Universal anti-theft device and method for producing it

• US 6,104,278 A
• Filed: 05/12/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Meto International GmbH (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Altwasser, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEANGLAUDE, JEAN BRUNER
• Application Number:
  US09/075,845
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/825.21, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 342/22, 342/44, 342/51
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2414 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2448 Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag

Abstract

The present invention relates to a universal anti-theft device for securing articles against theft, which has at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit (2) that, in the interrogation field of an article monitoring system, is excited to transmit a characteristic signal which subsequently trips an alarm and at least one further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit which contains specific, encoded information about the article. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the universal anti-theft device for securing articles against theft.

Claims

1. A method for producing a universal anti-theft device for securing articles against theft, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit on a substrate, said at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit being excited to transmit a characteristic signal which will subsequently trip an alarm;

providing at least one further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit which contains specific, encoded information about the article onto the substrate; and

encoding the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit by interrupting the flow of current through conductor tracks included in the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit.

2. A method for producing a universal anti-theft device for securing articles against theft, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit on a substrate, said at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit being excited to transmit a characteristic signal which will subsequently trip an alarm;

providing at least one further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit which contains specific, encoded information about the article onto the substrate; and

encoding the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit by increasing the length of the conductor tracks included in the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit.

3. A method for producing a universal anti-theft device for securing articles against theft, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit on a substrate, said at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit being excited to transmit a characteristic signal which will subsequently trip an alarm;

providing at least one further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit which contains specific, encoded information about the article onto the substrate; and

encoding the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit by decreasing the length of the conductor tracks included in the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit.

4. A method for producing a universal anti-theft device for securing articles against theft, the anti-theft device having a pair of coils, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit on a substrate, said at least one electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit being excited to transmit a characteristic signal which will subsequently trip an alarm;

providing at least one further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit which contains specific, encoded information about the article onto the substrate; and

encoding the further electromagnetic resonant oscillating circuit by contacting an additional conductor track segment to one of said coils so that the additional conductor track segment is opposite to the other coil.