E.A.S. system with selective disabling

• US 5,790,020 A
• Filed: 03/29/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ichimiya, Noboyuki, Sasagawa, Shinichi, Kinouchi, Shin, Namioka, Seishi
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US08/626,227
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/568, 340/501
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

An electronic article surveillance system includes a main apparatus; one or more relays connected to the main apparatus through cables; and one or more tags which are connected to the relays through cables. Each relay includes a resistance variation detecting section for successively detecting the resistance variation of one or more tags and for producing detection data; a data comparing section for comparing data prestored in memory with the detection data; a warning generating section for generating a warning when there is no coincidence in the comparison; and a tag surveillance operation stop section for stopping the warning generating operation for the subject relay or for a specific tag from among one or more the tags in response to an external control signal. An electronic article surveillance system is provided which is capable of selectively stopping the generation of the warning associated with the tag to be removed in situ when the tag is removed from the merchandise article for a proper reason.

Claims

1. An electronic article surveillance system, comprising:

a main apparatus;

one or more relays connected to said main apparatus through cables; and

one or more tags which are connected to said relays through cables,

wherein each said relay comprises;

a resistance variation detecting section for successively detecting the resistance variation of one or more tags which are connected to said relay and for producing detection data;

a data comparing section for comparing data prestored in memory with said detection data;

a warning generation section for generating a warning when there is not coincidence in the comparison; and

a tag surveillance operation stop section for stopping the warning generating operation for the subject relay or for a specific tag from among one or more of said tags in response to an external control signal.

2. An electronic article surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said external control signal is a remote control signal which is supplied from an external remote control signal generator, and this remote control signal is received by a remote control signal receiving section and then processed by a remote control signal processing section and supplied to said tag surveillance operation stop section.

3. An electronic article surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein said external control signal is a signal of a specific frequency supplied from an external security control unit, this signal of the specific frequency is received by a signal receiving section, and then the frequency is selected by a frequency selection section and supplied to said tag surveillance operation stop section.