated signal as to the nature of the product is detected and passed to the central computer;

modulating the radio frequency signal in accordance with instructions from the central computer whereby point of sale data relevant to the identified product and the time and place of sale become stored in the non-volatile chip memory;

printing a customer receipt itemising the nature of the product and point of sale information; and, in the event of refund request, again passing the tagged garment with the point of sale information in chip memory into a through the said radio frequency signal space to generate a visible indication of the actual point of sale information relevant to refund.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the chip of the tagged garment on the shelves includes an enabled alarm trigger, and in which:

the field in the said radio frequency signal space disenables the said trigger so that no alarm is generated by the portal when the garment is legitimately removed by the customer.

7 . A method of effecting manufacture and supply for the garment business in which for each garment:

(a) a tag as defined in claim 1 is attached by sewing, adhesion or other means resistant to accidental or unintentional removal to a garment label;

the label is activated by storing data indicative of the nature of a product in the chip memory;

the tagged label is stitched or adhered or otherwise attached by means resistant to accidental or unintentional removal to a garment of the nature recorded in the chip;

and the said garment is received on to racks, shelves or counters located within a secure perimeter in a retail store for customer choice and sale.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 7 in which, in a storage or transfer stage between label attachment and display for sale, an alarm trigger on the chip is enabled.