System for verifying attachment of an EAS marker to an article after tagging
First Claim
1. A system for verifying that an article has been tagged with an electronic article surveillance marker, the marker including a resonant circuit for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal, the system comprising:
- (a) an article presence detector for detecting the physical presence of an article and outputting an article presence signal upon physical detection thereof;
(b) an interrogation zone;
(c) an interrogator for monitoring the interrogation zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of a marker within the interrogation zone which is associated with a physically detected tagged article within the interrogation zone, the interrogator outputting a predetermined output signal when such a marker is detected in the interrogation zone; and
(d) a processor connected to the article presence detector and the interrogator for receiving respective output signals therefrom, whereby after an article presence signal is received from a newly physically detected article, the processor determines whether an interrogator output signal is received as a result of an interrogation of the newly physically detected article.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic system verifies that an article has been tagged with an electronic article surveillance marker. The marker includes a resonant circuit for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal. In the system, the physical presence of an article is detected using an article presence detector which outputs an article presence signal upon physical detection thereof. An interrogation zone is monitored with an interrogator for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of a marker within the interrogation zone. The interrogator outputs an interrogator output signal when a marker is detected in the interrogation zone. The article presence signals and the interrogator output signals are received in a processor. After an article presence signal is received from a newly physically detected article, the processor determines whether an interrogator output signal is received as a result of an interrogation of the newly physically detected article. The processor outputs either a first or second output signal depending upon whether after an article presence signal is received from a newly physically detected article, the processor receives an interrogator output signal as a result of an interrogation of the newly physically detected article.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for verifying that an article has been tagged with an electronic article surveillance marker, the marker including a resonant circuit for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal, the system comprising:
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(a) an article presence detector for detecting the physical presence of an article and outputting an article presence signal upon physical detection thereof; (b) an interrogation zone; (c) an interrogator for monitoring the interrogation zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of a marker within the interrogation zone which is associated with a physically detected tagged article within the interrogation zone, the interrogator outputting a predetermined output signal when such a marker is detected in the interrogation zone; and (d) a processor connected to the article presence detector and the interrogator for receiving respective output signals therefrom, whereby after an article presence signal is received from a newly physically detected article, the processor determines whether an interrogator output signal is received as a result of an interrogation of the newly physically detected article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for verifying that an article has been tagged with an electronic article surveillance marker, the marker including a resonant circuit for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal, the method comprising:
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(a) detecting the physical presence of an article using an article presence detector, the article presence detector outputting an article presence signal upon physical detection thereof; (b) monitoring an interrogation zone with an interrogator for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of a marker within the interrogation zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal when a marker is detected in the interrogation zone; and (c) receiving the article presence signals and the interrogator output signals in a processor, whereby after an article presence signal is received from a newly physically detected article, the processor determines whether an interrogator output signal is received as a result of an interrogation of the newly physically detected article. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification