Antitheft system

• US 5,982,283 A
• Filed: 08/26/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electronic Components Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electronic Components Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kihara, Hitoshi, Matsudaira, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/140,418
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.3, 340/572.1, 340/571, 340/527, 340/309.15
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure

Abstract

A nullification device of the invention comprises a nullifying signal generator 15 for producing a nullifying signal, and a controller 14 for measuring a predetermined period of time and on/off-controlling a mode change switch 16 provided between the signal generator 15 and a transmitting antenna 18. On the other hand, an activation device comprises a generator 23 for producing an activating signal for the nullification device. The activation device and the nullification device have connection terminals a, b and a'"'"', b'"'"', respectively, where the devices are in contact with each other, with the nullification device placed in a accommodating recess in the activation device. The controller 14 turns on the switch 16 in response to the activating signal, starts to measure time upon cessation of supply of the activating signal, and turns off the switch 16 upon lapse of the specified time period, whereby the nullification device for forcibly ceasing the generation of an alarm by an alarm unit is prevented from being used wrongfully.

Claims

1. An antitheft system comprising an alarm unit to be connected to an article to be prevented from being stolen, and a nullification device for transmitting a nullifying signal to the alarm unit, the alarm unit comprising alarm means for producing an alarm, detecting means for detecting disconnection of the alarm unit from the article to produce a detection signal, and alarm control means for operating the alarm means upon receiving the detection signal and nullifying the detection signal after receiving the nullifying signal from the nullification device, the nullification device comprising:

means for generating the nullifying signal at all times in an operative mode or generating the nullifying signal in response to the user'"'"'s manipulation,

activation commanding means for giving an activation command in response to the user'"'"'s manipulation,

means for producing a variable increasing with lapse of time or with the frequency of the user'"'"'s manipulation for generating the nullifying signal,

means for resetting the variable producing means in response to the user'"'"'s manipulation, and

nullification control means for setting the nullifying signal generating means in the operative mode in response to the activation command while setting the nullifying signal generating means in an inoperative mode upon the variable produced by the variable producing means exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

2. An antitheft system according to claim 1 which further comprises an activation device for transmitting an activating signal to the nullification device, the activation device comprising means for preparing the activating signal, and means for transmitting to the nullification device the activating signal produced by the activating signal preparing means, the nullification device comprising receiving means capable of receiving the activating signal from the transmitting means of the activation device in response to a manipulation by the user, the activation commanding means being operable to give the activation command in response to the activating signal received from the receiving means, the resetting means being operable to reset the variable producing means when the activating signal is no longer received by the receiving means.

3. An antitheft system according to claim 2 wherein the activation device and the nullification device are housed in separate casings respectively, the casing of the activation device being formed with a recessed portion for placing therein the casing of the nullification device, and the transmitting means of the activation device and the receiving means of the nullification device are opposed to each other for the receiving means to receive the activating signal from the transmitting means, with the casing of the nullification device placed in the recessed portion of the casing of the activation device.

4. An antitheft system according to claim 3 wherein each of the transmitting means of the activation device and the receiving means of the nullification device comprises a plurality of terminals to be in contact respectively with those of the other.

5. An antitheft system according to claim 3 wherein the transmitting means of the activation device and the receiving means of the nullification device respectively comprise a transmitter and a receiver for a magnetic signal or optical signal.

6. An antitheft system according to claim 1 wherein the nullification device comprises a data input means, and the activation commanding means of the nullification device gives the activation command while the resetting means resets the variable producing means when start data representing a specified code is input by the data input means.

7. An antitheft system according to claim 6 wherein the nullification device comprises stop commanding means for giving a stopping command when a stop data representing a specified code is input by the data input means, and the nullification control means sets the nullifying signal generating means in the inoperative mode in response to the stopping command.

8. An antitheft system according to claim 6 wherein the data input means comprises a key input device.

9. An antitheft system according to claim 1 wherein the nullification device comprises key means, and the activation commanding means of the nullification device gives the activation command while the resetting means resets the variable producing means in response to an on manipulation with use of the key means.