Article security system.

(42) Date of commencement of the patent: 15. 4. 1996 (45) Date of issue: 27.12.1996 (30) Priority:

17th 7.1986 US 886418 claims. (56) Documents:

(73) Patent owner:

CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. 08086 THOROFARE (US).

(54) A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (57) A person wishing to take along items which are protected by security tags deposits these items at one end of a check-in passageway (12, 13, 14). , From there they are transported to the opposite end of the check-in passage as part of the check-in procedure. The person who has deposited the articles is prevented (17) from escorting them all the way through the check-in process, but is able to reach the opposite end only via a control passage (19), which is accessible from the The departure is self-contained. The separate inspection passage (19) is equipped with an electronic article surveillance system (18). The same separate inspection passage (19) and its associated electronic article surveillance system (18) serve a plurality of handling operations (12, 13, 14).

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MR 0078013

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The invention relates to a check-in system for business premises with an interior area, where security-tagged articles are held ready to be carried by customers, with check-in, which lead indoors to a common exit leading to the exit of the business and run directly next to registration facilities for goods registration, and at least one of the security tags, in an article surveillance system arranged only by the customers without their goods passable.

Electronic article surveillance (and its abbreviation EAS) is the general term commonly used to refer to a variety of techniques that are used to electronically capture the unauthorized removal of merchandise from a store.

The EAS is practiced using a variety of different detection systems. However, these systems all have two major components in common. One component takes the form of a special security tag, which is attached to each piece of merchandise that is to be protected from unauthorized removal. The other component is in the form of an electronic device capable of detecting the proximity of one of the special security tags. For example, For example, the tag may be provided with an electrical circuit designed to resonate at a particular high frequency, and the sensing device may be in the form of two antennas, one of which emits electrical signals in a frequency band representing the resonant frequency contains and the other receives these signals. These antennas are arranged on opposite sides of a handling passage. When goods with such a tag attached are moved between the antennas, the received signals are distorted by the presence of the tag; An electronic signal processing circuit connected to the receiving antenna detects this distortion and triggers an alarm.

In the presence of such an EAS system, it seems necessary to distinguish between goods whose removal is permitted (eg because they have been paid for) and goods whose removal is inadmissible. The EAS system itself is by nature incapable of making that distinction. It triggers an alarm when a security tag is detected, regardless of the item's acceptability or ineligible state.

One way to cope with this situation is to invalidate the label at the time when the appropriate piece of merchandise is accepted. In the high frequency system example given above, this may be accomplished by physically removing either the label at the time the merchandise is properly handled, or by electronically inactivating the label at that time so that its subsequent passage between the antennas is through the antenna EASSystem is no longer detectable.

An entirely different solution is not to remove and disable the security tag and provide two separate ways to leave the store, one for the approved product and the other for the customer. The customer exit route leads through the EAS system (eg between two high-frequency system antennas), but this does not apply to the goods issue. In practice, this involves providing a check-in exit at one end of which the goods are deposited before the customer passes through the EAS system installed in the aisle. The customer then passes through this system en route to the opposite end of the doorway while the goods are being moved along the aisle in a path parallel to the customer's route but not passing through the EAS system. The customer then receives the goods back and leaves. In this way, any EAS system alarm is presumably attributable to the presence of labeled goods that are still in the customer's possession rather than being properly cleared. This separation of routes makes it possible to distinguish (either intentionally or unintentionally) between properly processed goods and any goods that are taken without proper clearance.

Such a handling system was eg by US Pat. No. 4,583,083. In this known solution, the article surveillance systems are arranged in a common corridor, and the goods have to be expelled from this corridor by employees of the shop across the length thereof from the corridor, whereas the customers pass longitudinally through the article surveillance system and after leaving the business premises to receive their purchased goods.

However, this has the disadvantage that the customers still have contact with their selected goods after their registration and it is therefore possible to fraudulently passed by the registration device unregistered goods after the collection of the other selected goods by the registration device to the registered goods and without passing through the article surveillance system.

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Furthermore, DE 35 24 231 C1 a check-in system has been known, are provided in which between two cash registers arranged in a check-pass control. However, this results in the disadvantage of a very high Kontroliaufwandes, since in each check-in a corresponding article surveillance system must be installed.

Furthermore, US Pat. No. 4 574 863 A has disclosed a check-in system in which the goods are fed via a conveyor belt to a detection device which is occupied by a person entrusted with the collection and to which a packing station is arranged downstream. In this case, each conveyor belt is assigned a separate passage from this for the customer, who can take his goods after detection by the detection device in the packing station again in reception. In this case, physical locks are provided for each passage, which are inserted and locked in out of service detection station in the corresponding passage.

In this known solution, however, no electronic article surveillance system is provided so that a fraudulent entrainment of articles by a customer is relatively easily possible.

The aim of the invention is to provide a handling system of the type mentioned above, which can be built with the least possible production cost while providing a high level of security and can be operated with a low personnel costs.

According to the invention, this is achieved in a check-in system of the type mentioned in the introduction, that locks are provided in a manner known per se in the check-in passages, which prevent customers from carrying out operations accompany the goods to be registered through the check-in passages to their opposite ends and that the at least one gear, in which an article surveillance system is located, exclusively as an additional, is formed separately from the check-in corridors from the interior to the common passage leading inspection corridor.

By the proposed measures, it is possible with only one or a small number of inspections, which are equipped with relatively complex means for detecting the security labels, the Auslangen to find. At the same time, however, there is a high degree of security against the fraudulent removal of unrecorded goods. It is also not necessary due to the proposed arrangement to bring the properly recorded goods by business staff to a customer after passing through the inspection passage accessible delivery point, as required by the prior art.

In the presence of a larger number of check-in passages, it is expedient to provide a plurality of check passes, each of which is assigned a plurality of check-in passages. This makes it possible for customers to reach their duly registered goods quickly.

It is advantageous if the inspection routes are separated by several check-in passages, so that there are only relatively short paths from the outputs of the inspection lanes to the outlets of the handling lanes assigned to them.

The barriers provided in the check-in passages may be formed by physical obstacles, which ensures a very secure protection against fraudulent manipulation of accompanying goods in the check-in process, which is not secured by an article surveillance system.

In principle, it is also possible to provide an immaterial barrier, such as a clue that prohibits the passage, whereby in case of danger, eg by fire, or in case of panic, a rapid leaving the business premises is possible.

According to a further features of the invention can be provided that the inspection passage from a clear view of the goods at the common gear facing ends of the Abfertigungsgänge consists.

A particularly high level of security results if the surveillance system arranged article surveillance system only allows the passage of individuals. It is also ensured that an eventual alarm can be assigned to a specific person.

According to a further feature of the invention can be provided that only registration devices for detecting the goods are provided at the check-in passages, and that a device for paying the goods in the inspection passage, preferably close to the interior, is arranged. These measures allow a rapid settlement of the recorded goods with a minimum of personnel.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Showing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of a handling system according to the invention and

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the invention.

In both figures, the same reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

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FIG. 1 shows a layout diagram of a portion of a typical supermarket near the exit of the store. In this diagram, reference numeral 10 denotes the limitation of the entire shop. A door 11 is provided which serves as an exit for the customers. An adjacent door 11a serves as an entrance, with an inner barrier 11b preventing entrance and exit traffic from mixing. A set of check-in passages 12, 13 and 14 is controlled by their check-in counter 12a, 13a and 14a and the space in front of each of these switches formed. One end of each passage 12, 13 and 14 faces the shop interior. The other end faces a common passage 16 which connects these passage ends to each other and to the exit 11. In the diagram shown in the diagram in FIG. 1 In the arrangement shown, the employees (not shown) serving these check-in passages are on the left sides of the switches 12a, 13a and 14a, while the customers themselves are along the right sides of the switches 12a, 13a and 14a.

According to the present invention, a barrier 17 is provided in each handling passage 12, 13 and 14. These barriers 17 are constructed and arranged so that a customer is no longer able to conveniently reach goods that the same customer has placed on a particular check-in counter after having handled the goods by the clerk and moved them to the end of the switch is, which faces the common passage 16. Such barriers 17 are not present in conventionally designed shops. It should be noted that some conventional handling operations have something that appears like such barriers and is formed by swinging doors that are part of EAS systems associated with those aisles (see FIG. the above-mentioned US Pat. 4 583 083). The purpose of these known doors, however, was not to prevent the customer from finally passing through the check-in corridor completely. This, in contrast, is the purpose of each barrier 17 in FIG. 1.

Further, according to the invention, the check-in passages themselves are not equipped with their own EAS systems. Rather, a single EAS system 18 serves all three dispatching passages 12, 13 and 14. In this regard, the present invention is similar to the proposal set forth in this US Pat. 4 583 083 is described. However, unlike this patent, this single EAS system 18 is located not at the store exit, but rather along a separate inspection corridor 19 leading from the merchandise display and selection area 15 to the common passage 16.

Finally, to leave the business, all customers must first pass the same inspection process 19. If they do, they are exposed to the action of the EAS system 18 associated with the inspection gear 19, and that will be the case while they are separated from the goods they have previously delivered at the check-in counter. As a result, an alarm given by the EAS system 18 will presumably be due to goods owned by a customer without being properly cleared.

After passing the patrol passage 19, each customer uses the common passageway 16 to return to the same dispatching passageway 12, 13 or 14 that had been used by that particular customer. There waits the goods of this customer at the end of this corridor, which faces the common passage 16. The customer is now free to take back the waiting, processed goods and take them over the common passage 16 and the exit door 11 from the store.

It will be appreciated that numerous advantages are achieved by the arrangement of FIG. 1 be achieved. In particular, the EAS is used to check all customers leaving the store, but only one EAS system 18 is needed to serve multiple dispatch operations 12, 13 and 14. The general pattern of business interpretation remains very similar to what has been used so far. Only an additional inspection 19 must be created. This inspection passage 19 can be relatively narrow, as it mainly serves for the unimpeded passage of one customer after another without goods. This additional inspection 19 therefore requires little floor space within the shop. Another advantage is that employees no longer need to respond to EAS alerts, as is the case when each dispatching service has its own EAS system. Rather, this task may be concentrated on a single person stationed at or near the EAS system 18 associated with the patrol gear 19. This audit trail 19 may be appropriately placed in relation to other business functions to facilitate the execution of this task, eg next to the CEO position.

Best of all, the desired reduction in the number of EAS systems used in the store is achieved without resorting to additional business personnel or complicated devices for reuniting properly processed goods with the customer who purchased them must become.

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The individual components of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 may take many conventional forms.

The check-in passages 12, 13 and 14 may be of any conventional type and include, for example, a cash register, a conveyor belt for moving the goods past the cashier, a goods collection area at the end of the passageway facing the common passage 16, provisions for facilitating packaging in bags , etc., all adapted to the type of goods being handled.

The barrier 17 associated with each dispatching passageway 12, 13 or 14 may also take any desired form suitable for fulfilling its simple function of separating the customer from the properly handled goods until the customer has received the EAS code assigned to the inspection passageway 19. System 18 has happened. If the shop using the present invention is one in which shopping carts are commonly used, the lock 17 can be placed high enough to prevent the passage of people and at the same time to allow the shopping cart to deliver the goods to the cart Has brought clearance, can pass under the lock. In this way, the shopping cart for the customer is available again, so that he can use it when he finally takes the goods themselves and this takes over the passage 16 and the exit door 11 from the store.

If safety regulations prevent the use of a barrier 17 which completely blocks the path for people, this barrier can be made compliant, eg in the form of a spring-loaded swivel arm. In fact, in some cases, the lock 17 may be intangible, in the form of a sign instructing the customer not to go over a certain point, but to first return to the store interior 15 and then use the control walk 19 and the shared passage 16 to return to get to the goods.

The inspection passage 19 may be fixed in any convenient manner, for example, between a wall forming the store boundary 10 and a guide rail 20, as shown schematically in Fig. 1, or other path defining means. In any case, these structures are preferably such that the customer is able to keep an eye on the properly handled goods as he moves on the inspection passage 19 and in the common passage 16.

It is also desirable to sufficiently limit the number of check-in passages serviced by a single EAS-equipped control passage 19 so that neither the traffic on this check corridor 19 nor the time lag between the client's reentry into the business area 15 and return to the check-in, where he finds the goods, becomes excessively long. Therefore, as the number of check-in passages increases, it may be necessary to provide additional passages 19, each of which, of course, is equipped with its own EAS system 18. In this case, then, these check passes 19 are preferably distributed along the series of check-in passes, so that each particular check-in passage is no more than three or four such passages away from a control passage 19.

The EAS system 18 associated with the audit trail 19 may also take any of several known forms, such as those sold under the name Checkpoint Mark III by Checkpoint Systems, Inc. of Thorofare, New Jersey, USA.

It is now on Fig. 2 of the drawings, which shows a part of the business, which has the same layout as that in FIG. 1 has, with the following exceptions. In Fig. 2 are the three check-in counter shown with the reference numerals 12b, 13b and 14b. The addition of this suffix b indicates that these switches are connected to the check-in switches 12a, 13a and 14a in FIG. 1 do not quite agree. The difference is that the switches 12b, 13b and 14b in FIG. 2 have no money handling facilities, such as cash registers. They have the same (or at least equivalent) keypad and display facilities for entering prices and related information for the goods being cleared. The actual payment will be made at a separate paying agency 21, which will serve all three check-in procedures 12, 13 and 14. In each check-in process, the customer receives a print-out of the goods transactions that corresponds to the so-called Strip that is currently supplied by cash registers. On the way to the inspection passage 19, the customer then stops at the paying agent 21 and pays the bill based on the expression.

This centralized payment arrangement fits well with the other features of the present invention. It provides a further substantial simplification of business procedures and reduces the potential for errors resulting from the fact that the money handling takes place in each check-in process by an employee who also has to perform a variety of other tasks.

Further, the embodiment of Fig. 2 is well suited for use in conjunction with a technique currently proposed which includes further automation of the dispatching process. In this technique, the customer would personally perform the manipulation steps that the

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Check-in and use an optical scanner to read the so-called UPC bar code on the goods being handled. As in Figure 2, the customer would then go to a separate paying agency to pay for his entire purchases.

It will be understood that a variety of modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

In fact, the invention is not limited to retail outlets, but may be used in other situations with similar circumstances, for example in lending libraries. Accordingly, the scope of the inventive concept should be determined only by the appended claims.