A system for monitoring and controlling shopping cart usage comprises a wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart. The wheel assembly includes a wheel, a brake that can be activated to inhibit rotation of the wheel, a controller that controls the brake, a VLF receiver, and an RF transceiver. The RF transceiver may, for example, operate in a 2.4 GHz frequency band. In some implementations, the RF transceiver may be used to detect entry of the shopping cart into a checkout area of the store, and the VLF receiver may be used to detect that the shopping cart is exiting the store. The controller may activate the brake if the shopping cart attempts to exit the store without first passing through a checkout area.

A system for detecting a scan irregularity in scanning process during check-out at a retail store, includes an image receiving module for receiving a video stream of a scanning zone, an image processing module for detecting visual scan intervals in image frames of the video stream, and a decision module. The decision module is configured to process each detected visual scan interval, wherein a processed visual scan interval includes a valid scan action, wherein the valid scan action is a user action performed for scanning an item. The decision module is further configured to detect a scan irregularity in the check-out process, wherein the scan irregularity occurs when an item identified for scanning in a processed visual scan interval is absent in a list of scanned items generated by the scanner during corresponding interval, and provide an alert regarding the scan irregularity at a user computing device.

A method of monitoring Emergency Alert System (EAS) devices includes providing a system, the system including processor(s) in communication with memory(ies) storing instructions for execution by the processor(s), the instructions enabling monitoring of EAS devices, monitoring by the system the EAS devices for all changes to configuration settings and updates to software and firmware for the EAS devices (“changes”), the system further including database(s) automatically storing data regarding the changes, wherein data regarding changes to configuration settings comprises a copy of the configuration settings, wherein the copy is stored chronologically, and the monitoring includes avoiding use of a threshold. The system creates secondary instance(s) of the database(s), monitors for failures of the database(s) and automatically fail(s) over to the secondary instance(s) when fail(s) occur, notifying by the system designated receiver(s) of the changes, and assisting with filtering and/or sorting of selected data from the database.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a wireless identification tag for association with a product to enable product self-identification and system and methods for use thereof. In one implementation, the tag may include at least one antenna tuned to receive energy transmitted at one or more frequencies within certain frequency bands. The tag may also include at least one transmitter that may be configured to send at least one identification signal. The tag may also include at least one circuit. The at least one circuit may be configured to detect whether energy is received in a certain frequency band, and to cause the at least one transmitter to operate in a mode corresponding to the certain frequency band.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an appliance for holding electronically tagged products and for recording an association between the tagged products and the appliance, and system and methods for use thereof. In one implementation, the appliance may include a housing defining a cavity for retaining the electronically tagged products. The appliance may also include an exciter integrated with the housing and configured to trigger tags of the products to cause the tag of each product to transmit a unique tag ID. The appliance may also include a receiver for receiving transmission of each unique tag ID. The appliance may also include a communicator for outputting indications of identities of electronically tagged products retained in the cavity.

Example aspects include techniques for building a ML model in a use case with prohibitive training data and employing the ML model within the use case. These techniques may include determining training information including a plurality of stray training reads and a plurality of valid training reads, determining modified training information based at least in part on modifying the plurality of valid training reads, and generating a model for distinguishing a valid read from a stray read based on the modified training information and an evolutionary algorithm. In addition, the techniques may include detecting, by a monitoring device, a plurality of tag reads in response to a plurality of interactions between a tag and the monitoring device, and determining, by the monitoring device, a plurality of valid tag reads based on the model and plurality of tag reads.

A programmable security system and method for protecting an item of merchandise includes a programming station, a programmable key and a security system. The programming station generates a security code and communicates the security code to a memory of the programmable key. The programmable key initially communicates the security code to a memory of the security device and subsequently operates the security device upon a matching of the security code in the memory of the security device with the security code in the memory of the programmable key. The programmable key may also transfer power via electrical contacts or inductive transfer from an internal battery to the security device to operate a lock mechanism. The security code may be communicated by wireless infrared (IR) systems, electrical contacts or inductive transfer. A timer inactivates the programmable key and/or the security device after a predetermined period of time. A counter inactivates the programmable key after a predetermined maximum number of activations.

An EAS system first transmits a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogation signal into an RFID interrogation zone of an EAS system. The system then first receives at least one RFID response signal from a first RFID tag of the system responding to the interrogation signal. The system second transmits a non-RFID RF signal into a second zone. The second zone and the RFID interrogation zone overlap to form a zone of interest. The system second receives, from the first RFID tag, an indication that the first RFID tag received the second transmission. The system determines, based on receiving both the RFID response signal from a first RFID tag and the indication that the first RFID tag received the second transmission, that the first RFID tag is in the zone of interest.

A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a base station of a security system, an identification of a shipment package, the identification received from a first security sensor that is part of the security system. The method further includes adding, by the base station, a shipment device of the shipment package as a second security sensor of the security system. The method further includes configuring, by the base station, the shipment device in protect-mode, wherein the shipment device sounds an alarm in response to the shipment being displaced by at least a predetermined distance when in the protect-mode. The method further includes reconfiguring, by the base station, the shipment device in safe-mode in response to receiving, from a customer associated with the shipment package, a confirmation signal that the shipment package has been safely received.

A security device is provided that includes an electronic article surveillance tag that may be configured to resonate to provide a wireless response signal to a deactivator to trigger generation of a deactivation field. Further, the security device may include tamper detection circuitry which may include a tamper sensor configured to generate a tamper signal in response to detecting a tamper event, a deactivation sensor configured to generate a deactivation signal in response to detecting the deactivation field, and a sounder. In this regard, the tamper detection circuitry may be configured to deactivate the tamper detection circuitry in response to receiving the deactivation signal from the deactivation sensor such that receipt of the tamper signal after deactivation of the tamper detection circuitry does not trigger the sounder to emit the alarm.