Systems, devices, and methods for selective response to egress of an article from a premises

Abstract

Example implementations include a method, apparatus and computer-readable medium comprising detecting an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles. The implementations further include sending a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency wherein the data signal is operative to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

Description

SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVE RESPONSE TO EGRESS OF AN ARTICLE FROM A PREMISESCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 571,927, filed March 29, 2024, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] There are commonplace surveillance systems that monitor egress of articles from a premise by using acousto-magnetic (AM) tag devices. Such surveillance systems typically rely on AM tag devices responsive to a common detection frequency, where the common detection frequency is associated with each article that is tagged within the premises. As a result, a response provided by those systems is the same across different articles to which respective AM tag devices are attached. Accordingly, the response merely conveys the egress of an article from the premises. Further, because the response is the same across articles that egress the premises, those surveillance systems can misallocate valuable resources.

[0003] Therefore, much remains to be improved in technologies that use AM tag devices to monitor egress of articles from a premises.SUMMARY

[0001] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0002] An example aspect includes a method comprising detecting an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles. The method further includes sending a data signalindicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency. Additionally, the method further includes receiving the data signal. Additionally, the method further includes causing a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

[0003] Another example aspect includes an apparatus comprising one or more memories and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories. The one or more processors are configured, individually or in combination, to detect an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles. The one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to send a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency. Additionally, the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to receive the data signal. Additionally, the processor further configured to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

[0004] Another example aspect includes an apparatus comprising means for detecting AM tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles. The apparatus further includes means for sending a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency. Additionally, the apparatus further includes means for receiving the data signal. Additionally, the apparatus further includes means for causing a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

[0005] Another example aspect includes a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors, individually or in any combination, to detect an AM tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles. The instructions are further executable to send a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency. Additionally, the instructions are further executable to receive the data signal. Additionally, the instructions arefurther executable to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

[0006] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings form part of the disclosure and are incorporated into the subject specification. The drawings illustrate example aspects of the disclosure and, in conjunction with the following detailed description, serve to explain at least in part various principles, features, or aspects of the disclosure. Some aspects of the disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various aspects of the disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a surveillance environment including an example surveillance system that can provide article-specific responses to egress of an article from a premises, in accordance with one or more aspects of described in this disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an example of detection apparatus that can detect AM tag devices, in accordance with one or more aspects of described in this disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 3 is an example of a process flow diagram for providing article-specific responses to egress of an article from a premises, in accordance with one or more aspects of described in this disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example of a method for providing article-specific responses to egress of an article from a premises, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.

[0017] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.

[0018] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.

[0019] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of additional aspects of the method of FIG. 4.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The disclosure relates to implementation of an action responsive to exit of a tag device from premises, wherein the action is one of a plurality of different actions depending on a tagspecific detection signal having a select frequency. The tag device with one of a plurality of different tag-specific detection signals can be selectively attached to an article based on one of a plurality of different article attributes associated with the article. As such, exit of the tag device from the premises may indicate an unauthorized exit of the article with a specific attribute from the premises. Accordingly, the action that is implemented can be specific to the attribute of the article, and such actions may include but are not limited to an informative action, an investigative action, or a remedial action, or a combination of the foregoing actions. An informative action can be directed, for example, to making known that the tag device has exited the premises. Such an informative action can be implemented via one or several mechanisms and / or one or more communication channels. An investigative action can be directed, for example, to creating a record of the exit of the tag device and associated events involving the tag device. Such a record can serve as evidence that can be, in some cases, in further action responsive to the exit of the tag device from the premises. A remedial action can be directed, for example, to recovering the article attached to the tag device and / or identifying an individual associated with removing the tag device and / or the article from the premises. Depending on the functional complexity of the tag device and / or type of the article, a remedial action can be directed to disabling functionality of the article remotely. An article can be merchandise of a retailer, user equipment, consumer electronics, industrial tools, gardening tools, or similar. Merchandise can include garments, shoes, sports apparel, pet food, pet toys, and the like. More generally, simply for purposed of illustration, an article is an object that has cost to be manufactured and that has a transactional value that is dictated by market forces, public perception, and / or seasonality.

[0021] In other words, aspects of the technologies of this disclosure provide apparatuses, devices, systems, processor-implemented methods, and computer-program products that, individually or in combination, permit implementing one or several actions responsive to exit of a tag device from premises or a sector within the premises, where each one of the action(s) is specific to the tag-specific detection signal the tag device, which is associated with a corresponding attribute specific to the article to which the tag device is attached. More specifically, yet not exclusively, the tag device includes an acousto-magnetic (AM) device that is configured to be detected using excitation magnetic signals having frequencies within a detection bandwidth. The tag device is selectively configured to be responsive to one of a group of excitation signals within a narrow sub-band of frequencies centered about a detection frequency. The defined bandwidth can span 400 Hz and can be centered about a defined frequency fc(e.g., 58 KHz). Such a frequency bandwidth can be partitioned into multiple narrow sub-bands. For instance, the defined frequency bandwidth can support an upper narrow sub-band of frequencies centered about an upper frequency f+ = f0+ 200 Hz and a lower narrow sub-band of frequencies centered about a lower frequency f- =fc- 200 Hz. In this fashion, regardless of how many narrow sub-bands the frequency bandwidth supports, a tag device in accordance with aspects of this disclosure can be detected based on a tag-specific detection signal having a select frequency corresponding to one of a plurality of sub-bands within a detection bandwidth. Each narrow sub-band of frequencies can be referred to as a detection sub-band. Accordingly, different tag devices responsive to different narrow frequency sub-bands can be distinguished by their distinct tag-specific detection signals. In this fashion, different sub-band specific tag devices responsive to different respective narrow frequency sub-bands can be attached to different articles with different attributes so as to identify a respective attribute of the respective article associated with a respective detected tag device.

[0022] In an example implementation, in the technologies described in this disclosure, for a particular premises, tag devices having different tag-specific detection signals can be affixed to different articles having different attributes (article type, product category of the article, article price point, etc.). That is, for the particular premises, tag devices configured to be detected in a particular detection sub-band can be affixed to articles having a first common attribute, and other tag devices configured to be detected in another particular detection sub-band can be affixed to other articles having a second common attribute, and so on. Therefore, in sharp contrast to existing surveillance systems reliant on AM tag devices, the technologies described herein can providemultiple different associations between multiple different detection frequencies of multiple different tag devices and an associated attribute of a respective article to which each respective tag device is attached. In this way, in a surveillance system configured to detect a number of different tag-specific detection frequencies, a corresponding number of article-frequency associations can be created. Those associations are different and can permit providing different types of actions / responses that are specific to an attribute of an article based on the tag-specific detection signal of the tag device attached to the article that has been detected as exiting the premises.

[0023] Because a tag device can be attached to an article, an action that is implemented in response to the tag device exiting the premises can be specific to the article based on the tagspecific detection signal of the tag device. In this way, responses to the unauthorized exit of articles from the premises can be selective and flexibly customized to the attribute of the article that has exited the premises. As a result, in sharp contrast to commonplace surveillance technologies, the severity or complexity of a response, and the number of resources involved in the response, can be adjusted according to the attribute of the article. Indeed, while for a particular attribute of article, such as a pet at daycare, a premium article, or a collectible article, the action can involve a combination of informative, investigative, and remedial actions, whereas for another attribute of article, such as a non-premium article or non-collectible article, the action may be different (e.g., including less resource intensive) or omitted altogether. Such selectivity in the response to the exit of a tag device, and associated article, permits using resources of a surveillance system in a significantly more efficient fashion than in existing surveillance systems. In addition, the surveillance and response functionality described herein can be achieved using existing detection infrastructure, which results in further efficiencies in the use of resources available for surveillance of premises.

[0024] Additionally, tag devices in accordance with this disclosure may be combined with other types of devices, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) devices, to provide the various functionalities described herein in premises where operation of an RFID would be difficult or unfeasible.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a surveillance environment including an example surveillance system 100 that can provide article-specific responses to egress of an article from a premises, in accordance with one or more aspects of described in this disclosure. The example surveillance system includes a detection apparatus 110 deployed withinan area 120 of the premises, such as a store or building. Specifically, the detection apparatus 110 can be deployed at or near a point of entry and / or exit of the premises. The detection apparatus 110 can detect tag devices 146 by using magnetic signals transmitted by the tag devices 146 and received by the detection apparatus 110 within a detection bandwidth 130 (e.g., fmto fin , where m to M can be any range of frequencies suitable for the present disclosure). In some configurations, the detection bandwidth 130 can span 400 Hz and can be centered about 58 KHz. Each of the tag devices 146 includes an AM device that is configured to be responsive to a respective narrow subband of frequencies centered about a select frequency within the detection bandwidth 130. In some cases, as is illustrated in FIG. 1, the detection apparatus 110 can detect tag devices 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about a first frequency (e.g., fo in FIG. 1). In addition, the detection apparatus 110 also can detect other tag devices 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about a second frequency (e.g., fi in FIG. 1). Further, the detection apparatus 110 can further detect yet other tag devices 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about a third frequency (e.g., fz in FIG. 1). In order for a tag device 146 to be responsive to a particular detection sub-band, the tag device 146 can include an AM device having a housing that defines a cavity containing one or more resonators and with a bias element outside the cavity. The resonator(s) can be formed of a metal or another type of conducting material (e.g., a metal alloy) and the bias element can be formed of a magnetic material, such as a magnetized material or a ferromagnetic material, or a combination of both. The resonator(s) and bias element are configured to have an induced mechanical resonance when subjected to a particular magnetic field originating from, for example, a 58 kHz magnetic signal, and to provide a magnetic signal responsive to the particular magnetic field when the field is turned off due to interaction between the resonator(s) and the bias element. Such a response magnetic signal can be received by an antenna of the detection apparatus 110. Each one of the tag devices 146 associated with articles 122, articles 124, and article 126 can be configured to provide a different, sub-band-specific response magnetic signal, such as by varying a length of the resonator(s) and / or changing a magnetic property of the bias element. Although the present aspects are described using an example of three detection sub-bands, the technologies of this disclosure are, of course, not limited to three detection sub-bands. Fewer or additional detection sub-bands also can be implemented.

[0026] Because the detection apparatus 110 can distinguish between tag devices 146 responsive to different frequency sub-bands, the detection apparatus 110 can supply a detectionsignal that is more informative than detection signals available in existing detection apparatuses that use AM tag devices to monitor egress of articles from a location. More specifically, rather than providing a detection signal that is merely qualitative — e.g., an article has egressed the premises — as is typically done in existing technologies, the detection apparatus 110 can provide a detection signal that is quantitative. That is, the detection apparatus 110 can supply a detection signal that includes data indicative of a select frequency involved in the detection of tag device. As mentioned, the tag device 146 can be attached to an article having a particular attribute, and, thus, the select frequency identified in the detection signal in turn identifies the particular attribute of the article that egressed the premised.

[0027] Identification of a particular attribute of an article that has egressed the premises has several practical applications. For example, a surveillance system that includes the detection apparatus 110 can selectively respond to the egress of an article, where a response to such an egress event is based on the particular attribute of the article. A selective response to an egress event includes the implementation of one or more actions customized to the particular attribute of article. In some cases, for articles of a specific attribute, e.g., non-premium articles or non-collectible articles, the surveillance system can omit the implementation of any actions in response to the egress event. As a result, the surveillance system can use resources, such as network bandwidth, processor cycles, and similar resources, more efficiently than commonplace surveillance systems that use AM tag devices and lack such a selectivity.

[0028] The area 120 can include multiple articles to which different tag devices with different response frequencies are selectively attached according to different attributes of each of the multiple articles. Thus, one or more first articles 122 can each be tagged with a tag device 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about fo. One or more second articles 124 can be each be tagged with a tag device 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about fi. One or more third articles 126 can each be tagged with a tag device 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about f2. In one example configuration, the select frequency fo can be associated, via attached tags, with articles 122 of a first attribute, such as a premium type of. An article can be designated as a premium type of article based on one or more article attributes, such as but not limited to a price point including a retail price exceeding a threshold price or within one of a plurality of different price ranges, or a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) exceeding a threshold price or within one of a plurality of different price ranges, brand, season of year,relatively high consumer perception, or similar attribute. Continuing with the example, the select frequency fi can be associated, via attached tag devices 146, with articles 124 of non- premium type. An article can be a non-premium article based on one or more article attributes, such as retail price less than or equal to a threshold price or within one of a plurality of different price ranges lower than the premium article, MSRP less than or equal to a threshold price or within one of a plurality of different price ranges lower than the premium article, brand, season of year, relatively lower consumer perception (comparted to a similar metric of the premium type of article), or similar attribute. Further continuing with the example, the select frequency f2 can be associated, via attached tags, with articles 126 having an attribute associated with a clearance type or staple type.

[0029] It is noted that, in some cases, instead of the attribute being an article type and / or price, the tag device 146 responsive to a particular detection frequency can be associated with product category, e.g., health product, foodstuff, clothing, tools, fabrics, appliances, beauty products, cleaning products, or the like. Further, within a given product category, tag devices responsive to different detection frequencies can be attached to different subcategories of products. As an example, for foodstuffs, tag devices responsive to different detection frequencies can be attached two or more types of products, such as meats, dairy, nuts, sports drinks, meal-replacement bar, protein bars, and the like.

[0030] Additionally, for example, in some cases, instead of the attribute being an article type, price, and / or category, the attribute can be any user-designated attribute, such as an article being designated by a user as an article of interest. For example, an article of interest may be any article that the user would like to track, and may have any article type, product category of the article, and / or article price point. For example, but not limited hereto, the designation of being an article of interest may be an article that is associated with a theft event, an article associated with a sale event, or any combination of an article type, category, and / or price.

[0031] In an egress event, an article 144 of the articles 122, 124, 126 within the area 120 exits the area 120 through a passage between two detection components that form the detection apparatus 110. In FIG. 1 the egress event is represented by an arrow, and can be caused by a subject 148 carrying the article 144 through the detection apparatus 110. The article 144 is attached to a tag device 146 responsive to a frequency sub-band centered about one of fo,fi, or

[0032] In some cases, to detect the tag device 146 attached to the article 144, the detection apparatus 110 transmits multiple magnetic signals. The magnetic signals include a first magnetic signal having frequencies within a frequency sub-band centered about / o; a second magnetic signal having frequencies within a frequency sub-band centered about fr, and a third magnetic signal having frequencies within a frequency sub-band centered about f2. The disclosure is, of course, not limited to three frequency sub-bands, and more or fewer frequency sub-bands can be used. In some configurations, the detection apparatus 110 can transmit the multiple magnetic signals according to a frequency hopping scheme. Specifically, the detection apparatus 110 can transmit, during a time interval, magnetic signals having frequencies centered exclusively about a first particular frequency, and can then transmit, during a next time interval, other magnetic signals having frequencies centered exclusively about a different particular frequency, ultimately transmitting again, at a subsequent time interval, magnetic signals having frequencies centered exclusively about the first particular frequency, and so on. The frequency hopping scheme is configured so that over time, the detection apparatus 110 repeatedly transmits magnetic signals centered exclusively about each one of fo,fi, and f2, in respective time intervals. In other cases, the detection apparatus 110 transmits multiple magnetic signals having respective frequencies spanning most if not all of the detection bandwidth 130.

[0033] Regardless of how the multiple magnetic signals are transmitted, as the tag device 146 traverses the passage between the detection components of the detection apparatus 110, the tag device 146 responds to one of the first, second, or third magnetic signals by transmitting a response magnetic signal having a frequency within a sub-band centered about a particular one of fo,fi, or f2. The detection apparatus 110 receives the response magnetic signal and, responsive to that signal, determines presence of the tag device 146 within a detection range of the detection apparatus 110. In an example configuration, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, the detection apparatus 110 includes excitation circuitry 210 than can transmit magnetic signals having frequencies localized about fo, fi, and f2. In some cases, the excitation circuitry 210 also can transmit magnetic signals having respective frequencies spanning most if not all of the detection bandwidth 130. In addition, the detection apparatus 110 also includes detection circuitry 220 that can receive the response magnetic signal having frequencies within a sub-band centered about a particular one of fo,fi, or f2. The detection circuitry 220 can pass a control signal, for example, to a control unit 230 integrated into the detection apparatus 110. The control signal is indicative of reception of theresponse signal, and can identify a select detection frequency (e.g., fo,fi, or f2) corresponding to the response magnetic signal that has been received.

[0034] Detection of the tag device 146 attached to the article 144 causes the detection apparatus 110 to generate a detection signal 116 indicative of presence of the tag device 146 within the detection range of the detection apparatus 110. The detection signal 116 includes payload data 118 identifying the select detection frequency (e.g., fo, fi, or f2) to which the tag device 146 is responsive. In some configurations the control unit 230 (FIG. 2) can generate the detection signal.

[0035] The detection apparatus 110 can send the detection signal to at least one server device of one or multiple server devices 160. To that end, the detection apparatus 110 can be communicatively coupled with the at least one server via at least one network of one or more networks 150, which may include one or more of a wired network and / or a wireless network. In some configurations, the control unit 230 (FIG. 2) can send the detection signal via a network adapter of one or more network adapters 260 integrated into the detection apparatus 110. Each one of the server device(s) 160 includes computing resources (not shown in FIG. 1) comprising, for example, microcontroller(s), central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), memory devices, disk space, incoming bandwidth and / or outgoing bandwidth, interface(s) (such as I / O interfaces or APIs, or both), controller device(s), power supplies, a combination of the foregoing, and / or similar resources. The control units 230 also includes similar computing resources.

[0036] In some configurations, the detection apparatus 110 can generate a response to the detection of the tag device 146 attached to the article 144. The response can be specific to the particular attribute of the article 144 as indicated by the frequency of the response signal transmitted by the tag device 146, as described above. In particular, yet not exclusively, the detection apparatus 110 can generate an alarm based on the select detection frequency corresponding to the tag device 146 attached to the article 144. To generate the alarm, the detection apparatus 110 and / or the associated EAS security system can include multiple response devices 240 (FIG. 2), including one or more lighting devices 240a, one or more audio and / or video input / output devices 240b, and one or more haptic devices 240c. The one or more lighting devices 240a may include different types of lighting devices (e.g., light emitting diodes, spot lights, flood lights, neon lights, laser) and each type may have one or more lighting output characteristics, such as but not limited to color, brightness, on / off pattern, etc. Similarly, the one or more audio and / orvideo input / output devices 240b may include different types of audio / video devices (e.g., speaker, bell, horn, microphone, display, camera, infrared or other specified wavelength sensor) and each type may have one or more audio and / or video input / output characteristics, such as but not limited to volume, sensitivity, output duration and / or frequency, audio content (e.g., verbal message, sound, noise), video content (e.g., video of scene of person leaving with article and tag device, alpha and / or numeric and / or graphical message), video recording characteristics (e.g., scene recorded, length of recording) etc. Also, similarly, the one or more haptic devices 240c may include different types of haptic devices (e.g., a buzzer, a rotating unbalance, an audio frequency emitter, an air pressure emitter) and each type may have one or more haptic output characteristics, such as but not limited to vibration on / off pattern, rotation frequency, audio frequency, pressure value, etc. The one or more of the response devices 240, and / or the response characteristic of the one or more response devices 240, may be selectively associated with the detected response frequency of the response signal transmitted by the tag device 146 such that different tag devices 146 associated with different attributes of different articles cause a different response by the one or more response devices 240. For instance, the different responses can indicate to store or security personnel the attribute of the article to which the tag device is attached. For example, detection of a tag device associated with a non- premium article may trigger a first audio and / or video input / output device 240b having a first audio and / or video input / output characteristic. In contrast, for example, a detection of a tag device associated with a premium article may trigger the first audio and / or video input / output device 240b having a second audio and / or video input / output characteristics. It should be understood that a user of the present disclosure may configure any combination of response devices 240 and response characteristics to be associated with a respective one of the different response frequencies of the different tag devices.

[0037] In some cases, the server device(s) 160 can be deployed within the premises that include the area 120. Thus, the at least one network can be a local area network (LAN) that routes the detection signal to the at least one server device intended to be the recipient device of the detection signal. The at least one server device can receive the detection signal and can then implement one or more operations. The operation(s) are based on the select detection frequency (e.g., fo, fi, or f2) associated with the tag device that has been detected. The at least one server can include multiple modules 164 that, in response to being executed, individually or in combination, cause the implementation of the one or more operations.

[0038] In other cases, the server device(s) 160 can be remotely located relative to the premises that include the area 120. Thus, the network(s) 150 can form a wide area network (WAN) that includes the at least one network that the detection apparatus 110 uses to send the detection signal. The server device(s) 160 can be part of a cloud computing platform and can thus include a gateway device. The gateway device can receive the detection signal and can then route the detection signal to the intended server device(s) within the server device(s) 160. The intended server device(s) can receive the detection signal and, in response, can implement the one or more operations. To that end, as mentioned, the intended server device(s) can execute, via one or more processor, at least one of the modules 164.

[0039] Implementation of the operation(s) based on the select detection frequency corresponding to the tag device 146 results in a response to the egress event involving the article 144. Because of the correspondence between the select detection frequency and the particular attribute of the article 144, the response is specific to the attribute of article. Such specificity is absent in existing technologies that use AM tag devices to monitor egress of articles from premises.

[0040] In some cases, implementing the operation(s) can cause generation of an alarm based on the select detection frequency. Based on the particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency, the alarm can include presentation of information corresponding to the egress event. Specifically, the server device that received the detection signal can direct a device to present a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article (e.g., staple article) associated with the select detection frequency. The user interface can be part of a software application or another type of software for surveillance of the premises including the area 120. As an example, the server device can direct a user device 162 to present such a user interface.

[0041] In addition, or in some cases, presentation of the alarm can include one or more other actions. For example, the server device that received the detection signal can direct a device (e.g., the user device 162) to emit an audible sound having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency.

[0042] Further, or in other cases, the alarm can be more complex and presentation of the alarm can involve additional resources and / or devices. For instance, the server device can direct the device (e.g., user device 162) to energize a haptic device integrated into the device and cause the haptic device to produce a vibration. Attributes of the vibration, such as amplitude, frequency,and / or duty cycle, can be based on the select detection frequency. In addition, or as an alternative, the server device can direct the device (e.g., user device 162) to cause a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals. Duration of each time interval in the series can be based on the select detection frequency.

[0043] Accordingly, in sharp contrast to existing surveillance technologies that use AM tag devices, the example surveillance system 100 can flexibly adjust a response to an egress event involving an article within the area 120. As a result, the example surveillance system 100 can use resources (e.g., communication bandwidth) more efficiently than such existing surveillance technologies.

[0044] In addition, or in some cases, implementation of the operation(s) based on the select detection frequency corresponding to the tag device 146 attached to the article 144 results in the execution of a procedure for management of egress of articles from a premises hosting the detection apparatus 110. The procedure is based on the select detection frequency. In some configurations, as part of execution of the procedure, the server device that received the detection signal corresponding to the select detection frequency can update, based on the select detection frequency, at least one metric indicative of egress of AM tag devices responsive to the select detection frequency from the premises. The at least one metric can include a number of egress events associated with the select detection frequency over a defined time interval. The at least one metric also can include a first metric indicative of a cost associated with such a number of egress events. In addition, also as part of execution of the procedure, the server device also can update a report to include the at least one metric. For instance, by updating the report to include the at least one metric, the report may be updated to include a cumulative count of articles of one of a plurality of different attributes corresponding to the select detection frequency, wherein the report includes respective cumulative counts of respective articles of at least two of the plurality of different attributes corresponding to each one of the multiple detection frequencies. Further, also as part of execution of the procedure, the server device can send the report to another device, such as a user device (e.g., personal computer, cell phone, tablet device) of a user (e.g., store or company personnel) of the present system, such as via a text message, email, etc. The server device can execute the procedure in response to executing at least one of the modules 164.

[0045] Responses to an egress event involving article 144 can be more complex than presentation of an alarm based on attribute of the article 144. In scenarios where the article 144 isa clearance article, a server device of the server device(s) 160 can create a record of the egress the article 144 and the attribute of the article 144. The server device can add the record to a report that retains a historical data on egress of article from the area 120. For such attributes of articles, as mentioned, the server device can omit implementing operation(s) that consume a greater number of resources.

[0046] In cases where the article 144 is a non-premium article, the server device also can create a record of the egress the article 144 and the attribute of the article 144. The server device can add the record to a report that retains a historical data on egress of article from the area 120. In addition, because the article 144 has a greater value than a clearance article, the operation(s) implemented by the server device can involve a greater number of resources. As such, the server device also can cause a device to perform one or more actions. For example, the server device can direct a camera device 170a to generate at least one image of an area containing the detection apparatus 110. Further, the server device can direct the camera device 170a to supply data representative of the at least one image to the server itself and / or another server device of the server device(s) 160. The other server device can be a storage node in a data repository (not depicted in FIG. 1).

[0047] In cases where the article 144 is a premium article (e.g., a basketball shoe with high brand-name recognition, a household tool with advanced features, or lithium batteries for lawn maintenance tools), the server device still can create a record of the egress the article 144 and the attribute of the article 144. The server device can then add the record to a report that retains a historical data on egress of article from the area 120.

[0048] In addition, because the article 144 is a premium article, the operation(s) implemented by the server device can involve a number of resources that is greater than the number of resources involved in a non-premium article. As such, the server device also can cause multiple devices to perform one or more actions. For example, similar to a response to the egress of a non-premium article, the server device can direct the camera device 170a to generate at least one image of an area containing the detection apparatus 110. In addition, the server device can direct the camera device 170a to supply data representative of the at least one image to the server itself and / or the storage node in the data repository (not depicted in FIG. 1). Further, the server device can direct a second camera device 170b to generate at least one image of a parking area 190 adjacent to an area containing the detection apparatus 110. The server device also can direct the second camera device 170b to supply data representative of the at least one image of the parking area 190 to the serveritself and / or the storage node. By causing the creation of at least one image of the parking area 190, the server device can cause the creation of a record of the subject 148 moving to the parking area 190 and, possibly, entering a vehicle 192 located at the parking area 190 and departing the parking area 190 in the vehicle 192. In situations where the subject break-in the vehicle 192, such a detailed record of the egress event involving the article 144 can become a valuable tool in investigative efforts.

[0049] The various image frames (e.g., a still image or a video segment) obtained as part of responding to the egress event involving the article 144 can be supplied to a user device 162 for presentation by the user device 162. The server device that directed the camera device 170a and the second camera device 170b to obtain one or more image frames also can direct the user device 162 to present an image of the subject 148. The user device 162 can present the image of the subject 148 in several ways. For example, in some cases the user device 162 can be a mobile device that is configured with a mobile application or another software to monitor the premises including the area 120. In those cases, the user device 162 can present the image a push message associated the application or software. This disclosure is not limited to push messages. In some configurations of the user device 162, the image can be presented as overlay on a home screen of the user device 162. As another example, the image of the subject can be presented within an image area includes in a user interface that is presented by the user device 162 as part of surveillance of the premises. The image area can be part of a layout of image areas, each corresponding to a section of the premises.

[0050] In some cases, depending on the attribute of the article, the server device can direct the user device 162 to present a video segment of a subject 148 leaving the area 120. In some configurations, the server device can cause presentation of the video segment for all attributes of articles — e.g., clearance article, non-premium article, and premium article. In other configurations, the server device can cause presentation of the video segment for a select attribute of articles, such as premium articles.

[0051] As is described herein, the assignment of detection frequency to an attribute of the article is flexible. Thus, there may be scenarios where a first detection frequency (e.g., fo) is associated with non-premium articles; a second detection frequency (e.g., / ) is associated with a lower tier of premium articles; and a third detection frequency (e.g., / ) is associated with an upper tier of premium articles. An association between a particular detection frequency and a particularattribute of the article is accomplished by attaching a tag device responsive to the particular detection frequency to an article of the particular attribute.

[0052] In an example scenario where the article 144 is an upper-tier premium article, the server device can allocate a number of resources that is greater than the number of resources allocated to a response to an event egress involving a lower-tier premium article. Simply as an illustration, in response to an egress event involving the article 144, the server device can direct the camera device 170a to generate at least one image of an area containing the detection apparatus 110. In addition, the server device can direct the camera device 170a to supply data representative of the at least one image to the server itself and / or the storage node in the data repository (not depicted in FIG. 1). Further, the server device can direct the second camera device 170b to generate at least one image of the parking area 190. The server device also can direct the second camera device 170b to supply data representative of the at least one image of the parking area 190 to the server itself and / or the storage node. Again, by causing the creation of at least one image of the parking area 190, the server device can cause the creation of a record of the subject 148 moving to the parking area 190 and, possibly, entering the vehicle 192 and departing the parking area 190 in the vehicle 192. Furthermore, because the article 144 is an upper-tier premium article, the server device can cause an autonomous vehicle to be released, and also can direct the autonomous vehicle to track the subject 148. The subject 148 can be tracked for a particular time interval. Examples of the time interval include 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, the autonomous vehicle can be an autonomous vehicle 180 (UV 180), which may be an aerial and / or terrestrial vehicle, and which can be an unmanned vehicle or robot.

[0053] As part of tracking the subject 148, the autonomous vehicle (e.g., UV 180) can generate a video segment of the subject 148 for the duration of the particular time interval. The autonomous vehicle (e.g., UV 180) can supply video data representative of the video segment. The video data can be supplied in numerous ways. In one example, the video data can be supplied in blocks at specific times during the particular time interval. In another example, the video data can be supplied in a data stream as the video data is generated or otherwise becomes available to the autonomous vehicle (e.g., UV 180).

[0054] The server device that directs the autonomous vehicle (e.g., UV 180) to track the subject 148 also can direct the autonomous vehicle (e.g., UV 180) to supply video data to the user device 162.

[0055] In addition, or in some cases, the serve device also can direct a fencing or gating apparatus 194 to be elevated and block a trajectory of the vehicle 192.

[0056] FIG. 3 is an example of a process flow for providing article-specific responses to egress of an article from a premises, in accordance with one or more aspects of described in this disclosure. As is described herein, a tag device is attached to the article, where the tag device includes an AM device that is configured to be detected using a magnetic detection signal having a select frequency within a detection bandwidth.

[0057] In the example process flow 300, the detection apparatus 110 (FIG. 1) can implement one or more operations 314 to detect a tag device corresponding to a select detection frequency within a detection bandwidth. As an example, the select detection frequency is one of fo,fi, or f2 within the detection bandwidth 130 (FIG. 1).

[0058] The detection apparatus 110 can send a detection signal 116 to at least one server device of one or multiple server devices 160. The detection signal 116 is indicative of presence of the tag device within a detection range of the detection apparatus 110. The detection signal 116 includes payload data 118 identifying the select detection frequency.

[0059] In response to receiving the detection signal 116, the at least one server device that is the intended recipient device of the detection signal 116 can implement one or more operations 324. In some cases, the at least one server device is a gateway device. Thus, rather than implementing the one or more operations 324, the gateway device routes the detection signal 116, and payload data 118, to another server device of the server device(s) 160. That other server device can receive the detection signal 116 and, in response, can implement the one or more operations 324.

[0060] By implementing the operation(s) 324, a server device of the server device(s) 160 applies logic based on the select detection frequency. The logic also can be based on a subsystem that can be controlled by the server device. In one example, the subsystem can include multiple camera devices. The logic can include instructions or other types of directives that, in response to being executed, control at least one of the camera devices.

[0061] As a result of applying the logic based on the select detection frequency, the server device can cause a device of one or more devices 340 to perform one or more actions. Each action of the one or more actions corresponds to the select detection frequency. Specifically, the server device can send a control signal 326 to such a device. The control signal can include pay load data328 defining an instruction to execute an action or multiple actions based on the select detection frequency. In response to receiving the control signal 326, the device implements one or more operations 334 to execute an action based on the select detection frequency (e.g. ,fo,fi, or f2 (FIG. 1)). The device can be, or can include, a camera device, a lighting device, an audio input device, an audio output device, an autonomous vehicle, a fencing or gate device, or similar. The action implemented by the device can be specific to the select detection frequency. For example, for a particular select detection signal, the device can present a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency. For another particular select detection signal, the device can emit an audible sound having one or more characteristics (e.g., frequency and volume) based on that other particular select detection frequency. In some cases, that other particular select detection frequency can cause the device to present a recorded message in one or more natural languages. For yet another particular select detection signal, the device can cause a haptic device integrated into the device to produce a vibration having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency. In addition, or as an alternative, the device can cause a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals, wherein a duration of each time interval in the series is based on the select detection frequency.

[0062] In addition, or as another result of applying the logic based on the select detection frequency, the server device can implement one or more operations 332 to execute a procedure for management of egress of articles from the premises where the detection apparatus 110 is deployed. The procedure corresponds to the select detection frequency.

[0063] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method for providing article-specific responses to egress of an article from a premises, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. A single computing device or a system of computing devices can implement the example method 400 in its entirety or in part. To that end, each one of the computing devices includes computing resources that may implement at least one of the blocks included in the example method 400 and other methods described herein. The computing resources comprise, for example, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), microcontrollers and / or other processors, memory, disk space, incoming bandwidth, and / or outgoing bandwidth, interface(s) (such as I / O interfaces or APIs, or both); controller devices(s); power supplies; a combination of the foregoing; and / or similar resources.

[0064] In one example implementation, a first computing device can be part of the detection apparatus 110 (FIG. 1) and, thus, can include the control unit 230 (FIG. 2). A second computing device can include multiple modules (e.g., the group of modules 164 (FIG. 1)). In some cases, the second computing device can be, or can include, one of the server devices 160 (FIG. 1). The system of computing devices can implement the example method 400 by operating the control unit 230 and executing one or more instances of the multiple modules.

[0065] At block 402, the method 400 includes detecting an AM tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles. Circuitry (e.g., circuitry 210, 220) and / or the first computing device present in the detection apparatus 110 (FIG. 2) can detect the AM tag device in accordance with aspects described herein.

[0066] At block 404, the method 400 includes sending a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency wherein the data signal is operable to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency. The first computing device (e.g., control unit 230) can execute processor- accessible instructions within one or more of the memory device(s) 270 (FIG. 2) to send the data signal via a network adapter of the network adapter(s) 260 (FIG. 2). In some cases, the data signal can be sent via one or more of I / O interfaces 250 that may be optionally functionally coupled with the control unit 230.

[0067] Optionally, at block 406, the method 400 includes receiving the data signal. The second computing device that is part of the system of computing devices can receive the data signal, via one or more networks functionally coupling the first computing device that is part of the system of computing device with the second computing device. The second computing device can be, or can include, one of the server devices 160 (FIG. 1).

[0068] Optionally at block 408, the method 400 includes causing a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency. The device, in this case, can be one of the response devices 240, the second computing device and / or one of the server devices 160, the first and / or second camera device 170a, 170b, the detection apparatus 110, the fencing or gating apparatus 194, the tag device 146, the user device 162, or any other device capable of being in communication with the system.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 5, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 502, the method 400 may further include executing a procedure for management of egress of articles from a premises in which the AM tag device is located, the procedure corresponding to the select detection frequency.

[0070] In this optional aspect, at block 504, the executing at block 502 of the procedure for management of egress of articles comprises updating, based on the select detection frequency, at least one metric indicative of egress of AM tag devices responsive to the select detection frequency from the premises.

[0071] In this optional aspect, at block 506, the executing at block 502 of the procedure for management of egress of articles comprises updating a report to include the at least one metric.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 6, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 602, the detecting at block 402 of the AM tag device comprises sending multiple magnetic signals including a first magnetic signal having a first frequency and a second magnetic signal having a second frequency. The sending includes transmitting, by a transmitter and an antenna, multiple magnetic signals including the first magnetic signal having the first frequency and the second magnetic signal having the second frequency.

[0073] In this optional aspect, at block 604, the detecting at block 402 of the AM tag device comprises receiving a response signal from the AM tag device, wherein the response signal is indicative of the select detection frequency.

[0074] In this optional aspect, at block 606, the detecting at block 402 of the AM tag device comprises determining, responsive to receiving the response signal, presence of the AM tag device.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 7, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 702, the causing at block 408 of the device to perform the one or more actions comprises directing the device to generate an alarm based on the select detection frequency. Generating the alarm includes at least one of presenting a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency; emitting an audible sound having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency; causing a haptic device integrated into the device to produce a vibration having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency; or causing a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals, wherein a duration of each time interval in the series is based on the select detection frequency.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 8, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 802, the causing at block 408 of the device to perform the one or more actions comprises directing the device to present an image of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 9, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 902, the causing at block 408 of the device to perform the one or more actions comprises directing the device to present a video segment of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 10, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 1002, the causing at block 408 of the device to perform the one or more actions comprises directing a camera device to generate at least one image of an area where the AM tag device was detected.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 11, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 1102, the causing at block 408 of the device to perform one or more actions comprises directing a camera device to generate at least one image of a parking space adjacent to an area where the AM tag device was detected.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 12, in an alternative or additional aspect, at block 1202, the method 400 may further include causing an autonomous vehicle to be released. In this optional aspect, at block 1204, the method 400 may further include directing the autonomous vehicle to track a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0081] Thus, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented according to one or more of the following clauses:

[0082] Clause 1. A method, comprising: detecting an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles; and sending a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency, wherein the data signal is operable to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

[0083] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, further comprising executing a procedure for management of egress of articles from a premises in which the AM tag device is located, the procedure corresponding to the select detection frequency.

[0084] Clause 3. The method of any preceding clause, wherein executing the procedure for management of egress of articles comprises: updating, based on the select detection frequency, at 1least one metric indicative of egress of AM tag devices responsive to the select detection frequency from the premises; updating a report to include the at least one metric; and sending the report to another device.

[0085] Clause 4. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the at least one metric includes a cumulative count of articles of one of a plurality of different attributes corresponding to the select detection frequency, wherein the report includes respective cumulative counts of respective articles of at least two of the plurality of different attributes corresponding to each one of the multiple detection frequencies.

[0086] Clause 5. The method of any preceding clause, wherein detecting the AM tag device comprises: sending multiple magnetic signals including a first magnetic signal having a first frequency and a second magnetic signal having a second frequency; receiving a response signal from the AM tag device, wherein the response signal is indicative of the select detection frequency; and determining, responsive to receiving the response signal, presence of the AM tag device.

[0087] Clause 6. The method of any preceding clause, wherein he one or more actions comprise: directing the device to generate an alarm based on the select detection frequency, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of: presenting a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency, emitting an audible sound having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, causing a haptic device integrated into the device to produce a vibration having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, or causing a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals, wherein a duration of each time interval in the series is based on the select detection frequency.

[0088] Clause 7. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing the device to present an image of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0089] Clause 8. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing the device to present a video segment of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0090] Clause 9. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing a camera device to generate at least one image of an area where the AM tag device was detected.

[0091] Clause 10. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing a camera device to generate at least one image of a parking space adjacent to an area where the AM tag device was detected.

[0092] Clause 11. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising: causing an autonomous vehicle to be released; and directing the autonomous vehicle to track a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0093] Clause 12. An apparatus comprising: one or more memory devices; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured to: detect an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles; send a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency; receive the data signal, wherein the data signal is operative to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

[0094] Clause 13. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: execute a procedure for management of egress of articles from a premises in which the AM tag device is located, the procedure corresponding to the select detection frequency.

[0095] Clause 14. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein executing the procedure for management of egress of articles comprises to: update, based on the select detection frequency, at least one metric indicative of egress of AM tag devices responsive to the select detection frequency from the premises; and update a report to include the at least one metric; and send the report to another device.

[0096] Clause 15. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the at least one metric includes a cumulative count of articles of one of a plurality of different attributes corresponding to the select detection frequency, wherein the report includes respective cumulative counts of respective articles of at least two of the plurality of different attributes corresponding to each one of the multiple detection frequencies.

[0097] Clause 16. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein to detect the AM tag device comprises to: send multiple magnetic signals including a first magnetic signal having a first frequency and a second magnetic signal having a second frequency; receive a response signal fromthe AM tag device, wherein the response signal is indicative of the select detection frequency; and determine, responsive to receive the response signal, presence of the AM tag device.

[0098] Clause 17. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprise to: direct the device to generate an alarm based on the select detection frequency, wherein to generate the alarm comprises at least one of: to present a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency, to emit an audible sound having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, to cause a haptic device integrated into the device to produce a vibration having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, or to cause a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals, wherein a duration of each time interval in the series is based on the select detection frequency.

[0099] Clause 18. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct the device to present an image of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0100] Clause 19. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct the device to present a video segment of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0101] Clause 20. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct a camera device to generate at least one image of an area where the AM tag device was detected.

[0102] Clause 21. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct a camera device to generate at least one image of a parking space adjacent to an area where the AM tag device was detected.

[0103] Clause 22. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: cause an autonomous vehicle to be released; and direct the autonomous vehicle to track a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

[0104] Clause 23. An apparatus comprising means for performing the actions of any of claims 1 to 11.

[0105] Clause 24. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors, individually or in any combination, to perform the actions of any of claims 1 to 11.

[0106] Various aspects of the disclosure may take the form of an entirely or partially hardware aspect, an entirely or partially software aspect, or a combination of software and hardware. Furthermore, as described herein, various aspects of the disclosure (e.g., systems and methods) may take the form of a computer program product comprising a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having computer-accessible instructions (e.g., computer- readable and / or computer-executable instructions) such as computer software, encoded or otherwise embodied in such storage medium. Those instructions can be read or otherwise accessed and executed by one or more processors to perform or permit the performance of the operations described herein. The instructions can be provided in any suitable form, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, assembler code, combinations of the foregoing, and the like. Any suitable computer-readable non-transitory storage medium may be utilized to form the computer program product. For instance, the computer-readable medium may include any tangible non-transitory medium for storing information in a form readable or otherwise accessible by one or more computers or processor(s) functionally coupled thereto. Non-transitory storage media can include read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory, and so forth.

[0107] Aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods, systems, apparatuses and computer program products. It can be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, respectively, can be implemented by computer-accessible instructions. In certain implementations, the computer-accessible instructions may be loaded or otherwise incorporated into a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or another programmable information processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the operations or functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks can be implemented in response to execution at the computer or processing apparatus.

[0108] Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any protocol, procedure, process, or method set forth herein be construed as requiring that its acts or steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a process or method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its acts or steps or it is not otherwise specifically recited in the claims or descriptions of the subject disclosure that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is in no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-expressbasis for interpretation, including: matters of logic with respect to the arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; the number or type of aspects described in the specification or annexed drawings; or the like.

[0109] As used in this disclosure, including the annexed drawings, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,” and the like are intended to refer to a computer-related entity or an entity related to an apparatus with one or more specific functionalities. The entity can be either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. One or more of such entities are also referred to as “functional elements.” As an example, a component can be a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and / or a computer. For example, both an application running on a server or network controller, and the server or network controller 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. Also, these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components can communicate via local and / or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., 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 via the signal). As another example, a component can be an apparatus with specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry, which parts can be controlled or otherwise operated by program code executed by a processor. As yet another example, a component can be an apparatus that provides specific functionality through electronic components without mechanical parts, the electronic components can include a processor to execute program code that provides, at least partially, the functionality of the electronic components. As still another example, interface(s) can include I / O components or Application Programming Interface (API) components. While the foregoing examples are directed to aspects of a component, the exemplified aspects or features also apply to a system, module, and similar.

[0110] In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. Moreover, articles “a” and “an” as used in this specification and annexed drawings should beconstrued to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.

[0111] In addition, the terms “example” and “such as” are utilized herein to mean serving as an instance or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as an “example” or referred to in connection with a “such as” clause is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs described herein. Rather, use of the terms “example” or “such as” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and so forth, as used in the claims and description, unless otherwise clear by context, is for clarity only and doesn't necessarily indicate or imply any order in time or space.

[0112] The term “processor,” as utilized in this disclosure, can refer to any computing processing unit or device comprising processing circuitry that can operate on data and / or signaling. A computing processing unit or device can include, for example, single-core processors; singleprocessors with software multithread execution capability; multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multithread execution capability; multi-core processors with hardware multithread technology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributed shared memory. Additionally, a processor can include an integrated circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In some cases, processors can exploit nano-scale architectures, such as molecular and quantum-dot based transistors, switches and gates, in order to optimize space usage or enhance performance of user equipment. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing processing units.

[0113] In addition, terms such as “store,” “data store,” data storage,” “database,” and substantially any other information storage component relevant to operation and functionality of a component, refer to “memory components,” or entities embodied in a “memory” or components comprising the memory. It will be appreciated that the memory components described herein can be either volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or can include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. Moreover, a memory component can be removable or affixed to a functional element (e.g., device, server).

[0114] Simply as an illustration, nonvolatile memory can include read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM). Additionally, the disclosed memory components of systems or methods herein are intended to comprise, without being limited to comprising, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0115] Various aspects described herein can be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. In addition, various of the aspects disclosed herein also can be implemented by means of program modules or other types of computer program instructions stored in a memory device and executed by a processor, or other combination of hardware and software, or hardware and firmware. Such program modules or computer program instructions can be loaded onto a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or another type of programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create a means for implementing the functionality of disclosed herein.

[0116] The terminology “article of manufacture” as used herein is intended to encompass a computer program or other type of machine instructions stored in and accessible from any processor-readable (e.g., computer- readable) device, carrier, or media. For example, processor- readable (e.g., computer readable) media can include magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard drive disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips, or similar), optical discs (e.g., compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), blu-ray disc (BD), or similar), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick, key drive, or similar), and other types of memory devices.

[0117] What has been described above includes examples of one or more aspects of the disclosure. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing these examples, and it can be recognized that many further combinations and permutations of the present aspects are possible. Accordingly, the aspects disclosed and / or claimed herein are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the detailed description and the appended claims.Furthermore, to the extent that one or more of the terms “includes,” “including,” “has,” “have,” or “having” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

[0118] While the foregoing disclosure discusses illustrative aspects and / or embodiments, it should be noted that various changes and modifications could be made herein without departing from the scope of the described aspects and / or embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, although elements of the described aspects and / or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. Additionally, all or a portion of any aspect and / or embodiment may be utilized with all or a portion of any other aspect and / or embodiment, unless stated otherwise.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising: detecting an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles; and sending a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency, wherein the data signal is operable to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a procedure for management of egress of articles from a premises in which the AM tag device is located, the procedure corresponding to the select detection frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the procedure for management of egress of articles comprises: updating, based on the select detection frequency, at least one metric indicative of egress of AM tag devices responsive to the select detection frequency from the premises; updating a report to include the at least one metric; and sending the report to another device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one metric includes a cumulative count of articles of one of a plurality of different attributes corresponding to the select detection frequency, wherein the report includes respective cumulative counts of respective articles of at least two of the plurality of different attributes corresponding to each one of the multiple detection frequencies.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the AM tag device comprises:sending multiple magnetic signals including a first magnetic signal having a first frequency and a second magnetic signal having a second frequency; receiving a response signal from the AM tag device, wherein the response signal is indicative of the select detection frequency; and determining, responsive to receiving the response signal, presence of the AM tag device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein he one or more actions comprise: directing the device to generate an alarm based on the select detection frequency, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of: presenting a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency, emitting an audible sound having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, causing a haptic device integrated into the device to produce a vibration having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, or causing a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals, wherein a duration of each time interval in the series is based on the select detection frequency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing the device to present an image of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing the device to present a video segment of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing a camera device to generate at least one image of an area where the AM tag device was detected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions comprise directing a camera device to generate at least one image of a parking space adjacent to an area where the AM tag device was detected.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing an autonomous vehicle to be released; and directing the autonomous vehicle to track a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

12. An apparatus, comprising: one or more memory devices; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured, individually or in any combination, to: detect an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag device responsive to a select detection frequency from multiple detection frequencies within a detection bandwidth, wherein each one of the multiple detection frequencies is associated with one of a plurality of different attributes of articles; send a data signal indicative of detection of the AM tag device, the data signal comprising data defining the select detection frequency; receive the data signal, wherein the data signal is operative to cause a device to perform one or more actions based on the select detection frequency.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: execute a procedure for management of egress of articles from a premises in which the AM tag device is located, the procedure corresponding to the select detection frequency.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein executing the procedure for management of egress of articles comprises to: update, based on the select detection frequency, at least one metric indicative of egress of AM tag devices responsive to the select detection frequency from the premises; andupdate a report to include the at least one metric; and send the report to another device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one metric includes a cumulative count of articles of one of a plurality of different attributes corresponding to the select detection frequency, wherein the report includes respective cumulative counts of respective articles of at least two of the plurality of different attributes corresponding to each one of the multiple detection frequencies.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein to detect the AM tag device comprises to: send multiple magnetic signals including a first magnetic signal having a first frequency and a second magnetic signal having a second frequency; receive a response signal from the AM tag device, wherein the response signal is indicative of the select detection frequency; and determine, responsive to receive the response signal, presence of the AM tag device.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more actions comprise to: direct the device to generate an alarm based on the select detection frequency, wherein to generate the alarm comprises at least one of: to present a user interface having one or more indicia indicative of a particular attribute of article associated with the select detection frequency, to emit an audible sound having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, to cause a haptic device integrated into the device to produce a vibration having one or more characteristics based on the select detection frequency, or to cause a lighting device integrated into the device to emit light during a series of defined time intervals, wherein a duration of each time interval in the series is based on the select detection frequency.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct the device to present an image of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct the device to present a video segment of a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct a camera device to generate at least one image of an area where the AM tag device was detected.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more actions comprises to direct a camera device to generate at least one image of a parking space adjacent to an area where the AM tag device was detected.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: cause an autonomous vehicle to be released; and direct the autonomous vehicle to track a subject associated with an article attached to the AM tag device.

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