Alarm systems, wireless alarm devices, and article security methods

• US 7,538,680 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Belden, Dennis D. Jr., Scott, Ian R., Green, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk; Samuel J
• Application Number:
  US11/788,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

Alarm systems, wireless alarm devices, and article security methods are described according to some aspects of the disclosure. In one aspect, an alarm system includes a base communication device configured to communicate wireless signals, a remote communication device configured to communicate with the base communication device using the wireless signals, wherein the remote communication device is adapted to be associated with an article to be secured and wherein the remote communication device comprises alarm circuitry, wherein the remote communication device comprises a non-linear device configured to detect the wireless signals communicated by the base communication device and to generate electrical signals corresponding to respective ones of the detected wireless signals, and wherein the remote communication device further comprises processing circuitry coupled with the non-linear device and configured to process the electrical signals and to control the alarm circuitry to generate a human perceptible alarm responsive to the processing.

Claims

1. An alarm system comprising:

a base communication device configured to communicate wireless signals within a range of frequencies;

a remote communication device configured to communicate with the base communication device using the wireless signals, wherein the remote communication device is adapted to be associated with an article to be secured and wherein the remote communication device comprises alarm circuitry;

wherein the remote communication device comprises an antenna circuit configured to receive the wireless signals communicated by the base communication device and to generate first electrical signals corresponding to respective ones of the received wireless signals, and the remote communication device further comprises a detector comprising a non-linear device configured to receive the first electrical signals and to provide second electrical signals having a non-linear relationship to the first electrical signals, wherein the detector further comprises a parallel LC circuit configured to provide increased impedance at the range of frequencies of the wireless signals compared with other frequencies outside of the range of frequencies; and

wherein the remote communication device further comprises processing circuitry coupled with the non-linear device and configured to process the second electrical signals and to control the alarm circuitry to generate a human perceptible alarm responsive to the processing.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the base communication device is configured to communicate the wireless signals within a secured area and the resonant circuit is configured to receive the wireless signals while the remote communication device is located within the secured area.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the base communication device is positioned to emit the wireless signals to define the secured area at a point of ingress and egress of a defined area wherein the article is secured.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the non-linear device comprises a diode.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector is passive.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the remote communication device comprises a power source configured to supply operational electrical energy to the processing circuitry, and wherein the detector is configured to provide the second electrical signals without consuming electrical energy from the power source.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the base communication device is configured to output the wireless signals having different frequencies within the range of frequencies comprising a first range of frequencies at a plurality of different moments in time, and wherein the detector is configured to generate the second electrical signals responsive to the wireless signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies comprising only a portion of the first range of frequencies.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the antenna circuit comprises a parallel LC resonant circuit configured to resonate at the second range of frequencies.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to identify the second electrical signals as corresponding to the wireless signals communicated by the base communication device, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the generation of the human perceptible alarm responsive to the identification.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the base communication device is configured to communicate the wireless signals having frequencies less than 55 MHz.

11. A wireless alarm device comprising:

a housing adapted to couple with an article to be secured;

a diode coupled with the housing and configured to receive first electrical signals corresponding to wireless signals communicated by a base communication device of an alarm system and to generate second electrical signals responsive to the reception of the first electrical signals;

alarm circuitry coupled with the housing and configured to generate a human perceptible alarm; and

processing circuitry configured to process the second electrical signals including identifying individual ones of a plurality of pulses of the second electrical signals as corresponding to the wireless signals communicated by the base communication device, and to control the alarm circuitry to generate the human perceptible alarm responsive to the identification.

12. The device of claim 11 further comprising an antenna circuit coupled with the housing and configured to generate the first electrical signals.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the wireless signals have different frequencies within a first range of frequencies at different moments in time, and wherein the antenna circuit is tuned to a second range of frequencies which is only a portion of the first range of frequencies and the antenna circuit is configured to generate the first electrical signals responsive to the wireless signals being within the second range of frequencies.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the antenna circuit comprises a parallel LC resonant circuit tuned to resonate at the second range of frequencies.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the diode is configured to generate the second electrical signals having a non-linear relationship to the first electrical signals.

16. The device of claim 11 further comprising a detector comprising the diode, and wherein the detector is passive.

17. The device of claim 13 further comprising a detector comprising the diode, and wherein the detector further comprises a parallel LC circuit coupled to the diode and tuned to provide increased impedance at the second range of frequencies.

18. An article security method comprising:

associating a remote communication device of an alarm system with an article to be secured;

emitting a wireless signal within a secured area using a base communication device of the alarm system;

moving the remote communication device and the associated article into the secured area;

receiving the wireless signal using the remote communication device located within the secured area;

using the remote communication device, generating a first electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal;

using a detector of the remote communication device, generating a second electrical signal having a non-linear relationship with respect to the first electrical signal, the detector providing an increased impedance at frequencies of the wireless signal emitted by the base communication device compared with other frequencies; and

using the remote communication device, emitting a human perceptible alarm responsive to the generating the second electrical signal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the emitting comprises emitting the wireless signal to define the secured area at a point of ingress and egress of a defined area wherein the article is secured.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the generating the first electrical signal comprises resonating a parallel LC resonant circuit of the remote communication device using the wireless signal.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting the resonating using the base communication device, and generating another human perceptible alarm using the base communication device responsive to the detecting.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the generating the second electrical signal comprises generating using a non-linear device.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the generating the second electrical signal comprises generating using a diode.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the generating the second electrical signal comprises generating without consuming electrical energy of a power source of the remote communication device.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the emitting comprises emitting a plurality of wireless signals having different frequencies over a first range of frequencies at different moments in time, and wherein the generating the first electrical signal comprises generating a plurality of first electrical signals responsive to the wireless signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies which is only a portion of the first range of frequencies.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the detector provides the increased impedance at the frequencies within the first range of frequencies.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising identifying the wireless signal as corresponding to communications of the base communication device, and wherein the emitting comprises emitting responsive to the identifying.

28. An article security method comprising:

receiving a wireless signal comprising resonating an antenna circuit of a remote communication device, the resonating generating a first electrical signal;

using the remote communication device, generating a second electrical signal responsive to the generating the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal having a non-linear relationship with respect to the first electrical signal; and

generating a human perceptible alarm to indicate the presence of the remote communication device and an article associated with the remote communicate device within a secured area; and

identifying the wireless signal as being a communication from a base communication device of an alarm system comprising the remote communication device, the identifying comprising identifying a predefined pattern of a plurality of pulses within the second electrical signal, and wherein the generating the human perceptible alarm comprises generating responsive to the identifying.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising emitting the wireless signal within the secured area using the base communication device of an alarm system.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the emitting comprises emitting a plurality of wireless signals having a plurality of different frequencies within a first range of frequencies at a plurality of different moments in time, and the resonating comprises resonating during the emitting of the wireless signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies which is only a portion of the first range of frequencies.

31. The method of claim 30 providing increased impedance at the second range of frequencies.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the resonating comprises resonating using the antenna circuit comprising a parallel LC resonant circuit tuned to the second range of frequencies.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the generating the second electrical signal comprises generating using a diode.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein the generating the second electrical signal comprises generating using a non-linear device.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein the generating the second electrical signal comprises generating using passive circuitry without consuming electrical energy of a power source of the remote communication device.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein the identifying comprises identifying the predefined pattern comprising a pattern defined before the generating of the second electrical signal.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein the identifying comprises identifying widths of the pulses and gaps intermediate adjacent ones of the pulses matching the predefined pattern.