Wireless shelf pusher activity detection system and associated methods

1. A monitoring device for monitoring theft or sales activity associated with a product pusher device, the monitoring device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect movement of a pusher member of the product pusher device;

a wireless communications interface;

a processor configured to:

receive at least one sensor signal from the sensor indicating movement of the pusher member,

determine a product movement activity type based on characteristics of the at least one sensor signal, the product movement activity type being selected from a group of product movement activity types that includes removal of a product from the product pusher device, and

generate, for transmission via the wireless communications interface, a pusher activity message indicating the product movement activity type; and

a user input interface configured to receive, and provide to the processor, user input indicating a count of products present in the product pusher device;

wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a current pusher deflection distance based on the at least one sensor signal; and

calibrate the monitoring device for the size of a single product based on the current pusher deflection distance and the count of products;

wherein the user input interface includes a magnetically actuated switch; and wherein the processor is configured to monitor a state of the magnetically actuated switch and enter a calibration mode based on the state of the magnetically actuated switch.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a contact switch, and wherein the contact switch is positioned such that the contact switch is depressed in an instance in which a product is present in the product pusher device, and the contact switch is not depressed in an instance in which a product is not present in the product pusher device.

3. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the processor configured to determine the product movement activity type includes being configured to determine that the product movement activity type is a removal of a last product in the product pusher device based on the characteristics of the at least one sensor signal indicating an absence of a product in the product pusher device.

4. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the current pusher deflection distance includes determination of a direction that the pusher member has been deflected, wherein the sensor is further configured to include a representation of the deflection distance and direction in the at least one sensor signal; and

wherein the processor configured to determine the product movement activity type includes being configured to determine that the product movement activity type is a removal of a product in the product pusher device or an insertion of a product into the shelf pusher based on the representation of the deflection distance and direction.

5. The monitoring device of claim 4 , wherein the sensor comprises an optoelectronic sensor and image processing hardware configured to detect movement.

6. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

power down at least the wireless communications interface after a threshold duration of time since the sensor last detected movement; and

maintain the wireless communications interface in the sleep mode until the sensor detects movement.

7. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a display; and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the wireless communications interface, a sales price for products to be stocked in the product pusher device; and

send a signal to the display to present the sales price on the display.

8. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications interface is configured to transmit the pusher activity message to a server configured to send an interne-based or text message to a predefined recipient indicating a representation of the product movement activity type.

9. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications interface is configured to transmit the pusher activity message to a server configured to sound an alarm.

10. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device comprises an audible alarm; and wherein the processor is further configured to sound the audible alarm based on the product movement activity type.

11. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications interface is configured to transmit the pusher activity message to a server configured to increment or decrement an inventory count of products present in the product pusher device.

12. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is further configured to detect a representation of the deflection distance and a direction that the pusher member has been deflected, wherein the sensor is further configured to include a representation of the deflection distance and direction in the at least one sensor signal; and

wherein the processor configured to determine the product movement activity type includes being configured to determine that the product movement activity type is a theft sweep event involving the removal of at least a threshold number of products within a threshold duration of time based on the representation of the deflection distance over a period of time.

13. A method for monitoring theft or sales activity associated with a product pusher device, the method comprising:

detecting, via a sensor, movement of a pusher member of the product pusher device;

receiving at least one sensor signal from the sensor indicating movement of the pusher member;

determining a product movement activity type based on characteristics of the at least one sensor signal, the product movement activity type being selected from a group of product movement activity types that includes removal of a product from the product pusher device;

generating a pusher activity message indicating the product movement activity type;

transmitting the pusher activity message via a wireless communications interface;

receiving ping signals, each ping signal comprising a unique identifier corresponding to an originating ping node;

receiving user indicating a count of products present in the product pusher device;

determining a current pusher deflection distance based on the at least one sensor signal;

calibrating a monitoring device for the size of a single product based on the current pusher deflection distance and the count of products; and

monitoring a state of magnetically actuated switch and entering a calibration mode based on the state of the magnetically actuated switch.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein detecting movement includes detecting movement via the sensor, the sensor comprising a contact switch; and wherein the contact switch is positioned such that the contact switch is depressed in an instance in which a product is present in the product pusher device, and the contact switch is not depressed in an instance in which a product is not present in the product pusher device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the product movement activity type includes determining that the product movement activity type is a removal of a last product in the product pusher device based on the characteristics of the at least one sensor signal indicating an absence of a product in the product pusher device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the current pusher deflection distance includes determining a direction that the pusher member has been deflected, and a representation of the deflection distance and direction is included in the at least one sensor signal; and

wherein determining the product movement activity type includes determining that the product movement activity type is a removal of a product in the product pusher device or an insertion of a product into the shelf pusher based on the representation of the deflection distance and direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sensor comprises an optoelectronic sensor and image processing hardware configured to detect movement.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

powering down at least the wireless communications interface after a threshold duration of time since the sensor last detected movement; and

maintaining the wireless communications interface in the sleep mode until the sensor detects movement.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, via the wireless communications interface, a sales price for products to be stocked in the product pusher device; and

sending a signal to a display affixed to the product pusher device to present the sales price on the display.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting the pusher activity message to a server; and

sending an internet-based or text message to a predefined recipient indicating a representation of the product movement activity type.

21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising transmitting the pusher activity message to a server; and sounding an alarm.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sounding an audible alarm that is affixed to the product pusher device based on the product movement activity type.

23. The method of claim 13 , further comprising transmitting the pusher activity message to a server; and incrementing or decrementing an inventory count of products present in the product pusher device.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determination of the current pusher deflection distance includes detecting a direction that the pusher member has been deflected, and a representation of the deflection distance and direction is included in the at least one sensor signal; and

wherein determining the product movement activity type includes determining that the product movement activity type is a theft sweep event involving the removal of at least a threshold number of products within a threshold duration of time based on the representation of the deflection distance over a period of time.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code configured to, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform:

receiving at least one sensor signal from a sensor indicating movement of a pusher member of a product pusher device;

determining a product movement activity type based on characteristics of the at least one sensor signal, the product movement activity type being selected from a group of product movement activity types that includes removal of a product from the product pusher device; and

generating a pusher activity message indicating the product movement activity type for transmission via a wireless communications interface;

receiving ping signals, each ping signal comprising a unique identifier corresponding to an originating ping node;

receiving user input indicating a count of products present in the product pusher device;

determining a current pusher deflection distance based on the at least one sensor signal;

calibrating a monitoring device for the size of a single product based on the current pusher deflection distance and the count of products; and

monitoring a state of a magnetically actuated switch and entering a calibration mode based on the state of the magnetically actuated switch.

26. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive ping signals, each ping signal comprising a unique identifier corresponding to an originating ping node; and

wherein the wireless communications interface is configured to transmit status signals, the status signals comprising the ping signal unique identifiers.

27. The monitoring device of claim 26 , wherein the status signals are transmitted to a server, the server determining a location of the monitoring device based on the received status signals.

28. The method of claim 13 , further comprising;

receiving ping signals, each ping signal comprising a unique identifier corresponding to an originating ping node; and

transmitting status signals, the status signals comprising the ping signal unique identifiers.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the status signals are transmitted to a server, the server determining a location of the monitoring device based on the received status signals.