JP4630969B2 - Precious metal theft monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a precious metal product theft monitoring system for preventing theft of precious metal items such as rings and earrings displayed on a display stand.

  Conventionally, in jewelry stores, when selling precious metal items such as rings and earrings, the precious metal items are arranged one by one on a display stand and stored in a locked glass case for management. . Further, as a theft prevention measure, a device is used in which an infrared detection device is arranged on the display stand and an alarm is issued when theft occurs. However, with such a management method, when the number and types of displayed products increase, it is not easy to manage which product is displayed in which location, and quickly when a product is stolen. There is a problem that it is difficult to deal with. In order to improve such a problem, a tag made of an IC with a unique identification number is attached to all the precious metal items to be displayed, and radio waves emitted from the tag are received and monitored by another monitoring device side. Such a system has been proposed.

  As a device for attaching the tag to jewelry to prevent theft, there is a jewelry theft monitoring system as shown in Patent Document 1. In this system, a tag having a communication function is attached to all jewelry, and a transmission / reception signal with the tag is separated by a predetermined distance or more by a detection mechanism provided in the vicinity of a display stand on which the jewelry is displayed. An alarm is issued when

Further, a system for managing such tags by attaching them to products is also applied to product management such as inventory management and sales management, as disclosed in Patent Document 2.
JP 2001-243564 A JP 2002-114335 A

  However, in the system as described above, since the tag is directly attached to a product such as jewelry, if the tag is removed on the spot, it may not be detected that the product has been stolen. For this reason, it is necessary to prevent the tag from being easily removed from the product, but it is not easy to attach the tag to small noble metal items such as rings and earrings.

  In addition, the precious metal products are often seen by hand or installed at stores, but with the tag attached, there is a problem that it looks bad and is difficult to install. is there.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent theft without attaching a tag directly to the precious metal product in store sales of precious metal products such as rings and earrings, It is to provide a precious metal goods theft monitoring system that does not impair the wearing feeling before purchase.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a noble metal product theft monitoring system of the present invention includes a noble metal product display base having a relay antenna portion therein, a base placed on the display base, on which the noble metal product is placed, and the base. A precious metal goods theft monitoring system comprising an IC tag provided and a monitoring control unit that receives a signal transmitted from the IC tag by the relay antenna unit and monitors a communication state thereof, and constitutes the IC tag The antenna circuit is provided with a switch portion for detecting that the noble metal product is set on a pedestal, and the switch portion is configured by using a part of the noble metal product as a contact.

  According to the noble metal product theft monitoring system according to the present invention, a part of the noble metal product such as a ring or an earring set on the pedestal functions as a switch for electrically connecting or disconnecting the antenna circuit of the IC tag provided on the pedestal. By doing so, it is possible to easily detect whether or not the precious metal article has been stolen. In addition, the IC tag is not directly attached to the precious metal product, but is provided on the pedestal on which the precious metal product is set. And it doesn't get in the way when checking the feeling of wearing.

  In addition, when determining whether or not the noble metal item has been stolen by the monitoring control unit, it is possible to set the time and distance at which the noble metal item is separated from the pedestal. For example, the noble metal item is removed from the pedestal. Even when the display method of the precious metal product is changed during the mounting, it can be set so that it can be regarded as not being stolen during that time.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a noble metal goods theft monitoring system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the noble metal product theft monitoring system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a display unit for displaying the noble metal product, and FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a base for setting the noble metal product. It is a perspective view.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a noble metal goods theft monitoring system 11 according to the present invention includes a display unit 13 for displaying noble metal items 12 and a monitoring control unit 14 for communicating with the display unit 13 to monitor the theft of the noble metal items 12. It consists of and. As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 13 includes a display stand 15 on which a plurality of noble metal items 12 such as rings and earrings can be displayed, and a pedestal arranged on the display stand 15 in a state where the noble metal items 12 are set. 16. The monitoring control unit 14 is configured by software functioning as a monitoring control unit, and is incorporated into a terminal device (personal computer) 17 or a personal digital assistant (PDA) 18 connected to the display unit 13 via a wireless or wired LAN. used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display stand 15 is formed to have a flat display surface having a width that allows a plurality of the pedestals 16 to be arranged. A reader / writer unit 22 is provided for reading and writing the contents of an IC tag provided on a pedestal 16 to be described later. The relay antenna unit 21 is configured by a copper wire pattern extending from the reader / writer unit 22 along the outer peripheral portion of the display surface. As shown in FIG. 1, the reader / writer unit 22 is connected to the relay antenna unit 21 and has a function of reading and writing the contents of the IC tag. The reader / writer unit 22 includes a board computer 23 that controls read / write control for the IC tag and communication control with the monitoring control unit 14, and a communication unit 24 set in the board computer 23. AC power is supplied to each via an AC adapter. The board computer 23 is incorporated in the reader / writer unit 22 or is configured as a separate unit, and is connected by a serial communication line.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pedestal 16 includes, for example, a flat plate-like base portion 31 that can be placed with a noble metal article 12 such as a ring or an earring, and an IC tag 32 incorporated in the base portion 31. In addition, a switch portion 35 for setting the noble metal article 12 to the IC tag 32 is provided. The base portion 31 can be formed of an insulating member such as resin corresponding to a size on which the noble metal product 12 can be placed. The IC tag 33 is composed of an IC chip 33 at the center and an antenna circuit 34 extending spirally from the IC chip 33, and is entirely protected by a thin plastic film. The IC chip 33 has a storage area in which an ID number unique to the IC chip 33 is registered in advance and can store data arbitrarily, and a transmission / reception function. The antenna circuit 34 is provided to transmit radio waves emitted from the IC chip 33 and receive radio waves emitted from the relay antenna unit 21 provided on the display stand 15. The pattern size and shape are set according to the communication distance and sensitivity with the antenna unit 21. In the IC tag 32 of the present embodiment, communication is performed in the 13.56 MHz frequency band, and the range in which communication with the relay antenna unit 21 is possible is set to several tens of centimeters.

  The switch portion 35 is formed by a pair of electrode portions 36a and 36b provided at pattern ends that are opened by cutting a part of the antenna circuit 34. The electrode portions 36a and 36b are formed of a spring-like or clip-like conductive member that can sandwich a part of the noble metal article 12. For example, when the noble metal article 12 is a ring, as shown in FIG. 4, it is set so that the lower end portion of the ring portion 19a of the ring 19 is spanned between the electrode portions 36a and 36b. Further, when the noble metal article 12 is an earring, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of first electrode portions 37 and a pair of second electrode portions 38 formed of a spring-like conductive member similar to the above are directly connected. Such a switch unit 46 is provided in a part of the antenna circuit 34. Thus, a pair of earrings 20 can be set on the first electrode portion 37 and the second electrode portion 38, respectively, and when one or both earrings are removed, it is possible to detect that communication has been interrupted. Become.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, when the noble metal article 12 is a pierce 30, a pair of electrode portions 39 and 40 configured by arranging electrode plates in parallel at a predetermined interval are connected in series, and the electrode portion A switch portion 47 having a configuration in which a shaft portion through which the earlobe is passed is passed through a groove portion 48 formed at the upper end portions of 39 and 40 is provided. By providing the switch unit 47 having such a configuration, as in the case of the earring 20, it is possible to detect that communication has been interrupted when one or both earrings are removed.

  The locations where the switch portions 35, 46, 47 in the antenna circuit 34 are provided are preferably set close to the positions where they are drawn from the IC chip 32. This is because, when the switch portions 35, 46, 47 are opened, the disconnection portion of the antenna circuit 34 becomes large, so that the communication disconnection state can be reliably detected. If the switch portions 35, 46 and 47 are exposed on the pedestal 16, the appearance of the noble metal article 12 is deteriorated. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, when covering the base part 31 together with the IC tag 32 with a covering member 25 such as a cloth or sheet, and setting the noble metal article 12, the contact portion is the electrode part 36a. , 36b, the external shape is not impaired.

  The precious metal article 12 is not limited to the ring, earring, and pierced earring, but may function as a switch contact point as described above if it has a metal part such as a necklace, bracelet, brooch or watch. Can do. At that time, by preparing a pedestal having a switch configuration corresponding to each kind of precious metal product, it is possible to display the pedestal 15 in a mixed manner. As described above, since the noble metal product theft monitoring system 11 of the present invention detects the metal part of the display as a contact point, the metal part is not limited to the expensive noble metal product as described above. If it has, even if it is cheap accessories, it can be used without a problem.

  FIG. 7 shows a software configuration in the monitoring control unit 14. The monitoring control unit 14 includes a communication control unit 41, an operation setting unit 42, a browsing display control unit 43, a notification control unit 44, and a memory unit 45, and the actual control via the board computer 23 constituting the display unit 13. Control is performed. The communication control unit 41 transmits the number and ID number of the IC tags 32 of each pedestal 16 within a communicable range to the reader / writer unit 22 mounted on the display table 15 via the communication unit 24. Send a command requesting that Then, the number of IC tags and the ID number returned in response to the requested command are received. The command is transmitted at regular time intervals, and data obtained each time is sequentially stored in the memory unit 45. The communication unit 24 includes a wireless LAN or wired LAN interface. Further, when the personal computer 17 or the like is located away from the display unit 13, communication can be performed via a telephone line via a modem or the like. The memory unit 45 can use a hard disk, a memory, or an external storage medium, and stores the number of IC tags received and the ID number for each base 16. The number of IC tags and the ID number for each pedestal 16 in the memory unit 45 are always updated to the latest data every time the communication control unit 41 communicates with a fixed lifetime. The memory unit 45 is provided with an initial storage area in which the number of pedestals 16 to be placed on the display stand 15 and ID numbers are registered in advance, and the data registered in the initial storage area and the communication Comparison with the latest data returned via the control unit 41 is performed.

  The operation setting unit 42 always receives the signal of the IC tag 32 transmitted via the communication control unit 41, checks whether there is a signal stop state, and for each received signal, The ID number of the pedestal 16 is compared with the ID number registered in advance in the memory unit 45 to determine a match / mismatch. The browsing display control unit 43 has a browsing control program for displaying a list of signals sent from the IC tag 32 on the screen of the personal computer 17 or PDA 18 according to a predetermined screen configuration, and blinking or highlighting the signals. It has been. The browsing control program has a web browsing function, and controls the display unit provided in the personal computer 17 and the PDA 18 via the web browsing function. For this reason, the personal computer 17 and the PDA 18 need only have a general-purpose web browser capable of browsing a homepage via the Internet without having a dedicated display function for the noble metal goods theft monitoring system 11. Based on the determination result in the operation setting unit 42, the notification control unit 44 converts the occurrence of theft into means such as a screen display on the personal computer 17 or the PDA 18, voice output, and vibration generation. Further, the alarm by the notification control unit 44 is not limited to the personal computer 17 and the PDA 18, but is output to an alarm lamp or speaker provided in the vicinity of a show window displaying the noble metal article 12 or in the vicinity of a store entrance. You can also Moreover, it can also be made to alert | report by means, such as the above-mentioned screen display, an alarm sound, or a vibration, by transmitting to PHS or a mobile telephone which a shop clerk and a security guard carry.

  Further, the operation setting unit 42 has a function of determining whether the precious metal article 12 is separated from the pedestal 16 and the communication is cut off, whether it is due to theft or temporary disconnection. Yes. This function is determined by measuring the time when the signal from the IC tag 32 of the base 16 is cut off. Therefore, a monitoring timer for measuring the time when the signal from each IC tag 32 is cut off is provided in the operation setting unit 42. In this monitoring timer, a maximum allowable time (for example, about 2 to 3 minutes) that is not regarded as theft even when the noble metal article 12 is separated from the base 16 is set in advance. The monitoring timer is activated when a signal disconnection from the IC tag 32 of the pedestal 16 is actually detected, and it is determined that the theft has been stolen when the set allowable time has elapsed. On the other hand, when the communication state is recovered within the allowable time, it is determined that the communication is temporarily disconnected and the monitoring timer is reset.

  Further, as described above, the theft monitoring of the noble metal item 12 is performed when the noble metal item 12 is detected by being separated from the pedestal 16 and when the pedestal 16 with the noble metal item 12 set is displayed on the display stand. This can be done in two combinations with the case of detecting the separation from 15. In the latter case, the communication between the pedestal 16 and the display base 15 is possible. This range includes the IC tag 32 provided on the pedestal 16 and the relay antenna unit 21 provided on the display base 15. Setting is possible by adjusting the frequency band and signal strength of signals exchanged between the two. A function for performing such setting can also be included in the monitoring control unit 14.

  Next, a series of operations in the noble metal goods theft monitoring system 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a precious metal article 12 to be displayed on the display stand 15 and a pedestal 16 on which the precious metal article 12 is set are prepared (S01). The number of the pedestals 16 to be displayed and the IC tags provided on the respective pedestals 16 are prepared. 32 ID numbers are registered in the memory unit 45 provided in the monitoring control unit 14 (S02). In addition to the number of pedestals 16 and their ID numbers, the memory unit 45 can also register product information such as the name of the precious metal product 12 to be set and a product management number. The noble metal article 12 is set on each pedestal 16 for which registration of the ID number or the like has been completed (S03). As described above, this setting is performed by bringing a part of the noble metal article 12 into contact with the switch portion 35. As a result, the switch unit 35 is closed, and the IC tag 32 can be transmitted. The pedestal 16 that can be sent in this way is placed at an arbitrary position on the display stand 15 (S04). The position of the pedestal 16 may be anywhere as long as it is on the display stand 15, and is arranged so as to be easy to see by a predetermined display method. The signal emitted from the pedestal 16 is read by the reader / writer unit 22 via the relay antenna unit 21 provided in the display table 15, and the signal is monitored by the monitoring control unit 14 (S05). This monitoring is always performed while the noble metal goods theft monitoring system 11 is in operation, and it is detected whether or not the signal from the pedestal 16 disposed on the display table 15 is interrupted. Here, when the signal is not detected, the monitoring timer is started when the signal is not detected (S08). If the signal cannot be detected when the time set in the monitoring timer has elapsed (S09), an alarm is issued (S11). On the other hand, if a signal is detected before the set time elapses (S09), the monitoring timer is reset (S10), and the monitoring control unit 14 returns to monitoring. While the signal is continuously detected during the monitoring, the ID number transmitted from the pedestal 16 is compared with the ID number registered in advance in the memory unit (S06). If the ID numbers compared here do not match, an alarm is issued (S11).

  In the operation flow, it is determined that the precious metal article 12 has been stolen when the signal from the pedestal 16 cannot be detected even after the time set in the monitoring timer has elapsed, and the monitoring timer is set. If the signal from the pedestal 16 becomes detectable within a certain period of time, it is determined that the detachment is not regarded as theft temporarily. This temporary disengagement is assumed when a customer who visits the store tries to install a precious metal product as a test, or when a store clerk or the like resets or rearranges the precious metal product 12. .

  In addition, when the pedestal 16 is out of the communication range of the display base 15, the transmission from the pedestal 16 stops, so that the signal within a predetermined time is the same as when the noble metal article 12 is out of the pedestal 16. If is not detected, an alarm is issued. Such a case is for preventing the pedestal 16 on which the precious metal article 12 is set from being stolen as it is.

  In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a single display stand is used to manage a plurality of precious metal items that can be placed on this display stand. In the case of management, a plurality of display units composed of a display stand and a plurality of pedestals mounted on the display stand are prepared, and an identifier such as a different ID number is assigned to each display unit, whereby the monitoring control It is possible to manage all at once in the department.

  The precious metal product theft monitoring system 11 of the present invention is mainly intended to monitor the theft of the precious metal product 12 displayed on the display stand 15 in real time. Product identification information such as number, name, type and price is registered, and the product information is browsed and displayed on the personal computer 17 or PAD 18 via the browsing display control unit 43 which is one of the functions of the monitoring control unit 14. You can also. As a result, a product management system capable of centralized management can be configured.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a noble metal goods theft monitoring system according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a display part. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a base. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state by which a noble metal goods are set to a base. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the base for setting a pair of earrings. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the base for setting a pair of earrings. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the software structure of the monitoring control part. It is an operation | movement flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure in a precious metal goods theft monitoring system.

Explanation of symbols

11 Precious Metal Product Theft Monitoring System 12 Precious Metal Product 13 Display Unit 14 Monitoring Control Unit 15 Display Stand 16 Base 17 Personal Computer (Terminal Device)
18 PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
20 earrings 21 relay antenna unit 22 reader / writer unit 23 board computer 24 communication unit 30 piercing 31 base unit 32 IC tag 33 IC chip 34 antenna circuit 35 switch unit 36a, 36b electrode unit 41 communication control unit 42 operation setting unit 43 browsing display Control unit 44 Notification control unit 45 Memory unit

Claims (9)

A display stand for precious metal products having a relay antenna portion therein, a base on which the precious metal product is placed, an IC tag provided on the base, and a signal transmitted from the IC tag A precious metal goods theft monitoring system comprising a monitoring control unit that receives the information and monitors its communication state,
The antenna circuit that constitutes the IC tag is provided with a switch portion that detects that the noble metal product is set on a pedestal, and the switch portion is configured by using a part of the noble metal product as a contact point. Precious metal theft monitoring system. The precious metal goods theft monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the pedestals are arranged on the display table, and each pedestal is provided with an IC tag with a unique ID number. 2. The precious metal goods theft according to claim 1, wherein the switch part has a pair of electrode parts provided by opening a part of the antenna circuit, and makes a part of the precious metal goods conductive as a contact between the electrode parts. Monitoring system. In the monitoring control unit, an operation setting unit that determines whether the precious metal article is stolen or temporarily detached when the precious metal article is separated from the pedestal or when the pedestal is separated from the display stand. The precious metal goods theft monitoring system according to claim 1, comprising: 5. The noble metal product theft monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the determination by the monitoring control unit is performed by measuring a lapse of time when the noble metal product is separated from the base. 5. The precious metal product theft according to claim 1, wherein the determination by the monitoring control unit is performed by detecting an incommunicable state due to the precious metal product leaving the pedestal or the precious metal product leaving the display stand. Monitoring system. The monitoring control unit includes a notification control unit that issues an alarm by at least one of display means, sound means, and vibration means that the set state of the noble metal item and the pedestal or the pedestal and the display stand is released. The precious metal goods theft monitoring system according to claim 1. The monitoring control unit is provided with a browsing display control function, and through this browsing display control function, the monitoring state of the noble metal product is displayed on the terminal device or the portable information terminal, and theft information is monitored, and the product information of the noble metal product is displayed. 2. The precious metal goods theft monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein product management is performed. The precious metal goods theft monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit uses a part of a metal part of a ring, an earring, a pierced earring, a necklace, a bracelet, or a watch as a contact.

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