Anti-theft system configured to reduce false positives

An anti-theft system configured to reduce false positives of theft events in a retail store environment, the anti-theft system comprising:

• a wheel configured to connect to a human-propelled shopping cart having a basket for merchandise, the wheel comprising:
• a radio frequency (RF) cart transceiver;
• and
• a brake configured to inhibit movement of the cart when the brake is engaged;
• a door manager to be mounted in the retail store, the door manager comprising an RF communication node configured to wirelessly communicate with the RF cart transceiver;
• and
• a computer vision unit (CVU) in communication with the door manager, the CVU comprising:
• a camera configured to be mounted in the retail store and to obtain images of the cart at a position away from a pay point and as the cart is moving toward an exit door of the retail store;
• and
• an image processor;
• the CVU programmed to:
• analyze, with the image processor, the images;
• identify, using the analysis of the images, a non-theft event involving the cart, wherein the identification comprises:
• (i) a determination that the basket of the cart is empty and (ii) a determination that the cart is attempting to exit the retail store;
• and
• in response to the identification of the non-theft event involving the cart, instruct the door manager to not take an anti-theft action or to wirelessly communicate using the RF communication node an exit authorization command to the RF cart transceiver, thereby allowing the cart to exit the retail store.

An anti-theft system configured to reduce false positives of theft events in a retail store environment, the anti-theft system comprising:

• a wheel configured to connect to a human-propelled shopping cart having a basket for merchandise, the wheel comprising:
• a very low frequency (VLF) cart receiver;
• a radio frequency (RF) cart transceiver;
• and
• a brake configured to inhibit movement of the cart when the brake is engaged;
• and
• a computer vision unit (CVU) comprising:
• a camera configured to be mounted in the retail store and to obtain images of an exit region of the retail store, the exit region separate from a pay point;
• an image processor;
• and
• an RF communication node configured to wirelessly communicate with the RF cart transceiver;
• the CVU programmed to:
• analyze the images;
• identify a non-theft event involving the cart while the cart is in the exit region, wherein the identification comprises:
• (i) a determination that the basket of the cart does not contain merchandise and (ii) a determination that the cart is attempting to exit the retail store, wherein the determination that the cart is attempting to exit the retail store includes a determination that the VLF receiver has received a VLF signal at the exit region of the retail store;
• and
• in response to the identification of the non-theft event involving the cart, wirelessly communicate using the RF communication node a command to the RF cart transceiver that the cart is authorized to exit the retail store.

An anti-theft system configured to reduce false positives of theft events in a retail store environment, the anti-theft system comprising:

• a wheel configured to connect to a human-propelled shopping cart having a basket for merchandise, the wheel comprising:
• a radio frequency (RF) cart transceiver;
• and
• a brake configured to inhibit movement of the cart when the brake is engaged;
• a door manager to be mounted in the retail store, the door manager comprising an RF communication node configured to wirelessly communicate with the RF cart transceiver;
• and
• a computer vision unit (CVU) in communication with the door manager, the CVU comprising:
• a camera configured to be mounted in the retail store and to obtain images of an exit region of the retail store, the exit region separate from a pay point;
• and
• an image processor;
• the CVU programmed to:
• analyze the images;
• identify a non-theft event involving the cart while the cart is in the exit region, wherein the identification comprises:
• (i) a determination that the basket of the cart does not contain merchandise and (ii) a determination that the cart is attempting to exit the retail store;
• and
• in response to the identification of the non-theft event involving the cart, instruct the door manager to not take an anti-theft action or to wirelessly communicate using the RF communication node an exit authorization command to the RF cart transceiver, thereby allowing the cart to exit the retail store.