A power generation system for wheeled objects comprises a generator mechanically coupled to one or more of the object's wheels to convert wheel rotational energy into electrical energy. The power generation system may comprise an electrical storage device configured to store the electrical power produced by the generator. Power from the generator and/or the electrical storage device can be used to provide power to other electrical systems in or on the object. In certain embodiments, the electrical storage device comprises a bank of high-capacity capacitors connected in series. Some embodiments use a control circuit, for example, to regulate the charging and discharging of the capacitor bank and to provide suitable voltages for other systems. The power generation system may be disposed within an object's wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.

Examples described herein generally relate to a system for monitoring tags in a retail environment. The system includes an exit system including one or more sensors that read a tag to obtain exit system measurements associated with a tag detection event. The system includes a memory and a processor configured to execute instructions to receive a selection of a base configuration, the base configuration including weighting values for a plurality of exit system measurements. The processor may classify a tag detection event into a first tag status for the tag detection event based on application of the weighting values to exit system measurements associated with the tag detection event. The processor may determine a second tag status of the tag after the tag detection event. The processor may update the weighting values using a machine-learning algorithm based on at least the first tag status and the second tag status.

A condition-responsive wearable device for sensing and indicating proximity of an article with a specific characteristic includes a processor and a sensor. The sensor is configured to detect an article with two or more information sources within a predetermined distance of the sensor. The information sources contain characteristic information of the article. The wearable device also includes a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive predefined characteristic information, select detected characteristic information from at least two of the information sources to compare with the predefined characteristic information, and compare the selected detected characteristic information with the predefined characteristic information. The wearable device includes an indicator configured to generate an alarm in response to detecting a match between the selected detected characteristic information and the predefined characteristic information.

Electronic surveillance article systems reducing the number and likelihood of false alarms are provided. Such systems include two read zones, with a second read zone having an associated RFID reader configured to detect an RFID device at a trigger threshold. The trigger threshold may be set or modified in view of a value of a sensor of an RFID device (sensing a capacitance or dielectric permittivity or temperature or degree of movement, for example), the number of times the RFID device is detected in the first read zone, or whether the RFID device is detected in the first read zone under predetermined conditions. Such systems may also or alternatively initiate a response (e.g., modifying the trigger threshold or the amount of power transmitted by an RFID reader) when an RFID guard device associated with a piece of infrastructure in the first read zone is detected in the second read zone.

Systems and methods for operating an EAS detection system. The methods comprise: detecting an Active Security Tag (“AST”) in an EAS detection zone; determining whether AST is coupled to an object identified in a list; and performing operations when a determination is made that AST is coupled to a listed object. The operations involve: accessing sensor data generated by at least one sensor device disposed on/near display equipment associated with the listed object; processing the sensor data to determine whether a person was within a defined distance range of AST during a period of time immediately preceding the detecting; concluding that a false alarm scenario exists when the sensor data indicates that a person was not within the defined distance range of AST during the period of time; and suppressing alarm issuance by the EAS detection system in response to the false alarm scenario conclusion.

A system for monitoring and controlling shopping cart usage comprises a wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart. In some embodiments 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.

An electronic article surveillance (EAS) system and method of operating the system, including one or more processors and memory. The memory contains instructions to cause the processors to receive data from a first sensor indicating the presence of an electronic surveillance tag within a first predetermined space, receive data from a second sensor including tracking information that indicates a distance of the second sensor from a person in possession of the electronic surveillance tag within a second predetermined space, determine a speed and/or direction of movement of the person based on the data from the second sensor, and detect a theft event and execute an alarm routine based on the presence of the electronic surveillance tag within the first predetermined space and the speed and/or direction of movement of the person within the second predetermined space.

RFID devices are provided for improving the performance of electronic surveillance article systems. The RFID devices may be modified in any of a number of ways to decrease their peak sensitivity and increase their bandwidth, thereby stabilizing their read range. The performance of an RFID device will depend on the nature of the article to which it is associated, such that the nature of the article to which the RFID device is to be associated may be factored into the design of the RFID device to equalize the performance at an operating frequency of RFID devices associated with different articles. By reducing the peak sensitivity and increasing the bandwidth of RFID devices in an electronic article surveillance system, the size of a transition zone between two read zones of the system may be reduced.

An electronic article surveillance (EAS) system and method of operating the system, including one or more processors and memory. The memory contains instructions to cause the processors to receive data from a first sensor indicating the presence of an electronic surveillance tag within a first predetermined space, receive data from a second sensor including tracking information that indicates a distance of the second sensor from a person in possession of the electronic surveillance tag within a second predetermined space, determine a speed and/or direction of movement of the person based on the data from the second sensor, and detect a theft event and execute an alarm routine based on the presence of the electronic surveillance tag within the first predetermined space and the speed and/or direction of movement of the person within the second predetermined space.

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.