Anti-theft electronic tag

• US 6,255,958 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hi-G-Tek, Inc. (Eagle Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: H-G-Tek Limited
• Inventors: Haimovich, Yosef, Armoni, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/262,121
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.6, 340/568.8, 340/568.2, 340/571, 340/539, 340/572.1, 340/572.8
• US Class Current: 340/686.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation

Abstract

An anti-theft tag assembly including an electronic tag, a monitored attachment mechanism which attaches the tag to an object to be protected and which provides an output indication of tampering with the attachment mechanism, a monitored proximity determination mechanism which monitors a proximity of the tag, and thus of the object to be protected, to a given object and which provides an output indication of tampering with the proximity determination mechanism, and a communicator for providing a sensible indication of receipt of at least one of the output indications.

Claims

1. An anti-theft tag assembly comprising:

an electronic tag;

a monitored attachment mechanism which attaches said tag to an object to be protected and which provides an output indication of tampering with said attachment mechanism;

a wireless monitored proximity determination mechanism which monitors a proximity of the tag, and thus of said object to be protected, to a given object and which provides an output indication of proximity of said tag to said given object; and

a communicator for providing a sensible indication of receipt of at least one of said output indications.

2. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 1 wherein said communicator comprises a wireless communicator.

3. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 1 wherein said communicator distinguishes between said output indication of tampering with said attachment mechanism and said output indication of proximity.

4. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 1 wherein said monitored attachment mechanism comprises a sticker which is frangible upon becoming unstuck, thereby providing said output indication of tampering with said attachment mechanism.

5. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 1 wherein said monitored attachment mechanism comprises a frangible element, which when broken provides said output indication of tampering with said attachment mechanism.

6. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 1 wherein said monitored proximity determination mechanism comprises a transceiver which transmits energy onto a surface of said given object and senses energy received therefrom.

7. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 6 wherein said monitored proximity determination mechanism senses the proximity of said tag to a particular location on said surface of said given object.

8. The anti-theft tag assembly according to claim 6 wherein said monitored proximity determination mechanism monitors a unique characteristic of energy reflected from a particular location on said surface of said given object back to said tag.