Patent Application
20160307209
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product attached to a security device.
A product may be displayed in, for example, a retail store for a consumer to evaluate the product. A security device often affixes to a product to prevent and/or deter theft of the product. A consumer may, for example, lift and/or inspect a product on display to assess its function and/or aesthetics. For example, a consumer may conduct a tactile evaluation and assess the feel, weight, functionality and/or the like of a product. Generally, many consumers may perform such inspections of the same product. Some consumers may conduct a thorough evaluation of a product, whereas others may evaluate the product for a brief duration. Further, some products may be evaluated frequently, whereas other products have infrequent and/or short interactions with the consumer.
Some consumers may ultimately purchase a product after conducting an evaluation. Retailers and/or manufacturers may desire analytic information pertaining to consumer interaction with a product as such information may further guide point-of-sale marketing. However, gauging consumer interest in a product may be expensive, time consuming, difficult to implement, and/or prone to error. Therefore, data pertaining to instances that a consumer evaluates a product is often unavailable.
Retailers and/or manufacturers may have point-of-sale data. Such data, however, is generally limited to a purchase of a product. Moreover, retailers and/or manufacturers may desire more statistical data. For example, data including the quantity of times a certain product is evaluated, the frequency of evaluations, the respective times of day of each evaluation and/or the duration of each respective evaluation, may assist retailers and/or manufacturers in quantifying consumer interest in a certain product. Additionally, such data may focus sales efforts. Manufacturers and/or retailers may desire to obtain such data quickly and/or automatically. Still further, the ability to provide such data to a source remote from the display area is desirable.
A security device may be affixed to a product in many ways. The security device may be attached by an adhesive and/or by a cable to tether the product to a display base. Generally, the tethered cable has a predefined length and/or is retractable. Tethering allows the consumer to manipulate the product; however, tethering simultaneously confines the available degrees of freedom of manipulation of the product. Retailers, vendors, and/or manufacturers may detach the cable from the security device via a key, for example, to allow the consumer to evaluate the product in a less restricted manner. Moreover, a consumer may assess the suitability of a certain product when the product is detached from a cable and/or a security base. For example, a consumer may place a product, such as a mobile device, in a pocket to assess its weight, characteristics and/or aesthetics.
Often, manufacturers and/or retailers may desire information regarding position and/or alarm status of a product attached to a security device. Further, manufacturers and/or retailers may desire information regarding, for example, a respective key that configured a security device.
A need, therefore, exists for an apparatus, system and method for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product attached to a security device.
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product attached to a security device. The apparatus, the system and/or the method may have an analytics module that may capture status data transmitted in a wireless network. The analytics module may collect the status data and/or determine one or more statistics from the status data. More specifically, the security device may transmit position data, alarm data, and/or battery data. The analytics module may collect the status data and determine statistical data, such as, for example, the quantity of evaluations, the duration of each evaluation, the frequency of evaluations and/or the time of each evaluation of the product. The analytics module may present the statistical data to a user and/or may transmit the statistical data to a remote system for further data collection and/or data analysis.
To this end, in an embodiment of the present invention, a system for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product on a display for purchase of the product is provided. A security device is attached to the product, and, a first transceiver is associated with the security device wherein the first transceiver wirelessly transmits status data wherein the status data is indicative of a position of the product. An analytics module is positioned remotely from the security device wherein the analytics module receives the status data and determines statistical data from the status data wherein the statistical data is indicative of a number of lifts of the product wherein a lift corresponds to removal of the product from the position.
In an embodiment, a second transceiver is associated with the analytics module wherein the second transceiver wirelessly transmits the statistical data.
In an embodiment, a base is associated with the display wherein the base docks the security device.
In an embodiment, an alarm is associated with the security device wherein the alarm produces a signal indicative of a disconnect of the security device from the product.
In an embodiment, a computer is connected to the analytics module wherein the computer collects the statistical data.
In an embodiment, an alarm module receives the status data.
In another embodiment, an apparatus for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product connected to a security device wherein the product is in a static position and removable to a lifted position is provided. An analytics module is positioned remotely from the security device wherein the analytics module receives status data from the security device wherein the status data is indicative of whether the product is in the static position or the lifted position and further wherein the analytics module determines statistical data from the status data. A transceiver is associated with the analytics module wherein the transceiver wirelessly transmits the statistical data.
In an embodiment, a computer is connected to the analytics module wherein the analytics module transmits the statistical data to the computer.
In an embodiment, an alarm module is positioned remotely from the security device wherein the security device transmits a wireless signal to the alarm module.
In an embodiment, an emitter is positioned remotely from the security device wherein the emitter transmits a wireless signal to the security device.
In an embodiment, a clock is associated with the analytics module wherein the clock identifies a time of day of removal of the product from the static position.
In an embodiment, a memory is associated with the analytics module wherein the memory stores the statistical data.
In another embodiment, a method for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product connected to a security device is provided. The method has the steps of receiving a wireless signal from the security device wherein the wireless signal conveys status data wherein the status data is indicative of a position of the product; determining a lift of the product wherein the lift corresponds to removal of the product from the position; determining statistical data from the status data wherein the statistical data is indicative of a number of lifts of the product; and wirelessly transmitting the statistical data.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of determining an evaluation duration of the product that is indicative of a time of the lift of the product.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of determining a removal time of the product that is indicative of a time of day of the lift of the product.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of activating an alarm when the security device is removed from the product.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of determining an evaluation frequency that is indicative of a number of times the product is lifted.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of determining an alarm frequency that is indicative of a number of times an alarm associated with the security device is triggered.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of storing the statistical data in a memory.
In an embodiment, the method has the step of receiving a request for the statistical data.
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product attached to a security device.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may detect a lift of a product and/or the time of day of the lift.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may determine the number of lifts of a product.
Further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method for determining the duration of a lift of a product.
Still further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may determine the frequency of lifts of a product.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may detect an alarm condition of a product attached to a security device.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may log data indicating a key that may have disarmed the security device.
Further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may correlate statistical data with sale data.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may determine and/or collect statistical data corresponding to a product attached to a security device.
Moreover, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may display statistical data to a user.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may update statistical data in real time.
Further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may transmit statistical data to a remote device.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus and/or a method that may provide statistical data to a remote device for collection in real time.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for wirelessly collecting data corresponding to a product attached to a security device.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts,
A security device 12 may be affixed to the product 14, for example, via an adhesive, and may dock to a base 18, as shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, the security device 12 may tether the product 14 to the display 16. For instance, a retractable cable (not shown) may extend from the security device 12 to the base 18. The base 18 and/or the retractable cable may provide power to the security device 12 and/or to the product 14. Moreover, the retractable cable may be disconnected from the security device 12 via a key 61, such as the key 61 as shown in
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In an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the microprocessor 42 of the analytics module 11 may be programmed to manipulate the captured data and/or to determine statistical data. Statistical data may be, for example, indicative of a quantity of lifts of the product, a frequency of lifts of the product and/or a duration of lifts of the product. A clock 43 of the analytics module 11 may identify the time of day of a lift, the time of day of a return and/or may time a lift duration.
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The emitter 15 may have a transceiver (not shown) to transmit and/or receive wireless signals. Additionally, the emitter may have a microprocessor (not shown) that may be programmed to receive and/or detect the low frequency signal 30 from the alarm module 13. Further, the microprocessor of the emitter 15 may be programmed to transmit, via the transceiver of the emitter 15, the low frequency signal 31.
In a retail store, for example, the analytics module 11 may be programmed to monitor status data transmitted in the system 10 and/or to determine statistical data corresponding to the product 14. For instance, in an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in
After evaluating the product 14, a consumer may return the product 14 to the base 18 and/or to the display 16. The microprocessor 52 of the security device 12 may be programmed to detect a return of the product 14 to the base 18. After the return of the product 14, the security device 12 may be programmed to transmit status data indicative of the return of the product 14. At step 84, the analytics module 11 may analyze the data and/or determine a return and/or a time of day of the return of the product 14. As shown at step 85, the analytics module 11 may store statistical data indicative of the return and/or the time of the return in the memory 41 for data collection and/or for data analysis.
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As shown at step 111, the analytics module 11 may be programmed to monitor the status data transmitted from the security device 12 and/or the alarm module 13. As shown at step 112, the analytics module 11 may be programmed to determine an alarm condition statistic, such as for example, a quantity and/or a frequency of alarm conditions of the security device 12. At step 113, the analytics module may be programmed to store statistical data indicative of the alarm condition. Further, as shown at step 114, the analytics module 11 may be programmed to store statistical data indicative of the key 61 that may have been used to deactivate the alarm 53 and/or the alarm 72 in the memory 41 for data collection and/or for data analysis.
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The analytics module 11 may be programmed to monitor status data that may be transmitted in the system 10 and/or to determine statistical data from the status data. In another embodiment of the present invention, the analytics module 11 may be programmed to monitor status data and/or to transmit the status data to the computer 19 that may be programmed to process the status data. For example, the analytics module 11 may be connected to the computer 19. In another embodiment of the present invention, the analytics module 11 may be programmed to wirelessly transmit status data and/or statistical data to the computer 19. The computer 19 may be programmed to determine statistical data of the product 14 and/or to display data to a user in, for example, the retail store. The analytics module 11 may be programmed to transmit the status data and/or the statistical data in real-time, and the computer 19 may be programmed to update the statistical data. The statistical data may be, for example, the quantity of evaluations, the frequency of evaluations and/or the duration of evaluations of the product 14. Further, the statistical data may be the number of alarm conditions of the product 14. Still further, the computer 19 may be programmed to display a battery status of the security device 12. The computer 19 may be programmed to display the statistical data corresponding to the product 14 that may be attached to the security device 12 and may be programmed to display a user assignable name of the security device 12. The user assignable name may be, for example, a designation of the product 14 that may be attached to the security device 12. For example, rather than displaying an internet protocol and/or a media access control address of the security device 12, the computer 19 may be programmed to display the statistical data in association with a user assignable name of the product 14 that may be attached to the security device 12.
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It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
