This disclosure describes techniques to count objects across multiple zones of arbitrary shapes. The techniques include operations comprising: detecting an object in a first zone of a plurality of zones of an area; determining that the object has moved from the first zone to a second zone of the plurality of zones; determining that movement of the object from the first zone to the second zone fails to satisfy a zone transition criterion for updating a count value and time criterion; and in response to determining that the movement of the object from the first zone to the second zone fails to satisfy the zone transition criterion, preventing the count value from being updated.

A security system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a security tag operable for connection to an object, a monitoring device operable to monitor whether a party removes or attempts to remove the security tag from the object; an alarm operable to emit a tamper signal when the monitoring device indicates that a party has removed or attempted to remove the security tag from the object in an unauthorized removal condition, and a remote collector system adapted to communicate with the security tag to set the security tag in the unauthorized removal condition and an authorized removal condition, wherein upon receipt of the tamper signal, the remote collector system generates a security message.

Systems and methods for detecting potential theft and identifying individuals having a history of committing theft are presented. An electromagnetic emission associated with a personal electronic device associated with an individual is received. One or more signal properties of the electromagnetic emission are analyzed to determine an emission signature. Video data and video analytics are utilized to determine whether an individual has taken possession of an item. The video analytics are correlated with the emission signature in an attempt to identify the individual having possession of the item. The emission signature and video data are stored for later use during a checkout procedure. If an emission signature detected at a checkout station matches that of the individual having possession of the item, and the item is not processed through the checkout station, an alert is issued and the individual is flagged as a potential shoplifter.

Systems and methods for maximizing the deterrence effect on theft. Specifically, systems and methods for selecting and randomizing at least one response to potential theft events while minimizing impact on store personnel productivity in a retail setting. A plurality of defined event triggers detected by a monitored source results in the randomization of response to detected event.

Theft increases the average product cost to consumers. A mentoring system is presented that can help to reduce or prevent the inventory from lost or theft. Theft is a serious concern in the consumer market place. Industry loses billions per year on theft of merchandise. According to a Reuters report, last year, thefts by employees of U.S. retail merchandise accounted for $15.9 billion, or 44 percent of theft losses at stores, more than shoplifting and vendor fraud combined. Thus, the total thief by the customers and store employees during the year 2008 amounted to $36 billion. Several embodiments of ways to control or reduce the thefts in the market place are presented.

An electronic theft-preventing system, including a first and a second multi-axis magnetometer and configured to output first and second vector signals representing movement of first and second magnetic field vectors; and a signal processor receiving the first and second vector signals, and configured to determine a multi-dimensional transformation, in accordance with optimization of a difference between the second vector signal and a compensation signal; wherein the compensation signal is generated from a transformation of the first vector signal in accordance with the multi-dimensional transformation; and generate a compensated second vector signal from the second vector signal and the first compensation signal. Determining that a detector signal meets a predefined criterion; and in response to at least the determining that the detector signal meets the predefined criterion, raising or forgo raising an alarm that warns about a possible theft-related event.

Example aspects include a method, a system, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating an automated checkout system to be performed by a processing circuit, comprising determining a user account associated with a shopper. The aspects further include receiving, from a sensor, a first indication that an object passed through a location of a building. The first indication having been generated based on a tag coupled with the object. The sensor being configured to detect characteristics of objects. The sensor being located at the location of the building. The aspects further include receiving, from the sensor, a second indication that the shopper associated with the user account passed through the location. Additionally, the aspects further include associating the object with the user account based on the first indication and the second indication.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to merchandise security systems and methods for displaying and protecting items of merchandise from theft. A merchandise security system and method according to the invention includes at least one tag and a plurality of nodes positioned within a display area. The plurality of nodes are operable for determining a location of the tag. The wireless beacon tracking system further includes a server operably associated with the plurality of nodes for receiving information related to the location of the tag.

Electronic Article Surveillance in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogation signal is transmitted, over a first window of time, into an RFID interrogation zone of the EAS system. A plurality of response signals are detected from a first RFID tag of the EAS system responding to the interrogation signal. Over a second window of time overlapping at least in part with the first window of time, image data is captured within a field of view. The field of view and the RFID interrogation zone overlap to form a zone of interest. Movement of a non-tag object is characterized during the first window of time based on the image data. Whether the first RFID tag is associated with the characterized non-tag object is determined based on a comparison of the detected plurality of response signals and the characterized movement of the non-tag object.

The disclosure includes a doorbell system having a doorbell, a doorbell housing, a visitor detection system, and a chime. The visitor detection system can be coupled to the doorbell housing and can include at least one of a camera and a motion detector. The doorbell can also comprise a first low-energy transceiver and a first high-energy transceiver that can be coupled to the doorbell housing. The first and second low-energy transceivers and the first and second high-energy transceivers can be configured to transmit data.