Method and system for power management of electronic article surveillance systems

• US 20080284593A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bergman, Adam S., Soto, Manuel A., Allen, John A.
• Application Number:
  US11/804,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284593A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2471 Antenna signal processing by receiver or emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for managing power use in security systems, which include establishing a detection region, triggering a person detection event, the person detection event based on the detection of a person in the detection region, starting a timer upon triggering the person detection event, and transmitting a tag interrogation signal until the expiration of the timer. The method, system and apparatus can further include determining a relative direction of movement of the person.

Claims

1. A method for managing power use in a security system, the method comprising:

establishing a detection region;

triggering a person detection event, the person detection event based on the detection of a person in the detection region;

starting a timer upon the triggering of the person detection event; and

transmitting a tag interrogation signal until the expiration of the timer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a relative direction of movement of the person.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the person detection event is triggered if the relative direction is in a transmission enablement direction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a people detection event flag upon triggering the people detection event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a transmitter timer flag upon triggering the people detection event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the people detection event includes detecting a person crossing a people detection line in the detection region.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the people detection line is generated using a people detection sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the people detection sensor is an infrared beam sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the timer to a predetermined amount of time.

10. A system for managing power use in a security system, the system comprising:

a transmitter for producing an applied field in a selected region;

a sensor for detecting a person passing through the selected region; and

a processor, the processor operating to;

trigger a person detection event, the person detection event based on the detection of a person in the detection region;

start a timer upon triggering the person detection event; and

transmit a tag interrogation signal until the expiration of the timer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further operates to determine a relative direction of movement of the person.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the person detection event is triggered if the relative direction is in a transmission enablement direction.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further operates to set a people detection event flag upon triggering the people detection event.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further operates to set a transmitter timer flag upon triggering the people detection event.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the people detection event includes detecting a person crossing a people detection line in the detection region.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the people detection line is generated using a people detection sensor.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program for a security system which when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

establishing a detection region;

triggering a person detection event, the person detection event based on the detection of a person in the detection region;

starting a timer upon detecting the person detection event; and

enabling a transmitter until the expiration of the timer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a relative direction of movement of the person.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the person detection event is triggered if the relative direction is in a transmission enablement direction.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting the timer to a predetermined amount of time.