Systems and methods for detecting potential shrink events via rfid technology

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting potential shrink events via RFID technology are provided. The systems include a point of sale (POS) system that includes an optical scanner, an RFID transceiver arrangement, a user interface and a controller. The controller is configured to perform example methods disclosed herein. For example, the controller may detect that the optical scanner has decoded a barcode, trigger the RFID transceiver arrangement to write a data string to an RFID tag located within the object scanning area, conduct a detection operation to detect the RFID tag with the data string in the bagging area. Responsive to detecting the RFID tag with the data string, the method involves the user interface performing a first operation. Responsive to not detecting the RFID tag with the data string, the method involves the user interface performing a second operation.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A point-of-sale (POS) system having an object scanning area and a bagging area, the POS system comprising:
 an optical scanner configured to detect barcodes associated with objects;   a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver arrangement configured to interrogate RFID tags, wherein the RFID transceiver arrangement is configured to have a signal range that extends (i) over at least a portion of the object scanning area, and (ii) over at least a portion of the bagging area;   a user interface apparatus; and   a controller operatively connected to the optical scanner, the RFID transceiver arrangement, and the user interface apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to:
 detect that the optical scanner has decoded a barcode associated with an object; 
 trigger the RFID transceiver arrangement to sense at least one RFID tag located within the at least the portion of the object scanning area; 
 responsive to detecting a plurality of RFID tags in the at least the portion of the object scanning area, identify an object association of each of the plurality of RFID tags; 
 cause a comparison of each of the object association of each of the plurality of RFID tags to at least one of (i) the object and (ii) the barcode associated with the object, wherein for each of the plurality of RFID tags having a match between the object association and the at least one of (i) the object and (ii) the barcode associated with the object, controller is configured to write, via the RFID transceiver arrangement, a data string to the each of the plurality of RFID tags having the match; 
 conduct a detection operation wherein the detection operation attempts to detect, via the RFID transceiver arrangement, at least one RFID tag located within the at least the portion of the bagging area; 
 responsive to detecting a single RFID tag having the data string within the at least the portion of the bagging area, causing the user interface apparatus to perform a first operation; 
 responsive to not detecting at least one RFID tag having the data string within the at least the portion of the bagging area, causing the user interface apparatus to perform a second operation; and 
 responsive to detecting multiple RFID tags within the at least the portion of the bagging area, causing the user interface apparatus to perform a third operation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The POS system of  claim 1 , wherein the third operation includes a first sub-operation and a second sub-operation,
 the first sub-operation being performed responsive to each of the multiple RFID tags having the data string, and   the second sub-operation being performed responsive to at least one of the multiple RFID tags lacking the data string.   
     
     
         3 . The POS system of  claim 2 , wherein the first sub-operation includes a notification requesting at least one of (i) that an item be re-scanned and (ii) that a quantity be adjusted. 
     
     
         4 . The POS system of  claim 2 , wherein the second sub-operation includes a notification requesting at least one of (i) that an item be removed from the bagging area and (ii) that an item be added to a transaction log. 
     
     
         5 . The POS system of  claim 4 , wherein the notification is based on object identification associated with the at least one of the multiple RFID tags lacking the data string. 
     
     
         6 . The POS system of  claim 1 , wherein, wherein for each of the plurality of RFID tags lacking the match between the object association and the at least one of (i) the object and (ii) the barcode associated with the object, controller is further configured to write an alert string to the each of the plurality of RFID tags lacking the match. 
     
     
         7 . The POS system of  claim 6 , wherein, responsive to detecting at least one RFID tag having the alert string in the bagging area, the controller is further configured to generate an alert. 
     
     
         8 . The POS system of  claim 1 , wherein, wherein for each of the plurality of RFID tags lacking the match between the object association and the at least one of (i) the object and (ii) the barcode associated with the object, controller is further configured to cause the user interface apparatus to perform at least one of adding and requesting to add an item associated with the each of the plurality of RFID tags lacking the match.