Systems and methods for identifying potential shoplifting incidents
AssigneeWal-Mart Stores, Inc.
InventorsAnindya Sankar DEY, Sadaf Riyaz SAYYAD
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for identifying potential shoplifting incidents. In one embodiment, a system can receive and analyze information related to a number of items removed from a display and a number of items added to a shopping receptacle. These numbers of items can be detected by weight or load changes sensed by a sensor system, and if the counted numbers of items do not match, the system can flag nearby shopping receptacles via their unique identification numbers as potentially involved in shoplifting incidents.
Claims22
A system for identifying a potential shoplifting incident comprising:
- a sensor system comprising a first sensor device associated with a retail display fixture and a second sensor device associated with a shopping receptacle;
- a communication system comprising a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device associated with the retail display fixture and configured to be communicatively coupled with the second communication device associated with the shopping receptacle;
- and
- a monitoring device configured to be communicatively coupled with the sensor system and the communication system and to output an alert identifying the shopping receptacle as being involved in a potential shoplifting incident if, in operation, the first communication device and the second communication device indicate that the shopping receptacle is proximate the retail display fixture when the first sensor device senses an item is removed from the retail display fixture and the second sensor device senses the item is not placed in the shopping receptacle.
A method for identifying a potential shoplifting incident comprising:
- providing a first device to be coupled to a retail display fixture and comprising a first sensor device and a first communication device;
- providing a second device to be coupled to a shopping receptacle and comprising a second sensor device and a second communication device;
- and
- providing a monitoring device configured to be communicatively coupled with the first sensor device, the second sensor device, the first communication device and the second communication device and to, in operation, output an alert identifying the shopping receptacle as being involved in a potential shoplifting incident if the first communication device and the second communication device indicate that the shopping receptacle is proximate the retail display fixture when the first sensor device senses an item is removed from the retail display fixture and the second sensor device senses the item is not placed in the shopping receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.