Systems and methods for security tag detachment or deactivation

• US 10,325,464 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Trivelpiece, Steve E., Trivelpiece, Craig E., Torrecilla, David, Bergman, Adam S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US15/946,501
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/206 comprising security or operator identification provisions, e.g. password entry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/242 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2448 Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a security tag. The methods involve: receiving, by the security tag, an authorization code comprising a security tag identifier signed using a cryptographic key of a plurality of cryptographic keys that are respectively assigned to a plurality of security tags; performing operations by the security tag to verify a signature of the authorization code; and performing detach operations or deactivation operations by the security tag, responsive to the signature'"'"'s verification. The detach operations cause a mechanical detachment of the security tag from an item. The deactivation operations cause a disablement of a response by the security tag to an interrogation signal from a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) system or an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system.

Claims

1. A method for operating a security tag, comprising:

receiving, by the security tag from an external device, an authorization code comprising a security tag identifier, where the security tag identifier is signed using a cryptographic key of a plurality of cryptographic keys that are respectively assigned to a plurality of security tags;

performing operations by the security tag to verify a signature of the authorization code; and

responsive to the verification of the authorization code'"'"'s signature, performing detach operations or deactivation operations by the security tag which received the authorization code, where the detach operations cause a mechanical detachment of the security tag from an item and the deactivation operations cause a disablement of a response by the security tag to an interrogation signal from a Radio Frequency Identification (“

RFID”

) system or an Electronic Article Surveillance (“

EAS”

) system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authorization code is received by the security tag from a Point Of Sale (“

POS”

) terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the detach operations and the deactivation operations comprise setting a status bit to a value indicating that the security tag is coupled to an article that no longer constitutes inventory to be sold or loaned.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the detach operations further comprise withdrawing a pin of the security tag, withdrawing a pad of the security tag, or actuating a first mechanical component of the security tag to allow motion of a second mechanical component of the security tag.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing operations by the security tag to notify an enterprise system of the security tag'"'"'s mechanical detachment from an item or the disablement of the security tag'"'"'s ability to respond to the interrogation signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising performing operations by the enterprise system to verify that the security tag was actually removed from the article.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the security tag'"'"'s removal is verified based on contents of captured images.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the security tag'"'"'s removal is verified based on system intelligence of the security tag'"'"'s motion, the security tag'"'"'s path of travel through a facility, and the security tag'"'"'s last known location within the facility.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the system intelligence is obtained using information received from the security tag when the security tag was in motion and during time slots of a plurality of time slots that are allocated to other security tags.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising outputting an alert from the security tag when authorization of the security tag'"'"'s detachment is not verified by the enterprise system.

11. A system, comprising:

a security tag configured to;

receive an authorization code from an external device, the authorization code comprising a security tag identifier, the security tap identifier signed using a cryptographic key of a plurality of cryptographic keys that are respectively assigned to a plurality of security tags;

verify a signature of the authorization code; and

responsive to the verification of the authorization code'"'"'s signature, perform detach operations to mechanically detach the security tag from an item or deactivation operations to disable a response by the security tag to an interrogation signal from a Radio Frequency Identification (“

RFID”

) system or an Electronic Article Surveillance (“

EAS”

) system.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a Point Of Sale (“

POS”

) terminal configured to communicate the authorization code to the security tag.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the detach operations and the deactivation operations comprise setting a status bit to a value indicating that the security tag is coupled to an article that no longer constitutes inventory to be sold or loaned.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the detach operations further comprise withdrawing a pin of the security tag, withdrawing a pad of the security tag, or actuating a first mechanical component of the security tag to allow motion of a second mechanical component of the security tag.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising an enterprise system that is notified of the security tag'"'"'s mechanical detachment from an item or the disablement of the security tag'"'"'s ability to respond to the interrogation signal.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the enterprise system is configured to verify that the security tag was actually removed from the article.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the security tag'"'"'s removal is verified based on contents of captured images.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the security tag'"'"'s removal is verified based on system intelligence of the security tag'"'"'s motion, the security tag'"'"'s path of travel through a facility, and the security tag'"'"'s last known location within the facility.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the system intelligence is obtained using information received from the security tag when the security tag was in motion and during time slots of a plurality of time slots that are allocated to other security tags.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the security tag is further configured to output an alert when authorization of the security tag'"'"'s detachment is not verified by the enterprise system.