Flexible anti-theft pack for tracking and location

• US 7,656,292 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3SI Security Systems, Inc. (3SI Holdco, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3SI Security Systems, Inc. (3SI Holdco, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ingle, Mitch, Gromov, Konstantin, Hayward, Roger, Bartholf, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/707,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/568.7, 340/825.49, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/568.1, 340/825.37, 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 340/571, 340/572.7, 340/572.9, 701/23, 342/357.1, 342/357.07, 342/357.03, 342/357.06, 342/458, 455/456, 455/404, 455/517, 235/375, 379/155, 109/2, 109/15, 109/31, 109/38
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A flexible security device for tracking and location. The device comprises a flexible housing having a hollow medial region. A location tracking assembly is contained, at least in part, within the hollow region. The location tracking assembly comprises a plurality of modules, including a wireless communications antenna module, a wireless communications electronics module, a global positioning system antenna module, a global positioning system electronics module, and a power module. A plurality of interconnects are configured among the plurality of modules, with one or more of the interconnects having sufficient flexibility to permit relative movement of at least one module relative to an adjacent interconnected module.

Claims

1. A flexible security device for tracking and location, the device comprising:

a flexible housing having a hollow medial region;

a location tracking assembly housed, at least in part, within the hollow medial region, the location tracking assembly comprising a plurality of modules, including;

a wireless communications antenna module;

a wireless communications electronics module;

a global positioning system antenna module;

a global positioning system electronics module;

a power module; and

a plurality of substrate portions, each module located at least in part on one or more of the substrate portions, and each pair of adjacent substrate portions separated by one of (a) a complete break between the substrate portions, (b) one or more notches in a continuous substrate, (c) a portion of relatively lesser thickness than adjacent portions of a continuous substrate, or (d) a combination of (b) and (c);

a plurality of interconnects configured among said plurality of modules, one or more of said interconnects comprising a flexible interconnect between a pair of adjacent substrate portions having sufficient flexibility to permit relative movement of at least one substrate portion relative to an adjacent substrate portion.

2. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein said one or more flexible interconnects is selected from the group consisting of individual wires, ribbon cable, and printed conductors.

3. The flexible security device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to simulate a stack of bills of currency, the stack comprising a plurality of individual sheets bound together.

4. The flexible security device according to claim 3, wherein said wireless communications antenna module comprises a flat periphery positioned between individual bills of said housing.

5. The flexible security device according to claim 3, wherein each of the individual sheets of said housing has an outer edge said individual sheets bound together with a cord adjacent but sufficiently spaced from the outer edges to permit riffling of the outer edges of said individual sheets at opposite ends of said housing.

6. The flexible security device according to claim 3 comprising at least three substrate portions and two flexible interconnects, each flexible interconnect positioned between two adjacent substrate portions.

7. The flexible security device according to claim 6, wherein the flexible security device is configured to allow bending into an “

S”

shape.

8. The flexible security device according to claim 3 comprising at least four substrate portions and three flexible interconnects, each flexible interconnect positioned between two adjacent substrate portions.

9. The flexible security device according to claim 3, wherein the location tracking assembly comprises one or more stabilization tabs that extend beyond the hollowed cutout and between adjacent sheets in the housing.

10. The flexible security device according to claim 3 further comprising a first flexible sheet positioned adjacent a top side of said housing as a top cover for the hollowed medial region;

a second flexible sheet positioned adjacent a bottom side of said housing as a bottom cover for the hollowed cutout, the top cover and the bottom cover each secured to said housing,

at least one cushioning element between the top cover and the location tracking assembly, and at least one cushioning element between said location tracking assembly and the bottom cover, each cushioning element having at least one face with a smooth surface abutting the location tracking assembly.

11. The flexible security device according to claim 3, wherein said individual sheets of said housing comprise genuine currency.

12. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein said power module comprises a battery assembly inserted within a battery housing, the battery assembly comprising a battery and a flat, flexible battery interconnect cable attached thereto, the battery interconnect cable positioned to lie flat over the battery assembly, and a battery connection port for connection of the battery interconnect cable to the power module.

13. The flexible security device according to claim 12, wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and the battery interconnect cable has a length along the transverse axis.

14. The flexible security device according to claim 12, wherein the power module comprises a substrate or substrate portion and the battery assembly is located on the same substrate or substrate portion as the battery connection port.

15. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein the power module comprising the battery assembly is positioned centrally in the location tracking assembly.

16. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications antenna module comprises a flexible substrate.

17. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna module comprises a substrate portion having a first face and a second face, wherein the GPS antenna is located on the first face of the substrate portion and the GPS electronics module is located on the second face of the same substrate portion.

18. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein the location tracking assembly comprises a continuous substrate on which each of the modules is mounted, wherein each of the flexible interconnects comprises printed conductors in a flexible portion of the continuous substrate.

19. The flexible security device according to claim 18, wherein said continuous flexible substrate comprises polyester or polyamide.

20. The flexible security device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of interconnects comprises printed conductors, wherein at least one of the printed conductors comprises one or more notches therein to enhance flexibility.

21. A method for tracking and location, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the flexible security device of claim 1;

b) causing the device to be taken along with one or more objects desired to be tracked;

c) activating said device to retrieve global positioning system coordinates of said device and to establish wireless communications between the device and a receiver for said wireless communications; and

d) transmitting the coordinates of the device to the receiver via wireless communications.

25. A method for tracking and location of currency, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the flexible security device of claim 3;

b) positioning the flexible security device between two sheets of genuine currency;

c) causing the flexible security device to be taken along with other currency desired to be tracked;

d) activating the location tracking assembly to retrieve global positioning system coordinates of the device and to establish wireless communications between the device and a receiver for said wireless communications, and

e) transmitting the coordinates of the device to the receiver via wireless communications.

22. A flexible security device for tracking and locating currency, the device comprising:

a housing simulating a stack of bills of currency, the stack comprising a plurality of individual sheets of genuine currency having an outer edge, said individual sheets bound together with an elastic cord adjacent to but sufficiently spaced from the outer edges to permit riffling of the outer edges at opposite ends of said housing, the stack comprising a hollow medial region;

a location tracking assembly positioned, at least in part, within the hollow medial region, the location tracking assembly comprising a plurality of modules including;

a wireless communications antenna module comprising a flat periphery that extends beyond said cutout into a space between individual bills of said housing;

a wireless communications electronics module;

a global positioning system antenna module;

a global positioning system electronics module;

a power module; and

a plurality of substrate portions, each module located at least in part on one or more of the substrate portions, and each pair of adjacent substrate portions separated by one of (a) a complete break between the substrate portions, (b) one or more notches in a continuous substrate, (c) a portion of relatively lesser thickness than adjacent portions of a continuous substrate, or (d) a combination (b) and (c);

a plurality of interconnects configured among said plurality of modules, at least two of said interconnects comprising flexible interconnects between adjacent substrate portions and having sufficient flexibility to permit relative movement of the adjacent interconnected substrate portions relative to one another, permitting said tracking assembly to be flexed into an S shape;

a first flexible sheet positioned adjacent a top side of said housing as a top cover for the hollowed cutout;

a second flexible sheet positioned adjacent a bottom side of said housing as a bottom cover for the hollowed cutout, the top cover and the bottom cover each secured to said housing;

one or more cushioning elements between the top cover and the location tracking assembly;

one or more cushioning elements between said location tracking assembly and the bottom cover.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a first flexible interconnect connected between the wireless communications antenna module and the wireless communications electronics module, a second flexible interconnect connected between the wireless communications electronics module and the power module, and a third flexible interconnect connected between the power module and a GPS substrate portion having opposite faces, the GPS electronics module mounted on one face of the GPS substrate portion and the GPS antenna module mounted on an opposite face of the GPS substrate portion.

24. The device of claim 22, comprising a single continuous substrate on which each of the modules is mounted, wherein each of the flexible interconnects comprises printed conductors in a flexible portion of the continuous substrate.

26. A flexible security device for tracking and location, the device comprising:

a flexible housing having a hollow medial region;

a location tracking assembly housed, at least in part, within the hollow medial region, the location tracking assembly comprising a plurality of substrate portions, each pair of adjacent substrate portions separated by one of (a) a complete break between the substrate portions, (b) one or more notches in a continuous substrate, (c) a portion of relatively lesser thickness than adjacent portions of a continuous substrate, or (d) a combination of (b) and (c), the location tracking assembly comprising interconnects between each pair of adjacent substrate portions, one or more of said interconnects comprising flexible interconnects having sufficient flexibility to permit relative movement of at least one substrate portion relative to an adjacent interconnected substrate portion, the location tracking assembly comprising;

wireless communications means for conducting wireless communications between the assembly and a wireless communications receiver;

positioning means for retrieving geographic location information about the device;

power means for powering said wireless communications means and said positioning means; and

control means for controlling said wireless communications means and said positioning means to transmit geographic location information about the device by wireless communications to the wireless communications receiver.