The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 25, 1997
John H Bowers, Clarksburg, NJ (US);
Thomas J Clare, Media, PA (US);
Checkpoint Systems, Inc., Thorofare, NJ (US);
Abstract
An electronic security system uses a set of predefined RFID tags. Each tag is associated with, and attached to, an article or packaging for an article. Each tag includes unique tag information which is logged into a computerized database that contains a record for each of the tags in the set. A detection zone is monitored with an interrogator which detects RFID tags. When an RFID tag is detected, the database records are compared to the tag information and an appropriate database response is output. A deactivation event may be performed on the tag when legitimate access is obtained to the tagged article. The deactivation event may be electronic, physical or virtual. One type of RFID tag used in the system may physically deactivated by altering the state of a circuit element associated with the tag so that the tag cannot return a response signal. Another type of RFID tag used in the system has electronically alterable tag information. The interrogator includes circuitry for detecting the electronic alteration and causing an appropriate response therefrom without requiring any communication with a database of tags.