Article surveillance system receiver using synchronous demodulation and

Abstract

An article surveillance system includes a generator of a first inductive magneticc field having on and off duty cycle portions. The generator derives the first magnetic field at a predetermined AC frequency during the on duty cycle portions. The articles to be detected includes a structure which responds to the predetermined frequency of the first magnetic field to derive a second inductive magnetic field at a predetermined frequency. The second field is derived as a pulsed wave having a starting time at the expiration of each on-duty cycle portion and a predetermined carrier frequency. A receiver for the predetermined frequency of the second inductive magnetic field derives first and second different responses while an article including the structure is and is not in a detection region magnetically coupled to the receiver and transmitter. The receiver includes a synchronous detector for detecting first and second orthogonal components of the carrier frequency of the pulsed wave relative to a reference wave having a reference phase at the carrier frequency. The responses are derived independently of the amplitude of the carrier frequency components in the pulsed wave. The first and second responses are separately integrated over a predetermined interval, in synchronism with the occurrence time of each pulsed wave. The presence of the pulsed wave is indicated in response to either of the first or second responses having an absolute value in excess of a predetermined value during the interval.