Networked security system and method for monitoring portable consumer articles

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• and
• preparing an information log of the state of the security system by monitoring at least one of the armed, breached, and lost power states so that the state of the security system can be determined over a time period.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• identifying a location of the first portable consumer article;
• and
• determining the location of the first portable consumer article from the second location.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• providing a second portable consumer article;
• providing a second security system capable of interacting at a third location with the second portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the second security system to generate a fifth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a sixth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a seventh signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the second security system to generate an eighth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the second security system;
• operatively interacting the second security system with the second portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states for the second security system from the second location;
• processing at least one of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth signals to generate a processed signal;
• and
• communicating the processed signal to at least one of the first location, second location, and third location,
• wherein the step of communicating the processed signal comprises communicating the processed signal over a global communication network to a personal computer.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• providing a second portable consumer article;
• providing a second security system capable of interacting at a third location with the second portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the second security system to generate a fifth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a sixth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a seventh signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the second security system to generate an eighth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the second security system;
• operatively interacting the second security system with the second portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states for the second security system from the second location;
• processing at least one of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth signals to generate a processed signal;
• and
• communicating the processed signal to at least one of the first location, second location, and third location,
• wherein thestep of processing the at least one of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth signals comprises processing the at least one of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth signals through a server.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• providing a camera;
• and
• causing the camera to generate a video image taken at the first location as an incident of the generation of at least one of the first, second and third signals.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• and
• establishing a communication link between the first security system and a Web server to allow the state of the first security system to be ascertained through a Web Browser.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• making an identification of the first portable consumer article;
• determining the identification of the first portable consumer article from the second location in the event that the first security system is changed from the armed state into the breached state;
• identifying a location of the first portable consumer article;
• and
• determining the location of the first portable consumer article from the second location in the event that the security system is changed from the armed state into the breached state.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• providing a second portable consumer article;
• providing a second security system capable of interacting at a third location with the second portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the second security system to generate a fifth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a sixth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a seventh signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the second security system to generate an eighth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the second security system;
• operatively interacting the second security system with the second portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states for the second security system from the second location;
• wherein the first and third locations are within a first consumer article sales establishment and the second location is within the first consumer article sales establishment.

A method of monitoring portable consumer articles at a display, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first portable consumer article;
• providing a first security system at a first location capable of interacting with the first portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the first security system to generate a first signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a second signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the first security system to generate a third signal as an incident of the first security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the first security system to generate a fourth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the first security system;
• operatively interacting the first security system with the first portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states from a second location remote from the first location;
• providing a second portable consumer article;
• providing a second security system capable of interacting at a third location with the second portable consumer article and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state with respect to the first portable consumer article, and (d) a lost power state;
• causing the second security system to generate a fifth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the armed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a sixth signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the unarmed state;
• causing the second security system to generate a seventh signal as an incident of the second security system being placed in the breached state;
• causing the second security system to generate an eighth signal as an incident of there being a loss of power to the second security system;
• operatively interacting the second security system with the second portable consumer article;
• monitoring at least one of the armed, unarmed, breached, and lost power states for the second security system from the second location;
• wherein the first and third locations are within a first consumer article sales establishment and the second location is remote from the first consumer article sales establishment.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state, and (d) a lost power state;
• and
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system causes the generation of a signal that is transmitted over the communication network with the first security system in the lost power state.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• and
• a personal computer at the second location through which a state of the security system is monitored through the communication network.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• and
• a first communication device at the second location in communication with the first security system from the second location.
• wherein the first communication device comprises at least one of (a) a personal computer;
• (b) a telephone;
• (c) a pager;
• and (d) a text message display device.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• and
• a first communication device at the second location in communication with the first security system from the second location,
• wherein the first portable consumer article has an identification that is determined by the first communication device through the communication network,
• wherein the identification of the first portable consumer article comprises a Universal Product Code and the first security system has a reader for identifying the first portable consumer article through the Universal Product Code.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state, and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location;
• and
• a first communication device at the second location in communication with the first security system from the second location;
• wherein the first communication device comprises at least one of (a) a personal computer;
• (b) a telephone;
• (c) a pager;
• and (d) a text message display device,
• wherein the first-portable consumer article has a location that is determined by the first communication device through the communication network,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, (c) a breached state, and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location;
• and
• a logging system for generating an information log through which the state of the first security system can be determined over a time period.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• and
• a Web server.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first Portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• wherein the first security system comprises a first generator for a detectable signal at the first location and the first generator is activated as an incident of a changing of the state of the first security system;
• a server;
• and
• a first communication device,
• the first security system generating a first signal to the first signal generator as an incident of a changing of the state of the first security system,
• the first security system communicating with the server and the server communicating with the first communication device.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• and
• a camera that generates a video image of the first location to the second location.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration,
• wherein the first security system causes the generation of a first signal that is transmitted over the communication network as an incident of the first security system changing from the armed state into the breached state with the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article,
• a camera that is activated to generate a video image of the first location to the second location as an incident of the first security system changing from the armed state into the breached state with the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• a second portable consumer article and a second security system operatively interacting with the second portable consumer article at a third location and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state,
• wherein the state of the second security system can be monitored from the second location,
• wherein the first and third locations are in a first consumer article sales establishment and the second location is within the first consumer article sales establishment.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first Portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• a second portable consumer article and a second security system operatively interacting with the second portable consumer article at a third location and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state,
• wherein the state of the second security system can be monitored from the second location,
• wherein the first and third locations are in a first consumer article sales establishment and the second location is remote from the first consumer article sales establishment.

In combination:

• a first portable consumer article;
• a first security system,
• the first security system operatively interacting with the first portable consumer article at a first location and having (a) an armed state, and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state;
• a communication network through which the state of the first security system can be monitored from a second location, remote from the first location,
• wherein the first security system comprises a first sensor that has (a) a secured state attached to the first portable consumer article and (b) an unsecured state with the first sensor either (i) separated from the first portable consumer article or (ii) altered in configuration;
• a second portable consumer article and a second security system operatively interacting with the second portable consumer article at a third location and having (a) an armed state and at least one of (b) an unarmed state, a breached state, (c) and (d) a lost power state,
• wherein the state of the second security system can be monitored from the second location,
• wherein the first location is in a first consumer article sales establishment, the third location is in a second consumer article sales establishment remote from the first article sales establishment, and the second location is remote from the first and second consumer article sales establishments.