Electronic Article Surveillance System

• US 20080204554A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Hubmer, Paul, Schwar, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,441,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

An electronic article surveillance system (1) comprises a read/write station (2; 217, 218, 220-224) that is designed to communicate an electronic article surveillance status test-request command comprising zone information that indicates an electronic article surveillance zone for which an electronic article surveillance status that is assigned to said zone is to be tested, and further comprises a data carrier (3; 31-35) having a circuit (11) that is designed to store status data (SD) for indicating whether an electronic article surveillance status is active and to store zone data (ZD) for specifying at least one electronic article surveillance zone to which the electronic article status is assigned, the data carrier (3; 31-35) being further designed to test whether said stored status is active for the electronic article surveillance zone to which it is assigned in the case that this zone is indicated by the zone information provided by the read/write station (2; 217, 218, 220-224).

Claims

1. Circuit for a data carrier, which data carrier comprises data carrier transmission means that are designed for a contact-less communication with a read/write station, which circuit comprises interface means that are designed to cooperate with the data carrier transmission means, and which circuit comprises storage means that are provided to store status data for indicating whether an electronic article surveillance status is active or not active and to store zone data for specifying at least one electronic article surveillance zone to which the electronic article surveillance status is assigned, and which circuit comprises test means that are designed to receive from the interface means reception data, which reception data are generate-able during a contact-less communication with the read/write station and which reception data represent an electronic article surveillance status test-request command comprising zone information, which zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone for which the electronic article surveillance status that is assigned to said indicated electronic article surveillance zone is to be tested, and to test whether the status data indicate that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone, and, in the case that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone, to generate test result representation data that represent that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone.

2. A circuit according to claim 1, wherein the test means are designed to release to the interface means response data corresponding to the test result representation data, which response data represent that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone and which response date are intended to be communicated in a contact-less communication to the read/write station.

3. A circuit according to claim 1, wherein the test means are designed to decrypt at least that part of the reception data that is associated with the zone information.

4. A circuit according to claim 1, wherein the zone data are designed to specify the at least one electronic article surveillance zone to be a sub-zone of another electronic article surveillance zone, and the test means are designed to detect that the zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone to be a sub-zone of another electronic article surveillance zone and to test whether the status data indicate that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone that is the sub-zone.

5. Data carrier, comprising data carrier transmission means, which data carrier transmission means are designed for a contact-less communication with a read/write station, and a circuit for a data carrier according to claim 1.

6. Read/write station, comprising station transmission means that are designed for a contact-less communication with a data carrier, and transmission data generating means that are designed to generate and to release transmission data, which transmission data represent an electronic article surveillance status test-request command comprising zone information, which zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone for which an electronic article surveillance status that is assigned to said indicated electronic article surveillance zone is to be tested, and which transmission data are intended to be communicated by the aid of the station transmission means in a contact-less communication to a data carrier.

7. Read/write station according to claim 6, comprising evaluating means that are designed to receive a data signal taped at the station transmission means and to evaluate whether a data carrier has responded to the electronic article surveillance status test-request command by means of response data that are represented by said data signal.

8. Read/write station according to claim 6, wherein the transmission data generating means are designed to encrypt at least that part of the transmission data that represent the zone information.

9. Read/write station according to claim 6, wherein the transmission data generating means are designed to provide the transmission data such that the zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone to be a sub-zone of another electronic article surveillance zone.

10. Electronic article surveillance system comprising at least one read/write station according to claim 6.

11. Method of testing whether an electronic article surveillance status that is represented by means of status data stored in a data carrier is active, which method comprises the following steps, namely:

generating transmission data, which transmission data represent an electronic article surveillance status test-request command comprising zone information, which zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone for which an electronic article surveillance status that is assigned to said indicated electronic article surveillance zone is to be tested, and releasing said transmission data in a contact-less manner.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the method comprises the step of evaluating whether a data carrier has responded to the electronic article surveillance status test-request command by means of response data that were communicated in a contact communication from the data carrier to the read/write station.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein at least that part of the transmission data that represents the zone information is encrypted.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein generating the transmission data is performed in such a way that the zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone to be a sub-zone of another electronic article surveillance zone.

19. Method of operating an electronic article surveillance system, which method comprises the steps of the method according to claim 11.

15. A method of processing an electronic article surveillance status test-request command in a data carrier, which data carrier stores status data for indicating whether an electronic article surveillance status is active or not active and zone data for specifying at least one electronic article surveillance zone to which the electronic article surveillance status is assigned, which method comprises the following steps, namely receiving during a contact-less communication with a read/write station reception data, which reception data represent an electronic article surveillance status test-request command comprising zone information, which zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone for which the electronic article surveillance status that is assigned to said indicated electronic article surveillance zone is to be tested, and testing whether the status data indicate that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone, and, in the case that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone, generating test result representation data that represent that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein response data are generated and released, which response data correspond to the test result representation data and represent that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone and which response data are intended to be communicated in a contact-less communication to the read/write station.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein at least that part of the reception data that represents the zone information is decrypted.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein testing whether the status data indicate that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone comprises detecting that the zone information indicates an electronic article surveillance zone to be a sub-zone of another electronic article surveillance zone, and testing whether the status data indicate that the electronic article surveillance status is active for the indicated electronic article surveillance zone that is the sub-zone.