Product monitoring apparatus,system and method

Abstract

Abstract LOCKING DEVICE WITH ELECTRICAL CURRENT APPLIED BY WAY OF THE KEY. THE DATA RELATING TO THE PRODUCT ARE STORED IN THE LOCKING DEVICE IN CODED FROM ALONG A KEYWAY THEREIN, AND AS THE KEY IS MOVED ALONG THE KEYWAY TOWARD ITS UNLOCKING POSITION IT CAUSES READ-OUT OF THE DATA TO THE DATA PROCESSING UNIT. THE SUBSTRATE BEARING THE DATA HAS AN EXTERNAL PORTION PROTRUDING OUTSIDE THE LOCKING DEVICE, ON WHICH PORTION THERE MAY BE PROVIDED VISUALLY-OBSERVABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRODUCT. THEFTS OF PRODUCTS FROM A STORE ARE PREVENTED AND RECORDS OF SALES OF THE PRODUCTS AUTOMATICALLY OBTAINED BY MEANS OF AN ELECTRICALLY RELEASABLE LOCKING DEVICE WHICH IS SECURED TO EACH PRODUCT, WHICH IS READILY DETECTED BY DETECTION APPARATUS NEAR THE EXITS FROM THE STORE, WHICH CAN BE RELEASED FROM THE PRODUCT BY APPLICATION THERETO OF AN ELECTRICALLY-POWERED KEY, AND WHICH MAY CONTAIN DATA RELATING TO THE PRODUCT WHICH ARE READ OUT AUTOMATICALLY IN THE FORM OF ELECTRICAL SIGNALS TO AN APPROPRIATE ELECTRICAL DATA-PROCESSING UNTI WHEN THE KEY IS APPLIED TO UNLOCK THE LOCKING DEVICE. PREFERABLY THE UNLOCKING IS PRODUCE BY HEATING A BIMETALLIC ELEMENT WITHIN THE UN-

Inventors

• 👤 A Williams
• 👤 L Heck

Bibliographic Details