EP2339554A1 - Appareil de système et procédé pour la surveillance d'article électronique - Google Patents

Appareil de système et procédé pour la surveillance d'article électronique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2339554A1
EP2339554A1 EP09180697A EP09180697A EP2339554A1 EP 2339554 A1 EP2339554 A1 EP 2339554A1 EP 09180697 A EP09180697 A EP 09180697A EP 09180697 A EP09180697 A EP 09180697A EP 2339554 A1 EP2339554 A1 EP 2339554A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
event
peripherals
action
audio
video
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP09180697A
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Richard Bawamia
Jonathan Marchese
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TAG Co UK Ltd
Original Assignee
TAG Co UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by TAG Co UK Ltd filed Critical TAG Co UK Ltd
Priority to EP09180697A priority Critical patent/EP2339554A1/fr
Publication of EP2339554A1 publication Critical patent/EP2339554A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
    • G08B13/02—Mechanical actuation
    • G08B13/14—Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
    • G08B13/22—Electrical actuation
    • G08B13/24—Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
    • G08B13/2402—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
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
    • A47F7/00—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials
    • A47F7/02—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials for jewellery, dentures, watches, eye-glasses, lenses, or the like
    • A47F7/024—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials for jewellery, dentures, watches, eye-glasses, lenses, or the like with provisions for preventing unauthorised removal

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a system, apparatus and a method for managing electronic article surveillance.
  • the invention relates to a system, apparatus and a method for electronic article surveillance and other surveillance to assist with preventing shoplifting in a retail store.
  • Inventory shrinkage is a continuing and unfortunately growing problem facing retailers. It has been identified that two primary sources for inventory shrinkage are shoplifting and employee theft. The resulting costs due to these problems are ultimately absorbed by the consumer in the form of price increases.
  • EAS Electronic Article Surveillance
  • Tags initially were made of strips of amorphous material, often lined with a strip of ferromagnetic material with a moderate coercive field. Detection of these tags is based upon sensing harmonics generated by non-linear magnetic response under mixture of low-frequency (10 - 1000 Hz range) magnetic fields. When the ferromagnetic material is magnetized, it no longer produces harmonics and can no longer be detected by a tag detection device.
  • tags Recent advances in tag technology have included acousto-magnetic tags which include strips of magneto-restrictive metal. Other advances include use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags which use radio waves instead of varying magnetic fields.
  • RFID Radio Frequency Identification
  • One of the ways in which the effectiveness of EAS systems and other surveillance systems can be improved is by more efficient reporting or notification of compromises to store management so that appropriate actions to prevent or assist in the prevention of shoplifting and employee theft can be taken quickly.
  • the current invention provides such a way in which the notification of a security event may be reported in an effective and efficient way so that the appropriate actions may be taken to resolve the event.
  • a first aspect of this invention provides a system for managing article surveillance or other surveillance in a retail store, the system comprising:
  • an instruction from the computer is sent to a control means for taking one or more actions through one or more action peripherals.
  • the action peripherals comprise audio or video media playing devices.
  • the action peripherals may interrupt media play on the audio or video media playing devices.
  • the interruption may comprise the playing, for a predetermined length of time, of a user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction on the audio or video playing device to replace that which was previously being played.
  • an event peripheral may be comprise any device which provides an output signal, which includes but is not limited to a retail store alarm system, closed circuit camera system, point-of-sale (POS) system, a cash register, a customer traffic counter, a retail display cabinet door sensor, a tag, a tag detection device, any system capable of indicating a change of state output via a switch or similar device, or a tag deactivation pad.
  • POS point-of-sale
  • POS point-of-sale
  • cash register cash register
  • customer traffic counter a customer traffic counter
  • a retail display cabinet door sensor a tag
  • tag detection device any system capable of indicating a change of state output via a switch or similar device, or a tag deactivation pad.
  • an action peripheral may further be an electronic message alert, video capture of an event through rotating and positioning a camera, lockdown of retail display cabinets, an audible alert, or a security alert.
  • a second aspect of the invention provides a control means for taking one or more actions through one or more action peripherals operable with a system for managing article surveillance as described above.
  • an action peripheral may comprise audio or video media playing devices.
  • the control means is operable to interrupt media play on the audio or video media playing devices.
  • the interruption may comprise the playing, for a predetermined length of time, of a user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction on the audio or video playing device to replace that which was previously being played.
  • a third aspect of this invention provides a method of managing article surveillance or other surveillance in a retail store, the method comprising:
  • the method further comprises sending an instruction from the computer to a control means for taking one or more actions through one or more action peripherals.
  • the action peripherals comprise one or more audio or video media playing devices.
  • the method further comprises interrupting the media play on the audio or video media playing devices.
  • the interruption may comprise playing, for a predetermined length of time, a user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction on the audio or video playing device to replace that which was previously being played.
  • an action peripheral of the method may comprise any device which provides an output signal, including but not limited to a retail store alarm system, closed circuit cameras system, point-of-sale (POS) system, a cash register, a customer traffic counter, a retail display cabinet door sensor, a tag, a tag detection device, or a tag deactivation pad.
  • POS point-of-sale
  • an action peripheral of the method may further comprise an electronic message alert, video capture of an event through rotating and positioning a camera, lockdown of retail display cabinets, an audible alert, or a security alert.
  • a fourth aspect of the invention provides a method of using a control means to take one or more actions through one or more action peripherals with a system for managing article surveillance or other surveillance as described above.
  • the action peripherals comprise audio or video media playing devices.
  • the method of using a control means may further comprise interrupting media play on the audio or video media playing devices.
  • the interruption may comprise playing, for a predetermined length of time, a user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction on the audio or video playing device to replace that which was previously being played.
  • FIG. 1 An embodiment of a system 10 for managing article surveillance or other surveillance in a retail store to prevent or assist with preventing shoplifting or theft is shown in Figure 1 .
  • the system 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises a centralised unit 12 which is in communication with electronic article surveillance (EAS) system 14. Both the centralised unit 12 and the EAS system 14 are also in communication with one or more event peripheral devices which are able to detect an alarm event 16, as shown in Figure 1 .
  • EAS electronic article surveillance
  • control unit 18 is connected to both an audio visual server 20 and an audio or audio visual device 22.
  • Device 22 is preferably a third party media screen with speakers attached on which multimedia content can be played.
  • Control unit 18 is operable to interrupt the operation of the audio or audio visual signal playing on an audio visual device 22 when it receives an instruction from the centralised unit 12 to do so, so that the required people may be notified of the event and can take the appropriate actions to resolve it.
  • the interruption by control unit 18 preferably does not stop the audio, video or image being played on audio visual device 22, it simply sends the video, audio or image sent from centralised unit 12 directly to audio visual device 22.
  • control unit 18 stops interrupting the playing of audio visual device 22 the control of the media content being played is given back to the audio visual server 20, and the audio, video or image from audio visual server 20 will then simply continue to be shown on audio visual device 22.
  • the interruption by control unit 18 actually does stop the audio, video or image instruction from server 20 being played on device 22.
  • server 20 is allowed to continue with its instruction to device 22 and the audio, video or image that was originally being played on device 22 will then continue being played once more.
  • the EAS system 14 has the centralised unit 12 connected thereto and is used to manage the electronic article surveillance or other surveillance in a retail store.
  • article surveillance is the surveillance of any of the retail articles for sale in a retail store, and other surveillance may be, for example, the surveillance of people entering and leaving the retail store, or the surveillance of people working in the retail store.
  • the EAS system 14 also comprises event peripherals capable of reporting to the centralised unit 12 events such as shoplifting, employee theft, or a system malfunction.
  • the EAS system 14 may comprises some of the action peripherals to carry out certain actions and the centralised unit 12 may also comprise some of the action peripherals for carrying out actions.
  • the action peripherals may be responsible for actions such as capturing an image of a store exit, IP cameras, buzzers and the like. Action peripherals may also be responsible for contacting security, alerting a store manager or emailing an alert to a store manager. Based upon the configuration of a system certain event peripherals may also act as action peripherals.
  • peripherals of the EAS system 14 that report the occurrence of events directly to the centralised unit 12 preferably do this by their relay output, and the centalised unit 12 is then also operable to monitor events reported from the EAS system 14.
  • Third party connectivity 34 ports are for example, USB, FireWire, eSATA, or serial ports which are used in data transfer and communication to computer 31.
  • Third party connectivity 34 also includes audio in and audio out connectivity to push and receive sound from a connected device, such as monitor 37's speakers to which sound is pushed out.
  • Multiple monitors can be controlled by computer 31 through the use of any type of audio/video or video only multiplexer 41. It will be understood that the computer 31 and monitor 37 of centralised unit 12 may be separate units as shown in Figure 3 , or they may be housed in the same unit.
  • the centralised unit 12's external housing 30 is preferably constructed of a rigid fire-resistant and non-corrosive material such as a metal, plastic, composite or any similar material known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Construction and design of the external housing 30 should ensure the centralised unit 12 is essentially tamper-proof and incapable of breach.
  • An internal or external power supply 35 which can be a battery (rechargeable or not) is used to provide power to computer 31, which in turn provides power to the computer 31 connectivity options.
  • Relay controller 36 allows connectivity of any relay capable devices to connect to centralised unit 12. Relay controller 36 is controlled by computer 31 through any third party connectivity 34 or directly through internal wiring or connectivity of computer 31.
  • the centralised unit 12 can connect through any network 38 such as, for example, secured, unsecured, LAN, WLAN, Internet, Intranet or the like.
  • the centralised unit 12 further includes third party connectivity to hard wire connect to both event peripherals and action peripherals.
  • the third arty connectivity interface 34 can include USB ports, serial ports, Firewire ports or the like. Communication with both types of peripherals, namely event and action peripherals, can also be wireless through BluetoothTM, WIFITM or similar wireless configuration through network connectivity 33.
  • the centralised unit 12 is preferably connected to a network 38 which includes a mainframe server 39.
  • a network connectivity 33 port such as an ethernet port (or similar network port) capable of sending and receiving data is in direct connection with computer 31. This allows the centralised unit 12 access to various databases 40 on the server 39, so that it can determine what actions to take based upon specific alarm events detected by event peripherals.
  • the centralised unit 12 can obtain software updates, new configurations, security warnings and other data directly from the server 39, as well as other centralised units 12 within the network 38.
  • the EAS system 14 can employ an array of centralised units 12 in series within a single retail store to increase the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce or prevent shoplifting and employee theft.
  • the EAS system 14 includes event peripherals, which are any devices within a retail store capable of reporting data to the centralised unit 12 to prevent shoplifting or employee theft.
  • POS point-of-sale
  • event peripherals may further include customer traffic counter 53, retail display cabinet door sensors 54, tags 55 (including acousto-magnetic tags, radio frequency tags, RFID tags, and GPS/cellular capable tags), tag detection devices 56, and tag deactivation pads 57. It will further be noted that any device capable of measuring a variance in voltage can serve as an event peripheral for detecting an alarm event in the retail store.
  • Event peripherals communicate detected alarm events directly to the computer 31 through third party connectivity 34 or relay controller 36, depending on how the device is connected.
  • Computer 31 interprets these alarm events through configuration data stored in memory 32 by program 42. More specifically, configuration data stored on memory 32 through program 42 interprets a detected alarm event, determines the appropriate action, and instructs the appropriate action peripheral(s) through the third party connectivity 34 or relay controller 36 depending on where the action peripheral is connected.
  • Configuration data on memory 32 controlled by program 42 may also prompt the display 37 to request information as to the outcome of a taken action by retail employees such as, for example, stolen merchandise recovered from shoplifter, open display cabinet has been closed, deactivate a tag after sale, and the like based upon certain events.
  • the function of configuration data on memory 32 together with program 42 is to create retail store specific actions to effectively resolve the occurrence of an event and effectively thwart shoplifting and employee theft.
  • Action peripherals receive instructions from program 42 and data configuration data on memory 32 to orchestrate an effective response to an action.
  • Examples of action peripherals used with the invention include electronic message alerts such as, for example, related email, RSS feeds, texts and tweets, to store or regional managers, video capture of an event through positioning, as well as rotation of a closed camera, lockdown of retail display cabinets, audible alarms and prompting on display 37 for an explanation from a retail employee as to what occurred and the result of the taken action to resolve the event.
  • an audio or audio visual device 22 is one of the action peripherals used.
  • Device 22 is preferably a media screen on which multimedia content can be played.
  • Control unit 18 is able to interrupt the operation of the audio or an audio visual play on device 22 when it receives an instruction from the centralised unit 12 to do so. It will be understood that there may be one or more devices 22 which may be interrupted by centralised unit 12 through control unit 18. It will further be understood that centralised unit 12 may instruct device 22 directly without the use of a control unit 18.
  • the interruption of device 22 occurs when a security event has taken place, an alarm event message has been sent to the computer 31 from one of the event peripherals through third party connectivity 34 or relay controller 36, and computer 31 then interprets these events through configuration data on memory 32 and program 42, then and sends an instruction to control 18.
  • Control 18 then initiates the interruption by replacing the current operational media play of audio or video on device 22, by playing a user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction for a user predetermined length of time through program 42 on computer 31.
  • This user determined audio or video may be selected by the user to indicate how many and what type of alarm event has occurred, as well as where in the retail store it has occurred.
  • the user determined audio or video may be in the form of a sound file, video file, or a web based telemetry communication which is sent to device 22.
  • the user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction that is played on device 22 during an interruption provides a user, a store manager or any other person in the retail store who is in the vicinity of device 22 notification of the occurrence of a detected event.
  • the user, store manager or person is then able to act upon this notification and resolve the event by preventing or assisting with the prevention of any theft which potentially could result from the cause of the detected event.
  • control 18 may also be able to activate an output relay, which in turn is used to trigger any connected device that is connected to control 18.
  • centralised unit 12 will instruct control 18 to stop or override the user determined audio, video or still image and/or instruction being played on device 22, and to show the continued playing of the audio or video which was interrupted on device 22.
  • the playing of audio or video content on device 22 will then continue normally until the next event that is detected by EAS system 14 occurs and causes centralised unit 12 to initiate another interruption so as to provide notification of the event.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)
EP09180697A 2009-12-23 2009-12-23 Appareil de système et procédé pour la surveillance d'article électronique Withdrawn EP2339554A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP09180697A EP2339554A1 (fr) 2009-12-23 2009-12-23 Appareil de système et procédé pour la surveillance d'article électronique

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP09180697A EP2339554A1 (fr) 2009-12-23 2009-12-23 Appareil de système et procédé pour la surveillance d'article électronique

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EP2339554A1 true EP2339554A1 (fr) 2011-06-29

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013077788A1 (fr) * 2011-11-23 2013-05-30 Gunnebo Gateway Ab Procédé d'amorçage d'une unité de commande dans un système de surveillance d'article électronique et unité de commande formant une partie d'un tel système

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070194918A1 (en) * 2006-02-23 2007-08-23 Vira Manufacturing, Inc. Apparatus for secure display, interactive delivery of product information and charging of battery-operated hand held electronic devices
US20070229259A1 (en) * 2006-03-31 2007-10-04 Checkpoint Systems, Inc. System and Method for Securing and Displaying Items for Merchandising

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070194918A1 (en) * 2006-02-23 2007-08-23 Vira Manufacturing, Inc. Apparatus for secure display, interactive delivery of product information and charging of battery-operated hand held electronic devices
US20070229259A1 (en) * 2006-03-31 2007-10-04 Checkpoint Systems, Inc. System and Method for Securing and Displaying Items for Merchandising

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013077788A1 (fr) * 2011-11-23 2013-05-30 Gunnebo Gateway Ab Procédé d'amorçage d'une unité de commande dans un système de surveillance d'article électronique et unité de commande formant une partie d'un tel système

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