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US 11,961,158 B2Granted
Lift systems
AssigneeIota, Inc.
InventorsJacob Robert Bjorke, Daniel Elia Chahla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a system for retailers to monitor and track customer interaction with a product in a retail environment. The system of the present invention utilizes RFID tagged products and communicating with near field communication in an Internet of Things environment for a more comprehensive relationship between customers and the products of interest. Where the products are not so connected, the system of the present invention alerts the need for same.
Claims14
A method for item monitoring, the method comprising:
- configuring a master-servant controller for communication with a database of items, the database of items including placement locations of the items;
- detecting a first placement location of a near field communication (NFC)-enabled item in a first area of a retail environment, via a first sensor located in the first area of the retail environment linking with the NFC-enabled item, wherein the first sensor is in communication with the master-servant controller and the NFC-enabled item is tagged with a unique identifier;
- recording the first placement location of the NFC-enabled item into the database according to the unique identifier;
- monitoring, by the master-servant controller, the NFC-enabled item for customer lift;
- detecting a customer lift of the NFC-enabled item in response to the first sensor failing to link with the NFC-enabled item for a set period of time;
- recording the customer lift of the NFC-enabled item into the database;
- subsequent to detecting and recording the customer lift, detecting a second placement location of the NFC-enabled item in a second area of the retail environment, via a second sensor located in the second area of the retail environment linking with the NFC-enabled item, wherein the second sensor is in communication with the master-servant controller;
- and
- recording the second placement location of the NFC-enabled item in the database as a relocation event of the NFC-enabled item, according to the unique identifier.
6 more elements
A system for item monitoring, the system comprising:
- a controller configured to communicate with a database of items, the database of items including placement locations of the items;
- multiple sensors in communication with the controller, wherein the multiple sensors include a first sensor located in a first area of the retail environment and a second sensor located in the second area of the retail environment;
- and
- a near field communication (NFC)-enabled or radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled item tagged with a unique identifier, wherein the controller is configured to
- detect a first placement location of the item in the first area of a retail environment, in response to the first sensor linking with the item,
- record the first placement location of the item into the database according to the unique identifier,
- monitor the item for customer lift,
- detect a customer lift of the item in response to the first sensor failing to link with the item for a set period of time,
- record the customer lift of the item into the database;
- subsequent to detecting and recording the customer lift, detect a second placement location of the item in a second area of the retail environment, in response to the second sensor linking with the item, and
- record the second placement location of the item in the database as a relocation event of the item, according to the unique identifier.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.