System for securing an inventory within retail premises

Abstract

An integrated inventory control and security method for multiple types of articles which are for sale within retail premises accounts for entry of articles into the retail premises and removal of articles from the retail premises, including documenting certain events.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for securing an inventory of multiple types of articles which enter a retail premises through a point of entry, are then sold at a point of sale within the premises, and then leave the premises through a point of exit, each article of each type having at least one passive device containing a readable identifier identifying the type of article and a wirelessly detectable security element, the method comprising:
 a) at the point of entry, registering articles entering the premises into an electronic inventory data base according to type of article and quantity of each type of article by wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of the entering articles to determine a quantity of each type of article entering the premises and adding each determined quantity to a quantity of the same type of article already in the data base; and   b) at the point of sale, wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of articles being purchased by a customer to register their sale and cause a quantity of each type of article whose sale is registered to be subtracted from the quantity of the same type of article in the data base and to render the detectable security element of each article whose sale has been registered wirelessly undetectable.   
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising: moving the articles from the point of entry to a different location within the premises. 
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 2  in which the step of moving the articles from the point of entry to a different location within the premises comprises moving the articles to a location which is accessible to customers. 
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 3  in which the step of moving the articles from the point of entry to a different location within the premises comprises moving the articles to a storage location which is inaccessible to customers and temporarily storing the articles there until they are moved to the location which is accessible to customers. 
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising at the point of entry, wirelessly detecting the detectable security elements of the articles entering the premises and recording their detection in the data base. 
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  in which the step of wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of the entering articles at the point of entry comprises optically reading the readable identifiers of the entering articles. 
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of articles which have been registered in the data base and identified as unsuitable for purchase by customers, causing a quantity of each type of article unsuitable for purchase by customers to be subtracted from the quantity of the same type of article in the data base, and causing an entry to be made in the data base which categorizes the quantity of each type of article subtracted as unsuitable for purchase by customers. 
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising leaving the detectable security element of each article identified as unsuitable for purchase by customers wirelessly detectable. 
     
     
         9 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of articles which have been registered in the data base and identified for return to a supplier of the articles, causing a quantity of each type of article identified for return to be subtracted from the quantity of the same type of article in the data base, and causing an entry to be made in the data base which categorizes the quantity of each type of article subtracted as returned to a supplier. 
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9  further comprising leaving the detectable security element of each article identified as returned to a supplier wirelessly detectable. 
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising wirelessly scanning the readable identifiers of articles which have been registered in the data base and are being removed by an individual authorized to do so by management of the retail premises, causing a quantity of each type of article so authorized for removal to be subtracted from the quantity of the same type of article in the data base, and causing an entry to be made in the data base which identifies the authorized individual. 
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 11  further comprising leaving the detectable security element of each article authorized for removal wirelessly detectable.