U.S. patent application number 14/222640 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-17 for system for securing an inventory within retail premises.
The applicant listed for this patent is Charles E. Davis. Invention is credited to Charles E. Davis.
Application Number | 20140197237 14/222640 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46718604 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140197237 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Davis; Charles E. |
July 17, 2014 |
SYSTEM FOR SECURING AN INVENTORY WITHIN RETAIL PREMISES
Abstract
An integrated inventory control and security method for multiple
types of articles which are for sale within retail premises
accounts for entry of articles into the retail premises and removal
of articles from the retail premises, including documenting certain
events.
Inventors: |
Davis; Charles E.;
(Coldwater, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Davis; Charles E. |
Coldwater |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
46718604 |
Appl. No.: |
14/222640 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13661252 |
Oct 26, 2012 |
8681003 |
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14222640 |
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12932477 |
Feb 25, 2011 |
8319624 |
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13661252 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
235/385 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08B 13/2454 20130101;
G08B 13/246 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
235/385 |
International
Class: |
G08B 13/24 20060101
G08B013/24 |
Claims
1. A method for securing an inventory of multiple types of articles
which enter a retail premises through a point of entry, are then
sold at a point of sale within the premises, and then leave the
premises through a point of exit, each article of each type having
at least one passive device containing a readable identifier
identifying the type of article and a wirelessly detectable
security element, the method comprising: a) at the point of entry,
registering articles entering the premises into an electronic
inventory data base according to type of article and quantity of
each type of article by wirelessly scanning the readable
identifiers of the entering articles to determine a quantity of
each type of article entering the premises and adding each
determined quantity to a quantity of the same type of article
already in the data base; and b) at the point of sale, wirelessly
scanning the readable identifiers of articles being purchased by a
customer to register their sale and cause a quantity of each type
of article whose sale is registered to be subtracted from the
quantity of the same type of article in the data base and to render
the detectable security element of each article whose sale has been
registered wirelessly undetectable.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: moving
the articles from the point of entry to a different location within
the premises.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2 in which the step of moving
the articles from the point of entry to a different location within
the premises comprises moving the articles to a location which is
accessible to customers.
4. The method as set forth in claim 3 in which the step of moving
the articles from the point of entry to a different location within
the premises comprises moving the articles to a storage location
which is inaccessible to customers and temporarily storing the
articles there until they are moved to the location which is
accessible to customers.
5. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at the
point of entry, wirelessly detecting the detectable security
elements of the articles entering the premises and recording their
detection in the data base.
6. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the step of
wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of the entering
articles at the point of entry comprises optically reading the
readable identifiers of the entering articles.
7. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising wirelessly
scanning the readable identifiers of articles which have been
registered in the data base and identified as unsuitable for
purchase by customers, causing a quantity of each type of article
unsuitable for purchase by customers to be subtracted from the
quantity of the same type of article in the data base, and causing
an entry to be made in the data base which categorizes the quantity
of each type of article subtracted as unsuitable for purchase by
customers.
8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising leaving
the detectable security element of each article identified as
unsuitable for purchase by customers wirelessly detectable.
9. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising wirelessly
scanning the readable identifiers of articles which have been
registered in the data base and identified for return to a supplier
of the articles, causing a quantity of each type of article
identified for return to be subtracted from the quantity of the
same type of article in the data base, and causing an entry to be
made in the data base which categorizes the quantity of each type
of article subtracted as returned to a supplier.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising leaving
the detectable security element of each article identified as
returned to a supplier wirelessly detectable.
11. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising
wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of articles which have
been registered in the data base and are being removed by an
individual authorized to do so by management of the retail
premises, causing a quantity of each type of article so authorized
for removal to be subtracted from the quantity of the same type of
article in the data base, and causing an entry to be made in the
data base which identifies the authorized individual.
12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising leaving
the detectable security element of each article authorized for
removal wirelessly detectable.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a method of securing an inventory
of multiple types of articles which are for sale within retail
premises.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Theft of merchandise is a common problem for many
businesses. It is typically considered an added cost of "doing
business", a cost which ultimately is borne by consumers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One general aspect of the invention relates to a method for
securing an inventory of multiple types of articles which enter a
retail premises through a point of entry, are then sold at a point
of sale within the premises, and then leave the premises through a
point of exit, each article of each type having at least one
passive device containing a readable identifier identifying the
type of article and a wirelessly detectable security element.
[0004] The method comprises: a) at the point of entry, registering
articles entering the premises into an electronic inventory data
base according to type of article and quantity of each type of
article by wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of the
entering articles to determine a quantity of each type of article
entering the premises and adding each determined quantity to a
quantity of the same type of article already in the data base; and
b) at the point of sale, wirelessly scanning the readable
identifiers of articles being purchased by a customer to register
their sale and cause a quantity of each type of article whose sale
is registered to be subtracted from the quantity of the same type
of article in the data base and to render the detectable security
element of each article whose sale has been registered wirelessly
undetectable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a layout of a representative
retail facility which has check-out counters and is secured by a
security system and method embodying principles of the present
invention.
[0006] FIG. 2 is an elevation view, partly broken away to show an
interior, of a check-out counter.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an article of merchandise
for sale at the retail facility.
[0008] FIG. 4 shows a passive security device securing an article
of merchandise.
[0009] FIG. 5 shows several retail facilities each having its own
security system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a portion of a building comprising retail
premises 10 which comprises a merchandise area 12 containing aisles
14 where various articles of for-sale merchandise are stocked on
shelves 16. Articles which customers wish to purchase are carried
by the customers to a check-out area 18 where sales are
consummated.
[0011] Check-out area 18 comprises check-out lanes 20 which may
either be self-service or be served by an employee of the retailer.
After a sale has been consummated, a customer can transport the
purchased merchandise to an exit area 22 of the premises through
which the customer can exit the building with his/her purchased
merchandise.
[0012] FIG. 2 shows each check-out lane 20 to comprise a check-out
counter 24 on which articles of merchandise to be purchased
(designated by the general reference M) are placed. Merchandise to
be purchased may first be placed on an approach surface 26 which is
ahead of a surface 28 onto or over which the merchandise is moved
article-by-article while automated equipment causes the sale of
each article to be registered, as will be more fully explained
hereinafter. After the sale of an article has been registered, the
article passes onto a powered conveyor 29 which conveys the article
to an inclined ramp 30 along which it can slide, or roll if the
ramp has rollers, onto a collection surface 31 where the customer
can retrieve it after having paid for it.
[0013] Each article of merchandise contains a UPC bar code which
uniquely identifies the specific article. Surface 28 contains one
or more areas 32 which allow a scanner 34 to "read" the UPC bar
code on an article of merchandise when the article is placed on or
moved past an area 32. By making areas 32 optically transparent and
using an optical scanner 34 behind the areas, a visible UPC bar
code on an article label, tag, or packaging, or on an article
itself, can be read by scanner 34 to identify the article. With the
article having been electronically identified, the electronic
identity is processed by a computer-based register 36 which has
access to a data bank comprising a correlation of sale price to bar
code for each of various articles of merchandise stocked for sale
to determine the article's sale price from the data bank, and the
sale price is then recorded in one or more appropriate ways, such
as electronically in a suitable storage medium, or memory. The
article is then placed on conveyor 29 for transport via ramp 30 to
collection surface 31.
[0014] After all articles of merchandise have been processed in
this manner, register 36 provides a total of the individual sale
prices in a dollar or other currency amount which the customer then
pays by any appropriate means of payment such as cash, credit, or
debit. A sales receipt which lists articles purchased and the sale
price of each, and the total amount of the transaction, which may
include other charges such as tax, is printed and issued to the
customer who can then collect the purchased merchandise from
collection surface 31 and leave the building through an exit door
38 of exit area 22.
[0015] For securing "for-sale" merchandise against unauthorized
removal from premises 10, such as by theft or pilferage, each
article of merchandise is secured by the presence of a passive
security device which, upon attempted unauthorized removal of the
secured article from the premises, will be detected when the
secured article comes within a specified range of a detector 40
shown in FIG. 1 at exit area 22 inside exit door 38. Detection of a
passive security device by detector 40 immediately initiates some
form or forms of security action.
[0016] Such forms of action include issuing an alarm via an alarm
device or system 42 which may comprise one or more of sounding an
audible alarm in the building, illuminating a visible alarm in the
building, and transmitting a silent alarm to security or staff
personnel on the premises and/or to a remote location. Exit door 38
may also be locked closed.
[0017] Exit area 22 is also continuously monitored by a closed
circuit television camera 44 and an associated video recording
device 46 which records the exit area scene either continuously or
at a sufficiently fast snap-shot rate, and which may also have
audio recording capability.
[0018] Detector 40 comprises a detection transmitter which
continuously transmits (i.e. wirelessly broadcasts) a detection
signal into an approach to exit door 38 which is inside the
building premises. The broadcast range does not extend to
merchandise area 12 or to check-out area 18. Detector 40 also
comprises a receiver for detecting receipt of a wireless return
signal from a passive security device in response to the passive
security device having received a detection signal from the
transmitter.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an article of merchandise M containing one or
more visible UPC bar codes 48 and one or more passive security
devices 50. FIG. 3 should not be construed to imply the size,
shape, or location of passive security device 50, or the number of
such passive security devices on articles, or where such passive
security devices are placed on articles, because that is a function
of the nature of each article and of the nature of the particular
passive security device or devices used. The presence of a passive
security device on any particular article of merchandise should be
known only to authorized personnel, such as management and security
staff of a retailer for example. The size and placement of a
passive security device on any particular article of merchandise
should render its presence unnoticeable to anyone, other than
perhaps in some instances to authorized personnel having
knowledge.
[0020] A passive security device may take any of various specific
forms, to be discussed in more detail later. A passive security
device is essentially a miniature, disposable electronic circuit
having an antenna, or antennas, which render the device capable of
receiving an incident wireless signal or signals and of
transmitting a return signal or signals in response to such an
incident signal or signals. A passive security device which
receives an incident signal of sufficient strength will transmit a
return signal of sufficient strength to be detected by the receiver
of detector 40. The signal strengths are strong enough to provide
detection of unpaid-for merchandise even when the person attempting
to remove the merchandise from the premises does so in a concealed
manner and/or uses some form of protective shielding.
[0021] Attempted removal of an unpaid-for article of merchandise
through exit area 22 will result in a signal which is being
broadcast by the detection transmitter of detector 40 causing the
passive security device which secures the article to transmit a
return signal which, upon detection by the receiver of detector 40,
causes some form or forms of security action to be initiated.
[0022] So that a paid-for article of merchandise will not cause
detector 40 to initiate security action when it comes within the
broadcast range of the transmitter of detector 40, each check-out
counter 24 comprises a "kill" transmitter 52 shown in FIG. 2. Kill
transmitter 52, which may also be referred to as an unsecuring
transmitter because it unsecures a secured article to allow the
article to be removed from the premises without giving an alarm,
can transmit a wireless signal, referred to as a kill signal or
alternately an unsecuring signal, which is capable of rendering a
passive security device incapable of transmitting a return signal
in response to an incident signal from the detection transmitter of
detector 40. In this way, the state of a passive security device is
changed from a first, or "live", state to a second, or "killed",
state.
[0023] Various ways of rendering a passive security device
incapable of responding to an incident signal from the detection
transmitter of detector 40 include causing an internal circuit
change in the passive security device which changes a response
characteristic of the passive security device, such as changing the
frequency at which it would respond to a broadcast from the
transmitter of detector 40 to a different frequency to which the
receiver of detector 40 is not tuned, or overwhelming the internal
circuit with enough energy to "burn out" one or more circuit
elements needed for transmission of a return signal, thereby simply
destroying the passive security device.
[0024] Upon register 36 having registered the sale price of an
article in an appropriate storage medium or memory, the
registration of the sale will cause kill transmitter 52 to transmit
an unsecuring signal which "kills" the passive security device
securing the article. The kill transmission broadcast is properly
targeted to hit the passive security device securing an article
whose sale has just been registered, but the broadcast range is not
so far as to kill passive security devices on other articles which
may be nearby waiting to be scanned. Register 36 keeps a record of
each kill by transmitter 52 in an appropriate storage medium or
memory. FIG. 2 shows kill transmitter 52 in a location where it
transmits a wireless broadcast targeted toward a paid-for article
on conveyor 29.
[0025] For assurance that the passive security device securing the
article whose sale has just been registered has in fact been killed
by kill transmitter 52 and is therefore no longer "live", register
36 causes a "kill confirmation" transmitter 54 to confirm each kill
after sale of the article has been registered and kill transmitter
52 has transmitted a kill signal intended to kill the passive
security device on the article. Kill confirmation transmitter 54
performs a kill confirmation by transmitting a wireless signal
which would cause a "live" passive security device to respond by
returning a non-confirmation signal to a receiver located either in
kill confirmation transmitter 54 or in the immediate vicinity. The
kill confirmation broadcast is properly targeted to hit the
presumptively-killed passive security device of the article whose
sale has just been registered, but the broadcast range is not so
far as to cause "live" passive security devices on nearby other
articles of merchandise to return signals. FIG. 2 shows kill
confirmation transmitter 54 in a location where it transmits a
broadcast which is targeted toward a presumptively-killed article
on ramp 30. A kill confirmation may be recorded in register 36 in a
suitable storage medium or memory in correlation with the
registered paid-for sale price of an article of merchandise.
[0026] Some of the various forms of passive security device 50
comprise passive nano-, micro-, or pulse-technology circuits. Such
extremely small devices, whose sizes render them incapable of being
seen by a person's naked eye, lend themselves to placement in
merchandise in a variety of ways. Placement should be in a place
where the circuit would be unlikely to be removed before an article
leaves the secured premises. Articles of wearing apparel can be
secured by passive security devices placed in apparel parts which
if removed or altered would damage the articles. They can be placed
in sewn-in labels or tags which would be expected to not be removed
prior to leaving secured premises. Manufactured merchandise can use
the manufacturing process to embed a passive security device
directly in an article during its manufacturing process using
processes such as laminating or pressing. FIG. 3 shows a passive
security device 50 placed underneath a label L which is adhered to
packaging of the article.
[0027] Nano-technology allows nano-type passive security devices to
be dispersed in printing ink or fabric dye which is applied to an
article of merchandise, a label on an article, or packaging
containing an article. Placement of nano-type passive security
devices in printing ink which is used to print UPC bar codes on
articles allows bar codes themselves to function as the passive
security devices, thereby avoiding a separate securing process. One
or more nano-type devices which are dispersed in printing ink will
become embedded in the ink after the bar code has been printed and
the ink has dried.
[0028] A manufacturer of articles who incorporates passive security
devices by placing them directly on the articles or else in
packaging of the articles and then ships them to a wholesale or
retail customer enables the customer to verify the presence of
passive security devices upon receipt of shipment and count them by
a detector to determine if the correct quantity of articles has
been shipped.
[0029] If a retailer of articles wishes to apply passive security
devices, a hand tool applicator, like the one 56 shown in FIG. 4,
can apply them at locations on articles of merchandise which the
retailer chooses and are known only to the retailer. Such an
applicator can dispense ink containing nano-type passive security
devices, labels containing passive security devices, or apply
passive security devices directly by adhesive mounting or other
similar techniques.
[0030] FIG. 2 also shows a removable medium, such as a cassette 58,
associated with register 36. Cassette 58 has a protocol known to a
supplier, or licensor, of the check-out lane apparatus (i.e.,
scanner 34, register 36, kill transmitter 52, and associated
electronic data processing equipment), but not to the user of the
apparatus, for limiting the total dollar or other currency sales
volume of articles of merchandise whose passive security devices
are allowed to be killed by the apparatus. The intent is to provide
an accounting control on the extent of use of the apparatus which
will assure that a user prepays the supplier, or a licensor of the
supplier, for use of the apparatus. Once the sales volume of
merchandise processed by the apparatus nears the prepaid limit, an
alert can be given to enable the supplier or licensor to replenish
the cassette, or exchange the cassette for a fresh one, upon user
prepayment for continued use. Instead of a cassette, use can be
monitored remotely by the supplier or licensor who can allow
continued use after user prepayment. If a user is creditworthy, the
supplier or licensor can monitor use and invoice the user
accordingly after the fact.
[0031] By using this accounting procedure, it becomes unnecessary
to involve a supplier of merchandise or a supplier of passive
security devices in an accounting procedure. A supplier of
merchandise who applies passive security devices to them could
however be a secondary or alternate point of accounting.
[0032] If the total sales volume were to near the prepaid limit,
certain controls in the apparatus become effective to shut down
scanner 34, register 36, kill transmitter 52, and kill confirmation
transmitter 54, thereby rendering the corresponding check-out lane
20 inoperative until a fresh cassette containing a fresh prepayment
currency amount is installed or the existing one is reloaded with a
fresh prepayment currency amount. By preventing the registration of
the sale of an article in this way, its passive security device
remains "live", preventing the secured article from being removed
from the premises without triggering an alarm at the exit, or
alternatively its removal can be authorized by the purchaser paying
for it at another check-out lane which will kill the live passive
security device.
[0033] Cassette 58 thereby provides a removable medium containing
value which is progressively depleted in the amount of the sale
price of each secured article as the sale price of each secured
article is registered in the register. Upon the amount of depletion
of the value approaching some limit, such as the prepaid limit
initially loaded into the cassette, the kill transmitter is
prevented from transmitting a kill signal. To continue use of the
kill transmitter, the cassette is removed from the system, and its
value replenished only by a supplier or licensor of the system,
such as by returning the cassette to such supplier or licensor. By
requiring such removal before a cassette can be replenished with
value, and by uniquely identifying each cassette, a supplier or
licensor of the system can monitor system usage to assure user
compliance with conditions of use specified by the supplier or
licensor.
[0034] Another way to enable continued use of the kill transmitter
is to allow the value of a cassette currently in use to be depleted
to zero even when an article whose sale is currently being
processed has not been fully paid for. If the depleted cassette is
then replaced by a fresh one having value, the amount which remains
unpaid is deducted from the value on the replacement cassette,
allowing the security device on the article to be killed. Overall
cost attributable to a retailer's stocking of fresh cartridges
purchased from a supplier or licensor, and discarding depleted
cartridges may be less than that of returning expended cartridges
to a supplier or licensor for replenishing.
[0035] The point at which the remaining value in cassette 58 will
prevent kill transmitter 54 from transmitting a kill signal can be
set in different ways. One way is by using historical sales data to
set a value which is greater than the remaining value in the
cassette and which is likely to be exceeded by the total sales
price of merchandise purchased by the next customer. Another way is
to cause register to perform a "pre-kill" calculation by comparing
the sale price of an article which has just been scanned to value
remaining in the cassette. If the sale price of an article which
has just been scanned exceeds the value remaining in the cassette,
the register is prevented from registering the sale and the
check-out lane is shut down.
[0036] The ability to manufacture electronic passive security
devices with different frequency response characteristics allows
each of different secured premises to be assigned their own unique
frequency, much as commercial radios stations are. By reserving
frequencies in this way, only passive security devices associated
with a particular secured premises are useful at those premises.
FIG. 5 shows several retail stores 60, 62, each of which has its
own security system like the one shown in FIG. 1, with only the
detectors 40 being shown in FIG. 5.
[0037] The security system of store 60 operates at a different
frequency than the one of store 62. The supplier of the security
system, or the licensor of the supplier, can assign a unique
frequency to each user which can forestall or prevent unauthorized
use of the apparatus and which can also avoid interference with
other wireless communication functions, such as inventory control
for example. A chain of stores having different geographical
locations can be assigned a common frequency for use at all
stores.
[0038] Attempts to defeat a security system can be made more
difficult by using passive security devices which respond to coded
wireless detection signals rather than just one particular
frequency alone and/or which respond to multiple frequencies. These
features may be incorporated into a single passive security device
or may be provided by using several different passive security
devices to secure a single article of merchandise. A person trying
to defeat a system would therefore have to have knowledge not
merely of a single frequency, but also knowledge of multiple
frequencies and/or codes in order to kill whatever passive security
devices are on an article.
[0039] A passive security device may also have the capability to
respond to a detection signal by a return signal which identifies
the specific article in some way such as by its bar code
information. This would require a unique passive security device
for the specific article of merchandise stocked for sale.
[0040] There may be instances where management or staff needs to
remove from secured premises one or more secured articles which
have not been sold. A separate kill transmitter under the control
of management may be used to kill the passive security devices on
such articles so that they can be removed without triggering an
alarm.
[0041] The security system shown in and described with reference to
FIG. 1 can provide conclusive proof of attempted theft. Upon
detector 40 issuing an alarm indicating that a person is carrying
an unpaid-for article of merchandise into exit area 22, the person
can be stopped by store and/or security personnel and asked for a
cash register receipt to prove the article has been paid for. In
the absence of such proof, the article is then first transported
out of range of the detection signal from detector 40 and then
brought back into range, area, causing an alarm to once again be
issued. These events are recorded on recorder 46 with witnesses
present. This proves that the passive security device was live when
the person first attempted to remove it from the premises.
[0042] With witnesses still present, the article is then brought to
an idle check-out counter 24 and processed as if it were being paid
for. Register 36 will cause kill transmitter 52 to unsecure the
article by killing the passive security device. The article is then
brought back to exit area 22 where it will not trigger an alarm.
This scene is also recorded with witnesses present and proves a
second time that the article was not paid for.
[0043] Certain prospective users of the system and method disclosed
herein may already have an inventory control system in place using
individual R.F.I.D. tags (radio frequency identification tags)
applied to each article of merchandise to identify the particular
article. An R.F.I.D. tag is a form of passive security device.
Those R.F.I.D. tags may also be used as passive security devices in
the system and method disclosed herein to provide a combined
inventory control and security system.
[0044] The combined system registers entry of secured articles of
merchandise for sale into inventory within the premises and
distinguishes between authorized and attempted unauthorized removal
of secured articles from the premises.
[0045] The combined system comprises an inventory control
sub-system for registering entry of articles for sale into the
premises by scanning inventory control R.F.I.D. tags on the
articles and causing each article whose R.F.I.D. tag has been
scanned to be registered in an inventory data base, and a security
sub-system for distinguishing between authorized and attempted
unauthorized removal of articles registered in the inventory data
base from the premises.
[0046] The security sub-system comprises i) a detector for
wirelessly detecting attempted unauthorized removal of articles
from the premises by detecting R.F.I.D. tags on the articles when
their unauthorized removal is attempted, ii) a register for
registering an article for authorized removal from the premises by
scanning its R.F.I.D. tag and for subtracting the article which has
been registered for authorized removal from inventory in the
inventory data base; and iii) an unsecuring transmitter controlled
by the register for wirelessly transmitting to the R.F.I.D. tag on
the article which has been registered for authorized removal, an
unsecuring signal which unsecures the secured article by changing
the R.F.I.D. tag from an article-securing state which renders the
R.F.I.D. tag wirelessly detectable by the detector to a
non-securing state which renders the R.F.I.D. tag wirelessly
undetectable by the detector.
[0047] A typical retail store has a point of entry for incoming
shipments of for-sale merchandise, storage space where merchandise
which has passed through the point of entry is temporarily stored
and which is inaccessible to customers, a shopping area where
merchandise which has been removed from storage is made available
for purchase by customers, one or more points-of-sale where
customers pay for merchandise, and one-or more points of exit
through which customers transport purchased merchandise out of the
store.
[0048] Flow of merchandise through such as a store begins at the
point of entry into the store's premises whereupon the incoming
merchandise which has entered becomes part of the store's
inventory. When a customer takes purchased merchandise to a point
of sale, the sale is consummated by payment in any suitable manner,
such as that described earlier. The security device on the
merchandise is killed upon payment, authorizing the customer to
carry the purchased merchandise out of the premises through a point
of exit without an alarm going off. With the sale having been
confirmed by the customer's payment, the purchased merchandise
ceases to be part of the store's inventory, and the quantity
purchased is subtracted from the quantity in inventory.
[0049] A shipment of merchandise coming into the store's premises
through the point of entry may be packaged in such a way which
renders difficult, or at an extreme renders impossible, the task of
conveniently ascertaining the exact quantity of for-sale articles
in a particular incoming shipment. Consequently, updating the
inventory may be based on an assumption by a receiving employee's
observation that the quantity of articles of a particular type in a
particular incoming shipment looks like the quantity which is
stated on paperwork associated with the shipment.
[0050] That assumption however is not necessarily correct in all
cases.
[0051] For example if a store has a warehouse from which
merchandise is shipped to the store, a quantity of merchandise
documented as leaving the warehouse may be deemed to be the
quantity received at the store without need to confirm that
quantity at the store's point of entry. Such an assumption ignores
the possibility that for whatever reason, some of the shipment
never arrived at the store. If a shipment is tampered with, the
disappearance of articles from the shipment may not be
self-evident. Incrementing the store inventory using an incorrect
assumption would cause the inventory control system to show a
greater number of articles entering store than was actually the
case.
[0052] If a store's inventory is measured by counting articles for
sale when they are placed in the customer area, that too is not
necessarily an accurate measure of the store's inventory because it
does not account for possible shrinkage between the time that a
shipment of merchandise first entered the store and the time at
which it is moved into the customer area.
[0053] Shrinkage of merchandise which has entered the store's
premises through the point of entry can occur in various ways,
including theft (pilferage) which escapes detection, breakage, and
spoilage. Inventory can be reduced by return of unsold merchandise
which is defective and/or was mistakenly ordered, and/or was
overstocked, to the supplier of the merchandise, and by legitimate
removal by individuals authorized to do so by store management for
whatever reason. The readable identifiers of merchandise returned
to a supplier are wirelessly scanned upon leaving the premises,
such as at a shipping/receiving department, to cause a quantity of
each type of article identified for return to be subtracted from
the quantity of the same type of article in the data base and also
causing an entry to be made in the data base which categorizes the
quantity of each type of article subtracted as returned to a
supplier. Legitimate removal of articles by individuals authorized
to do so by store management is processed in the same way, but with
the entry in the data base containing an identification of the
individual who is removing the article(s). Spoiled or broken
merchandise, which is unsuitable for sale to customers, is also
processed in the same way, but with the entry in the data base
containing a notation of either spoiled or broken. Security devices
on the articles in these various categories remain wirelessly
detectable, and should they happen to set off an alarm upon leaving
the premises, the alarm can be canceled by personnel on the
scene.
[0054] The present invention provides improved inventory security
for situations such as those just mentioned by wirelessly scanning
each incoming shipment at the point of entry to ascertain the exact
quantity of each type of article in the shipment before the
articles are allowed to pass to a storage space or customer area
and by wirelessly scanning articles identified as unsuitable for
purchase by customers.
[0055] Certain types of shrinkage such as spoilage and breaking can
be accounted for by wirelessly scanning their readable identifiers
and causing a quantity of each type of article spoiled or broken to
be subtracted from the quantity of the same type of article in the
data base, and causing an entry to be made in the data base which
categorizes the quantity of each type of article subtracted as
spoiled or broken. Leaving the detectable security element of each
article identified as spoiled or broken wirelessly detectable
guards against removal of such articles from the premises in
situations where the store management controls the removal
process.
[0056] The packaging of incoming shipments may make optical
scanning of each individual article in a shipment difficult or
impractical. In such a situation, an optically readable quantizing
of articles appropriately placed on shipment packaging may be
scanned. Electronic detection of security elements in articles of
an incoming shipment can be documented in the data base and assures
that attempted theft of those articles will be detected at secured
points of exit. The use of wireless scanning can avoid mistakes in
entering incoming shipment information into the data base due to
human error.
[0057] While a presently preferred embodiment has been illustrated
and described, it is to be appreciated that the invention may be
practiced in various forms within the scope of the following
claims.
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