Sensormatic Electronics Corporation

Tyco Fire + Security Gmbh

Thomas P Solaski

Adam Scott Bergman

Hubert A Patterson

Ronald B Easter

Steve Edward Trivelpiece

Sergio M Perez

Wing Kei Ho

Patrick S Claeys

Kelvin Lee Hunter

George H West

Terry S Will

Ryan D Zelaya

Patrick O'Leary

Manuel A Soto

Ming-Ren Lian

Mohammad Mohiuddin

Gopal Chandramowle

Danhui Luo

Guillermo H Padula

William Johnson, Ii

An electronic article surveillance ('EAS') tag for an EAS system, comprising an antenna, a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) chip configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal via the antenna; and a magnetically-actuatable switch configured to move between a first position and a second position. The switch is configured to electrically couple the RFID chip to the antenna in the first position. The switch is further configured to electrically decouple the RFID chip from the antenna in the second position.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with deactivatable link

An electronic article surveillance ('EAS') tag for an EAS system, comprising an antenna, a radio frequency identification ('RFID') chip configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal via the antenna; and a magnetically-actuatable switch configured to move between a first position and a second position. The switch is configured to electrically couple the RFID chip to the antenna in the first position. The switch is further configured to electrically decouple the RFID chip from the antenna in the second position.

A security tag includes a tag body member, a connecting member releasably engageable with the tag body member, and a locking member having a locked position in a first thermal state configured to lock the connecting member to the tag body member, and having an unlocked position in a second thermal state configured to unlock the connecting member from the tag body member. The locking member includes a locking body comprising a shape memory alloy, and a clamping member connected to the shape memory alloy. A transition of the shape memory alloy element from the first thermal state to the second thermal state moves the clamping member from the locked position to the unlocked position, thereby enabling the connecting member to be detached from the tag body member.

Security tag including thermally actuated detachment mechanism

Systems and methods for operating a marker. The methods comprise: storing energy collected by an energy harvesting element of the marker; using the stored energy to enable operations of the marker's communications element; receiving, by the marker's communications element, a marker deactivation signal transmitted from an external device; and causing either a resonator to be prevented from receiving transmit bursts emitted from an EAS system, a bias element's magnetic field to be normalized, or a resonator to be physically prevented from vibrating, in response to the marker deactivation signal's reception.

Systems and methods for deactivation of acousto-magnetic electronic article surveillance markers

Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatus, and systems for deactivating an AM tag including receiving a deactivation signal via a first inductive coil, storing electrical charges generated from the deactivation signal in a capacitor, and discharging the electrical charges through a second inductive coil, wherein: a first bias strip in the demagnetized state and a second bias strip cause a resonator to vibrate at a first resonant frequency corresponding to an activated state of the AM tag, the discharging magnetizes the first bias strip from a demagnetized state to a magnetized state, and the first bias strip in the magnetized state and the second bias strip cause the resonator to vibrate at a second resonant frequency different than the first resonant frequency, wherein the resonator vibrating at the second resonant frequency corresponds to a deactivated state of the AM tag.

Method and system for deactivating an acousto-magnetic label

Systems and methods for operating a marker. The method comprising: receiving, by a communications element of the marker, a marker deactivation signal from an external device; and causing a coil surrounding at least the marker's resonator to be shorted in response to the marker deactivation signal, by supplying power to a deactivation element so that the deactivation element switches from an open state to a closed state. In some scenarios, the power is supplied by an energy harvesting element disposed in the marker.

Systems and methods for radio frequency identification enabled deactivation of acousto-magnetic resonator

Systems and methods for making a marker. The methods comprise: disposing a resonator with a flat planar cross-sectional profile in a cavity formed in a first substrate partially defining a marker housing; sealing the cavity using a second substrate; placing a first bias element adjacent to the second substrate so that the resonator will be biased by the first bias element when the marker is in use to oscillate at a frequency of a received transmit burst; and using a physical structure in the cavity or a magnetic field passing through the cavity to reduce frictional forces between the resonator and at least the second substrate.

Security marker

Systems and methods for making a marker. The methods comprise: obtaining a marker housing having first and second cavities formed therein; disposing a first resonator in the first cavity and a second resonator in a second cavity; and placing a bias element at a location on or in the marker so that the first and second resonators are (a) equally spaced apart from the same bias element and (b) biased by the same bias element when the marker is in use to oscillate at a frequency of a received transmit burst.

Dual-sided security marker

A security tag incorporating a hybrid clamp that combines an attachment clamp with an RFID component. The attachment clamp is used to secure an item, such as an article of clothing, to the tag. The RFID component, e.g., an RFID antenna, transmits data signals to an RFID reader where the data signals are encoded with information stored about the security tag. The hybrid clamp combines the attachment features and RFID antenna features of the security tag in one clamp.

Security system tag having combined clamp and antenna

An antenna system for an electronic article surveillance system, comprising: a first, tunable transmitting loop; a second, tunable transmitting loop, the first and second transmitting loops being arranged for first and second modes of operation, the transmitting loops being field-coupled to one another such that tuning the antenna system for one of the modes of operation detunes the antenna system for the other mode of operation; a tunable compensation coil field-coupled to each of the first and second transmitting loops, the tunable compensation coil enabling the antenna system to be tuned for operation in one of the modes at a first resonant frequency, and despite the detuning, enabling the antenna system to be tuned for operation in the other of the modes at a second resonant frequency independently of the tuning for the first mode of operation. The first and second resonant frequencies can be the same as or different from one another. One of the first and second modes of operation is as an in-phase rectangular loop and the other of the first and second modes of operation is as a 'figure-8'. The compensation loop encircles the first and second transmitting loops.

Growing community of inventors

Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Thomas P Solaski