System, Method, and Apparatus for Triggering an Alarm

• US 20110074580A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shafer, Gary Mark, Eckert, Lee H., Mercier, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2488 Timing issues, e.g. synchronising measures to avoid signal collision, with multiple emitters or a single emitter and receiver

Abstract

According to some example embodiments, systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products are provided for triggering an alarm. In this regard, one example apparatus includes means for receiving an instruction to alarm a security gate device, and means for tuning a security resonator at a location such that a field generated by the security gate device interacts with the security resonator to cause the security gate device to trigger an alarm in response to at least receiving the instruction to alarm the security gate device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an instruction to alarm a security gate device; and

in response to at least receiving the instruction to alarm the security gate device, tuning a security resonator at a location such that a field generated by the security gate device interacts with the security resonator to cause the security gate device to trigger an alarm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing a transmitter to transmit a ping signal for detection by a monitoring device to permit the monitoring device to report detection of the ping signal and cause network transmission of the instruction to alarm the security gate device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein directing the transmitter to transmit the ping signal includes directing the transmitter to transmit the ping signal, a portion of the ping signal indicating that the ping signal originated from a gate node, wherein the gate node includes a tunable security resonator and is positioned within a field generated by a security gate device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein tuning the security resonator includes tuning the security resonator, the security resonator being one of an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein tuning the security resonator includes closing a first switch to electrically connect an inductor with a capacitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein tuning the security resonator includes tuning the security resonator to test or calibrate the field generated by the security gate device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the instruction to alarm the security gate includes receiving the instruction to alarm the security gate device from the network, wherein the security gate device is not configured to communicate on the network.

8. An apparatus comprising a processor, the processor configured to:

receive an instruction to alarm a security gate device; and

in response to at least receiving the instruction to alarm the security gate device, tune a security resonator at a location such that a field generated by the security gate device interacts with the security resonator to cause the security gate device to trigger an alarm.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

direct a transmitter to transmit a ping signal for detection by a monitoring device to permit the monitoring device to report detection of the ping signal and cause network transmission of the instruction to alarm the security gate device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor configured to direct the transmitter to transmit the ping signal includes being configured to direct the transmitter to transmit the ping signal, a portion of the ping signal indicating that the ping signal originated from a gate node, wherein the gate node includes a tunable security resonator and is positioned within a field generated by a security gate device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to tune the security resonator includes being configured to tune the security resonator, the security resonator being one of an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to tune the security resonator includes being configured to control a first switch to electrically connect an inductor with a capacitor.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to tune the security resonator includes being configured to tune the security resonator to test or calibrate the field generated by the security gate device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to receive the instruction to alarm the security gate includes being configured to receive the instruction to alarm the security gate device from the network, wherein the security gate device is not configured to communicate on the network.

15. A non-transitory computer readable memory comprising executable instructions configured to direct a processor to:

receive an instruction to alarm a security gate device; and

in response to at least receiving the instruction to alarm the security gate device, tune a security resonator at a location such that a field generated by the security gate device interacts with the security resonator to cause the security gate device to trigger an alarm.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to direct a processor to:

direct a transmitter to transmit a ping signal for detection by a monitoring device to permit the monitoring device to report detection of the ping signal and cause network transmission of the instruction to alarm the security gate device.

17. The memory of claim 16, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to direct the transmitter to transmit the ping signal include being configured to direct the processor to direct the transmitter to transmit the ping signal, a portion of the ping signal indicating that the ping signal originated from a gate node, wherein the gate node includes a tunable security resonator and is positioned within a field generated by a security gate device.

18. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to tune the security resonator include being configured to direct the processor to tune the security resonator, the security resonator being one of an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to tune the security resonator includes being configured to control a first switch to electrically connect an inductor with a capacitor.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to tune the security resonator include being configured to direct the processor to tune the security resonator to test or calibrate the field generated by the security gate device.

21. The memory of claim 15, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to receive the instruction to alarm the security gate include being configured to direct the processor to receive the instruction to alarm the security gate device from the network, wherein the security gate device is not configured to communicate on the network.

22. A method comprising:

receiving a ping signal;

determining that the ping signal originated from a gate node, wherein the gate node controls a tunable security resonator that is positioned within a field generated by a security gate device; and

directing a transmitter to transmit a status signal to a network indicating that a monitoring device is within a field generated by the gate node.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

prior to receiving any response from the network, triggering an alarm on the monitoring device in response to determining that the ping signal originated from the gate node.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network includes directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network to cause the network to issue an instruction to the gate node to alarm the security gate device by tuning a security resonator of the gate node.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein determining that the ping signal originated from the gate node includes determining that a device type in the ping signal indicates that a device transmitting the ping signal is the gate node.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal includes directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network indicating that the monitoring device is within the field generated by the gate node, wherein the security gate device is configured to alarm in response to a security resonator entering the field of the security gate device, and wherein the monitoring device does not include a security resonator.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal includes directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network indicating that the monitoring device is within the field generated by the gate node, wherein the security gate device is configured to alarm in response to an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device entering a field of the security gate, and wherein the monitoring device does not include an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device.

28. An apparatus comprising a processor, the processor configured to perform:

receiving a ping signal;

determining that the ping signal originated from a gate node, wherein the gate node controls a tunable security resonator that is positioned within a field generated by a security gate device; and

directing a transmitter to transmit a status signal to a network indicating that a monitoring device is within a field generated by the gate node.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

prior to receiving any response from the network, triggering an alarm on the monitoring device in response to determining that the ping signal originated from the gate node.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network includes being configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network to cause the network to issue an instruction to the gate node to alarm the security gate device by tuning a security resonator of the gate node.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor configured to perform determining that the ping signal originated from the gate node includes being configured to perform determining that a device type in the ping signal indicates that a device transmitting the ping signal is the gate node.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal includes being configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network indicating that the monitoring device is within the field generated by the gate node, wherein the security gate device is configured to alarm in response to a security resonator entering the field of the security gate device, and wherein the monitoring device does not include a security resonator.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal includes being configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network indicating that the monitoring device is within the field generated by the gate node, wherein the security gate device is configured to alarm in response to an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device entering a field of the security gate, and wherein the monitoring device does not include an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device.

34. A non-transitory computer readable memory comprising executable instructions configured to direct a processor to perform:

receiving a ping signal;

determining that the ping signal originated from a gate node, wherein the gate node controls a tunable security resonator that is positioned within a field generated by a security gate device; and

directing a transmitter to transmit a status signal to a network indicating that a monitoring device is within a field generated by the gate node.

35. The memory of claim 34, wherein the instructions are further configured to direct the processor to perform:

prior to receiving any response from the network, triggering an alarm on the monitoring device in response to determining that the ping signal originated from the gate node.

36. The memory of claim 34, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network includes being configured to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network to cause the network to issue an instruction to the gate node to alarm the security gate device by tuning a security resonator of the gate node.

37. The memory of claim 34, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to perform determining that the ping signal originated from the gate node include being configured to direct the processor to perform determining that a device type in the ping signal indicates that a device transmitting the ping signal is the gate node.

38. The memory of claim 34, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal include being configured to direct the processor to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network indicating that the monitoring device is within the field generated by the gate node, wherein the security gate device is configured to alarm in response to a security resonator entering the field of the security gate device, and wherein the monitoring device does not include a security resonator.

39. The memory of claim 34, wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal include being configured to direct the processor to perform directing the transmitter to transmit the status signal to the network indicating that the monitoring device is within the field generated by the gate node, wherein the security gate device is configured to alarm in response to an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device entering a field of the security gate, and wherein the monitoring device does not include an acousto-magnetic security device or a radio frequency security device.