Sensormatic Electronics Corporation

Tyco Fire + Security Gmbh

John A Allen

Adam Scott Bergman

Manuel A Soto

Michael Del Busto

Brent F Balch

John J Clark

Steve Edward Trivelpiece

Jorge F Alicot

Danhui Luo

Robert Kevin Lynch

William R Accolla

John Clark

Mikhail Polyakov

James A Cook

Marc H Blanchenay

In an aspect, the present disclosure includes a system for detecting metal foil using millimeter wave (mmWave) for retail applications. The system comprises one or more pedestals positioned to define an exit portal leading to a point of exit, one or more security tag readers, fixedly positioned with the one or more pedestals, configured to read data from a security tag passing through the exit portal and one or more mmWave receivers, fixedly positioned near the point of exit, configured to receive one or more reflected mmWave beams from metal foil, wherein the detection of metal foil results in an alert message.

System and method for foil detection using millimeter wave for retail applications

Example implementations include a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for electronic article surveillance (EAS), comprising transmitting an acousto-magnetic (AM) interrogation signal into an AM interrogation zone of an EAS system. The AM interrogation zone and a wireless communication zone overlapping to form a zone of interest. The wireless communication zone employing a wireless communication technology other than AM. Indicating, by the EAS system, a presence of a first tag of the EAS system in the zone of interest upon a concurrent detection of both i) a response signal of the first tag via the wireless communication technology and ii) an AM response signal of the first tag in response to the AM interrogation signal.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tag location verification using acousto-magnetic detection

A method for operating a sensor includes receiving identification information from one or more electronic identification devices (EIDs) located in a vicinity of the sensor. A number of EIDs located in the vicinity of the sensor is determined based on the received identification information. A determination is made if the number of EIDs located in the vicinity of the sensor exceeds a first predefined threshold. Transmission power to the sensor is selectively adjusted based on the number of EIDs with respect to the first predefined threshold, in response to determining that the number of EIDs located in the vicinity of the sensor exceeds or is less than any number of predefined thresholds.

Variable RFID transmit power adjustment based on surrounding environment to enhance tag detection field

In an aspect, the present disclosure includes a system for interrogating a person exiting a store. The system comprises one or more pedestals positioned to define an exit portal leading to a point of exit, one or more mmWave sensors, fixedly positioned near the point of exit, configured to receive one or more reflected mmWave beams from a person approaching the point of exit and triggering an interrogation of a security tag; and one or more security tag readers, fixedly positioned with the one or more pedestals, configured to read data from the security tag passing through the exit portal.

System and method for increased exit interrogation of RFID tags

A system may include a security controller communicatively coupled with pedestals having a first set of antennas and a second set of antennas spaced from the first set of antennas to form an interrogation zone. The security controller may be configured to alternate transmission and reception of interrogation signals between the first set of antennas and the second set of antennas. The security controller may be configured to determine whether a metal object is detected in the interrogation zone in response to the reception of the interrogation signals by the second set of antennas or by the first set of antennas. The security controller may be configured to generate and send an alarm signal in response to the metal object being detected in the interrogation zone.

Systems and methods of alternating transmitter for metal foil detection near moving doors

Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media for transmitting at least one incident radar signal, receiving at least one reflected radar signal in response to the at least one incident radar signal reflected from a person associated with the RFID tag, determining a first movement vector of the person based on the reflected radar signal, transmitting at least one incident RFID signal, receiving at least one backscattered RFID signal from the RFID tag, determining a second movement vector of the RFID tag based on at least one phase measurement of the at least one backscattered RFID signal, and determining whether the RFID tag is associated with the person based on the first movement vector and the second movement vector.

Methods and apparatuses for determining tag velocity

In an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), a radio frequency identification (RFID) subsystem of an EAS system, can detect a presence of an RFID tag in an RFID interrogation zone associated with a boundary of a controlled area. The EAS system can first determine that the RFID tag is not authorized to leave the controlled area across the boundary. A radar subsystem of the EAS system can second determine, within a first window of time around the first detecting, whether an object in motion is associated with the boundary. The EAS system can alarm based upon both determining that the RFID tag is not authorized to leave the controlled area and determining that the object in motion is associated with the boundary.

Validating radio frequency identification (RFID) tag alarm events

Example implementations include a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for electronic article surveillance (EAS), comprising transmitting concurrently, an acousto-magnetic (AM) interrogation signal into an AM interrogation zone of an EAS system, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogation signal into an RFID interrogation zone of the EAS system, the AM interrogation zone and the RFID interrogation zone overlapping to form a zone of interest. The implementations further include indicating, by the EAS system, a presence of a first tag of the EAS system in the zone of interest upon a concurrent detection of both an RFID response signal of the first tag in response to the RFID interrogation signal and an AM response signal of the first tag in response to the AM interrogation signal.

Systems and methods for synchronizing operations of incompatible systems. The methods comprise: programming receiver operations of a Power Supply ('PS') so that PS is interoperable with a first system of the incompatible systems; receiving by PS a wireless universal synchronization signal from a beacon of the first system; determining, by PS, a value for a phase offset setting of an internal signal conditioner circuit based on information contained in the wireless universal synchronization signal; generating a phase shifted Alternating Current ('AC') signal by applying a phase offset to an input AC power signal in accordance with the determined value for the phase offset setting; buffering the phase shifted AC signal to generate an output AC power signal; and using a zero crossing of the output AC power signal to synchronize transmit and receive operations of a second system of the incompatible systems with the first system's transmit and receive operations.

Power supply with wirelessly supported phase offset control for acousto-magnetic systems

Systems () and methods () for detecting a location of an EAS security tag (). The methods involve: determining a first amplitude of a response signal generated by the EAS security tag and received at a first pedestal (), and a second amplitude of the response signal received at a second pedestal (); processing the first and second amplitudes to determine whether the EAS security tag resides within a specified distance range of the first or second pedestal, a detection zone of an EAS detection system, or a backfield of the EAS detection system; issuing an alarm when the EAS security tag is determined to reside within the specified distance range of the first/second pedestal or the detection zone of the EAS detection system; and preventing issuance of the alarm when the EAS security tag is determined to reside in the backfield of the EAS detection system.

Electronic article surveillance systems implementing methods for determining security tag locations

Interference in an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system is reduced by transmitting warning pulse at a predetermined time following the EAS marker exciter pulse. The predetermined time and duration of the warning pulse are chosen so that the warning pulse acts upon a noise interference avoidance process in a second non-cooperative EAS unit. More particularly, the warning electromagnetic pulse causes a timing change in a second synchronized electromagnetic exciter pulse produced by the second EAS unit when the second synchronized electromagnetic exciter pulse is concurrent with the first receive interval. This timing change causes the second EAS unit to no longer interfere with the first EAS unit.

Pulse transmission synchronization

A system for detecting electronic article surveillance ('EAS') marker shielding includes an EAS subsystem a metal detector, a cart detection subsystem and a processor. The EAS subsystem is operable to detect an EAS marker in an interrogation zone. The metal detector is operable to detect a metal object in the interrogation zone. The cart detection subsystem includes a sensor array. The cart detection subsystem is operable to differentiate between a wheeled device and a human passing through the interrogation zone based on the sensor array. The processor is electrically coupled to the EAS subsystem, the metal detector and the cart detection subsystem. The processor is programmed to receive information outputted from the cart detection system and information outputted from the metal detector to determine whether to generate an alarm signal based on the presence of EAS marker shielding.

System and method for reducing cart alarms and increasing sensitivity in an EAS system with metal shielding detection

A method and system are provided for minimizing metal detection signal interference by dividing a standard EAS system metal detection burst timeslot into a plurality of timeslots per burst in order to minimize triggering metal detection false alarm signals between adjacent metal detection systems. The method and system include synchronizing a plurality of metal detection systems by generating a signal having a predefined time duration and segmenting the signal into multiple timeslots per signal. A selected timeslot that is assigned to each of the plurality of metal detection systems is stored and the system performs metal detection using the assigned timeslot.

Synchronization of electronic article surveillance systems having metal detection

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.

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Pompano Beach, FL, United States of America

John A Allen