Electronic article surveillance
First Claim
1. An electronic surveillance method comprising:
- activating an electronic tag with an identifier via an access to an open storage area of a memory of the electronic tag, wherein the electronic tag is considered active if the identifier is stored in the open storage area, the identifier identifying an inventory including one or more articles, wherein the electronic tag is attached to one of the articles, and wherein the access to the storage area of the memory of the electronic tag is prohibited from password protection;
configuring an electronic gate device to allow retrieval of the identifier within the electronic gate device without performing database query operations;
inspecting, when the electronic tag is located within a proximity of the electronic gate device, the electronic tag wirelessly from the electronic gate device without performing database query nor password authentication operations via the access to the open storage area of the electronic tag and the retrieval of the identifier within the electronic gate device; and
causing an alarm via the electronic gate device if the inspecting indicates the electronic tag is active.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for activating an electronic tag with an identifier via an access to a storage area of the electronic tag without database or authentication operations are described. The storage area may be accessed as a scratch pad memory. The identifier can identify an inventory including a plurality of articles. One of the articles is attached with the electronic tag. The electronic tag is active if the identifier is stored in the storage area. When the electronic tag is located within a proximity of the electronic gate device, the electronic tag may be inspected wirelessly from the electronic gate device. An alarm may be activated or caused via the electronic gate device if the inspection indicates the electronic tag is active.
8 Citations
61 Claims
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1. An electronic surveillance method comprising:
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activating an electronic tag with an identifier via an access to an open storage area of a memory of the electronic tag, wherein the electronic tag is considered active if the identifier is stored in the open storage area, the identifier identifying an inventory including one or more articles, wherein the electronic tag is attached to one of the articles, and wherein the access to the storage area of the memory of the electronic tag is prohibited from password protection; configuring an electronic gate device to allow retrieval of the identifier within the electronic gate device without performing database query operations; inspecting, when the electronic tag is located within a proximity of the electronic gate device, the electronic tag wirelessly from the electronic gate device without performing database query nor password authentication operations via the access to the open storage area of the electronic tag and the retrieval of the identifier within the electronic gate device; and causing an alarm via the electronic gate device if the inspecting indicates the electronic tag is active. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electronic surveillance system comprising:
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one or more electronic tags separately attached to articles in an inventory, each electronic tag providing access to a storage area of the electronic tag without protection, wherein the electronic tag is active if the storage area stores an identifier identifying the inventory; at least one electronic reader device capable of wirelessly activating the electronic tag without authentication, the electronic tag activated to become active; and at least one electronic gate device stationed at a location to guard the inventory, wherein the electronic gate device is configured with the identifier to detect if the electronic tag is active when the electronic tag is within a proximity of the location, and provide an alarm notification if the electronic tag within the proximity of the location is active. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electronic surveillance method comprising:
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requesting an RFID (radio frequency identifier) tag to store an identifier from an RFID reader device without authentication, wherein the identifier is stored in a storage area of the RFID tag via an access to the storage, and wherein the RFID tag is in an active state if the identifier is stored in the storage area; configuring an electronic gate device to allow access to the identifier within the electronic gate; retrieving, when the RFID tag is located within a proximity of the electronic gate device, data stored in the RFID tag wirelessly to the electronic gate device via the access to the storage area of the RFID tag; determining if the data retrieved from the RFID tag include the identifier, wherein the RFID tag is in an inactive state if the data retrieved does not include the identifier; and causing an alarm via the electronic gate device if the data retrieved from the RFID tag include the identifier. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. An electronic surveillance method comprising:
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storing a first multi-bit number into re-writable memory of one or more RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) tags; storing a second number different from the first multi-bit number into said re-writable memory at a point of sale; sending the first multi-bit number to one of the RFID tags at an EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) gate to compare to a number stored in the re-writable memory of the one RFID tag; and obtaining identifying information from the one RFID tag at the EAS gate, the identifying information indicating the number has not been changed from the first multi-bit number at the one RFID tag based on the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) reader device for electronic surveillance, comprising:
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a memory storing executable instructions, an inventory number and a storage address, the inventory number identifying an inventory and the storage address to access scratch pad memory of RFID tags attached to articles in the inventory; a wireless network interface coupled to one or more of the RFID tags; a processor coupled to the memory and the wireless network interface to execute the instructions from the memory, the processor being configured to send a command via the wireless network interface to the one or more of the RFID tags, the command specifying the inventory number and the storage address, collect identifiers from the one or more of the RFID tags, the identifiers identifying which of the one or more of the RFID tags store a number matching the inventory number at the storage address of the scratch pad memory, and send an alarm message to activate an alarm if the identifiers are collected. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A method at a RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) reader device for electronic surveillance, comprising:
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sending a command via a wireless network interface to one or more RFID tags, the command specifying an inventory number and a storage address, the inventory number identifying an inventory and the storage address to access a scratch pad memory of the RFID tags attached to articles in the inventory; collecting identifiers from the one or more of the RFID tags, the identifiers identifying which of the one or more of the RFID tags store a number matching the inventory number at the storage address of the scratch pad memory, and sending an alarm message to activate an alarm if the identifiers are collected. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A non-transitory machine readable-storage medium storing instructions that cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:
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sending a command via a wireless network interface to one or more RFID tags, the command specifying an inventory number and a storage address, the inventory number identifying an inventory and the storage address to access a scratch pad memory of RFID tags attached to articles in the inventory; collecting identifiers from the one or more of the RFID tags, the identifiers identifying which of the one or more of the RFID tags store a number matching the inventory number at the storage address of the scratch pad memory, and sending an alarm message to activate an alarm if the identifiers are collected. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. An electronic tag, comprising:
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a memory comprising a first portion prohibited from being locked via at least one of a password or an authentication mechanism to store data indicating if the electronic tag is active or inactive, wherein the electronic tag is considered active if a first identifier is stored in the first portion, the first identifier identifying an inventory comprising a plurality of articles, wherein the electronic tag is associated with one of the articles, and wherein the electronic tag is considered inactive if the first identifier is not stored in the first portion; a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to receive a command, the command specifying the first identifier; and wherein the processor is configured to send data indicating if the electronic tag is active or inactive in response to the command. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method at an electronic tag to provide electronic surveillance comprising:
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receiving a command specifying a first identifier, the first identifier identifying an inventory comprising a plurality of articles, wherein the electronic tag is associated with one of the articles, wherein the electronic tag is considered active if a first identifier is stored in a first portion of a memory, and wherein the electronic tag is considered inactive if the first identifier is not stored in the first portion a memory, wherein the first portion is prohibited from being locked via at least one of a password or an authentication mechanism; and sending data indicating if the electronic tag is active or inactive in response to the command. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving a command specifying a first identifier, the first identifier identifying an inventory comprising a plurality of articles, wherein the electronic tag is associated with one of the articles, wherein the electronic tag is considered active if a first identifier is stored in a first portion of a memory, and wherein the electronic tag is considered inactive if the first identifier is not stored in the first portion a memory, wherein the first portion is prohibited from being locked via at least one of a password or an authentication mechanism; and sending data indicating if the electronic tag is active or inactive in response to the command. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method at an electronic gate device to provide an electronic surveillance comprising:
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sending a command specifying a first identifier to a tag to compare to data stored in a first portion of a memory of the tag, the first identifier identifying an inventory comprising a plurality of articles, wherein the tag is associated with one of the articles, wherein the tag is considered active if the first identifier is stored in the first portion, and wherein the electronic tag is considered inactive if the data other than the first identifier are stored in the first portion; receiving data from the tag in response to the command, the data indicating if the tag is active or inactive; and activating an alarm if the data indicates that the tag is active. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A non-transitory machine readable-storage medium storing data that, when accessed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:
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sending a command specifying a first identifier to a tag to compare to data stored in a first portion of a memory of the tag, the first identifier identifying an inventory comprising a plurality of articles, wherein the tag is associated with one of the articles, wherein the tag is considered active if the first identifier is stored in the first portion, and wherein the electronic tag is considered inactive if the data other than the first identifier are stored in the first portion; receiving data from the tag in response to the command, the data indicating if the tag is active or inactive; and activating an alarm if the data indicates that the tag is active. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61)
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Specification