Abstract:
System and method for integrating information concerning point of sale (POS) transactions and electronic article surveillance deactivations are disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a POS station configured to collect and transmit first data pertaining to purchased merchandise having at least one EAS tag, the POS station further configured to transmit a deactivation signal, receiving the deactivation signal at the EAS deactivator, the EAS deactivator configured to deactivate at least one EAS tag, collect second data pertaining to deactivation of at least one EAS tag, and transmit the first and second data, transmitting the first and second data to an alarm management unit, the alarm management unit adapted for collecting and relaying the first and second data, and processing the first and second data at a data processing unit, the data processing unit configured to analyze the first and second data and generate third data pertaining to the first and second data.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims a benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/630,939 filed on Nov. 24, 2004 entitled “Integration of Point of Sale (POS) Data and Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) Deactivation Data by Utilizing an Alarm Management Unit to Provide Correlated Data Reporting” by William Karl Burkholder et al., the entire contents of which being incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to point of sale (hereinafter “POS”) and an electronic article surveillance (hereinafter “EAS”) systems and more specifically to a system and method for integrating data from POS and EAS systems by utilizing an alarm management unit. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Relevant Art 
         [0005]    Current retail establishments utilize a plurality of electronic equipment within their outlets. Most important of these include a point of sale system and an electronic article surveillance system. POS systems perform retail transactions and include POS stations, such as cash registers, scanners, etc., and other equipment interconnected in a POS network. The POS stations, inter alia, identify merchandise, change inventory figures, (e.g., merchandise&#39;s price, quantity, sale reductions, etc.), and receive payment. 
         [0006]    EAS systems are detection systems that are configured to identify one or more of an EAS tags within a given detection region. EAS systems have many uses, but most often they are used as security systems for preventing shoplifting in stores. EAS systems are readily configurable for a variety of different purposes and typically are configured to make use of a number of different technologies. 
         [0007]    A typical EAS system includes an electronic detection unit, EAS tags, and a deactivator. Deactivation is commonly known to either deactivate tags attached or embedded in merchandise or detach tags from merchandise. The detection units form an EAS tag detection region and are usually placed in high traffic areas, such as entrances and exits of stores. The EAS tags have special characteristics and are specifically designed to be affixed to or embedded in merchandise or other objects sought to be protected. When an active EAS tag passes through the EAS tag detection region, the EAS system sounds an alarm, e.g., audio and/or visual alarm, to indicate the removal of the EAS tag from the proscribed area. 
         [0008]    Therefore, in order for a customer to leave with the purchased merchandise, the EAS tag attached thereto must be deactivated either by magnetically deactivating the tag or detaching the tag from the merchandise. Typically, EAS deactivators disable EAS tags mechanically or electronically and deactivation is accomplished during the retail transaction at the POS station. The EAS deactivator is connected to the POS station, which signals the EAS deactivator to disable the EAS tag once the merchandise has been paid for, allowing the merchandise to be removed from the store. Hence, during a retail transaction, both the POS transaction and the EAS deactivation in effect occur at the POS station. As a result, the POS station is involved in bidirectional communications with one or more EAS deactivators. In one direction, from POS station to the EAS deactivator, the POS station sends deactivation commands which are then forwarded to the EAS system to disable the EAS tag. In the opposite direction, from the EAS deactivator to the POS station, the EAS deactivator sends data concerning which and/or how many EAS tags have just been deactivated. Subsequently, the POS station network must also process and transport, both, the EAS deactivation data and the POS transaction data. 
         [0009]    This conventional arrangement drains extensive processing resources from the POS systems. In addition, this arrangement complicates the installation and modification of POS systems (e.g., networking equipment). Furthermore, the EAS deactivation data is processed separately from the POS transaction data, without correlating the two sources of information. Therefore, there is a need for a system which would alleviate the burden typically placed on the POS stations and networks which are routinely required to process the bidirectional POS and EAS data. Ideally, such a system would be configured to remove or modify bidirectional communication between the POS stations the EAS deactivators. The system would also correlate the two types of data to provide important statistical analysis for management concerns. 
         [0010]    In one particular useful embodiment, the present invention relates to a system for integrating information concerning point of sale (POS) transactions and electronic article surveillance (EAS) deactivations. The system includes a POS station configured to collect and transmit purchase data concerning purchased merchandise and a deactivation signal to disable EAS tag attached to the merchandise. The system also includes an EAS deactivator configured to receive the merchandise data and a deactivation signal from the POS station. The EAS deactivator is also configured to deactivate the EAS tag, collect data pertaining to deactivation of the EAS tag, and transmit the data pertaining to merchandise and deactivation. Also included, is an alarm management unit configured to receive, process and relay the purchase and deactivation data to a data processing unit, which analyzes the data and generates a report based on the data. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The present invention relates to a system and method for integrating POS transactions and EAS deactivation data and includes a POS station, an EAS deactivator, an alarm management unit, and a data processing unit. The POS station processes POS transactions, records POS data, as well as signals the EAS deactivator to disable EAS tags and transmits recorded POS data thereto. The EAS deactivator disables the EAS tags and transmits EAS deactivation data and the POS data to the alarm management unit, which relays the information to the data processing unit for data integration and correlation. 
         [0012]    One embodiment according to the present disclosure relates to a system for integrating information concerning point of sale (POS) transactions and electronic article surveillance deactivations. The system includes a POS station which collects first data pertaining to purchased merchandise with at least one EAS tag and transmits the first data to an EAS deactivator. The EAS deactivator receives the first data along with a deactivation signal from the POS station and deactivates the EAS tag(s). The EAS deactivator being configured to collect second data pertaining to the deactivation of the EAS tag(s) and to transmit the first and second data to an alarm management unit. The alarm management unit processes and relays the first and second data to a data processing unit which is configured to analyze the data and to report the first and second data or generate third data based on the first and second data. 
         [0013]    According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a set of computer-executable instructions for collecting information pertaining to a defeated electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag, the computer-executable instructions is disclosed. The set of computer-executable instructions include the steps of collecting first data pertaining to purchased merchandise having at least one EAS tag in a POS station and transmitting the first data and a deactivation signal to an EAS deactivator, receiving the deactivation signal at the EAS deactivator, the EAS deactivator adapted to deactivate at least one EAS tag, to collect second data pertaining to deactivating at least one EAS tag, transmitting the first and second data to an alarm management unit, the alarm management unit adapted for collecting and storing the first and second data, and processing the first and second data to generate a third data based on the first and second data. 
         [0014]    The present disclosure also relates to a method for integrating information concerning point of sale (POS) transactions and electronic article surveillance deactivations is disclosed. The method includes the initial steps of providing a POS station for collecting first data pertaining to purchased merchandise having at least one EAS tag and transmitting the first data and a deactivation signal to an EAS deactivator. Another step includes receiving the deactivation signal at the EAS deactivator, which is adapted to deactivate at least one EAS tag and to collect second data pertaining to deactivating at least one EAS tag. Other steps include transmitting the first and second data to an alarm management unit which is adapted to collect and store the first and second data and process the first and second data to generate third data based on the first and second data. 
         [0015]    In another particular useful embodiment, a set of computer-executable instructions for integrating information concerning point of sale (POS) transactions and electronic article surveillance (EAS) deactivations is disclosed. First, data pertaining to purchased merchandise having an EAS tag is collected by a POS station and transmitted along with a deactivation signal to an EAS deactivator. Thereafter, the data and the deactivation signal is received by the EAS deactivator, which is configured to deactivate the EAS tag. In addition, the EAS deactivator is configured to collect data pertaining to deactivation of the EAS tag and transmit the data received from the POS station and the deactivation data to an alarm management unit, which collects and relays that data. Lastly, the data is processed at a data processing configured to analyze the data and generate a report based on the data. 
         [0016]    In a further particular useful embodiment, a method for integrating information concerning point of sale (POS) transactions and electronic article surveillance (EAS) deactivations is disclosed. First, data pertaining to purchased merchandise having an EAS tag is collected by a POS station and transmitted along with a deactivation signal to an EAS deactivator. Thereafter, the data and the deactivation signal is received by the EAS deactivator, which is configured to deactivate the EAS tag. In addition, the EAS deactivator is configured to collect data pertaining to deactivation of the EAS tag and transmit the data received from the POS station and the deactivation data to an alarm management unit, which collects and relays that data. Lastly, the data is processed at a data processing configured to analyze the data and generate a report based on the data. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Various embodiments of a system and method for data logging of EAS tags are described herein with reference to the drawings wherein: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a system for integrating POS and EAS data; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary computing system for implementing the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of integrated POS and EAS data flow; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing a method for integrating POS and EAS data. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail. 
         [0023]    A system and method for integrating POS transaction and EAS deactivation data is disclosed. In general, the herein disclosed system and method relate to POS station which processes merchandise and collects and stores related POS data. The data may include information relating to particular merchandise or whether the tag is present or absent from the merchandise. The POS station, in turn, transmits the POS data and deactivation signals to an EAS deactivator which disables EAS tags and relays POS data as well as EAS deactivation data to an alarm management unit. The alarm management unit thereafter transmits the data to a data processing unit for data integration and correlation. 
         [0024]    More particularly and with specific reference to the figures,  FIG. 1  shows a data integration system  1  for collecting EAS deactivation and POS transaction data. System  1  is typically deployed in a retail environment, e.g., a department store  2 . Those skilled in the art will understand that the system  1  may be deployed in a plurality of settings where EAS systems and POS systems are usually installed. The store  2  may include a plurality of departments, e.g., men&#39;s apparel, women&#39;s apparel, electronics, etc. In addition, those departments may be subdivided into predetermined areas, e.g., shoes, fitting rooms, active wear, isles, etc. EAS tags are typically affixed to or embedded in the store&#39;s merchandise and/or the merchandise&#39;s packaging in order to prevent shoplifting. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the EAS tags may be any EAS anti-theft device, such as a label or other more sophisticated devices having an outer casing and a plurality of metallic strips. 
         [0025]    EAS systems typically operate using a transmitter and a receiver wherein the transmitter is placed on one side of the detection region and the receiver is placed on the opposite side of the detection region. In the case of a retail store, this detection region is usually defined at a checkout aisle or an exit. When an EAS tag enters the detection region, the EAS tag has a characteristic response to an exciter signal which is readily detectable. For example, the EAS tag may respond to the signal sent by the transmitter by using a simple semiconductor junction, a tuned circuit composed of an inductor and capacitor, soft magnetic strips or wires, or vibrating resonators. This characteristic response is subsequently detected by the receiver. 
         [0026]    The system  1  also includes a detection unit  4 , a point-of-sale (“POS”) station  6 , an EAS deactivator  10 , an alarm management unit  14 , and an alarm  12 . The detection unit  4  includes a transmitter and a receiver which defines a predetermined EAS tag detection region. The detection region is preferably located around or in proximity to an exit  8  since placing the detection unit  4  in a high-traffic area increases the chances of detecting shoplifted merchandise. The transmitter is configured to produces a predetermined exciter signal in the detection region. As a result, an active EAS tag (e.g., a non-deactivated or non-defeated EAS tag) passing through the detection region responds to the exciter signal which is recognized by the detection unit  4 . In that event, the detection unit  4  sends a signal to the alarm  12  which generates an alarm, e.g., audio and/or visual alarm. 
         [0027]    POS station  6  may be any device adapted for performing POS transactions, e.g., a cash register and may include a display, a keypad, a printer for printing receipts, and/or a scanner for reading UPC codes. POS station  6  is typically connected to the EAS deactivator  10  in order to disable or defeat EAS tags attached to the merchandise. 
         [0028]    More particularly, merchandise can only be removed from the store  2  if the EAS tags, which are usually attached to the merchandise or the packaging, are deactivated or defeated. The EAS deactivator  10  is typically located near or at the POS station  6  so that EAS tag deactivation occurs concurrently with the merchandise sale transaction. During the retail transaction, POS station  6  is configured to check out the merchandise, receive payment, and signal the EAS deactivator  10  to deactivate the EAS tag. Deactivation may be accomplished using any number of methods, such as physical removal of the EAS tag from the merchandise (e.g., an EAS tag attached to apparel) or electronic deactivation of the EAS tag, so that the EAS tag remains on the merchandise but will not respond to the exciter signal (e.g., an EAS tag attached within a DVD case). It is also envisioned that the EAS deactivator  10  may operate in a variety of modes. For instance, in a default mode the EAS deactivator  10  may be constantly on, where any EAS tags brought within the operational range thereof are deactivated. In another mode, the EAS deactivator  10  may be turned on to deactivate EAS tags only when required by the commands from the POS station  6 , while remaining in stand-by mode for the remainder of the time. 
         [0029]    The EAS deactivator  10  disables the EAS tag upon receiving the signal from the POS station  6 . In prior art systems, the EAS deactivator  10  transmits deactivation data (e.g., which tags have been deactivated) to the POS station  6 . In the present disclosure, the EAS deactivator  10  transmits the deactivation data to the alarm unit  14 , which is also configured to receive POS transaction data from POS station  6  via EAS deactivator  10  or detacher. As can be appreciated by the present disclosure, this eliminates bidirectional communications between the EAS deactivator  10  and the POS station  6 . 
         [0030]    The alarm unit  14 , in addition to collecting EAS deactivation data and the POS transaction data, may be a terminal which controls the EAS system as well as safety equipment in the store  2  (e.g., fire alarm, anti-theft alarm, etc.). The alarm unit  14  may also be configured as a data terminal or a computing device  300  as shown in  FIG. 2 . It is to be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the present disclosure may be implemented in software or firmware as an application program tangibly embodied on the computing device  300 . 
         [0031]    The computing device  300  may include one or more central processing units (CPU)  390 , a random access memory (RAM)  391 , a read only memory (ROM)  392  and input/output (I/O) interface(s) such as a keypad  393 , cursor control device  394  (e.g., a mouse, touchscreen, etc.), a data storage device  398 , and display device  395 . Furthermore, the computing device  300  may also include a networking device  397  which provides wired or wireless connectivity to the network  16 . In addition, various other peripheral devices may be connected to the computing device  300  by various interfaces and bus structures, such as a parallel port, serial port or universal serial bus (USB) or wireless. A system bus  396  may be included which couples the various components and may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of different bus architectures. 
         [0032]    The computing device  300  may also be configured to include an operating system and micro instruction code. The various processes and functions described herein may either be part of the micro instruction code, firmware, or part of the application program (or a combination thereof) which is executed via the operating system. In addition, the computing device  300  may be designed to include software for displaying user input screens and recording user responses as discussed in more detail below. 
         [0033]    It is to be further understood that because some of the constituent system components and method steps depicted in the accompanying figures may be implemented in software, the actual connections between the system components (or the process steps) may differ depending upon the manner in which the present disclosure is programmed. Given the teachings of the present disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the related art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations or configurations of the present disclosure. The data logging method of the present disclosure may be used at several levels, including the operating system, the application level, or by the application components. 
         [0034]    The alarm unit  14  is contemplated to connect to a communications network  16  which allows the alarm unit  14  to transmit the collected POS transaction and EAS deactivation data to a data processing unit  18 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that POS station  6 , EAS deactivator  10 , and alarm unit  14  may be interconnected in a variety of ways, using wired and/or wireless interfaces. This allows for the interconnected devices to communicate with each other and share data. 
         [0035]    The network  16  may be a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet and/or any known network that couples a plurality of computing devices to enable various modes of communication via network messages. For example, the network  16  may be a corporate intranet including a single server and multiple personal computers housed within a single facility, or alternatively, multiple servers with multiple personal computers located in different geographic locations. 
         [0036]    The data processing unit  18  may be a central server which is part of a data storage facility for the store  2 . In this instance, the data processing unit  18  would be configured to process the POS transaction and EAS deactivation data from alarm unit  14  and compile the data in a predetermined format. In addition, the data processing unit  18  may be configured to have access to other types of data related to the store  2 , (e.g., store occupancy, POS transactions, EAS tag deactivations, etc.) typically obtained from the POS station  6  or other devices connected to the network  16 . The data processing unit  18  may combine such information with the data received from the alarm unit  14  to generate reports concerning shoplifting trends in the store  2  as discussed in more detail below. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic block diagram of integrated POS and EAS data flow (also discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 4 ) showing one particularly useful method for integrating POS and EAS data. More particularly, in step  300 , a POS transaction occurs at the POS station  6 . This transaction typically involves identifying the merchandise (e.g., scanning UPC code via attached scanner, inputting identifying information manually, etc.) in order to obtain the merchandise&#39;s pricing information, receiving payment (e.g., cash, credit card, bank check, etc.), as well as collecting and storing POS transaction data which includes payment information, any discounts or surcharges, as well as customer identity, cashier identity, etc. The POS transaction data is time stamped (e.g., with date and time of the transaction) and transmitted to the EAS deactivator  10  as represented by a data stream  20 . 
         [0038]    In step  302 , the POS station  6  signals the EAS deactivator  10  to disable the EAS tag attached to the merchandise (if present). The deactivation signals are shown in a data stream  22 . The data stream  22  includes the identity of the merchandise that was purchased in step  300 , this allows the EAS deactivator  10  to disable any EAS tags associated with the merchandise. 
         [0039]    In step  304 , the EAS deactivator  10  deactivates any EAS tags found on the merchandise. This may be accomplished by contacting the detector  4  or a centralized EAS system computer (not shown) which may include a data base listing the EAS tag and detector  4  with which the EAS tag is registered. In conventional POS and EAS systems, POS station  6  and the EAS deactivator  10  are involved in bidirectional communication. After the deactivation, the EAS deactivator  10  transmits the deactivation data which includes the presence of an EAS tag, the deactivations performed, etc. back to the POS station  6 , which would then compile the EAS deactivation data with the POS transaction data. As can be appreciated, this bidirectional communication tends to slow down and burden the POS system. 
         [0040]    In according with the present disclosure, in step  306  the EAS deactivator  10  transmits the POS transaction data in a data stream  24  and the EAS deactivation data in a data stream  26  to the alarm unit  14 , thereby eliminating the need for bidirectional communication. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the POS station  6  may transmit POS transaction data directly to the alarm unit  14 , which also eliminates the bidirectional communications between the POS station  6  and the EAS deactivator  10 . 
         [0041]    In step  306 , the alarm unit  14  stores and forwards the POS transaction and EAS deactivation data to the data processing unit  18  through the network  16 . The data processing unit  18  includes a database utilized by a data-mining package, which in step  308 , correlates the number of merchandise items processed at the POS station  6  with the number of deactivations processed by the EAS deactivator  10 . The correlated data may include, for example, the following information, a cashier with an ID code 4321, logged into register No. 123, started transaction 0001, scanned item 12345678 on May 10, 2005 at 10:25:42, two EAS deactivations occurred, ended the transaction 0000. Since this information consists of text characters, it may all be stored in a string where a delimiting character, such as a comma is used denote different data fields (e.g., 4321,0123,0001,12345678,05102005,102542,002,0000). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other data structures may be used depending on the type of data collected. 
         [0042]    The correlated information may also be used for tag compliance reports, effectiveness of cashier personnel in POS transactions. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that data processing may be accomplished at the alarm unit  14  and that the data processing unit  18  is described in the present disclosure to illustrate the different stages of the method. 
         [0043]    In determining tag compliance, the data processing unit  18  would compare the number of EAS tags that have POS station  6  attempted to deactivate with the number of EAS tags actually disabled by the EAS deactivator  10 . If the numbers are not the same, it denotes that either an insufficient or extraneous number of disablements occurred. If there were an insufficient number of deactivations, the store  2  is indirectly affected, since the active EAS tags which were not properly deactivated would trigger an alarm causing unnecessary embarrassment and delay to the consumers when they would attempt to leave the store  2 . This may reflect poorly on the image of the store  2 . Conversely, if there were too many deactivations, then the EAS tags which were improperly deactivated, would allow for merchandise containing them to be removed from the store  2  without triggering the alarm  12 . Such errors may be the result of human error (e.g., the cashier operating the POS station  6  improperly deactivates the EAS tag). This results in more direct harm to the store  2  since that merchandise can be easily stolen. Correlating EAS deactivation and POS transaction data allows the managers of the store  2  to measure performance of sales personnel and take appropriate action (e.g., provide more training, transfer, termination, etc.). 
         [0044]    By enabling the EAS deactivator  10  to function as one of or as the only data collection source, many additional benefits become readily available to the owner of the store  2 , suppliers, and equipment manufacturers. More specifically, correlation of deactivation data with the scanning data provides a variety of valuable analytical tools. 
         [0045]    The system allows for verification of tag compliance for retailers as well as manufacturers. For example, if all of a manufacturer&#39;s merchandise is tagged when it is supplied to a retail establishment, the system can correlate deactivation with POS information to determine the percentage of manufacturer&#39;s goods which are mistagged (e.g., label positioned too far from bar code). Moreover, employee misconduct is readily identifiable with the presently proposed system. For instance, internal theft by sales personnel can be identified by comparing the number of POS scans with the number of EAS deactivations. The system or the resulting data gathered therefrom may also be used to identify items which are improperly tagged or labeled (e.g., label positioned too far from bar code). 
         [0046]    Integrity of the EAS deactivator(s) or the POS terminals(s) may also be readily identified as part of the presently disclosed methods or systems. For example, if the number of deactivations is significantly lower or higher than the number of scans, the cause of the discrepancy may be attributable to malfunctioning deactivating equipment. 
         [0047]    The invention according to the present disclosure integrates the POS transaction and EAS deactivation data which allows for correlation of relevant information to determine the effectiveness of the personnel and/or equipment. Furthermore, the integration eliminates the need for bidirectional communication between the POS station and the EAS system wherein allows for more effective data processing and increased data throughput. 
         [0048]    While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in the drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.