Deactivating device for deactivating EAS dual status magnetic tags
First Claim
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1. A deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said deactivation device comprising:
- means for detecting the presence of an active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area, said means for detecting comprising means for transmitting a predetermined detection field into the detection/deactivation area and means for sensing a signal from said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area in response to said detection field, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which the detection field results in a response signal from said active EAS tag, and said detection field at said detection position having components in said three orthogonal planes; and
means for deactivating said active EAS tag comprising means for transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration preselected in relationship to said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a deactivating position which is at a preset offset distance from said detection position and at which said deactivating field has components having orientations matched to the orientations of said components of said detection field at said detection position in said three orthogonal planes.
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Abstract
A deactivating device for deactivating a dual status EAS tag for use in an EAS system in which the device utilizes a detection field for detecting the presence of an active tag in a detection/deactivation zone and in which the device further utilizes a deactivation field which is matched to the detection field.
84 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said deactivation device comprising:
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means for detecting the presence of an active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area, said means for detecting comprising means for transmitting a predetermined detection field into the detection/deactivation area and means for sensing a signal from said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area in response to said detection field, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which the detection field results in a response signal from said active EAS tag, and said detection field at said detection position having components in said three orthogonal planes; and means for deactivating said active EAS tag comprising means for transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration preselected in relationship to said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a deactivating position which is at a preset offset distance from said detection position and at which said deactivating field has components having orientations matched to the orientations of said components of said detection field at said detection position in said three orthogonal planes.
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2. A deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said deactivation device comprising:
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means for detecting the presence of an active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area, said means for detecting comprising means for transmitting a predetermined detection field into the detection/deactivation area and means for sensing a signal from said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area in response to said detection field, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which said detection field results in a response signal from said tag; means for deactivating said active EAS tag, said deactivating means being responsive to said detection of said tag in the detection/deactivation area by said detection means and comprising means for transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration preselected in relationship to said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active tag when said active tag is situated at a deactivating position in said detection/deactivation area; and means for delaying for a predetermined period of time, measured from the detection of said tag, the operation of said deactivating means. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said deactivation device comprising:
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transport means for transporting an article having said active EAS tag attached thereto through the detection/deactivation area, said transport means comprising a moving conveyor belt for carrying said article and said attached tag through the detection/deactivation area; means for detecting the presence of said active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area, said means for detecting comprising means for transmitting a predetermined detection field into the detection/deactivation area and means for sensing a signal from said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area in response to said detection field, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which the detection field results in a response signal from said active EAS tag; means for deactivating said active EAS tag comprising means for transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration preselected in relationship to said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active tag when said active tag is situated at a deactivating position which is at a preset offset distance from said detection position, said preset offset distance being in a direction corresponding to the movement of said conveyor belt; and means for delaying for a predetermined period of time the operation of said deactivating means, said predetermined period of time corresponding to the time it takes said conveyor belt to move a distance corresponding to said preset offset distance.
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5. A deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said deactivation device comprising:
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means for detecting the presence of an active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area, said means for detecting comprising means for transmitting a predetermined electromagnetic detection field into the detection/deactivation area, said detection field transmitting means comprising a transmitting coil, and means for sensing a signal from said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area in response to said detection field, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which the detection field results in a response signal from said active EAS tag, and said sensing means comprising a receiving coil; means for deactivating said active EAS tag comprising means for transmitting a deactivating electromagnetic field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration preselected in relationship to said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active tag when said active tag is situated at a deactivating position in said detection/deactivation area, said deactivation field transmitting means comprising a deactivation coil; said transmitting and deactivation coils being positioned in a common plane; and said receiving coil being positioned in a plane parallel to said common plane. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said deactivation device comprising:
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means for detecting the presence of an active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area, said means for detecting comprising means for transmitting a predetermined detection field into the detection/deactivation area and means for sensing a signal from said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area in response to said detection field, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which the detection field results in a response signal from said active EAS tag; means for deactivating said active EAS tag comprising means for transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration preselected in relationship to said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active tag when said active tag is situated at a deactivating position in said detection/deactivation area; and verification means, operating responsive to the operation of the deactivation means, for causing the detection means to detect whether the tag, which has been previously subjected to the deactivation field, is still activated, said verification means causing said deactivating means to operate in response to said detection means detecting that the tag is still activated and said verification means cyclically operating the detecting means and the deactivating means until it is detected that said activated tag is deactivated to said verification means cyclically operates a predetermined number of times.
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8. Apparatus comprising:
a deactivation device for use in an EAS system utilizing a deactivatable type EAS tag, for deactivating an active EAS tag positioned in a detection/deactivation area, the deactivation device comprising;
transport means for transporting the active EAS tag through the detection/deactivation area;
means arranged to detect the presence of the active EAS tag in the detection/deactivation area as said tag is being transported by said transport means; and
means arranged to deactivate the active EAS tag positioned in the detection/deactivation area as said tag is being transported by said transport means.- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for use with a deactivatable type EAS tag used in an EAS system having a detection/deactivation area defined by three orthogonal reference planes, said method comprising:
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transporting said active EAS tag through said detection/deactivation area; detecting when an active EAS tag is positioned in said detection/deactivation area, comprising the steps of; a. transmitting a predetermined detection field into the detection/deactivation area; and b. sensing a responsive signal from said tag resulting from interaction of said tag and said detection field when said tag is situated at a detection position in said detection/deactivation area, said detection position being a position in said detection/deactivation area at which the detection field results in a response signal from the active EAS tag; and deactivating said tag positioned in said detection/deactivation area, comprising the step of; transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area, said deactivating field having a configuration which is at a preset offset distance from said detection field such that the deactivating field deactivates said active EAS tag when said active EAS tag is at a deactivating position which is at a preset offset distance from said detection position, and said deactivating is delayed from said detecting for the time period it takes to transport said active EAS tag said offset distance.
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Specification