RFID Technology

Vorelco is a RFID and Asset Tracking developer familiar with all known

systems from the most basic L.F. to the latest in microwave technology.

A study of available technologies addressing Asset tracking and localization

By: Jack Durban, Pres. Vorelco November 23, 2008

The technological advancements made in context aware, real time active tag tracking remain a costly proposition that remains out of reach of many applications.

The promise of asset tracking utilizing active tags and various methodologies of localization have yet to deliver practical solutions to a marketplace that waits with open arms and wallets. The problems that remain are many, but those that stand out mostly have to do with the limitations of physics as they relate to R.F. or radio frequency. Two limitations of using R.F. in localization are the realities of power and propagation.

R.F. power requirements in all portable or miniature transmitters, transceivers and most receiver designs, although lower in current draw than their larger counterparts in communications, they still present a significant burden on battery power budgeting. In regards to active tags, there is little space for batteries since the role of a tag is to provide a utility of asset protection while being ubiquitous and transparent as possible to the interaction between the asset and humans or other assets.

Therefore active tag makers go to great lengths to create robust yet miniature devices to meet this critical requirement but in doing so limit the tag’s function set to mitigate battery power demand. Most tags deploy button cell type batteries in various chemistries. Regardless of how ordinary or exotic the battery cell’s chemistry is the battery will be very limited in its capacity to provide on going power to a tag circuit consisting of the usual microprocessor and transceiver.

In an effort to address the limitations of small batteries tag makers “power cycle” their circuits to minimize battery demands. Power cycling is no more than the activation and deactivation of circuits based on internal or external timers or events. Internal power cycling is often limited to a microprocessor based time interval. At a predetermined interval the circuit to be power cycled is activated for a period of time only long enough to allow the circuit to fulfill a necessary function. This period of activation also includes enough timing to account for the effects of temperature and other operation environmental factors. Externally available power cycling techniques primarily involve an interrogation command from a fixed position or hand held tag reader transmits a detectable carrier, typically R.F. Of course for this to work, the tag’s receiver must be activated to detect and decode the reader’s carrier and command. Herein lies another related problem, synchronization.

Synchronization as it relates to asset tracking is the alignment in timing of communications between tags and readers. The only way to ensure a tag is available to receive a transmission from a reader is to either synchronously time the receiver to be active during the reader’s transmission broadcast or to allow the receiver to remain active continuously.

Unfortunately, synchronization is not practical within the scope of conventional active tag design considering the limitations of battery power. Leaving the tag’s R.F. receiver on continuously will drain the battery in a matter of days. Attempting to power cycle the tag’s R.F. receiver is not practical because to do so would require the tag to be able to synchronize to an event that the tag reader would also share.

Since the tag and reader are separate from each other by the very nature of their functions, the only means of providing both devices a synchronization marker would entail a wireless communication strategy. In other words the tag would require a receiver using some form of known wireless or electromagnetic spectra communication to activate the tag’s R.F. which would be completely impractical.

Beyond the problems associated with limited battery size and power are the realities of R.F. propagation.

The propagation of radio frequency carriers is effected by path loss, reflection, diffraction, absorption or scattering, and multi path, a factor of reflection. Path loss of course is just attenuation over distance easily accounted for and calculated using the inverse square law.

Unfortunately path loss in asset tracking is the least of the aggregate propagation issues considering that in most tracking environments tags are located indoors where brief distances of unencumbered transmission path is outweighed by more pressing issues like steel frame construction and unintended competing R.F. generating noise sources.

The ability to accurately track an active tag using conventional R.F. carrier based TDOA “Time Delay of Arrival” methods are fraught with propagation related accuracy issues. To calibrate conventional TDOA systems, the entire tracking foot print must be modeled or tested for propagation effects attenuation and reflection propagation issues that effect actual TDOA in comparison to open air tracking environments.

Some frequencies of R.F. electromagnetic carriers are more problematic than others and have unique operational limitations and vulnerabilities. 915 MHz is attenuated by the tissues and fluids in humans and animals. An active tag using this frequency allocation could easily be temporarily lost or masked from detection by just finding itself between a human, animal or mass of water like an aquarium and a tag reader.

Problem

RTLS or Real Time Locating Systems have remained for too expensive for many applications creating a vacuum for innovation in alternative approaches.

AIM Global network 2004

Real-time Locating Systems (RTLS)

Suppose you want to track customers within a retail environment to determine shopping patterns and see if there are ways to optimize store layout – without imposing on the customer or infringing on their privacy.

Or how do you find a particular item that may be continually on the move within a given area?

Or suppose you need to locate moveable assets that haven’t passed an RFID reader recently and which aren’t stored in assigned locations.

Hire an army of minions? That’s one solution – but it’s not necessarily a good one.

A much better solution is offered by Real-time Locating Systems (RTLS) – also called Local Positioning System (LPS).

RTLS Overview

These RFID-based systems offer two-dimensional (and potentially three-dimensional) location of items – some to within a few centimeters, others to within several meters. The type of system, and how it is implemented, determines the level of accuracy you can achieve.

RTLS systems use active RFID tags that intermittently broadcast a unique ID. Tags can be programmed to broadcast at time intervals from seconds to hours or even days, depending on the requirements of the application.

As a tag “announces” itself, multiple antennas receive the signal.

There will be a fractional time difference between the time one antenna receives the signal and any other antenna receives it. RTLS software compares the time difference and translates that into a physical distance, thereby identifying the tag’s location.

In the rare case where a tag is exactly in the middle of all antennas, the time difference = 0 and the tag’s location is therefore known to be equidistant from the antennas, again, pinpointing its location.

More than two antennas are required to give precise location information in a relatively open area; for more confined areas, such as a hallway or aisle, two antennas can offer sufficient accuracy. In some very limited applications (where the item is fairly easily identified), it’s enough to know that the item is within a certain radius. In these applications, a single antenna can be used to cover each area.

Examples

Below are some examples of where RTLS systems are, or could be, used.

Moveable Asset Tracking

In hospitals, things move. Wheelchairs, gurneys, IV stands, monitoring equipment – a wide range of essential assets. Locating any one of these can be a nightmare for hospital personnel since they are often used and left in a “convenient” location. RTLS systems are used to help locate these assets. This is one application where a single antenna can often be used since the assets would typically be located in a hallway or corridor and, therefore, easy enough to find once an employee is in the right area. The key is knowing where to look in the first place. For more precision, two antennas could even locate equipment that has been left in a patient’s room. Knowing the last read location – for example, 5 meters from antenna 4B – will identify the location of the doorway through which it “disappeared.” Even if there are two doors across from each other in the corridor, finding the equipment would simply be a matter of checking both rooms.

Movement PATTERNS

In a retail setting, attaching an RFID tag to a shopping cart could track the cart through the retail space (and a system has been developed to do this). Monitoring the shopping carts would help identify where shoppers spend the most time, where there may be “choke points,” where traffic is always light, and can reveal a range of shopping patterns – all of which can help improve store layout and enhance the shopping experience. Antennas at the perimeter of the parking lot could also identify when shopping carts are being taken off the premises. Preventing shopping cart loss can represent a significant savings in some store locations.

In a warehouse, tracking lift trucks through a pick/putaway routine could help monitor activity and identify congestion points, low traffic areas, etc. Again, having detailed information about traffic patterns can help optimize layout or work flow designs.

Activity tracking

Sometimes, it’s more important to know that an item is not moving, such as express delivery or perishable goods.

With express delivery, items passing through a reading portal are identified and tracked. But what about the tote that’s sitting all by itself and hasn’t moved in the past couple of hours? That could be a problem.

The same holds true for perishable goods. Ensuring a first-in-first-out (FIFO) rotation is critical to maintaining product quality and the bottom line.

Programming RTLS software to flag items that have not moved in a predetermined amount of time can address both of these situations.

Senior/Child Tracking

An RTLS tag on Alzheimer’s or judgment-impaired patients in a senior care facility could help staff monitor their locations to ensure their safety. While RFID tags are already used in perimeter monitoring systems, having “early warning” of a potential problem (such as the patient walking towards the edge of the property) would allow staff to react in a more timely manner.

Amusement parks and other open venues have begun offering parents a child tracking option with parents’ and children’s RTLS wristbands that are “matched.”

Children can only leave the park when accompanied by a parent – identified by the RTLS tag. This allows children the freedom to move around the park yet provides parents the security of knowing their children cannot really get lost – or leave with someone else. It also affords the parents the luxury of relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Equipment/Vehicle LOCATION

Heavy equipment may seem to be an unlikely candidate for RTLS (finding a big yellow dump truck seems as if it should be relatively easy) but if the equipment is stored “somewhere” in a multi-acre lot, RTLS can be a real time-saver. It can also help ensure that specific parts for a particular piece of equipment, such as crane boom extensions, can be located quickly when needed.

The reality is however that all the hoopla regarding RTLS is without merit if it is too expensive to affordable for most circumstances. The above “Hype Cycle” chart is a great illustration of where RTLS is today.

Objective

Locate existing technology or create technology that results in a course grain, active tag tracking system that is affordable from hardware to installation utilizing long life, low maintenance tags and readers. A room by room level location system can be created from scratch or be part “off the shelf” part custom.

A report on Zigbee's future from 3 years ago...looks like the report was right!

Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4) Transceiver Module deployment Report

By: Jack Durban

Design and development approaches and tradeoffs

Starting from scratch – The combining of the readily available and low cost chipsets from…

Atmel AT86RF210 Z-Link Is a popular choice for OEM’s but does not contain a Stack. The Stack is in the supporting AT86ZL3201 Z-Link Controller.

Chipcon 2400 series with built in ZigBee stack. Unquestionably the industry leader in the chip arena.

Chipcon 2430 system-on-a-chip (SoC) already has an on chip 8051 microcontroller, 128 Kbytes of flash memory, and 8 Kbytes of RAM.

Ember ( same as Chipcon but uses Ember proprietary stack “Embernet”)

Freescale (Motorola) 30-40% more expensive than Chipcon and ZigBee stack is not included in the chip but is a separate piece of code that resides in a separate microcontroller. Freescale does produce a line of Zigbee ready sensors but the overall cost of the product is significantly higher than the Chipcon.

Jennic ZigBee compliant Transceiver / Stack chipsets with a microprocessor like Atmel, RAM and any sensor inputs as needed. Pricing not readily available but all indications point to a higher than average cost.

Purchasing a reference design – Purchasing the design files of a known working reference design. There are a handful of such design firms that will sell the rights to their reference designs.

OEM level Modules – Purchasing bare module level transceivers from any of dozens of manufacturers.

Helicomm – Out of the dozens of companies selling OEM modules Helicomm looks like the most competitively priced. With local support and a ready to deploy platform they could be tough to beat.

Ready to use off the shelf Zigbee transceivers – Purchasing ready to deploy finished product isn’t even worth consideration. Finished product does not lend itself to deep discounting. Not to say it is impossible but based on considerable research most sources looked unreasonably high priced as in $100.00 per module and above.

Conclusion

The future of ZigBee is very bright. It is poised to take over low power home wireless applications like remote control and X-10 like controls. In buildings ZigBee will own all short to moderate range monitoring and low data rate exchange. Look for Zigbee modules to be in the couple dollar range in a year or two!

With Chipcon leading the way, the emergence of System-on-a-chip (SoC) platforms will dramatically reduce cost and package size. Not be outdone by the Europeans look for Motorola (Freescale) and others like Micrel to expand their offerings.

Best deployment strategy based on the current market

Roll out with OEM Modules from Helicomm or alike and use our own enclosures as needed. Use an easily customized API and GUI and just go into custom solution mode. Many companies are springing up all over the place addressing custom applications for a variety of monitoring needs. We can join this trend exploiting as many overlooked opportunities as possible. The window for such a business plan is limited as the big solution firms expand their reach into lower volume applications.

With Wal-Mart being the driving force behind RFID inventory management in the retail food segment there will likely be many firms already looking at expanding the role of RFID networks in the Retail store. In other words we are a little late to the game but there should be enough short term opportunities to make it worth while. As with any emerging technology those who can exploit the overlooked markets can create and maintain market share for a reasonable period of time.

Exerpts from just a few of our patent applications in this market

intelligent rfid based allocation of labor in a retail store environment

Jack Durban

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an RFID based situational labor response system that optimizes the allocation of labor according to a predetermined threshold to optimize retail store operations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The typical day to day operations of a retail store, more specifically a retail food store reflect a mix of predictable and not so predictable events that can make the allocation of labor very difficult especially at peak sales periods and Holidays. The management of labor in such a hectic environment is exasperated by a lack of awareness of situational conditions that must be efficiently addressed without affecting other much needed tasks. In a retail food store there are many shared and overlapping operational responsibilities. Managers will at times have to perform point of sale checkout functions, respond to a vendor call or visit, and other tasks assigned to personnel several tiers below management level. Checkers will at times bag groceries for other checkers and even escort patrons to their vehicles when courtesy clerks are busy elsewhere. Courtesy clerks are tasked with so many duties that they can found bagging, assisting patrons to their transportation, cleaning up spills, stocking shelves, rounding up shopping carts, answering incoming calls, responding to delivery trucks and whatever else is needed at any moment often without and warning.

The operations of a retail food store at times could be better described as a triage where the allocation of labor is based purely on panicky dynamic situational need for instant remediation.

The most time consuming and more often than not, time wasting task is the retrieval and relocation of shopping carts that can be displaced from one end of the store property to the other and sometimes off the property in the street and other dangerous places. Shopping carts are scattered and grouped in such a way as to deny any logical method or optimal route in their recovery and return to the front of the store. Without knowing in advance how many carts are on hand and readily available for patrons, how many are use inside the store, and how many are scattered all over the property or off premises there is no way to know when to task someone with a cart roundup so often times roundups are conducted in a very inefficient manner that wastes valuable time and resources. One can often observe store employees bringing in one cart at a time in such a manner that looks more like a coffee break than any task of merit.

Shopping carts and Shopping Baskets, more specifically hand held or carried shopping baskets are very important to any retail establishment as a means of providing a convenient method of holding and transporting merchandise while shopping as well as transporting merchandise from a POS “point of sale” terminal or cash register to the patron’s transportation means. It is well known in the retailing industry that maintaining a constant and ready to deploy supply of shopping carts and shopping baskets is imperative to maintaining patron satisfaction. Often a patron dissatisfied in the unavailability of a shopping cart or basket will not return to the particular retailer and will elect to shop elsewhere.

Shopping carts and Shopping Baskets are also used in the commission of theft of the retailer’s goods and other assets when taken into areas like restrooms, changing rooms, closets, storage areas, and other areas where one can temporarily remain out of view of store personnel and security cameras.

Hand carried shopping baskets are often removed from the store interior without authorization and offer no immediate advantage to the patron once their purchase is made since the goods that once occupied the basket now fit into an equal or greater capacity hand carried bag or sack. Therefore unlike a shopping cart there is no useful utility provided in taking the hand carried basket out of the store other than untoward intentions like theft for personal gain.

Vendors that deliver goods or services to retail stores during operational hours can represent a real burden on store personnel when they have to, without warning, stop their current duties which could be stocking inventory, helping patrons or other needed services to go to the loading dock to answer a door.

In light of the aforementioned there is a need for a high visibility retail store operations monitoring system that could provide real time locations and inventories of critical assets and employees. A system that not only takes a lot of guess work out of cart inventory management but provides a valuable metric of operational efficiency leading to better decision making and hopefully lowering the cost of doing business.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of this invention to provide a RFID based situational labor response system and network that optimizes the allocation of labor according to a predetermined threshold to streamline day to day retail store operations.

Thus, the instant invention concerns the use of active, passive or hybrid thereof, RFID Tags worn by store personnel, attached to or concealed upon or within wheeled carts and carried baskets, vendors, vendor vehicles and corresponding RFID tag readers that detect and or exchange data with the active or passive RFID Tags. The active or passive RFID tag may consist of any type of known or unknown active or passive device that responds to a corresponding interrogating RFID transceiver systems or transmitter with a unique identifying electronic serial number or other identifier distinguishing each tag from each other. The active or passive tag besides having a means of accepting, retaining and producing a distinguishing electronic serial number or unique identifier upon receipt of a corresponding tag reader may be capable accepting, recording, retaining and producing data other than a serial number or other identifying code. This data may contain valuable information about the tagged asset, personnel, vendor, host shopping cart or hand carried shopping basket. The active or passive tag may also accept, record, and producing upon receipt of a corresponding tag reader, travel history in so much as the number of times it passed within readable proximity of a checkpoint or landmark, number of times it came into readable proximity of a passage way, number of times it came into readable proximity of a point of purchase “POP” display or kiosk or any other point of interest equipped with a corresponding RFID tag reader.

In preferred embodiments, strategically displaced fixed location tag readers may be deployed about the retailer’s entrance and exit doors, shopping cart corrals, shopping basket storage bins, dressing rooms, restrooms, food service areas, and other areas deemed as important check points, choke points, and areas where theft of goods are likely to occur at a location obscured of personnel and camera view. A strategically placed tag interrogating transceiver systems near cart and basket prohibited areas could alert store personnel that a potential thief has violated a “No cart/basket” area with a cart or basket. In the meanwhile those tasked with loss prevention can go about their duties without having to keep on eye on every potential shoplifter entering areas of high risk of loss through obfuscation.

Accordingly providing a means of automated shopping cart and shopping basket inventory disposition about the store property accompanied by early warnings of pending inventory depletions would allow store personnel assigned the task or retrieving said inventories to focus on other much needed store duties like bagging goods, helping patrons and assisting in other retail operations until electronically notified that a roundup is warranted. This notification could be by a worn pager, wall or cabinet structure mounted enunciator or other practical means. Keeping track of shopping cart and shopping basket location and their respective quantities by geographic zone or location about the store property both inside and out, would provide the necessary data to enhance the readiness and availability of these critical shopping aids by alerting store personnel of pending shortages before they occur.

This data will also save considerable wasted time in unnecessary or untimely parking lot shopping cart roundups by courtesy clerks and others.

Shopping cart corral mounted RFID tag readers could keep track of their own local inventories and report wirelessly to a network. As RFID tagged carts or trolleys enter the corral their tag identification is logged and a counter adds it to the total number of carts in the corral. Conversely if a cart is removed from the corral the cart’s tag’s I.D. is read as an outbound cart and the cart corral’s counter will deduct it from the total of carts remaining. When the cart corral reaches a predetermined count it can alert store personnel responsible for cart retrieval or relocation.

A plurality of strategically placed and networked RFID readers distributed about the retail store interior and exterior reporting the proximity of RFID tags residing on or within shopping carts, baskets, data entry terminals, forklifts, pallet jacks and any other mobile or portable store asset as well as store personnel cart corrals, store and assets would provide the visibility to better manage the allocation of labor and optimize operational efficiency and reduce labor related costs.

A strategically located tag reader at the delivery entrance or driveway looking for a windshield mounted RFID tag could alert store personnel giving them more time to respond to the vendor or activate a remote door not having to physically open the door in person.

As those in the art will appreciate, the instant inventory management and security system could easily apply to any wheeled vehicle and hand carried or portable basket or like device and the term RFID also includes similar technologies like EAS “Electronic Article Surveillance”.

An imbedded RFID placed on or within the basket would be detected by strategically located tag readers like those at the store’s entrances, exits and areas of high risk of loss like restrooms, changing rooms and food service areas.

These and other aspects of the invention are described below, while still others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based on the descriptions provided in this specification, which other shall also be within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 Redacted

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

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I claim:

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ABSTRACT

The invention concerns an EAS “Electronic Article Surveillance” based shopping cart and or shopping basket inventory control and security system relying upon the cooperation of one or more active and or passive tags mounted to or displaced within shopping carts and hand carried baskets and at least one stationary or portable EAS interrogating transceiver system or “tag reader”.

RFID BASED ANTI-PUSHOUT APPARATUS AND METHOD

Jack Durban

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an RFID based anti-pushout security system that will sound an alarm and or alert store personnel when a patron attempts to exit a retail store with a shopping cart or trolley without first completing a valid transaction at a manned checkout or self-check point of sale terminal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of shopping carts or trolleys for the containment, concealment, and eventual theft of one or more items by exiting the interior of a retail store through the store’s entrance or exit doors is well known. More commonly referred to by loss prevention experts as “Pushout” the use of a shopping cart or trolley, partially or fully loaded with merchandise to facilitate the theft of goods represents millions of dollars in losses every year to retailers all over the world.

EAS and RFID anti-theft systems provide a proven deterrent against casual theft. The occasional shoplifter unfamiliar with these systems and their mode of operation, will either be revealed in the act, or will refrain from stealing. Informed shoplifters with appropriate tools can cloak, remove or deactivate merchandise tags providing the tag(s) are not concealed or embedded inside the merchandise packaging. (As a service to retailers called “source tagging”, some manufacturers embed security tags in the packaging of their products, or even inside the product itself.)

Beyond the occasional or informed offenders, organized crime and roving groups of thieves target easily fenced high value items like alcohol, meat, cosmetics, fragrances, toiletries, tobacco products, chocolate, DVD’s, CD’s, clothing, and baby formula. Baby formula was the target of organized crime during a trade embargo with a Middle Eastern country in the early 90’s. At eight to nine dollars U.S. per can this powdered commodity cost retailers millions over a very brief period of time.

In a frenzied retail store there just are not enough watchful eyes to keep track of those who seek to exploit this inherent security vulnerability. Even if detected in the act, the culprit often has a waiting accomplice waiting outside in a vehicle at the ready for a quick getaway with or without the retailer’s goods.

In light of the aforementioned need to stem the act of and losses associated with the act of using a shopping cart as a means of concealing and transporting unpaid for goods, there is a need for a means of reducing or eliminating this, until now, unavoidable loss.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of this invention to provide an integrated EAS “Electronic Article Surveillance” and or RFID based shopping cart anti-pushout method and apparatus to provide retailers and other providers of wheeled cart-like vehicles containers a means of detecting and alerting store personnel of an attempted bypass of the checkout or point of sale transaction process be it manned or unmanned self checkout.

Thus, the instant invention concerns the use of an active, passive or a hybrid thereof, asset tag attached to or concealed within wheeled carts and corresponding EAS and or RFID interrogating transceiver systems that detect and or exchange data or arming/disarming command with the active or passive asset tags. The active or passive EAS and or RFID tag may consist of any type of known or unknown to date active or passive device that may respond to a corresponding interrogating EAS and or RFID transceiver systems or transmitter utilizing a unique identifying electronic serial number or other identifier distinguishing each tag from each other. The active or passive tags besides having a means of being remotely armed, disarmed, activated, deactivated, may be capable of accepting, retaining and producing a distinguishing electronic serial number or unique identifier upon receipt of a corresponding interrogating transceiver systems may or may not also be capable accepting, recording, retaining and producing data other than a serial number or other identifying code. This data may contain valuable information about the host shopping cart or hand carried shopping like basket like date of manufacture, unique characteristics, materials used, lot code as well as other manufacturer or distributor specific data that may be known or come to be known. The active or passive tag may also accept, record, and produce upon demand originating from a corresponding interrogator/receiver, travel history in so much as traveling upon or through a detectable proximity of a checkpoint, landmark, passage way, or other notable point of interest equipped with a corresponding interrogator/receiver.

In preferred embodiments the arming of the shopping cart or trolley’s on-board asset tag occurs upon the passing through a checkpoint interrogator/receiver located proximate the establishment’s entrance door. The shopping cart or trolley remains in an armed state for the duration of the time it remains in the establishment’s interior or contained area of operation.

The disarming of the shopping cart or trolley can be accomplished by establishment personnel or upon the execution of a valid checkout or point of sale transaction is transacted by a strategically placed stationary tag interrogator/receiver that transmits commands to the shopping cart or trolley’s onboard asset tag as it exits an active checkout, self check isle or other like automated, manned or unmanned station or facility. To establish the ideal interrogator/receiver to cart mounted asset tag communication path or method, the interrogator/receiver is mounted coplanar to cart or trolley mounted asset tag as it passes through the checkout isle. The cart or trolley’s on-board tag or tags may be of any tag variety including but not limited to all EAS, RFID, passive, and or active type tags as well as any like device.

In preferred embodiments patrons who execute and complete a transaction consisting of rendering payment for goods will cause the point of sale tag interrogator/receiver to issue an “OK to exit” command to the shopping cart or trolley’s asset tag or tags. This command may be conveyed in one or more protocols to effect a change of state in dissimilar tag topologies. In the case of an EAS tag the “OK to exit” command may actually be a “Deactivate” instruction causing the EAS type tag to become deactivated and invisible to an EAS interrogator/receiver.

In direct contrast, a person who attempts to evade the transaction process by exiting through an inactive checkout isle or other passageway to gain access to the front of the store or the store’s entrances or exits will cause an alarm to sound as a result of the shopping cart or trolley’s onboard tag failing to receive the “OK to exit” and or “Deactivate” instruction.

The actual detection of the patron pushing an armed cart attempting to leave the store occurs when the patron enters an interrogation zone of one or more EAS and or RFID interrogator/receivers that can read the shopping cart’s onboard tag’s status or other information indicating a failure to execute a completed transaction.

EAS “Electronic Article Surveillance” is typically a Magnetic, Acousto-Magnetic, R.F., or Microwave based system that protects merchandise from theft. An EAS system has three components: 1) labels, hard tags, electronic sensors or “markers” that are attached to merchandise; 2) deactivators and detachers—used at the point of sale to electronically deactivate labels and detach reusable hard tags as items are purchased; and 3) interrogator/receivers that create surveillance zones at exits or checkout aisles. The interrogator/receiver are housed and or concealed in decorative bollards that encompass a doorway or choke point. Some systems are buried into the retailer’s floor or mounted over doorways and or choke points.

The EAS process begins by attaching labels or hard tags to merchandise. When an item is purchased, the label is deactivated or the hard tag is removed. However, if merchandise with an “armed” or active label or hard tag is carried past the interrogator/receiver, store personnel are alerted by sounding or silent alarm.

EAS systems operate from a simple principle: a transmitter sends a signal at predetermined frequencies to a receiver. This creates a surveillance area where upon entering the area, a tag or label with special electromagnetic field reactive characteristics creates a disturbance, which is detected by the receiver. The exact means by which the tag or label disrupts the signal is a distinction between EAS system technologies. For example, tags or labels may alter the signal by using a simple semi-conductor junction, a tuned circuit composed of an inductor and capacitor, magnetic strips, or vibrating resonators.

The physics of a particular EAS tag and resultant EAS technology determines which frequency range is used to create the surveillance area. EAS systems range from very low frequencies through the radio frequency range. Similarly, these different frequencies play a key role in establishing the features that affect operation.

Another EAS technology used is swept R.F. utilizing a transmitter to create a surveillance area where tags and labels are detected. The transmitter sends a signal that varies between 7.4 and 8.8 MHz. The transmitter signal energizes the swept R.F. tag or label, which is composed of a circuit containing a capacitor and an inductor, both of which uniquely yet cooperatively store electrical energy and resonate at a predetermined rate or frequency.

In addition to the small tag signal, the receiver also responds to the much larger transmitter signal. By detecting a phase difference between these two signals, and other properties of the tag signal, the receiver recognizes the presence of a tag and generates an alarm.

Another EAS technology used is a magnetic marker based system comprising a strip of soft magnetic material which interacts with a ferromagnetic element made of a hard magnetic material which can be magnetized or demagnetized. The soft magnetic strip resonates and generates harmonics in the presence of a magnetic field having a predetermined frequency. This allows the marker to be identified. The hard ferromagnetic element can be magnetized or demagnetized thereby deactivating or activating the marker.

Another type of marker is the acousto-magnetic or magneto-mechanical marker. This type of marker comprises a strip of magnetostrictive material and a strip of magnetic material of high coercivity. The magnetostrictive material resonates mechanically in the presence of a magnetic field of a particular frequency. This resonance can be detected by a receiver sensitive to the magnetic field created by the mechanical resonating magnetostrictive material and is deactivated by modifying the magnetic bias of the strip of magnetic material upon checkout.

As the loss prevention industry develops more advanced and integrated anti-theft strategies the compounding of EAS and RFID technologies into a common system architecture the instant invention addresses both existing and emerging EAS and RFID solutions.

As juxtaposed to EAS technology RFID “Radio Frequency Identification” is a method of identifying unique items using radio waves. Passive RFID systems are made up of 3 major components: readers, reader antennas and tags. The reader, sometimes called the interrogator, sends and receives RF data to and from the tag via one or more antennas. The reader antennas are responsible for sending and receiving the radio waves and may be optimized for read only, write only, linear polarization and circular polarization to better communicate with tags in various spatial or physical orientation. The tag, or transponder, is made up of a Detector, capacitor, microchip, an antenna, and an inlay carrier to which the chip and antenna are encapsulated. The primary application for RFID is the remote identification of products or merchandise where the tag inlay is laminated into a typical label that is dispensed from a printer that applies the product’s UPC code and other data. To accommodate applications such as revealed in the instant invention the tag inlay is embedded into a housing or hard potted compound to mitigate tag failure due to physical impact.

RFID technology is used today in many applications, including security and access control, transportation and supply chain tracking. It is a technology that works well for collecting multiple pieces of data on items for tracking and counting purposes in a cooperative environment.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 Redacted

As those in the art will appreciate, the following description describes certain preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, and is thus only representative and does not depict the actual scope of the invention. Before describing the present invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments, devices, components, systems, and methodologies described, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop and provide a an integrated EAS “Electronic Article Surveillance” based shopping cart and or shopping basket inventory control system to provide retailers and other providers of wheeled cart-like vehicles or hand carried basket-like containers to aid patrons in the selection, procurement and transport of goods while on the retailer’s premises. In particular, the present invention provides a network based shopping cart and shopping basket localization and security system intended to increase operational efficiency and reduce loss due to theft.

The invention will be now be described in relation to several embodiments depicted in Figures 1-6.

Referring now to Fig. 1, which depicts a typical an EAS based shopping cart and or shopping basket inventory control and security system relying upon the cooperation of one or more active and or passive tags mounted to or displaced within the shopping cart and or shopping basket structure and one or more strategically displaced stationary or portable EAS interrogating transceiver systems or “tag readers”.

Referring now to Fig. 2, Redacted

I claim:

1. Redacted

ABSTRACT

PROPRIETARY NETWORK BASED SELF LOCALIZING AND

SHOPPING CART RECOVERY SYSTEM

Jack Durban

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a proprietary network based on and off premises self localizing and reporting, fixed or portable, shopping cart asset tag interrogating data logger exploiting GPS and or E-GPS as a means of providing latitude and longitude coordinates coincident with a time and date of the shopping cart at the time of its detection and or recovery. Shopping cart detection and or recovery event data is then either recorded securely into the memory of the shopping cart’s asset tag, any on or offsite cooperative interrogating means and or a shopping cart recovery event logging apparatus means. The shopping cart specific detection and or recovery event data may also be reported in real time or upon a predetermined schedule via wireless transmission to a secure server where subscribers can locate their shopping carts providing they where detected or recovered . Subscribers may consist of but shall not be limited in scope to retail store management, loss prevention personnel or services, shopping cart retrieval services, municipalities and the like. The shopping cart recovery event data may also be conveyed by a RFID and or EAS interrogating transceiver located at the retail store that owns or maintains the shopping cart upon its return or its eventual exposure to a proximate The cart recovery event logging apparatus may be handheld, fixed location, and or mounted to a vehicle more specifically a truck used to recover and return shopping carts to their respective owners, commonly referred to “cart retrieval services”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shopping carts are frequently removed from store premises by patrons without the knowledge or permission of the shopping cart’s owner. These wayward shopping carts are often never returned by the patron or others and have to be recovered by paid shopping cart retrieval service providers. Shopping carts that are not promptly removed from public and private property other than a retail store property may be confiscated as provided by local or other statute and held for redemption by municipalities. Often the municipalities that perform their own shopping cart confiscation roundups and storage thereof do mot always promptly or ever contact the respective owners of the seized inventories preventing the timely return of the much needed shopping carts. To further exacerbate this situation, some shopping cart retrieval service providers have been known to retrieve shopping carts from their own client retailer’s property and then charge the retailer for their recovery as if they were actually off premises and missing. Some missing shopping carts never make it back to their original owners due to theft and resale to other retailers with or without their knowledge. Smaller independent retailers as an almost accepted way of conducting business can resort to scavenging shopping cart inventories from surrounding areas and each other without regard to who might own the shopping carts due to the costs associated with maintaining their own fleets.

Larger retailers that maintain more than one operation in relatively close proximity often lose and gain inventories between themselves creating imbalances of deployable shopping cart inventories. This wreaks havoc on the industry’s ability to maintain any resemblance of control, custody and maintenance of their shopping carts often forcing retailers to purchase carts in a panic during periods of depleted inventories only to later be overwhelmed with excess inventories when the missing carts arrive at any point in time thereafter.

The retail industry loses tens of millions of dollars annually to long and short term shopping cart loss which is passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. The need exists for a means to permanently identify shopping carts and provide a means of providing accountability in the retrieval process by identifying the actual location of a recovered shopping cart at the time of recovery. The instant invention addresses this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of this invention to provide an industry wide proprietary network based shopping cart detection and recovery system intended to offer never before realized shopping cart inventory control and visibility for all parties concerned from the owners, the relevant services, and those acting in the public interest working to reduce blight from displaced carts.

an integrated permanent machine-readable shopping cart identification tag or label and a means of recording the tag or label along with GPS coordinates and time & date stamp.

Thus in one aspect the instant invention concerns the use of an active, passive or hybrid thereof, RFID Tag permanently attached to or concealed within shopping carts that can be both operably readable and writable by fixed or portable proximate interrogating transceivers that detect and or exchange data with the active, passive, or hybrid RFID type Tags and log location, time and date of the data exchange. The active or passive RFID tag may consist of any type of known or unknown active or passive device that responds to a corresponding interrogating transceiver or transmitter with a unique identifying electronic serial number or other identifier distinguishing each tag from each other. The active or passive tag besides having a means of accepting, retaining and producing a distinguishing electronic serial number or unique identifier upon receipt of a corresponding interrogating transceiver may or may not also be capable accepting, recording, retaining and producing data other than a serial number or other identifying code. This data may contain valuable information about the shopping cart like date of manufacture, unique characteristics, materials used, lot code as well as other manufacturer, distributor or owner specific data that may be known or come to be known.

In preferred embodiments, the active or passive tag may also accept, record, and produce upon receipt of a corresponding interrogator, travel or other activity history while on or off the store owner’s premises in so much as the number of times it passed within readable proximity of any checkpoint or landmark, passageway, choke point or the like.

Offsite examples may include but shall not be limited to offsite shopping cart tag interrogating transceivers like public cart return corrals, municipal shopping cart holding facilities, public strategically located choke point interrogators, handheld interrogators, vehicle mounted interrogators and the like. A “cart recovery event” is defined as the act of physically taking possession of a shopping cart with the intent of returning it to the rightful owner for remuneration under some agreement or contract with a retailer.

Onsite examples may include but not shall not be limited to onsite shopping cart corrals, portable interrogators used by store employees or outside third party services, store interior interrogators, store exterior interrogators and the like.

As those in the art will appreciate, the instant inventory management and security system could easily apply to any wheeled vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a representative circuit block diagram according to a preferred embodiment

Redacted

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention will be now be described in relation to several embodiments depicted in Figures 1-6.

Referring now to Fig. 2, which depicts

Referring now to Fig. 3, which depicts Redacted

I claim:

1. Redacted

ABSTRACT