Methods and systems for triggering activity detection in retail establishments

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment including receiving, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected, obtaining, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity, and operating, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

Description

039636.07715 METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TRIGGERING ACTIVITY DETECTION IN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS CLAIM OF PRIORITY

[0001] The present Application for Patent claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 519,719, entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TRIGGERING ACTIVITY DETECTION IN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS” filed August 15, 2023, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to monitoring retail locations, and more particularly to triggering activity detection using monitoring in a retail establishment.

[0003] Retailers can have security systems deployed within retail establishments for monitoring various activities within the retail establishments, such as movement of goods, movement or actions of consumers, etc. A security system may include one or more cameras or other sensors for recording consumer activity. The cameras can record video that can be viewed or reviewed by security personnel to detect theft or potentially suspicious behavior.

[0004] In some cases, however, the security personnel may not be able to apprehend theft in a suitable time or before the suspect exits the retail establishment. In this regard, any video captured by the cameras is reviewed after a theft or other incident is detected by other means. SUMMARY

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] In an aspect, a method of assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment is provided. The method includes receiving, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected, obtaining, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity, and operating, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the039636.07715 security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

[0007] In another aspect, an apparatus for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment is provided including one or more memories, and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored on the one or more memories to receive, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected, obtain, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity, and operate, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

[0008] In another aspect, one or more computer-readable media storing instructions, executable by one or more processors, for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, are provided. The instructions include instructions for receiving, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected, obtaining, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity, and operating, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

[0009] In another aspect, a security system is provided that includes various hardware, software, or other components for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment using one or more methods described herein. In another aspects, a security system is provided that includes means for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment using one or more methods described herein. In another aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided herein that stores computer executable instructions for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment using one or more methods described herein.

[0010] Further aspects of the present disclosure are described in more details below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The disclosed aspects will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate and not to limit the disclosed aspects, wherein like designations denote like elements, and in which:039636.07715

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a security system, according to implementations of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a control system implemented by the security system of FIG.1, according to implementations of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG.3 is a flowchart of an example of a method implemented by the security system of FIG.1, according to implementations of the present disclosure; and

[0015] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of examples components of a computer device that may implement one or more of the features of the security system of FIG.1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known components may be shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0017] In many retail establishments, there is a need of assisting activity detection by security systems. Retail establishments typically include security systems with cameras for capturing video of consumer behavior throughout the retail establishment. Computer vision models can be used to detect certain activity by consumers, but this activity detection typically occurs after security personnel has investigated the activity and reviewed the corresponding video.

[0018] The present disclosure addresses one or more shortcomings of security systems for retail establishments by providing an employee with a device that can send a wireless signal to trigger the security system to observe certain activity. The signal can indicate, or can be used to determined, proximity and directionality to the activity to be detected. In some examples, the signal can include a rating of the activity as undesirable or desirable, or a severity or activity type rating, etc. The signal can cause the security system to capture video or other input (e.g., audio) at or near the location of the activity and / or to label the captured activity based on the rating, severity, activity type, etc. For example, this can allow the security system to focus on (e.g.,039636.07715 track or continue to track, or display on monitoring equipment) the activity, detect the activity type, detect persons involved in the activity, generate a security event, etc., in near real-time. In addition, the data can be used to train a computer vision model to automatically detect similar activities that may occur over time in the establishment.

[0019] In some examples, computer vision models can use significant quantity and number of data examples by which to train. The more variety of behaviors, environments, and angles of capture during video sampling, the stronger the resultant computer vision models may become, e.g., the more accurate the computer vision model can be in detecting certain behaviors from input video. Training computer vision models with videos captured at a specific retail establishment where the computer vision models may be deployed can allow for more specificity of the computer vision models at that specific retail establishment for improved activity detection. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to further improve performance of the models over time; however, starting out with directly related samples can yield significant benefit to the end product performance. Retail establishments may have few data samples available for the purpose of model training, but may also be hesitant, resistant, or refusing to release their own video samples due to various considerations, such as fear or negative public relations sentiment, misuse, or due to concerns about customer or employee privacy. Retailers also may not be aware of how AI is trained; thus, compelling them to share samples may be difficult. Aspects described herein can allow for training the computer vision model for a specific retailer over time as videos are captured and activity type is indicated by the employee device.

[0020] Some examples relate to theft deterrence in retail establishments, which can be a difficult problem to solve, with would-be bad actors becoming more brazen in their thefts and sometimes ignoring known deterrence measures such as signage, public view monitors, or shoplifting penalties. Bad actors may not perceive significant risk of being caught or punished for acts of illegal behaviors – theft, pranks, violence, etc. This may be partially due to perception that law enforcement cannot prosecute cases successfully and sometimes due to the retailers’ own policies to avoid intervention and potential confrontation. Retailers that do have security systems with deployed video monitoring capabilities often find it difficult or impossible to locate, identify, or capture illegal behaviors via these systems, and many find the sizable investments of the systems as a “necessary evil” of doing business in retail. Subject identification039636.07715 of bad actors can be seen as an important mechanism by retailers in the effort to curtail rising problems of theft and violence in the retail store environment.

[0021] In accordance with aspects described herein, a signal device can be provided to one or more employees at a retail establishment for sending a wireless signal to a security system to capture certain activity. In an example, the security system can obtain location information based on the wireless signal, which may be indicated by the wireless signal, triangulated based on the wireless signal, etc., and can accordingly operate one or more sensors (e.g., cameras, microphones, drones, robots, etc.) to capture activity based on the location information, which may include the one or more sensors moving in such a way to capture the activity. The signal device can be inconspicuous to be unnoticed by bad actors, which can protect anonymity of the employee reporting the activity. In an example, signals initiated by the signal device can be tracked and associated with the employee to potentially allow for rewards or recognition by the retailer in identifying the activities for capture by the security system. In addition, for example, the activities can be undesirable activities, such as theft or other crimes, or desirable activities, such as consumers helping out, consumers using a desired service or making a large purchase, etc.

[0022] Turning now to the figures, example aspects are depicted with reference to one or more modules or components described herein, where modules or components in dashed lines may be optional.

[0023] Referring to FIG.1, an example of a security system 100 deployed at an establishment 102 (e.g., a retail establishment, such as store) is depicted. The security system 100 may include, for example, one or more cameras 104 installed within (or outside of) the establishment 102. For example, the one or more cameras 104 can be fixed cameras attached to a structure within the establishment 102, such as a ceiling or wall, attached to another structure in the parking lot, etc., and / or can be attached to a drone or other unmanned aerial system (UAS), robot, or other device that can move throughout the establishment 102. In yet another example, the one or more cameras 104 can be part of a mobile device (e.g., a cellular phone) carried by an employee of the establishment, or worn by the employee (e.g., an outward facing camera on a body of the employee). In any case, the one or more cameras 104 can be communicatively coupled with the control system 120 via a wired or wireless communication medium to provide images or videos 106 to the control system 120.039636.07715

[0024] The security system 100 may also include, or be operable to receive signals from, a signal device 112, which can be possessed by an employee 116 of the establishment 102. For example, the signal device 112 can be activated (e.g., by the employee 116) to send a wireless signal to facilitate detecting or capturing certain activity in the establishment 102. The security system 100 can include signal tracking devices 114 that can track the wireless signals from the signal device 112, and / or send corresponding signal information 110 to the control system 120. For example, the signal information 110 can identify location information corresponding to the wireless signal, a type of activity to be detected, and / or other information, as described herein. Based on receiving the signal information 110, control system 120 can control one or more sensors (e.g., cameras 104) to capture activity based on the location information.

[0025] For example, the signal device 112 can send the wireless signal as a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) or similar signal that can be detected by one or more of the various signal tracking devices 114 deployed in the establishment 102. For example, the signal tracking devices 114 can also be secondary BLE devices that can be deployed at known locations, which can help to triangulate a location of the wireless signal based on which signal tracking devices 114 receive the wireless signal and / or a strength of the received wireless signal, etc. In an example, the signal device 112 can be, or can include, a hand-held device with one or more buttons to send the wireless signal or send multiple types of wireless signals. Where the signal device 112 has multiple buttons, the wireless signals corresponding to each button can have different signal properties (e.g., different data in the signals, different modulation, different periodicity, different signal power, etc.), which can indicate different activity types (e.g., undesirable or desirable), different proximities of the activity to the location of the signal device 112 (e.g., near or far), different directionalities of the activity to an orientation of the signal device 112 (e.g., in front of, to the left, to the right, etc.), different levels of urgency or importance of the activity, and / or the like. The various information can be used to generate the signal information 110 to provide to the control system 120 to facilitate controlling the one or more sensors to capture the activity.

[0026] The control system 120 can utilize an artificial intelligence (AI) module 122, via a network 124 or a locally executing AI module, which can include a computer vision model, to analyze captured video, detect a type of activity occurring in the captured video, etc. In an example, AI module 122 can use a machine learning (ML) model,039636.07715 such as a neural network of images, videos, or other inputs, to compare captured images, videos, or other inputs to detect a type of activity in the captured images, videos, or other inputs (e.g., theft or other crime, use of a desired product or service, purchase of a desired product or service, etc.). For example, the ML model can be trained with images, videos, etc. indicated as associated with certain activities that are desired to be detected, such as undesirable or desirable activities described herein, and the ML model can accordingly receive images, videos, etc. as input, and provide an output as to whether the input images, videos, etc. include any of the activities on which the ML model is trained, provide a confidence score as to whether the input images, videos, etc. include the activities, or other output from which a determination can be made as to whether the input images include (or likely include) the activities of interest. In addition, for example, movement of certain items, movement of multiple items of the same brand or type, movement of items from their original aisle to another part of the store, etc., may be indicative of potential theft. This movement of items and analysis via the AI module 122 can be based on the image / video 106 input.

[0027] In one example, AI module 122 can use a generative adversarial network (GAN), which can include a ML model in which two neural networks (a generator and a discriminator) that compete with each other by using deep learning methods to become more accurate in their predictions. In other examples, AI module 122 can bypass the GAN (e.g., for a different neural network used), or can bypass one of the generator or discriminator (e.g., assuming they are well trained) in detecting potential theft or other suspicious activity based on provided inputs.

[0028] In an example, the control system 120 can optionally communicate with an employee reward system 126, via a network 124. For example, the network 124 can include the Internet and / or multiple nodes between the control system 120, an enterprise network to which the control system 120 is connected, etc. and the employee reward system 126. In an example, the establishment may provide the employee reward system 126 for managing performance metrics of employees for issuing rewards to employees based on performance. The employee reward system may include an interface to allow other systems to input information to the employee reward system.

[0029] In accordance with aspects described herein, when the signal tracking devices 114 track a wireless signal from a signal device 112, location information can be determined, and control system 120 can operate the one or more sensors (e.g., cameras039636.07715 104) to capture an activity based on the location information. For example, upon button press, double-press, touch, or other tactile or non-tactile interaction, etc. on the signal device 112, the signal device 112 can send a signal to other devices onsite that an event is occurring. The signal device 112 can be inconspicuous, as a pocket device or fob, wearable, etc., to be both effective and unnoticed by bad actors (e.g., suspects performing undesirable activities). The signal device 112 can allow for sending both an active signal as well as proximity and directionality in the establishment 102. The wireless signal can be processed by secondary BLE devices (e.g., signal tracking devices 114) installed in the establishment 102 to determine various information from the signals, such as which signal tracking device 114 is in closest proximity to the signal device 112, a triangulated location of the signal device 112 in the intended area or subjects to focus. In some examples, the wireless signal itself can provide, or the signal tracking devices 114 can otherwise device, directionality (e.g. forward from device, within 15 meters, etc.) to allow the one or more sensors, such as cameras, to take appropriate action.

[0030] For example, the wireless signal can initiate, or cause initiation of, action by nearby signal tracking devices 114 to determine both proximity and directionality for subsequent actions to include video recording and movement or focus of pan / tilt / zoom (PTZ) cameras. Optionally, the signal device 112 may allow for multiple signals, which may include single button press versus two button presses, differentiated buttons, etc. One signal can allow for a distress call, or a signal that something abnormal or negative is occurring, which may be a perceived act of theft or fraud, a safety problem, or other malicious activity. For example, this signal can be a “Delta Red” to signify events associated to red shopper or malicious subjects. The signal device 112 may allow for sending a differentiated signal, such as a “Delta Green”, signaling that a loyal shopper or positive focus should be appropriated to a subject in the proximate space.

[0031] As the wireless signal is received by one or more signal tracking devices 114, the control system 120 can interpret the wireless signal and / or can according instruct subsequent devices (e.g., one or more sensors) to take action or begin recording. From these subsequent devices, cameras and inferencing devices can jointly determine the activity(s) to record and to continue following the subject throughout the store journey via active journey tracking. Active journey tracking can include the movement of proximate PTZ cameras or the activation of additional fixed camera devices039636.07715 throughout the area to actively capture the subject and / or the subject’s journey. During active journey tracking, the onsite inferencing device may determine whether associates are involved, incident types (shelf sweep, violence, etc.) demonstrated, and / or may activate notifications to management, mall security, law enforcement, etc., as prescribed by customer-approved computer vision workflow protocols. As the incident is concluded, associated video clips can be associated and stored locally, effectively creating a “case file” of all video and images involving the involved subjects. This same case file can be uploaded to cloud for further analysis. Further analysis via cloud can include potential activities such as automatically extracting high-quality subject / suspect images, cross-referencing subject images with approved third-party systems, use of the images and video to further train computer vision and AI models for future deployment within the retail environment (e.g., at a specific retailer or for other retailers), etc.

[0032] In some examples, signal device 112 can contribute to a gamified employee experience. For example, if the signal device 112 is assigned to a participating employee ID, that employee ID can become eligible for contribution awards. For example, the retailer and / or provider of the signal device 112 can provide a gamification mechanism in this regard and can award productive contributions submitted via the wireless signal. If the wireless signal is sent within a gamified partner store environment and validated as a beneficial video case input, the retailer employee associated to the signal device 112 may be automatically awarded an incentive credit.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, details of the control system 120 for triggering detection of activity are illustrated. In an example, the control system 120 may include a signal receiving module 202 for receiving a wireless signal indicating to begin capturing an activity, a sensor operating module 204 for operating one or more sensors to begin capturing the activity, and / or an activity detecting module 206 for capturing or detecting the activity. Control system 120 can optionally include an event generating module 208 for generating a security event related to the detected activity, a model training module 210 for training one or more ML models based on the captured activity video or other input and an identification of an activity type, etc., and / or a reward system notifying module 212 for notifying a reward system of an employee that triggered the wireless signal to detect the activity.039636.07715

[0034] For example, the various modules 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212 of the control system 120 can be provided or implemented by one or more processors, one or more memories, instructions stored on the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors, etc., of the control system 120, as described further herein. In addition, control system 120 can include a communications module for communicating with one or more other devices, such as the one or more cameras 104 to control the one or more cameras 104, receive the images or video, communicating with the AI module 122 to provide the video or item information input to the AI module 122 and / or receive an output therefrom, etc. In some examples, the AI module 122 may be part of (e.g., provided by) the control system 120, such that the control system 120 may store the ML model and / or interact with the ML model to provide image, video, etc. input and receive an output indicating whether activities are detected

[0035] Referring to FIG.3, an example of a method 300 of performing activity tracking based on receiving a wireless signal is depicted. The operations of the method 300 may be performed by one or more modules or components of the security system 100, control system 120, etc., as described herein.

[0036] At 302, the method 300 may include receiving, from a device carried by an employee associated with an establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected. For example, signal receiving module 202 of the control system 120 can receive, from the device (e.g., signal device 112) carried by the employee (e.g., employee 116) associated with the establishment, the wireless signal indicating the activity to be detected. In an example, the employee 116 can press a button on the signal device 112, which can cause the signal device 112 to transmit a wireless signal, which can be received by one or more signal tracking devices 114 deployed at the establishment. In an example, the wireless signal can indicate location information for the activity, such as a proximity or directionality of the activity from a location of the signal device 112 (which can be effectuated by pressing different buttons, a pattern of button pressing, a length that a button is held, etc.). In another example, the wireless signal can include an event type to be detected (e.g., undesirable / red or desirable / green), a severity of the activity, etc. (which can be effectuated by pressing different buttons, a pattern of button pressing, a length that a button is held, etc.). As described, for example, the wireless signal can indicate the information as data039636.07715 encoded (e.g., as bits) within the signal, by using different signal properties, such as modulation, amplitude, periodicity, transmit power, etc.

[0037] At 304, the method 300 may include obtaining, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity. For example, sensor operating module 204 can obtain the location information from the wireless signal, which can include at least a portion of the location information, as described. In addition, for example, sensor operating module 204 (e.g., via signal tracking devices 114) can triangulate a location of the signal device 112 based on a known location of the signal tracking devices 114 receiving the wireless signal, a signal strength of the wireless signal received (and / or measured) at the signal tracking devices 114, etc. In an example, sensor operating module 204 can combine the triangulated location and the proximity / directionality information to determine a location of the activity.

[0038] At 306, the method 300 can include operating, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information. For example, sensor operating module 204 of the control system 120 can operate, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system, such as one or more cameras 104 (e.g., to power on, start recording, move position, etc.), and activity detecting module 206 can detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information based on information received from the one or more sensors (e.g., video from the one or more cameras 104). For example, sensor operating module 204 can operate the one or more sensors, such as pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) cameras to move or zoom to the location identified by the location information, or can operate drones or robots to travel to the location identified by the location information for capturing video of the activity, etc.

[0039] Operating the one or more sensors at 306 can optionally include, at 308, operating one or more cameras to capture video of the activity, as described. In one example, activity detecting module 206 can analyze the captured video to detect the activity, which can be based on providing captured video to AI module 122 for comparison with stored videos to identify the activity occurring. In an example, sensor operating module 204 can further focus the one or more cameras based on the detected activity.

[0040] Operating the one or more sensors at 306 can optionally include, at 310, operating the one or more sensors to track a journey of an individual, associated with the activity, throughout the establishment. In one example, the sensor operating module 204 can operate the sensors to track the journey of the individual based on activity detecting039636.07715 module 206 detecting the individual performing the activity, which may be based on comparing captured video to videos in the AI module 122 to determine the activity occurring in the captured video. In one example, when activity detecting module 206 detects the activity and / or determines the detected activity as being of a certain activity type (e.g., undesirable theft or other crime), event generating module 208 can generate a security event, which can cause the tracking journey of the suspect or other security actions. In any case, as the individual moves throughout the establishment, sensor operating module 204 can operate the one or more sensors to track or follow the individual based on initially receiving the wireless signal from the signal device 112, detecting the activity, identifying the individual performing the activity, which may include performing facial recognition or feature tracking to detect a face or other feature of the individual to facilitate tracking, and / or identifying the individual based on comparing the face or other feature to faces or other features of known individuals, etc.

[0041] At 312, method 300 can optionally include storing one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors in a case file for an incident corresponding to the activity. For example, event generating module 208 can store an indication of the event and the corresponding video, etc., in the case file (e.g., in memory). The case file can be used for further study to determine if theft occurred, suspect identification, etc. In one example, the case file can be merged with other case files having the same identified suspect (e.g., based on facial recognition of the corresponding videos having a detected face that matches within a threshold confidence). In addition, for example, the generated event can influence different behaviors of the security system 100. For example, the security system 100 may be equipped to track items and / or individuals, and notify or alarm at an exit of the establishment when the items and / or individuals reach the exit (e.g., where the item is suspected to be part of the suspicious activity, based on the generated event, and / or where payment is not received for the item being tracked). For example, the generated event may correspond to a more likely incident of theft, and the security system 100 may sound an alarm with higher probability, take more forceful action to prevent the individual from exiting the establishment with the item, etc.

[0042] At 314, method 300 can optionally include indicating receiving of the wireless signal, or an outcome or reward for an outcome of the activity, along with an identification of the employee, to an employee reward system. For example, reward system039636.07715 notifying module 212 can indicate receiving of the wireless signal, or the outcome or reward for the outcome of the activity, along with the identification of the employee, to the employee reward system 126 (e.g., via an interface provided by the employee reward system 126 to allow such inputs). For example, the employee reward system 126 can be configured to provide a reward to the employee for triggering the wireless signal to capture the activity at the establishment. This can incentivize employees to use the signal device 112 to indicate activities to be captured at the establishment.

[0043] At 316, method 300 can optionally include training a ML model based on the signal and one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors based on receiving the signal. For example, model training module 210 can train the ML model (e.g., via AI module 122) based on the signal and one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors based on receiving the signal. For example, model training module 210 can provide, to the ML model, training data including information from the signal, such as a type of activity, a location of the activity, etc. and the corresponding captured video. This can assist the ML model in identifying similar activities based on similar captured videos, and allow for identifying the activity type (e.g., as undesirable theft or other crime), identifying suspects in the captured video, and / or the like. In this regard, for example, the wireless signal can be triggered when certain activity is seen by the employee, and the wireless signal can assist supervised learning to associated the observed activity with an activity type and / or the corresponding captured video, as described above. In addition, the training data can be specific to the retail establishment to identify the types of activities that may be undesirable or desirable to that specific establishment.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, a computing device 400 may implement all or a portion of the functionality described in FIGS.1-3. For example, the computing device 400 may be or may include at least a portion of the control system 120, or any other module or component described herein with reference to FIGS.1-3. The computing device 400 may include one or more processors 402 which may be configured to execute or implement software, hardware, and / or firmware modules that perform some or all of the functionality described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-3. For example, the processor(s) 402 may be configured to execute or implement software, hardware, and / or firmware modules that perform some or all of the functionality described herein with reference to the control system 120, or any other module or component described herein with reference to FIGS.1-3.039636.07715

[0045] The processor(s) 402 may be a micro-controller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or may include a single or multiple set of processors or multi-core processors. Moreover, the processor(s) 402 may be implemented as an integrated processing system and / or a distributed processing system. The computing device 400 may further include memory / memories 404, such as for storing local versions of applications being executed by the processor(s) 402, related instructions, parameters, etc. The memory / memories 404 may include a type of memory usable by a computer, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), tapes, magnetic discs, optical discs, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and any combination thereof. Additionally, the processor(s) 402 and the memory / memories 404 may include and execute an operating system executing on the processor(s) 402, one or more applications, display drivers, etc., and / or other modules or components of the computing device 400.

[0046] Further, the computing device 400 may include a communications module 406 that provides for establishing and maintaining communications with one or more other devices, parties, entities, etc. utilizing hardware, software, and services. The communications module 406 may carry communications between modules on the computing device 400, as well as between the computing device 400 and external devices, such as devices located across a communications network and / or devices serially or locally connected to the computing device 400. In an aspect, for example, the communications module 406 may include one or more buses, and may further include transmit chain modules and receive chain modules associated with a wireless or wired transmitter and receiver, respectively, operable for interfacing with external devices.

[0047] Additionally, the computing device 400 may include a data store 408, which can be any suitable combination of hardware and / or software, that provides for mass storage of information, databases, and programs. For example, the data store 408 may be or may include a data repository for applications and / or related parameters not currently being executed by processor(s) 402. In addition, the data store 408 may be a data repository for an operating system, application, display driver, etc., executing on the processor 402, and / or one or more other modules of the computing device 400.

[0048] The computing device 400 may also include a user interface module 410 operable to receive inputs from a user of the computing device 400 and further operable to039636.07715 generate outputs for presentation to the user (e.g., via a display interface to a display device). The user interface module 410 may include one or more input devices, including but not limited to a keyboard, a number pad, a mouse, a touch-sensitive display, a navigation key, a function key, a microphone, a voice recognition module, or any other mechanism capable of receiving an input from a user, or any combination thereof. Further, the user interface module 410 may include one or more output devices, including but not limited to a display interface, a speaker, a haptic feedback mechanism, a printer, any other mechanism capable of presenting an output to a user, or any combination thereof.

[0049] Additionally, aspects of the disclosure may be implemented according to one or more of the following clauses.

[0050] Clause 1. A method for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, comprising: receiving, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected; obtaining, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity; and operating, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

[0051] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the location information includes a proximity and a directionality of the activity indicated by the device.

[0052] Clause 3. The method of any preceding clause, wherein obtaining the location information includes processing, by one or more other devices in the security system, the wireless signal to triangulate the location information.

[0053] Clause 4. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more cameras installed in the establishment.

[0054] Clause 5. The method of any preceding clause, wherein operating the one or more cameras includes controlling a pan, tilt, or zoom of the one or more cameras to focus on a location based on the location information.

[0055] Clause 6. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the wireless signal indicates whether the activity is desirable or undesirable activity.

[0056] Clause 7. The method of any preceding clause, wherein operating the one or more sensors further includes operating the one or more sensors to track an individual associated with the activity in traveling throughout the establishment.039636.07715

[0057] Clause 8. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising indicating, to an employee reward system, receiving of the wireless signal along with an identification of the employee.

[0058] Clause 9. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising indicating, to an employee reward system, an outcome, or a reward for an outcome, of the activity along with an identification of the employee.

[0059] Clause 10. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising storing one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors in a case file for an incident corresponding to the activity.

[0060] Clause 11. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising training a machine learning model based on the wireless signal and one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors based on receiving the wireless signal.

[0061] Clause 12. An apparatus for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute instructions stored on the one or more memories to: receive, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected; obtain, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity; and operate, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

[0062] Clause 13. The apparatus of clause 12, wherein the location information includes a proximity and a directionality of the activity indicated by the device.

[0063] Clause 14. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to obtain the location information including processing, by one or more other devices in the security system, the wireless signal to triangulate the location information.

[0064] Clause 15. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more cameras installed in the establishment.

[0065] Clause 16. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to operate the one or more cameras including controlling a pan, tilt, or zoom of the one or more cameras to focus on a location based on the location information.

[0066] Clause 17. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the wireless signal indicates whether the activity is desirable or undesirable activity.039636.07715

[0067] Clause 18. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to operate the one or more sensors further including operating the one or more sensors to track an individual associated with the activity in traveling throughout the establishment.

[0068] Clause 19. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions, executable by one or more processors, for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, the instructions comprising instructions for performing the method of any of clauses 1 to 11.

[0069] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. The words “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” “device,” and the like may not be a substitute for the word039636.07715 “means.” As such, no claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

[0070] As used in this application, the terms “component,” “module,” “system” and the like are intended to include a computer-related entity, such as but not limited to hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and the computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside within a process and / or thread of execution and a component can be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components can communicate by way of local and / or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets, such as data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and / or across a network such as the Internet with other systems by way of the signal.

[0071] As used herein, a processor, at least one processor, and / or one or more processors, individually or in combination, configured to perform or operable for performing a plurality of actions is meant to include at least two different processors able to perform different, overlapping or non-overlapping subsets of the plurality actions, or a single processor able to perform all of the plurality of actions. In one non-limiting example of multiple processors being able to perform different ones of the plurality of actions in combination, a description of a processor, at least one processor, and / or one or more processors configured or operable to perform actions X, Y, and Z may include at least a first processor configured or operable to perform a first subset of X, Y, and Z (e.g., to perform X) and at least a second processor configured or operable to perform a second subset of X, Y, and Z (e.g., to perform Y and Z). Alternatively, a first processor, a second processor, and a third processor may be respectively configured or operable to perform a respective one of actions X, Y, and Z. It should be understood that any combination of one or more processors each may be configured or operable to perform any one or any combination of a plurality of actions.

[0072] As used herein, a memory, at least one memory, and / or one or more memories, individually or in combination, configured to store or having stored thereon039636.07715 instructions executable by one or more processors for performing a plurality of actions is meant to include at least two different memories able to store different, overlapping or non-overlapping subsets of the instructions for performing different, overlapping or non-overlapping subsets of the plurality actions, or a single memory able to store the instructions for performing all of the plurality of actions. In one non-limiting example of one or more memories, individually or in combination, being able to store different subsets of the instructions for performing different ones of the plurality of actions, a description of a memory, at least one memory, and / or one or more memories configured or operable to store or having stored thereon instructions for performing actions X, Y, and Z may include at least a first memory configured or operable to store or having stored thereon a first subset of instructions for performing a first subset of X, Y, and Z (e.g., instructions to perform X) and at least a second memory configured or operable to store or having stored thereon a second subset of instructions for performing a second subset of X, Y, and Z (e.g., instructions to perform Y and Z). Alternatively, a first memory, and second memory, and a third memory may be respectively configured to store or have stored thereon a respective one of a first subset of instructions for performing X, a second subset of instruction for performing Y, and a third subset of instructions for performing Z. It should be understood that any combination of one or more memories each may be configured or operable to store or have stored thereon any one or any combination of instructions executable by one or more processors to perform any one or any combination of a plurality of actions. Moreover, one or more processors may each be coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured or operable to execute the instructions to perform the plurality of actions. For instance, in the above non-limiting example of the different subset of instructions for performing actions X, Y, and Z, a first processor may be coupled to a first memory storing instructions for performing action X, and at least a second processor may be coupled to at least a second memory storing instructions for performing actions Y and Z, and the first processor and the second processor may, in combination, execute the respective subset of instructions to accomplish performing actions X, Y, and Z. Alternatively, three processors may access one of three different memories each storing one of instructions for performing X, Y, or Z, and the three processor may in combination execute the respective subset of instruction to accomplish performing actions X, Y, and Z. Alternatively, a single039636.07715 processor may execute the instructions stored on a single memory, or distributed across multiple memories, to accomplish performing actions X, Y, and Z.

Claims

039636.07715 CLAIMS WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, comprising: receiving, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected; obtaining, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity; and operating, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes a proximity and a directionality of the activity indicated by the device.

3. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein obtaining the location information includes processing, by one or more other devices in the security system, the wireless signal to triangulate the location information.

4. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more cameras installed in the establishment.

5. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein operating the one or more cameras includes controlling a pan, tilt, or zoom of the one or more cameras to focus on a location based on the location information.

6. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless signal indicates whether the activity is desirable or undesirable activity.

7. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein operating the one or more sensors further includes operating the one or more sensors to track an individual associated with the activity in traveling throughout the establishment.039636.07715 8. The method of any of the preceding claims, further comprising indicating, to an employee reward system, receiving of the wireless signal along with an identification of the employee.

9. The method of any of the preceding claims, further comprising indicating, to an employee reward system, an outcome, or a reward for an outcome, of the activity along with an identification of the employee.

10. The method of any of the preceding claims, further comprising storing one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors in a case file for an incident corresponding to the activity.

11. The method of any of the preceding claims, further comprising training a machine learning model based on the wireless signal and one or more inputs received from the one or more sensors based on receiving the wireless signal.

12. An apparatus for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute instructions stored on the one or more memories to: receive, from a device carried by an employee associated with the establishment, a wireless signal indicating an activity to be detected; obtain, based on the wireless signal, location information for the activity; and operate, based on the wireless signal, one or more sensors of the security system to detect the activity at a location identified based on the location information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the location information includes a proximity and a directionality of the activity indicated by the device.

14. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to obtain the location information039636.07715 including processing, by one or more other devices in the security system, the wireless signal to triangulate the location information.

15. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more cameras installed in the establishment.

16. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to operate the one or more cameras including controlling a pan, tilt, or zoom of the one or more cameras to focus on a location based on the location information.

17. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless signal indicates whether the activity is desirable or undesirable activity.

18. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to operate the one or more sensors further including operating the one or more sensors to track an individual associated with the activity in traveling throughout the establishment.

19. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions, executable by one or more processors, for assisting a security system in detecting activities in an establishment, the instructions comprising instructions for performing the method of any of claims 1 to 11.

Images