Safeguard device

• US 4,998,094 A
• Filed: 04/05/1989
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefunken Electronic GmbH
• Original Assignee: Telefunken Electronic GmbH
• Inventors: Enkelmann, Thomas F., Weber, Hans-Werner, Moolji, Salim, Englmeier, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US07/333,695
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/825.72, 340/517, 340/521-522, 340/508, 324/260, 324/243
• US Class Current: 340/571
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2442 Tag materials and material properties thereof, e.g. magnetic material details

Abstract

A safeguard device is provided with a high frequency sensor which triggers an alarm device after receiving high frequency energy. To prevent the alarm device being rendered ineffective by high frequency shielding of the safeguard device, a metal sensor is provided in addition which activates the alarm device regardless of the presence of high frequency energy when it is attempted to shield the safeguard device.

Claims

1. In a safeguard device having a housing including a selective high frequency sensor that triggers an alarm device after receiving high frequency energy, the improvement wherein said housing is provided with a metal sensor which additionally, and independently of said high frequency sensor, controls said alarm device.

2. A safeguard device according to claim 1, wherein said metal sensor has at least two electrically conductive surfaces arranged on the outside of said housing, which when connected in an electrically conductive manner trigger the alarm device.

3. A safeguard device according to claim 1, wherein said metal sensor has on the housing at least two surfaces which are insulated electrically against external tampering but which are in themselves electrically conductive and form the coatings of an electrical capacitor whose capacitance is changeable by the proximity of metal objects or metal foils and which is operatively connected internally to an evaluation circuit associated with the alarm device.

4. A safeguard device according to claim 1, wherein said metal sensor comprises an inductive metal detector which is arranged in said housing and whose inductance is changeable by the proximity of metal objects or metal foils, whereby the change in inductance triggers the alarm device.

5. A safeguard device according to claim 1 wherein said alarm device is within said housing.

6. A safeguard device comprising:

a housing;

an alarm device disposed in said housing;

selective high frequency sensor means disposed in said housing for triggering said alarm device after receiving high frequency energy; and

a metal sensor means disposed in said housing for triggering said alarm device, independent of said high frequency sensor means, after detecting the presence of metal adjacent said housing, whereby an attempt to thwart the safeguard device by covering the housing with an electrically conductive high-frequency-effective shielding material, will be detected by said metal sensor means.

7. A safeguard device according to claim 6 wherein said metal sensor means comprises at least two conductive surfaces arranged on the outside of said housing which surfaces, when connected in an electrically conductive manner by metal, trigger said alarm device.

8. A safeguard device according to claim 6 wherein said metal sensor means comprises a tuned resonant circuit having a reactive component whose value is varied by the presence of metal.

9. A safeguard device according to claim 8 wherein said reactive component is an inductance.

10. A safeguard device according to claim 9 wherein said resonant circuit is a series resonant circuit.

11. A safeguard device according to claim 8 wherein said reactive component is a capacitor formed by two spaced conductive surfaces disposed on said housing.

12. A safeguard device according to claim 11 wherein said resonant circuit is a parallel resonant circuit.

13. A safeguard device for protecting objects from theft comprising:

a housing having means for releasably attaching said housing to an object to be protected;

an alarm device disposed in said housing;

first sensor means disposed in said housing for triggering said alarm device after receiving high frequency energy of a selected frequency; and

a second sensor means disposed in said housing, and operating independently of said first sensor means, for detecting the presence, around said housing, of an undesired metal shield for said high frequency energy, and for triggering said alarm device in response to such detection,

whereby an attempt to thwart the safeguard device by covering it with an electrically conductive high frequency effective shielding material will be detected.

14. A safeguard device as defined in claim 13, wherein said second sensor means comprises at least two electrically conductive surfaces arranged on the surface of said housing and electrically insulated from each other.

15. A safeguard device as defined in claim 14, wherein said surfaces are electrical contacts which trigger the alarm device when two or more of said contacts are connected in an electrically conductive manner.

16. A safeguard device as defined in claim 14, wherein said conductive surfaces form a capacitor whose capacitance is changeable by the proximity of metal and said second sensor means further comprises circuit means, disposed in said housing, for detecting a change in capacitance of said capacitor to trigger the alarm device.

17. A safeguard device as defined in claim 13, wherein said second sensor means is an inductive metal sensor comprising an inductor whose inductance is changeable by the proximity of metal, and circuit means operatively connected to said inductor for detecting a change in inductance of said inductor and for triggering said alarm device.