Method for monitoring sales containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring sales containers (1) and for issuing messages to the user, in which an access door (2) which is intended to be opened independently by a user in order to remove goods, wherein the access door (2) is monitored and then, when the opening of the access door (2) by a user is detected, a message can be issued to the user and additionally a monitoring notification is transmitted to a monitoring person.Increased security is achieved by triggering a timer (9) after the access door (2) is opened, and by transmitting only a monitoring notification to a monitoring person until the timer (9) expires. No message is sent to the user. However, once the timer (9) has expired, both a message is sent to the user and a monitoring notification is sent to a monitoring person. The invention also relates to a monitoring system for carrying out the method.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for monitoring sales containers and for outputting messages to the user according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and to a monitoring system with a sales container according to the preamble of patent claim 6.

[0002] Retail stores often have sales containers filled with goods for sale that customers can open themselves to remove items. These can be, for example, refrigerators for heat-sensitive products or simple cabinets for valuable items that are not intended to be displayed on open shelves. It is assumed that the customer will pay at a cash register after removing a product. Monitoring such sales containers is particularly important in open retail outlets such as tobacco shops, where customers do not have to pass directly past a cash register when leaving.

[0003] WO 2015 / 176126 A discloses a sales device designed to display an advertising message when a door is opened. This increases sales, but the problem of potential theft remains. A similarly disadvantageous situation exists with the solution disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,938,120 A.

[0004] Alarm systems are known that emit an alarm when a door is forced open, and the alarm can also be transmitted to a monitoring station. Such a solution is described in US 2006 / 0097868. However, there is no provision for issuing a message to the thief who opens the door without authorization or by force.

[0005] WO 2017 / 127035 A discloses a monitoring system for vending containers that is capable of issuing both local warnings and sending messages via wireless networks. However, a problem exists in that when multiple access doors are located in close proximity to one another, a multitude of overlapping messages can be issued, which can be very disruptive. Even with higher user frequency, the same message can be displayed repeatedly in rapid succession, which can be equally disruptive.

[0006] US 2020 / 0378740 A1 discloses a Hall sensor that can detect the opening of a door, allowing an alarm message to be sent to a remote monitoring location. The requirements associated with monitoring retail containers are not addressed.

[0007] The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages and to provide a solution that takes into account both sales promotion measures and security aspects without inconveniencing the users.

[0008] According to the invention, these objects are achieved by the features of patent claim 1 and patent claim 6. A key aspect of the invention is that a user who opens a door in an authorized manner receives a useful message, and a monitoring person is notified to prevent possible misuse. Opening the door here always refers to authorized opening, as opposed to forced opening or breaking open.

[0009] Preferably, it is provided that after the access door has been opened, a timer is triggered and that if the access door is opened again until the timer expires, only a monitoring message is transmitted to a monitoring person, but no message is issued to the user, but when the timer expires, both a message is issued to the user and a monitoring message is transmitted to a monitoring person.

[0010] The essential feature of this variant of the invention is that, on the one hand, the transmission of a monitoring message is triggered each time the access door is opened, but at the same time it is avoided that the messages are issued too frequently and in quick succession when the access door is opened repeatedly.

[0011] This allows sales staff, who are otherwise busy with other tasks, to always be able to hear the opening and detect any thefts. At the same time, excessive noise from the sales container is avoided.

[0012] The message to the user can be output via a loudspeaker, but can also be displayed as an image or video. The monitoring notification can be implemented as a simple acoustic signal or as the illumination of an indicator light. Using appropriate interfaces, the output message, as well as the monitoring notification, can be easily transmitted to the monitoring system from an electronic device such as a PC or mobile phone. This can be done wirelessly via Wi-Fi or, for example, via a USB cable.

[0013] A particularly preferred embodiment involves sending the same message—namely, an advertising message—as a monitoring message to the customer as is sent at the point of sale. This can, on the one hand, increase the advertising effect, as it also reaches customers further away from the point of sale, and, on the other hand, avoid the disruption caused by ringtones or similar noises.

[0014] A first variant of the invention provides that the timer is started when it has expired and when the access door is opened. Thus, a message is always sent the first time the access door is opened in a long time. However, if the last opening occurred a short time before, the message is suppressed. The time can be set on the timer.

[0015] Alternatively, the timer can be set to start when it expires and the access door is closed. This way, the time during which a first user holds the access door open is not counted toward the "grace period" during which no message is issued, which is desirable in many cases.

[0016] According to a first aspect, the invention provides that several access doors are arranged close to one another, that a common timer is provided for the access doors, and that the timer is started when any access door is opened or closed. In practice, "close to one another" means that a message issued to the user of a first access door is also clearly perceptible to the user of a subsequent access door. This takes into account the fact that, in the confined space of a sales area, messages can be perceived by several people, and it may therefore be necessary to avoid interference.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, according to a second aspect, several messages can be provided that are output alternately when a user opens the access door, and a separate timer is provided for each message. This makes it possible for two or more messages to be output immediately one after the other, as long as they are different. However, the timers ensure that the same message is only repeated after the preset time has elapsed.

[0018] The invention also relates to a monitoring system comprising a sales container having at least one access door operable by a user, a detection device detecting the opening of the access door, and an output device for a message, wherein a transmission device connected to the detection device is provided, which is designed to transmit a monitoring message to a monitoring device remote from the sales container.

[0019] According to the invention, at least one timer is provided which causes the output of a message to be suppressed for a predetermined period of time after the access door has been opened or closed.

[0020] The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures. They show: Fig. 1 schematically shows a surveillance system with a sales container; Fig. 2 schematically shows a surveillance system with multiple access doors; Fig. 3 a time diagram for explaining the invention; and Fig. 4 another diagram for explaining an alternative embodiment of the invention.

[0021] The Fig. 1 shows a sales container 1 in the form of a refrigerator, with an access door 2 providing access to shelves 3 inside, which hold products not shown here that can be taken by customers.

[0022] A magnetic contact 4 is attached to the access door 2, which is monitored by a sensor 5 mounted above the access door 2. The magnetic contact 4 and the sensor 5 together form a detection device. Typically, this is a reed contact triggered by a permanent magnet.

[0023] The sensor 5 is connected to an output device 6, which is arranged in the area of ​​the sales container 1, for example, above it. The output device 6 is designed to output messages, in particular advertising messages, via a loudspeaker 6a when the access door 2 is opened. However, it is also possible to output safety instructions or similar messages to the user.

[0024] A monitoring device 7 is also provided, which is arranged, for example, at a cash register or the like, remotely from the sales container 1 and is controlled via a transmitter 8. Monitoring messages can be issued to the sales staff via a loudspeaker 7a, indicating that the access door 2 has just been opened, in order to enable appropriate monitoring and control.

[0025] The invention makes it possible to simultaneously promote sales and implement surveillance to prevent theft with little effort.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows a variant embodiment of the invention in which a sales container 1 has two access doors 2a, 2b. Each of the access doors 2a, 2b is assigned its own loudspeaker 6a, 6b for outputting messages. A timer for both access doors 2a, 2b is indicated by 9.

[0027] Fig. 3 shows a possible time sequence in connection with the invention. Curve 10 shows the state of access door 2, namely open or closed; curve 11 shows the state of the timer; and curve 12 indicates whether a message is being output or not.

[0028] At time t1, access door 2 is opened for the first time. At the same time, timer 9 is set to 1, and the message output begins. Access door 2 is closed at t2 and reopened at t3. At this time, timer 9, which is set to a time period tt, has not yet expired, i.e., it is still set to 1. Therefore, the output of a new message is suppressed. Timer 9 also continues to run unchanged.

[0029] At t4, access door 2 is closed and reopened at t5. At this time, timer 9 has expired, so a message is now issued and timer 9 is restarted, again remaining at 1 for a period of time tt. However, it should be noted that a monitoring message is transmitted to a monitoring person at t1, t3, and t5.

[0030] Fig. 4shows the processes in chronological order when two access doors 2a, 2b are provided and two different messages are available.

[0031] The first access door 2a is opened at t1 and t11 and closed at t2 and t12, respectively; the second access door 2b is opened at t3, t5, t7 and t9 and closed at t4, t6, t8 and t10, respectively.

[0032] The first opening at t1 sets the first timer 9a and outputs the first message. At t3, the second message is output and the second timer 9b is set, even though the first timer 9a has not yet expired.

[0033] At t5 the first message would normally be output again, but this is suppressed because the first timer 9a is still at 1.

[0034] Similarly, at t7 and t9, the first and second messages are output, respectively, and the respective timers 9a and 9b are set. At t11, the output of a message is again suppressed.

[0035] In addition to the minimum intervals between the output of similar messages specified by the timers, it is also possible to prevent the simultaneous output of two different messages. When one of the access doors 2a, 2b is opened, an additional query is then made as to whether another message is being output, and if so, the simultaneous output of another message is suppressed.

[0036] In this way, safe operation can be guaranteed without information overload.

Claims

1. Method for monitoring sales containers (1), in which an access door (2), which is designed to be opened independently by a user in order to remove goods, is monitored and, when the access door (2) is detected as being opened by a user, a message is issued to the user and, in addition, a monitoring message is transmitted to a monitoring person, characterized in that a plurality of access doors are arranged close to one another and in that a common timer (9) is provided for the access doors (2a, 2b) and in that the timer (9) is started when any access door (2a, 2b) is opened or closed, or in that a plurality of messages are provided which are output alternately when the access door (2) is opened by a user and in that a separate timer (9) is provided for each message.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the access door (2) is opened, a timer (9) is triggered and in that, until the timer (9) expires, if the access door (2) is opened again, only a monitoring message is transmitted to a monitoring person, but no message is output to the user, but when the timer (9) expires, both a message is output to the user and a monitoring message is transmitted to a monitoring person.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the timer (9) is started when it has expired and when the access door (2) is opened.

4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the timer (9) is started when it has expired and when the access door (2) is closed.

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an advertising message is emitted acoustically as the message.

6. Monitoring system having a sales container (1) which has at least one access door (2) that can be operated by a user, having a detection device (4, 5) that detects the opening of the access door (2), and having an output device (6) for emitting a message, wherein a transmission device (8) connected to the detection device is provided, which is designed to transmit a monitoring message to a monitoring device (7) remote from the sales container (1) when the opening of the access door (2) is detected by a user, characterized in that a sales container (1) having a plurality of access doors (2a, 2b) is connected to a monitoring device (7) and in that a common timer (9) is provided for the access doors (2a, 2b), or in that a plurality of timers (9a, 9b) are provided, each of which is assigned to a different message.

7. Monitoring system according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one timer (9) is provided which causes the output of a message to be suppressed for a predetermined period of time after the access door (2) is opened or closed.

8. Monitoring system according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that a plurality of sales containers (1), each having at least one access door (2a, 2b), are connected to a monitoring device (7) and in that a common timer (9) is provided for the access doors (2a, 2b).

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