GB1601724A

GB1601724A - Systems for detecting unauthorised transportation of goods

Info

Publication number: GB1601724A
Application number: GB698578A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Clarke G D
Current assignee: Clarke G D
Priority date: 1978-05-31
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1981-11-04

Description

(54) SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING UNAUTHORISED TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS (71) We, JOHN PHILLIP TOMLINSON; of 24 Sir John Moore Court, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent and GEOFFREY DAVID CLARKE, of Woodlands, Yalding, Kent, both British subjects, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - The present invention relates to a system for detecting unauthorised transportation of goods.

According to the present invention there is provided a system for detecting unauthorised transportation of goods by groups of at least one person across the boundary of a zone, the system comprising: first weighing means operable to produce first signals representing the input weights of respective groups of at least one person when entering said zone; second weighing means operable to produce second signals representing the output weights of respective groups when leaving said zone; means for associating said groups with respective input weights; and means for comparing the second signal produced by a group with that one of the input weights associated with that group and, on detecting a preset difference therebetween, for generating a warning signal.

A system according to the present invention can be used in shops, transport stations and other commercial premises used by large numbers of people some of whom may be carrying, into or out of the premises, unauthorised, stolen or dangerous goods by concealment in their clothing or luggage. Such unauthorised transporation can be detected by personal supervision and surveillance, with or without television cameras and mirrors. Metal detectors can be used for revealing hidden metal objects, and legal action is used as a deterrent to prospective offenders.These methods however are generally unreliable and unsatisfactory, as they are substantially random and often lead to serious offences being undetected, whilst minor offences, which can be committed unintentionally (as for example when babies in prams take objects off shelves without the knowledge of their mothers) are often harshly punished.

It will be seen that a system according to the present invention can provide a substantially more systematic and reliable system of detection and has advantages in that it can be operated with a substantial reduction in manpower over conventional surveillance systems. Apart from detecting shoplifting, a system according to the present invention can detect theft or loss of personal belongings, and whether or not a person has left something on the premises -for example explosive material.

Respective groups (each consisting of at least one person) are identified preferably by means of tickets issued at the entrance to the zone, in close proximity to the first weighing means. Such tickets licence the holder (i.e. the group) to enter the zone, and are to be given up on departure therefrom. Each ticket may convey a representation of the weight of a group, for example in the form of punched holes, or alternatively may convey identifying data representing the group, such data being independent of the weight of that group.

In the former case, there are preferably provided means for regenerating from the ticket, data representing the input weight of the group for use in the comparing means. In the later case, a store may be provided for storing the input weights, in association with respective identifying data, and a recall means, actuated by the ticket, will be provided to recall from the store that input weight which is associated with the identifying data conveyed by the ticket.

Preferably, means are provided for separating the groups so that each can be separately weighed by the first and the second weighing means without personal supervision. This can be effected by an automatic barrier, and is facilitated if the weighing means are provided in passageways with entry and exit turnstiles. In a particular embodiment of the invention the separation means can be constructed so that a single weighing platform is operable -as both the first weighing means and the second weighing means. This particular embodiment makes equipment errors in the weighing measurements self cancelling, and affords economy of equipment.

Photographic or video recording apparatus may also be provided so that a pictoral record of respective groups may be kept and consulted if required, for example in the event of an offence being committed.

For this purpose the pictoral representations of groups are stored in association with the input weights of respective groups.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the system comprises aggregating means for storing and summing all of the input weights and for storing and summing all of the output weights. This preferred embodiment en ables small accumulated discrepancies to be monitored over a period of time. Such discrepancies may indicate small scale pilfering or equipment malfunction. It can also enable a check to be kept on the num ber of people remaining on premises at the end of a trading period, i.e. it can indicate whether there are people hiding on the premises.

A system according to the present inven tion may also be provided with third and ,fourth weighing means and weight difference detection means, arranged so that respective groups are further successively weighed by the fourth weighing means with the goods they wish to purchase or are authorisedly transporting across the zone boundary, and these goods are separately weighed by the third weighing means, the weight of the goods and the output weight of the group (as measured by the second weighing means) being summed and compared with the weight of the groups when weighed with their goods.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a bounded zone with a system for detecting un authorised transportation of goods across the boundary of the zone, Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the system of Figure 1, in use, and Figure 3 is a block circuit diagram of the system of Figure 1.

figure 1 shows a boundary 1 of a zone 2 which, in the present example, is a shop floor with shelves of goods 9 arranged therein. A weighing booth 3 is disposed at the entrance to the shop and has a ticket dispenser 4 in close proximity to the booth. A second weighing booth 5 with a ticket receiver/reader 6 is situated at the exit of the shop, near a cash desk 7 and a conveyor belt 8 onto which are placed the goods which a customer wishes to purchase. The arrangement of the system at the exit can more clearly be seen in Figure 2.

Weighing booth 5 has load cells 12, for weighing a customer 15 who enters the booth from the shop floor 2. Turnstile 11 controls the passage of the customer 15 out of the booth 5, across the zone boundary 1. Ticket receiver/reader 6 is provided in booth 5 to receive ticket 10. A cashier 14 operates cash till 7 to register the goods 24 on the conveyor belt 8. The cash till 7 has a weight display unit 13 and is provided with lights 25, for example a red and a green light, and weighing booth control button 26.

The operation of the system will now be described with reference to all the Figures. Customer 15 enters the shop by crossing the zone boundary 1 into the first weighing booth 3, through turnstile 16. The customer may be accompanied by his wife and/or children/companion etc. so as to form a group of more than one person intending to purchase goods together. In this case all members of the group will pass through the turnstile 16, into the booth 3, to be weighed together. When the group is assembled in the booth one member presses an initating button 17 which actuates control box 18 to lock turnstile 16 to prevent the entry of other people into the weighing booth 3. Initiating button 17 also causes driving unit 21 to be activated and this enables load cells 22 to measure the weight of the group.This " input weight" is recorded in addressable memory 23 together with an address in the form of identifying data generated by the ticket dispenser 4. A ticket 10 (Figure 2) si issued from ticket dispenser 4 to be taken by the group. This ticket, which must be retained for use in booth 5 conveys the identifying data in coded form so that a particular group can be distinguished at the exit. When the memory has recorded the appropriate " input weight" and associated identifying data, turnstile 20 is unlocked by a control box 19, and the customer(s) can pass out of the booth into the shop.

Control box 19 is operable to " count " the number of turns of the turnstile 20 as the group leaves the booth, and to compare this with the number of turns of turnstile 16 as the group entered the booth.

When the numbers which may both also be stored in memory 23, are equal, indicating, that the booth is empty, control box 19 causes turn stile 16 to be unlocked to enable the next customer or group to enter the booth 3. Manual releasing buttons may be provided in case of equipment malfunction (or human error).

Customer 15 is then able to choose the goods he/she wishes to purchase from shelves 9 (Figure 1) in the shop, and moves to the cash desk 7 at the exit of the shop to pay for them. At the exit customer 15 places his intended purchases on conveyor belt 8, then walks into the second weighing booth 5 and puts ticket 10 into ticket reader 6. The reader 6 reads the identifying data on the ticket 10, and uses this data to address memory 23 which enters the appropriate "input weight" of the group into comparator 28. Load cells 12, under weighing booth 5, measure the weight of the customer or group, and this "output weight" is also entered into comparator 28, and is compared with the corresponding "input weight" for the group.The result of this comparison is then displayed by the lights 25-for example a red light is lit if the input and output weights are not sufficiently similar and a green light is lit if they are. An audible indicator may also, or alternatively, be used, for example, a loud noise may be emitted if the weights are not sufficiently similar. The input and output weights (and/or their difference) are also displayed on display 13 and are entered in a long term storage unit 30. If the weights correspond sufficiently, then turnstile 11 is released and the customer 15 is free to pass out of the booth to pay for and collect his/her goods 24. Driving unit 27, linked to load cells 12, of weighing booth 5, may be arranged to be activated by a weight present upon the load cells, so that the load cells start to weigh as soon as a customer steps into the booth.Alternatively initiating buttons may be used, as for the first weighing means, so that the customer can initiate the weighing when his/her group is assembled in the booth. It can be seen that a system as described herein facilitates detection of a prospective offence before the offence has been committed-i.e. before the customer has left the shop with undeclared goods.

Control box 31 for turnstile 11 may also count the number of turns it makes, and this information can be stored in order to detect customers still on the premises at the end of a trading period, and for pur poses of statistical analysis of trade.

Long term storage unit 30 may be used to aggregate and display "input weights" and "output weights" and/or the respective differences between them. Small scale pilfering and minor system malfunctions can thus be monitored. A large discrepancy between aggregate input and output weights at the close of the trading period would indicate a customer (or customers) still present on the premises.

The weighing booths 3 and 5 are constructed as passageways to ensure that customers are propertly weighed, i.e. that they stand within the effective area of the weighing means. The weighing means are adapted for compensating for the movement of the objects it is to weigh, and may be constructed in a form conventionally known and used in agricultural applications (for example for weighing cattle or other livestock). They are preferably operable to weigh in the range of 1 gram to 800 kilogrammes.

A suitably accurate display device for use as display means 13 would be an electronic balance of known type, with a range of 1 gram to 30 kilogrammes. Scaling means would be necessary with such a balance to scale the input and output weights for display.

In a second embodiment, which is not illustrated, of the present invention, the memory 23 is not necessary as the ticket issued by the ticket dispenser 4 conveys a representation of the input weight of the customer or group, instead of the identifying data. This representation can be read by the ticket reader 6 so as to regenerate the input weight and enter it directly into the comparator 28. In all other respects the operation of this embodiment is identical to the operation of the first embodiment, although the number of persons constituting a group may also be recorded on the ticket and subsequently regenerated if required.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A system for detecting unauthorised transportation of goods by groups of at least one person across the boundary of a zone, the system comprising: first weighing means operable to produce first signals representing the input weights of respective groups of at least one person when entering said zone; second weighing means operable to produce second signals representing the output weights of respective groups when leaving said zone; means for associating said groups with respective input weights; and means for comparing the second signal produced by a group with that one of the input weights associated with that group and, on detecting a preset difference therebetween, for generating a warning signal.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said associating means comprises a ticket dispenser for issuing tickets to each group weighed by the first weighing means, and a ticket reader associated with the comparing means.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said dispenser is operable to produce, for each group weighed by the first weighing means, a ticket conveying representations of the input weight of that group, and the reader is operable to regenerate,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. malfunction (or human error). Customer 15 is then able to choose the goods he/she wishes to purchase from shelves 9 (Figure 1) in the shop, and moves to the cash desk 7 at the exit of the shop to pay for them. At the exit customer 15 places his intended purchases on conveyor belt 8, then walks into the second weighing booth 5 and puts ticket 10 into ticket reader 6. The reader 6 reads the identifying data on the ticket 10, and uses this data to address memory 23 which enters the appropriate "input weight" of the group into comparator 28. Load cells 12, under weighing booth 5, measure the weight of the customer or group, and this "output weight" is also entered into comparator 28, and is compared with the corresponding "input weight" for the group.The result of this comparison is then displayed by the lights 25-for example a red light is lit if the input and output weights are not sufficiently similar and a green light is lit if they are. An audible indicator may also, or alternatively, be used, for example, a loud noise may be emitted if the weights are not sufficiently similar. The input and output weights (and/or their difference) are also displayed on display 13 and are entered in a long term storage unit 30. If the weights correspond sufficiently, then turnstile 11 is released and the customer 15 is free to pass out of the booth to pay for and collect his/her goods 24. Driving unit 27, linked to load cells 12, of weighing booth 5, may be arranged to be activated by a weight present upon the load cells, so that the load cells start to weigh as soon as a customer steps into the booth.Alternatively initiating buttons may be used, as for the first weighing means, so that the customer can initiate the weighing when his/her group is assembled in the booth. It can be seen that a system as described herein facilitates detection of a prospective offence before the offence has been committed-i.e. before the customer has left the shop with undeclared goods. Control box 31 for turnstile 11 may also count the number of turns it makes, and this information can be stored in order to detect customers still on the premises at the end of a trading period, and for pur poses of statistical analysis of trade. Long term storage unit 30 may be used to aggregate and display "input weights" and "output weights" and/or the respective differences between them. Small scale pilfering and minor system malfunctions can thus be monitored. A large discrepancy between aggregate input and output weights at the close of the trading period would indicate a customer (or customers) still present on the premises. The weighing booths 3 and 5 are constructed as passageways to ensure that customers are propertly weighed, i.e. that they stand within the effective area of the weighing means. The weighing means are adapted for compensating for the movement of the objects it is to weigh, and may be constructed in a form conventionally known and used in agricultural applications (for example for weighing cattle or other livestock). They are preferably operable to weigh in the range of 1 gram to 800 kilogrammes. A suitably accurate display device for use as display means 13 would be an electronic balance of known type, with a range of 1 gram to 30 kilogrammes. Scaling means would be necessary with such a balance to scale the input and output weights for display. In a second embodiment, which is not illustrated, of the present invention, the memory 23 is not necessary as the ticket issued by the ticket dispenser 4 conveys a representation of the input weight of the customer or group, instead of the identifying data. This representation can be read by the ticket reader 6 so as to regenerate the input weight and enter it directly into the comparator 28. In all other respects the operation of this embodiment is identical to the operation of the first embodiment, although the number of persons constituting a group may also be recorded on the ticket and subsequently regenerated if required. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A system for detecting unauthorised transportation of goods by groups of at least one person across the boundary of a zone, the system comprising: first weighing means operable to produce first signals representing the input weights of respective groups of at least one person when entering said zone; second weighing means operable to produce second signals representing the output weights of respective groups when leaving said zone; means for associating said groups with respective input weights; and means for comparing the second signal produced by a group with that one of the input weights associated with that group and, on detecting a preset difference therebetween, for generating a warning signal.

from said representation, data representing the input weight for use in said comparing means.

4. A system according to claim 3, 'wherein said representaion is an array of punched holes.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein said dispenser is operable to issue tickets conveying respective identifying data for the groups, there being a store for storing the input weights in association with respective identifying data, and the reader being operable to produce, from a ticket, data for recalling from said store that input weight which is associated with the identifying data conveyed by that ticket.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and comprising photographic or video recording means for obtaining pictoral representations of respective groups, and means for associating those representations with respective input weights.

7. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising separation means so that each of said groups can be separately weighed by said first and said second weighing means.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein there is a single weighing platform which is operable as both first and second weighing means.

9 A. system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein there is a warning light or audible indicator for operation by said warning signal.

10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein there are display means for displaying said input and output weights and/or for displaying the difference between said weights.

11. A system according to claim 10 comprising an electronic balance and scaling means for scaling said input and output weights for display by the balance.

12. A system according to any one of the preceding claims comprising aggregating means for storing and summing all of said input weights and for storing and summing all of said output weights.

13. A system according to any one of the preceding claims comprising: third weighing means operable to produce a third signal representing the weight of goods from said zone which respective groups are authorisedly transporting across the boundary of said zone; fourth weighing means operable to produce a fourth signal representing the weight of respective groups with respective authorised goods; means for detecting any difference between said fourth signal and the sum of said second and third signals and for generating an alerting signal in dependence thereon.

14. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said weighing means has means for compensating for moving objects.

15. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.