POINT OF ENTRY DEACTIVATION

• US 20120212343A1
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shah, Nimesh, Grunenberg, Lothar, Zeng, Kefeng
• Granted Patent: US 9,224,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/242 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• 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 system and method for automatically deactivating a security tag upon entry into business establishment to prevent tag pollution. The system and method involve positioning a security tag deactivator at an entrance of a business establishment and emitting an EM field sufficient to deactivate any security tag that enters into the business establishment.

Claims

1. A deactivation system comprising:

a security tag deactivator positioned at or near an entrance of a business establishment and oriented to generate an electromagnetic field in the entrance of the business establishment;

wherein the electromagnetic field can deactivate a security tag accompanying a person at or near the entrance; and

wherein the security tag deactivator comprises at least one antenna and at least one current generator coupled to the at least one antenna.

2. The deactivation system of claim 1, wherein the current generator is coupled to the antenna by a pair of generator leads and wherein the current generator drives current to flow from one generator lead through the antenna to the other generator lead to generate the electromagnetic field about the antenna.

3. The deactivation system of claim 2, wherein the at least one antenna comprises:

an antenna perimeter; and

a middle antenna portion, wherein the middle antenna portion is designed in the shape of the letter S and connects to the antenna perimeter at opposing sides of the antenna perimeter.

4. The deactivation system of claim 1, wherein the security tag deactivator comprises:

two or more antennas; and

at least two current generators each coupled to the two or more antennas, wherein the current generator is coupled to the antenna by a pair of generator leads and wherein the current generator drives current to flow from one generator lead through the antenna to the other generator lead to generate the electromagnetic field about the antenna;

wherein at least two antennas are configured as loop antennas, comprising a first antenna configured as a vertical two-loop antenna and a second antenna configured as a horizontal two-loop antenna

5. The deactivation system of claim 4, wherein the vertical two-loop antenna comprises:

a vertical antenna perimeter; and

a vertical antenna middle strip, wherein one end of the vertical antenna middle strip connects to one side of the vertical antenna perimeter and wherein the other end of the vertical antenna middle strip is coupled to a first current generator by a first generator lead of the first current generator and wherein a side of the vertical perimeter, opposite the side of the vertical perimeter connected to the vertical antenna middle strip, is coupled to the first current generator by a second generator lead of the first current generator and wherein the vertical antenna middle strip divides the vertical antenna perimeter into two nearly equal halves wherein one half is vertically aligned in relation to the other half; and

wherein the horizontal two-loop antenna comprises;

a horizontal antenna perimeter; and

a horizontal antenna middle strip, wherein one end of the horizontal antenna middle strip connects to one side of the horizontal antenna perimeter and wherein the other end of the horizontal antenna middle strip is coupled to a second current generator by a first generator lead of the second current generator and wherein a side of the horizontal perimeter, opposite the side of the horizontal perimeter connected to the horizontal antenna middle strip, is coupled to the second current generator by a second generator lead of the second current generator and wherein the horizontal antenna middle strip divides the horizontal antenna perimeter into two nearly equal halves wherein one half is horizontally aligned in relation to the other half; and

wherein the vertical antenna middle strip and horizontal middle strip are positioned orthogonal to one another so as to form a cross.

6. The deactivation system of claim 1 further comprising a direction sensing device configured to determine whether a tag is entering or leaving the store, wherein the security tag deactivator deactivates tags based on the direction the security tag moves.

7. A deactivator comprising:

an antenna configured to transmit an electromagnetic field sufficient to deactivate a security tag when a current flows through the antenna;

a current generator coupled to the antenna by one or more generator leads to drive the current to flow through the antenna; and

a housing configured to include at least one of the antenna and current generator, wherein the housing is configured to stand or mount such that the electromagnetic field covers at least a portion of an entrance of a business establishment.

8. The deactivator of claim 7, wherein the housing is a pedestal that stands upright on a floor in the entrance of a business establishment and wherein the pedestal encloses the antenna.

9. The deactivator of claim 7, wherein the housing is a pedestal that stands upright on a floor in the entrance of a business establishment and wherein the antenna is located on the surface of the pedestal,

10. The deactivator of claim 7, wherein the antenna comprises:

an antenna perimeter; and

a middle antenna portion, wherein the middle antenna portion is designed in the shape of the letter S and connects to the antenna perimeter at opposing sides of the antenna perimeter.

11. The deactivator of claim 7 further comprising:

a second antenna; and

a second current generator coupled to the second antenna;

wherein the two antennas are configured as loop antennas, comprising the first antenna configured as a vertical two-loop antenna and the second antenna configured as a horizontal two-loop antenna.

12. The deactivator of claim 11, wherein the vertical two-loop antenna comprises:

a vertical antenna perimeter; and

a vertical antenna middle strip, wherein one end of the vertical antenna middle strip connects to one side of the vertical antenna perimeter and wherein the other end of the vertical antenna middle strip is coupled to a first current generator by a first generator lead of the first current generator and wherein a side of the vertical perimeter, opposite the side of the vertical perimeter connected to the vertical antenna middle strip, is coupled to the first current generator by a second generator lead of the first current generator and wherein the vertical antenna middle strip divides the vertical antenna perimeter into two nearly equal halves wherein one half is vertically aligned in relation to the other half; and

wherein the horizontal two-loop antenna comprises;

a horizontal antenna perimeter; and

a horizontal antenna middle strip, wherein one end of the horizontal antenna middle, strip connects to one side of the horizontal antenna perimeter and wherein the other end of the horizontal antenna middle strip is coupled to a second current generator by a first generator lead of the second current generator and wherein a side of the horizontal perimeter, opposite the side of the horizontal perimeter connected to the horizontal antenna middle strip, is coupled to the second current generator by a second generator lead of the second current generator and wherein the horizontal antenna middle strip divides the horizontal antenna perimeter into two nearly equal halves wherein one half is horizontally aligned in relation to the other half; and

wherein the vertical antenna middle strip and horizontal middle strip are positioned orthogonal to one another so as to form a cross.

13. A method for a business establishment to prevent false security alarms caused by tag pollution, the method comprising:

positioning a security tag deactivator at or near an entrance of the business establishment;

orienting the security tag deactivator to generate an electromagnetic field at or near the entrance of the business establishment; and

deactivating an unwanted security tag entering into the business establishment.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of deactivating the security tag comprises first detecting the direction in which the security tag is moving and deactivating based on the direction the security tag is moving.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of deactivating the security tag comprises driving a flow of current from a current generator to an antenna, wherein the antenna is coupled to the current generator by a pair of generator leads, wherein the antenna and current generator form a portion of the security tag deactivator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna comprises:

an antenna perimeter; and

a middle antenna portion, wherein the middle antenna portion is designed in the shape of the letter S and connects to the antenna perimeter at opposing sides of the antenna perimeter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the deactivator further comprises:

a second antenna; and

a second current generator coupled to the second antenna;

wherein the two antennas are configured as loop antennas comprising the first antenna configured as a vertical two-loop antenna and the second antenna configured as a horizontal two-loop antenna.

18. The deactivator of claim 17, wherein the vertical two-loop antenna comprises:

a vertical antenna perimeter; and

a vertical antenna middle strip, wherein one end of the vertical antenna middle strip connects to one side of the vertical antenna perimeter and wherein the other end of the vertical antenna middle strip is coupled to a first current generator by a first generator lead of the first current generator and wherein a side of the vertical perimeter, opposite the side of the vertical perimeter connected to the vertical antenna middle strip, is coupled to the first current generator by a second generator lead of the first current generator and wherein the vertical antenna middle strip divides the vertical antenna perimeter into two nearly equal halves wherein one half is vertically aligned in relation to the other half; and

wherein the horizontal two-loop antenna comprises;

a horizontal antenna perimeter, and

a horizontal antenna middle strip, wherein one end of the horizontal antenna middle strip connects to one side of the horizontal antenna perimeter and wherein the other end of the horizontal antenna middle strip is coupled to a second current generator by a first generator lead of the second current generator and wherein a side of the horizontal perimeter, opposite the side of the horizontal perimeter connected to the horizontal antenna middle strip, is coupled to the second current generator by a second generator lead of the second current generator and wherein the horizontal antenna middle strip divides the horizontal antenna perimeter into two nearly equal halves wherein one half is horizontally aligned in relation to the other half; and

wherein the vertical antenna middle strip and horizontal middle strip are positioned orthogonal to one another so as to form a cross.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of positioning the security tag deactivator comprises enclosing the antenna into a pedestal, wherein the pedestal stands upright on a floor in the entrance of the business establishment.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of positioning the security tag deactivator comprises attaching the antenna onto a pedestal, wherein the pedestal stands upright on a floor in the entrance of the business establishment.