JPS6134692A - Monitor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a monitoring device comprising at least one sensor and a battery-operated control device, the sensor being connected to the control device. , and it includes a switch responsive to actuate the sensor signal, an alarm generator operable by the sensor signal, and a monitoring circuit for the battery voltage.

[Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As a safeguard against theft, articles such as textiles offered in retail stores or large stores, for example, are fitted with sensors that react as soon as they are moved. It is known that For example, a clip fixed to the fabric is connected to a control device via a cable. Transfer of the article requires removing the clip, thereby opening the electrical contacts therein. When the clip is released by an activated control, an alarm signal is generated to notify store staff that the clip has been separated from the associated item. The control device includes an enabling switch, which is activated by a staff member's key and is opened when the item is sold. Once the monitoring device is released, the clip can be removed from the item without raising an alarm. Subsequently, the monitoring device must be activated again. This type of monitoring device is mostly used for textile products that are presented on stands or rails in stores where electrical power supply is often not available from the mains supply. Therefore, batteries are often used to provide current to monitoring devices. In such cases, the battery should be discharged to the lowest limit to avoid its frequent replacement. It is necessary to control the battery voltage to ensure the operability of the device.

To this effect, circuits with normal current flow, on the other hand, require an additional discharge of the battery. In other words, the battery monitoring circuit is a significant current drain mechanism that reduces battery life.

It is an object of the invention to provide a monitoring device of the above-mentioned type, in which important functions are controlled with the aid of a current saving circuit and the decline of said functions is indicated.

[Means and effects for solving the problem] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problem is solved when the monitoring device for the batch IJ'-+ voltage is normally inactive, but when the enabling switch is connected and The solution is that the enabling switch is controlled to be enabled for a limited time interval during at least one switching of opening.

In the monitoring device of the invention, the voltage of the battery is not controlled continuously, but only for short time intervals when the enabling switch is turned on or off. The logic circuits in the control device, which are to be active in use, may consist of electronic elements with very low quiescent current demands, for example semiconductor elements in MO8 technology, whereas the battery voltage monitoring circuits have a higher current demand. This current is not maintained permanently, but is only connected when the enabling switch is actuated, so that the battery voltage is only controlled at the instant of As a result, the control circuit discharges the battery, but only temporarily.As a result, the monitoring device can be operated with relatively low capacity (ampere/hour) batteries.

Preferably, a detection circuit is provided for detecting activation and/or deactivation of the enabling switch and for controlling the electronic switch of the monitoring device.

In monitoring devices of the type described above, an enabling switch is opened prior to removing an object from its sensor, and in connection therewith this switch often has to be turned on and off. Therefore, it is possible that the enabling switch will not be reconnected after removal of the article due to oversight. In order to avoid the resulting inadvertent inactivation of the monitoring device causing it to fail in its mission, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a delay circuit. The delay circuit provides an alarm if the switch is not toggled again within a limited time interval after opening of the delay circuit. The delay time should be set long enough to allow for the separation of the article from its sensor and subsequent operative reconnection of the monitoring device after opening of the enabling switch.

Preferably, the enabling switch of the key switch design is configured to include a key detector, which detects the presence of a key in the keyhole and if the key is retained in the keyhole for more than a predetermined period of time. The purpose is to generate an alarm.

In this way, the staff member is inadvertently reminded that the key is still in the key switch. At the same time, it prohibits a thief from benefiting from the situation where the key is left in the key switch and switching the monitoring device to the inactive state.

For each sensor a memory may be provided to store the sensor signal and to control a signal lamp specific to said sensor.

Signal lamps for all sensors are mounted on the control device.

If an alarm is triggered by one of the sensors, it is possible to immediately determine from each lamp in the control device which sensor triggered the alarm.

In other words, once the alarm is raised, it does not take long to find the item that needs to be examined.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the memory of all sensors can be reset by a reset signal generated in response to the opening and/or connection of the enabling switch. The sensor that became responsive and issued an alarm will be reset by the device becoming inactive or by the next cycle of operation. Therefore, the device is immediately ready for operation without requiring manual reset of each sensor.

According to a particular feature of the invention of independent importance and without further features, the control device transmits a coded signal identifying the control device corresponding to each actuated sensor. A receiver is provided for receiving the signal of the transmitter and transmitting a signal to the decoder to identify the activated control device. Such monitoring devices are activated by wireless transmission of alarm signals from a controller to a receiver. When this monitoring device is used for the protection of products in retail stores, department stores, etc., a single receiver can be connected to multiple control devices to monitor the products offered for sale and the date and time applied to them. It is sufficient to set it up against the When the controller's sensors respond, the device emits a combination of coded signals that are received by a receiver that controls an indicator indicating which controller the alarm has been triggered. Advantageously, the receiver is mounted on the ceiling so that its frequency range covers a large area of the room, allowing multiple control devices to be distributed within the room. These control devices, mounted on clothing stands, for example, respond quickly and send out coded identification signals. A visual and/or audible signal informs the staff that an alarm has been issued by the control device. By numerical display,
Each control device or stand where the theft has occurred can be immediately identified. In this device installed indoors, it is particularly important that the transmitter of the control device has an upwardly directed emission and that the receiver is mounted on the ceiling with a downwardly directed frequency range.

If one sensor responds, an alarm will be triggered immediately to frighten the thief. At that moment,
This is because the stolen items have not yet been removed from the sales ranks. In other words, the thief is performing the action rather than after the action. It may also be advantageous for the alarm to be emitted by optical and/or acoustic means in each control device or rack as well as in the central receiver. Thieves will get the impression that they are being detected from all sides.

Conveniently, the receiver controls the flanancy. In fact, the bright flanosy light will create a strong deterrent effect against thieves. If this is connected to the release device of the camera covering the pickup area generating the alarm of the control device, each person generating the alarm will be photographed accordingly.

It is not appropriate to issue flash or acoustic alarms during closing hours or at night. That's because there is no one else in the office other than the thief. Therefore, it is advisable to switch receivers for activation of the alarm system during the night. This type of alarm system is commonly installed for commercial purposes.

This monitoring device supplies its alarm signal to an existing alarm device which is externally active and possibly connected to the police. The connection of the monitoring device to the alarm system will be made by the latter.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the shown monitoring device comprises a plurality of sensors 10, consisting of a clip with legs 12, 13 pivotable about a hinge 11, the ends of which are spring-loaded. (not shown) are pressed together. The end of one clip leg 13 is a micro switch 14
, which, when actuated, opens the current circuit. Said microswitch 14 is activated when the textile fabric is clamped between the ends of the clip legs 12.13. If the fabric between the legs is removed by pulling, the ends of the clip legs will come into direct contact without actuation of switch 14.

Each sensor may be attached to other garments. The illustrated monitoring device can also be used, for example, to hang on a stand and to protect all clothing equipped with it by means of sensors. Each sensor 1° is connected to a control device 16 by a cable 15, which cable 15 is of the multicore type. Only one line is shown for a better overview. Each cable 15 is connected to a control device via a plug connection 17. If the circuit is interrupted by the microswitch 14, a set signal is applied to the set input S of the memory 18, which in this case is a flip-flop. In this way, even if the microswitch 14 is subsequently closed, it is remembered by the memory 18 that the microswitch 14 has been opened.

The output Q of the memory is connected to the input of the AND gate 19, and the input at the other end is connected to the service switch 20. If the monitoring device is activated as shown in the drawings by the enabled position of switch 20,
The switch state of AND gate 19 is in the matching state as soon as memory 18 is set. The output signal of each AND gate 19 serves as a trigger signal for a signal generator that generates square pulses with a predetermined pulse duty rate. The signal generator 21 enables an audio frequency generator 22 connected to a buzzer 23 or a loudspeaker. All signal generators 21 are connected to one common audio frequency generator 2
2, and as a result of all the signal generators 21 having different pulse date rates and different pulse widths, the signals generated by the individual signal generators 21 produce different sequences of tones and breaks. urge

With this method, it is possible to easily acoustically identify which sensor has reacted. Furthermore, each memory 18
The output Q of controls the light emitting diode 24 and the memory 18
The diode is turned on while it is set.

All memories 18 are activated by opening the enabling switch 20.
Or it will be reset when it is switched again.

At that moment, a short pulse is applied to the reset input R of all memories via an RC (resistor-capacitor) circuit 25 connected to the enabling switch 20. Furthermore, via an inverter 26 and a delay circuit 27 which produces a delay of, for example, 10 seconds, the output of the service switch 20 is connected to the control input of another signal generator 28, which signal generator is an audio frequency generator. 29, this generator is also adapted to energize the buzzer 23. The circuits 26 to 29 result in an intermittent acoustic signal if the service switch 20 is not reconnected immediately after its opening within a time greater than the activation time of the delay element 27. At any time, when an article equipped with a sensor 10 is sold, the vendor turns off the service switch 20 to separate each sensor 10 from the article, followed by the switch being closed again. Unless you do this, the alarm will
Issued by numbers 7 to 29.

Referring to the circuit depicted, a logic "1" signal indicates a positive voltage, and a logic "OI+" signal indicates a voltage close to zero. When the enabling switch 20 is turned off, i.e., applying a zero potential, the timer 27 is activated via the inverter 26.

The contacts of the key detector 20' are connected in parallel with the contacts of the switch 20, and the key detector 20' is a switch designed to confirm the presence of a key necessary to operate the system in the keyhole. be. If the key is in the keyhole, the switch switches to a position where a positive voltage is applied to the switch lever. If no key is present in the keyhole, the key detector 20' assumes a rest position in which the switch lever is grounded and this switch lever is connected to a timer 27'. The delay time D2 is the delay circuit 2
7 delay time, for example, it is 3 seconds.

The output of timer 27' is connected to the input of signal generator 28. With respect to timer 27', key detector 20' is responsive to ensure that the key is not left in the keyhole for longer than a predetermined period of time. If the key is not removed due to negligence, an alarm signal will be generated after the expiry of the timer 27' delay.

The key switch 20 maintains each state in response to key actuation, but if the key is subsequently removed, the key switch 20
Detector 20' responds to the presence of a key in the keyhole and automatically returns to its rest position.

All components of the circuit are powered by a battery 30 which typically provides 6 volts. If the battery voltage is 4,
When the voltage drops to 5 volts, a warning must be issued to ensure timely battery replacement. The monitoring circuit 31 present for the voltage of the battery comprises a series circuit with a resistor 32 and a Zener diode 63, which produces a constant voltage drop within a range that is independent of the voltage level of the battery. It is an element. Instead of the Zener diode 32, other voltage stabilizing elements can also be used, such as series circuits of diodes, glow lamps, etc. A voltage divider consisting of resistors 34 and 35 is provided in parallel with the series circuit 32.33. The series circuits 32, 33 and the taps of the voltage divider are connected to the input of a comparator 36, which provides a signal at its output when the voltage at the taps of the voltage divider is lower than the voltage of the Zener diode 33. . The voltage at the tap of voltage divider 34.65 is proportional to the battery voltage, whereas the voltage across Zener diode 33 can be considered constant. Zener diode 36 and resistor 35 are connected to a high potential via a switch 37 in the form of a transistor. Monitoring circuit 31 operates only when transistor 37 is conductive. When transistor 37 is locked,
Monitoring circuit 31 does not provide an output signal. The signal of the monitoring circuit 31 is applied to a time function element 68 which is active for approximately 5 seconds, the output signal of which energizes the audio frequency generator 39.

When the battery voltage drops below the minimum acceptable value,
Time function element 38 generates a five second alarm signal via buzzer 26 via audio frequency generator 39.

The switch 37 is controlled by the detection circuit 40 in response to the operation of the enabling switch 20; to this effect, the switch 37 is connected to a large potential via a differentiator comprising a capacitor 41 and a resistor 42. The two are connected to the positive electrode of the battery 30 via a second differentiator including a capacitor 43 and a resistor 44, respectively. As for the resistor 42, a diode 45 is connected in parallel with it to short-circuit the negative voltage towards the large potential, while a diode 46
is connected in parallel with resistor 44 to short the positive pulse to the positive terminal of battery 30.

When enabling switch 20 is set from the illustrated on position to the off position, capacitor 41 will be discharged while capacitor 43 will be charged. As a result, line 4
The positive pulse generated at 7 is passed through OR gate 49 to the control input of switch 37, rendering it conductive for a period of time. During said short period of a few milliseconds, the voltage of the battery is checked in the monitoring circuit 31. Simultaneously with the subsequent resetting of enabling switch 20 to the on position, capacitor 43 is discharged, whereas line 4
The negative pulse generated on 8 is inverted by inverter 50 and sent to OR gate 49. Therefore, even if the service switch 20 is connected, the monitoring circuit 31 is activated for a short period of time.

When the enabling switch 20 is switched on, it is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 30 via a resistor 51 .

Since the tone frequencies of the audio frequency generators 22, 29 and 39 are different, it is possible to acoustically identify when an alarm is issued. Which Sen is possible.

The output of the all-AND gate 19 is connected to the input of a cog 51 which, when one of the sensors 10 becomes responsive,
A pulse sequence is emitted via a light emitting diode 52, which generates electromagnetic waves in the infrared region.

The Korg 51 generates pulses accordingly with the aid of a specific pulse pattern and the receiver 5 receives the infrared signal.
6 may be used to detect the control device 16 that generated the pulse. This determination is made by a decoder 54, which controls an indicating device 55 connected downstream of the receiver 53 and indicating the number of the control device that has issued the alarm. Additionally, a flashlight device 56 activated by the alarm call emits one or more flashes. At the same time, camera 57 is activated in synchronization with the flash to take a picture of the area where the control device is installed.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a monitoring device in a clothing store. The dresses 58 to be sold are suspended on stands 59, to each of which a monitoring device 16 is fixed, which device is arranged in a housing with a plurality of plug connections 17 adapted to receive cable plugs. ing. At the end of each cable is installed a prong type sensor 10, as described with the aid of FIG. Referring to FIG. 3, the top surface of the housing has two exit openings 66 through which the light emitting diode 5 can be connected.
Two beams can be emitted. Additionally, the top surface of the housing has a keyhole opening 60 adapted to receive a magnetic key to actuate enable switch 20 (FIG. 1). The housing of the control device 16, shown with a stand 59 on the left in FIG. It has a circular rail. Stand 59, shown on the right hand side of FIG.
and extends horizontally.

The receiver 53 along with the decoder 54 is mounted within a housing 63, which is fixed for hanging from the ceiling of the room. The lower surface of the housing 63 includes a receiver infrared eye 64.

If any of the controllers 16 provide infrared warning pulses, they are received and evaluated by the receiver 53. The indicating device 55 of the housing 63 illuminates and indicates the number of the stand to which one sensor 10 responded. Along the lower edge of the housing 63, the flashlight device 5
6 issues a flag in case of alarm.

Preferably, each transmitter generates pulses at regular intervals and these are identified by the receiver 53, which also detects the absence of pulses. This makes it possible to determine whether the radiation relationship between the transmitter and the receiver is interrupted or whether one of the transmitter or the receiver is shielded. If this happens, it is possible to issue a warning signal.

The device shown in FIG. 4 consists of a receiver 56 mounted on the ceiling and connected via cables 65 to elements 55, 56 and 57, which extend to the lateral boundaries of the room. It is attached to a wall or pillar.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in a battery-powered monitoring device, the power consumption of a monitoring circuit for monitoring battery voltage can be reduced, and the invention also has various other advantages as described above.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic wiring diagram showing an embodiment of the monitoring device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the monitoring device in a large department store, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of the control device in the monitoring device. FIG. 4 is a side view of another embodiment of the arrangement of the receiver and several other alarm generators. 10・Sensor, 16・Control device, 18・Memory, 20・
Service switch, 20'...Key detector, 2
4...Photodiode, 27...Delay circuit, 31...
Monitoring circuit, 37...Transistor switch, 40...
Detection circuit, 51...Resistor, 53...Receiver, 5
4...Decoder, 56...Flashlight device, 60
...Keyhole opening.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. At least one sensor and a battery operated control device connected to the sensor, the control device being responsive to the signals of the sensor to effectuate the operation. a monitoring device comprising a switch, an alarm generator operable by a signal from the sensor, and a battery voltage monitoring circuit, wherein the monitoring circuit (31) is normally inactive and the switch (20 A monitoring device, characterized in that it is controlled by said switch (20) so as to be operable for a limited time interval during the switching of at least one of the connection and disconnection of the switch (20). 2. Detecting at least one of activation and non-activation of the switch (20), and detecting the electronic switch (3) of the monitoring circuit;
7) A monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a detection circuit (40) for controlling the detection circuit (40). 3. A delay circuit (27) is provided which, upon deactivation of said switch (20), provides an alarm unless reactivation occurs within a limited time interval. The monitoring device according to item 1 or 2. 4. A key detector (20') is provided in the keyhole (60), and a key detector (20') is provided in the keyhole to detect the presence of a key.
Claims 1 to 3, wherein the switch (20) is arranged in the form of a switch, and an alarm is issued when the key is held in the hole for longer than a predetermined time interval. Monitoring equipment. 5. For each sensor (10) there is provided a memory (18) for storing sensor signals, which controls a signal lamp (24) specific to each sensor. The monitoring device described in any of the above. 6. The memory (18) of all the sensors (10) is reset by a reset signal generated in response to at least one of activation and deactivation of the switch (20). monitoring equipment. 7. The control device (16) includes a transmitter (51) for generating a coded signal identifying the control device corresponding to each actuated sensor (10), the transmitter (51)
A receiver (53) receives the signal and sends the signal to a decoder (53).
54) The monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the monitoring device is provided to identify the control device by transmitting the information to the control device. 8. The receiver (53) is a flash light device (56)
The monitoring device according to claim 7, which controls the monitoring device. 9. Monitoring device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the receiver (53) is adapted to be switched for activating an external alarm device. 10. The transmitter (51) is designed to emit a maintenance signal at predetermined time intervals, and the receiver (53) detects the absence of this maintenance signal for a predetermined time interval; The monitoring device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, which issues an alarm signal based on the following.