Electronic article surveillance system neural network minimizing false alarms and failures to deactivate

• US 7,800,490 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Allen, John A., Bergman, Adam S., Soto, Manuel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob; Sisay
• Application Number:
  US11/971,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 340/522, 340/517, 340/521, 340/572, 340/573, 340/541, 340/554, 340/567, 340/666, 340/500, 340/501, 340/10.3, 340/571, 340/568.1, 340/573.4, 340/572.3, 340/572.1, 367/93, 367/94, 367/98, 367/101, 367/107
• US Class Current: 340/522
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2471 Antenna signal processing by receiver or emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/26 by updating and storing reference thresholds

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for managing false alarms in a security system. A detection zone is established. An alarm event is triggered based on the detection of a tag in the detection zone using an initial alarm trigger sensitivity. The initial alarm trigger sensitivity is based on an initial set of one or more detection criteria. The set of detection criteria is modified to adjust the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system.

Claims

1. A method for managing false alarms in a security system, the method comprising:

establishing a detection zone;

triggering an alarm event, the alarm event based on the detection of a tag in the detection zone using an initial alarm trigger sensitivity, the initial alarm trigger sensitivity being based on an initial set of one or more detection criteria; and

modifying the set of detection criteria, including adjusting an energy level ratio threshold at preselected tag detection frequencies, to adjust the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a reason for the alarm event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a reason code, the reason code including information relating to the alarm event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the modifying the set of detection criteria includes:

processing reason code information to determine one or more of the detection criteria to modify; and

storing the modified one or more detection criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm event is triggered if a ratio of detected first energy level at a first frequency to a detected second energy level at a second frequency is greater than a predetermined energy level ratio threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm trigger sensitivity is adjusted to increase the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system, increasing the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system includes increasing the predetermined energy level ratio threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of detection criteria includes a frequency threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a range of valid alarm trigger frequencies is reduced when an average detected frequency for tags causing an alarm is greater than the frequency threshold.

9. A system for managing false alarms in a security system, the system comprising:

a transmitter producing an applied interrogation field in a detection zone;

a processor, the processor operating to;

trigger an alarm event in response to the detection of a tag in the detection zone using an initial alarm trigger sensitivity, the initial alarm trigger sensitivity being based on an initial set of one or more detection criteria; and

modify the set of detection criteria, including adjusting an energy level ratio threshold at preselected tag detection frequencies, to adjust the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor further operates to determine the cause of the alarm event.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor further operates to:

process reason code information to determine one or more of the detection criteria to modify; and

store the modified one or more detection criteria.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor operates to trigger the alarm event if a ratio of detected first energy level at a first frequency to a detected second energy level at a second frequency is greater than a predetermined ratio threshold.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor further operates to adjust the alarm trigger sensitivity by increasing the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system, increasing the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system includes increasing the predetermined energy level ratio threshold.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of detection criteria includes a frequency threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor further operates to reduce a frequency range for detecting an active tag when an average detected frequency for tags causing an alarm to trigger is greater than the frequency threshold.

16. A processor having computer program instructions for operating a security system, the processor causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

establishing a detection zone;

triggering an alarm event, the alarm event based on the detection of a tag in the detection zone using an initial alarm trigger sensitivity, the initial alarm trigger sensitivity being based on an initial set of one or more detection criteria; and

modifying the set of detection criteria, including adjusting an energy level ratio threshold at preselected tag detection frequencies, to adjust the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the alarm event is triggered if a ratio of detected first energy level at a first frequency to a detected second energy level at a second frequency is greater than a predetermined energy level ratio threshold, wherein the alarm trigger sensitivity is adjusted to increase the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system, increasing the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system includes increasing the predetermined energy level ratio threshold.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein modifying the set of detection criteria further includes reducing frequency range for detecting an active tag when an average detected frequency for tags causing an alarm to trigger is greater than the frequency threshold.

19. A system for managing false alarms in a security system, the system comprising:

a transmitter producing an applied interrogation field in a detection zone;

a processor, the processor operating to;

trigger an alarm event in response to the detection of a tag in the detection zone using an initial alarm trigger sensitivity, the initial alarm trigger sensitivity being based on an initial set of one or more detection criteria; and

modify the set of detection criteria, including reducing a frequency range for detecting an active tag, to adjust the alarm trigger sensitivity of the security system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor further operates to reduce the frequency range for detecting an active tag when an average detected frequency for tags causing an alarm to trigger is greater than the frequency threshold.