THEFT PROTECTION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF UNAUTHORIZED INTRUSION OR ENTRANCE

• US 20120274466A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Original Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Inventors: MEZGER, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/557
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/183 by interruption of a radiation beam or barrier

Abstract

A theft protection device (108, 110) for the detection of unauthorized intrusion or entrance into a protected area (104) is provided, wherein the protected area (104) is surrounded by a physical barrier (102) which has at least one access area (106) and which can be overcome outside the access area (106) by reaching over or surmounting, wherein the device (108, 110) comprises a laser scanner (108) which is arranged and oriented such that its surveillance plane (114) detects reaching over and surmounting of the barrier (102) to then output a theft signal. The device (108, 110) comprises an authorization device (110) of the access area (106) which is configured to activate or deactivate the laser scanner (108) upon authorized passage through the access area (106).

Claims

1. A theft protection device (108, 110) for the detection of unauthorized intrusion or entrance into a protected area (104) which is surrounded by a physical barrier (102) which has at least one access area (106) and which can be overcome outside the access area (106) by reaching over or surmounting, wherein the device (108, 110) comprises a laser scanner (108) which is arranged and oriented such that its surveillance plane (114) detects reaching over and surmounting of the barrier (102) to then output a theft signal,

characterized by

an authorization device (110) for the access area (106) which is configured to activate or deactivate the laser scanner (108) upon authorized passage through the access area (106).

2. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the protected area is a cashier area or a sales area.

3. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the barrier (102) is a sales counter (100) or a bar.

4. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the surveillance plane (114) is oriented horizontally and at least partially covers the protected area (104).

5. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the surveillance plane (114) also covers an area in front of the barrier (102).

6. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 5,

wherein detected intrusions into the area in front of the barrier (102) generate a presence detection signal instead of the theft signal.

7. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the surveillance plane (114) is arranged adjacent to the upper edge of the barrier (102), vertically or diagonally continuing the barrier (102) upwards into the protected area (104).

8. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the laser scanner (108) is adapted to configure partial areas of the surveillance plane (114) into which intrusions are permitted or not permitted.

9. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein an alarm device is provided which upon reception of the theft signal triggers an audible warning.

10. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein a video surveillance system (120) is provided which upon reception of the theft signal generates an image recording of the vicinity of the barrier (102).

11. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein a video surveillance system (120) is provided which generates an image recording of the protected region (104) as long as persons (116) are present therein.

12. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the authorization device (110) includes a status memory to store information about authorized passages.

13. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the authorization device (110) comprises an RFID reader or a code reader.

14. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein at least one additional sensor (112) is provided at the access area (106).

15. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 14,

wherein the additional sensor (112) is a light barrier or a light grid for the detection of passages through the access area (106).

16. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

comprising at least one additional sensor to detect intrusions into remaining gaps between the barrier (102) and the surveillance plane (114).

17. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 16,

wherein the additional sensor is a light barrier, a light grid or an additional laser scanner.

18. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 1,

wherein the laser scanner (10, 108) comprises a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light beam (14) into the surveillance plane (18, 114), a light receiver (24) for generating a reception signal from a remitted light beam (20) remitted by objects in the surveillance plane (18, 114), a movable deflection device (16) for the periodic deflection of the light beam (14, 20) to scan the surveillance plane (18, 114) during the movement, and an evaluation unit (30) for detecting objects based on the reception signal.

19. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 18,

wherein the laser scanner (10, 108) is configured as a distance meter in that the evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine the light time of flight between transmission and reception of the light beam (14, 20) and from that the distance of an object.

20. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 18,

wherein the laser scanner (10, 108) comprises an angle encoder (28) configured to detect the angular position of the deflection unit (16).

21. The theft protection device (108, 110) according to claim 18,

wherein the laser scanner (10, 108) is configured as a distance meter in that the evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine the light time of flight between transmission and reception of the light beam (14, 20) and from that the distance of an object, and wherein laser scanner (10, 108) comprises an angle encoder (28) configured to detect the angular position of the deflection unit (16) so that two-dimensional polar position coordinates for objects detected in the surveillance plane (18, 114) are available.

22. A method for the detection of unauthorized intrusion or entrance into a protected area (104) that is surrounded by a physical barrier (102) which has at least one access area (106) and which can be overcome outside the access area (106) by reaching over or surmounting, wherein the area (114) above or behind the barrier (102) is surveyed with a laser scanner (108) and a theft signal is output upon detection of a reaching over or a surmounting,

characterized in that

the laser scanner (108) is activated or deactivated upon authorized passage through the access area (106).

23. The method according to claim 22,

wherein the protected area (104) is a cashier area or a sales area.