Alarm systems, remote communication devices, and article security methods

• US 7,864,049 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• 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: Scott, Ian R., Green, Brian J., Belden, Dennis D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US12/348,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/571
• US Class Current: 340/571
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2414 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

Alarm systems, remote communication devices, and article security methods are described according to some aspects of the disclosure. In one aspect, an article security method includes associating a remote communication device with an article to be secured; using the remote communication device, generating a plurality of electrical signals responsive to receipt of spurious electromagnetic energy and a plurality of wireless signals of a base communication device associated with the remote communication device to form an alarm system; distinguishing the electrical signals generated responsive to the spurious electromagnetic energy from electrical signals generated responsive to the wireless signals of the base communication device; and responsive to the distinguishing, generating a plurality of human perceptible alarm signals corresponding to respective ones of the electrical signals generated responsive to the wireless signals of the base communication device.

Claims

1. A wireless alarm device comprising:

a housing configured to couple with an article to be secured; and

circuitry coupled with the housing and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device, to detect an absence of spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device, and to generate a human perceptible alarm signal as result of reception of the electromagnetic energy from the base station and an absence of the spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the spurious electromagnetic energy comprises energy outside of a range of frequencies of the electromagnetic energy from the base station, and the circuitry is configured to monitor for a presence of the spurious electromagnetic energy comprising the energy outside of the range of frequencies of the electromagnetic energy from the base station.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the human perceptible alarm as a result of the reception of the electromagnetic energy from the base station during the absence of the spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device.

4. A wireless alarm device comprising:

a housing configured to couple with an article to be secured; and

circuitry coupled with the housing and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device, to monitor for a presence of spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device, and to generate a human perceptible alarm signal as result of reception of the electromagnetic energy from the base station and an absence of the spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the spurious electromagnetic energy comprises energy outside of a range of frequencies of the electromagnetic energy from the base station, and the circuitry is configured to monitor for the presence of the spurious electromagnetic energy comprising the energy outside of the range of frequencies of the electromagnetic energy from the base station.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the human perceptible alarm as a result of the reception of the electromagnetic energy from the base station during the absence of the spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein the circuitry is configured to not generate the human perceptible alarm during reception of the spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein the circuitry is configured to monitor for the presence of the spurious electromagnetic energy only in a frequency range which is outside of a frequency range of the electromagnetic energy from the base station.

9. A wireless alarm device comprising:

a housing configured to couple with an article to be secured; and

circuitry coupled with the housing and configured to generate a first signal as a result of reception of electromagnetic energy from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device, to generate a second signal as a result of reception of spurious electromagnetic energy by the wireless alarm device, to distinguish the first signal from the second signal, and to generate a human perceptible alarm signal as result of the distinguishing the first signal from the second signal.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to distinguish the first signal from the second signal as a result of an absence of the second signal during the generation of the first signal.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to only receive the electromagnetic energy from the base station and the spurious electromagnetic energy within respective different non-overlapping frequency ranges.

12. The device of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is configured to not generate the human perceptible signal if the second signal is generated during the generation of the first signal.

13. A wireless alarm device comprising:

a housing configured to couple with an article to be secured; and

circuitry coupled with the housing and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device, to receive spurious electromagnetic energy, to identify electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device as being emitted by the base station, and to generate a human perceptible alarm signal as result of the identification, wherein the human perceptible alarm signal is not generated when both the electromagnetic energy from the base station and spurious electromagnetic energy are received at the same time.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is configured to distinguish the electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device from the spurious electromagnetic energy to identify the electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device as being emitted by the base station.

15. An article security method comprising:

using a wireless alarm device associated with an article to be secured, receiving electromagnetic energy emitted from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device;

using the wireless alarm device, monitoring for a presence of spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device; and

generating a human perceptible alarm as a result of the receiving and the monitoring failing to detect the presence of spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device during the receiving.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, using the base station, emitting the electromagnetic energy which is received by the wireless alarm device.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the monitoring for the presence of the spurious electromagnetic energy comprises monitoring for electromagnetic energy comprising energy outside of a range of frequencies of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station.

18. An article security method comprising:

using a wireless alarm device, first receiving electromagnetic energy emitted from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device;

using the wireless alarm device, generating a first signal as a result of the first receiving;

using the wireless alarm device, second receiving spurious electromagnetic energy;

using the wireless alarm device, generating a second signal as a result of the second receiving;

using the wireless alarm device, distinguishing the first signal from the second signal; and

generating a human perceptible alarm as a result of the distinguishing.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising, using the base station, emitting the electromagnetic energy which is emitted from the base station and received by the wireless alarm device.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the distinguishing comprises distinguishing the first signal as a result of an absence of the generation of the second signal during the generation of the first signal.

21. An article security method comprising:

using a wireless alarm device, receiving electromagnetic energy emitted from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device;

using the wireless alarm device, receiving spurious electromagnetic energy;

using the wireless alarm device, distinguishing electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device as being electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station as opposed to being spurious electromagnetic energy; and

generating a human perceptible alarm as a result of the distinguishing, wherein an alarm is not generated at times when electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station is received and no spurious electromagnetic energy is received, and wherein an alarm is not generated at times when electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station is received and spurious electromagnetic enemy is received.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising, using the base station, emitting the electromagnetic energy which is emitted from the base station and received by the wireless alarm device.

23. A wireless alarm device comprising:

a housing configured to couple with an article to be secured; and

circuitry coupled with the housing and configured to receive electromagnetic energy from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device, to receive spurious electromagnetic energy, to identify electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device as being emitted by the base station, and to generate a human perceptible alarm signal as result of the identification,

wherein the circuitry is configured to distinguish the electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device from the spurious electromagnetic energy as a result of the circuitry not detecting the spurious electromagnetic energy during the reception of the electromagnetic energy by the wireless alarm device.

24. An article security method comprising:

using a wireless alarm device, receiving electromagnetic energy emitted from a base station configured to communicate with the wireless alarm device;

using the wireless alarm device, receiving spurious electromagnetic energy;

using the wireless alarm device, distinguishing electromagnetic energy received by the wireless alarm device as being electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station as opposed to being spurious electromagnetic energy; and

generating a human perceptible alarm as a result of the distinguishing,

wherein the distinguishing comprises distinguishing the electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station from the spurious electromagnetic energy by not detecting reception of the spurious electromagnetic energy at the wireless alarm device during the reception of the electromagnetic energy emitted from the base station.