JP3221876B2 - Method of tagging goods for use with electronic goods monitoring systems, and tags or labels used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

Electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags (20) are attached to articles of merchandise, not at the store (16) using EAS equipment (18), but in conjunction with the manufacture (10) of these articles. At that stage, the tags (20) are not detectable by the EAS equipment (18). They are made detectable upon receipt by an EAS-using store (16). For swept frequency RF EAS equipment (18), the tags (20) are initially provided with two capacitors (24, 25) which make the tags (20) resonant at a first frequency not detectable by the store's EAS equipment (18). To activate them, one capacitor (24, 25) is disabled, thereby making the tags (20) resonant at a different frequency which is detectable. <IMAGE>

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to so-called "electronic goods surveillance." More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for attaching an electronically detectable tag or label to a product to prevent the product from being illegally taken out, such as shoplifting.

Electronic goods surveillance (EAS) systems are becoming increasingly popular for enhanced safety and inventory management. These systems use tags or labels with electronic circuits (eg, resonant circuits) that interact with applied (eg, swept high frequency) electromagnetic fields. A transmitter and its associated antenna generate this field, and a nearby receiver and its associated antenna detect that the received field is fluctuating due to the presence of the tag.
The transmitting and receiving devices may be located at one or several locations where it is desirable to detect the illegal removal of tagged goods, such as a retail outlet.

Tags affixed to goods that are legally removed (e.g., sold legitimately through cash registers) are either physically stripped from the goods or deactivated, i.e., producing detectable fluctuations in the received electromagnetic field. It is processed to be impossible. If no such action is taken, these tags will be detected by the receiver and an alarm will be issued. The commercial EAS system generally shown above is, for example, Checkpoint System, In
c., available from manufacturers such as Thorofare, New Jersey.

An important consideration in using such an EAS system is how to apply a detectable tag or label to the item to be protected. For example, some retailers want to tag all of their inventory, while others want to tag only some of the products and not the rest. Similarly, the choice of which product to attach the tag to depends on the store, and even the same store at different times. Even among stores belonging to the same "family" such as chain stores, these practices will and will often differ from store to store. Due to this difference and the fact that there was no practical way to avoid tagging at each store until now, it is usual for EAS system users to tag their own products at each store with EAS equipment. It was customary.

However, tagging in such a "store" requires time and effort. Tagging at stores is often left to unfamiliar and unrelated employees. This may impair the effectiveness of EAS, which depends largely on whether the tags to be protected are correctly tagged.

In view of the above, it has been theoretically considered that the possibility of tagging a desired product at another stage upstream of the store in the distribution channel, for example, at the product manufacturing stage, or at an intermediate stage of storage or transportation, has been considered so far. It has been. This theoretical possibility has not been realized due to some major obstacles.

If a detectable tag is attached to a product at the manufacturing stage,
One production line must be separated into two different stages, one with and one without tags. further,
This separation must be carried over across all subsequent distribution channels. The reason for this is that many, in fact, most stores are not used by EAS. Such EAS non-use shops need to ensure that untagged products are wholesaled. If not, the EAS tag will
Leaving the store with the product sold, the market EAS
A situation also occurs that is also called tag "contamination". Conversely, EAS stores need to make sure that tagged goods are wholesaled. Otherwise, these stores will lose their EAS protection.

On the other hand, if the EAS tag is affixed at the intermediate distribution stage,
At these stages it is necessary to break the commonly used bulk packaging, tag individual goods and re-bulk. Furthermore, in this case as well, it is necessary to separate the products to which the tag is attached from the products to which the tag is not attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a method of protecting goods by EAS without having to attach necessary detectable tags or labels to the goods at the actual EAS store. .

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of applying a tag, wherein each store does not require a respective product with a tag to be protected by EAS.

It also provides a method of tagging that can be performed without having to break the bulk packaging of goods to be protected by EAS,
It is an object of the present invention.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a tagging method that can be performed without having to break bulk packaging, while allowing each store to adhere to its own practices regarding which goods to put the EAS detectable tag on.

There is no need to separate the same product into two types, one with a tag and the other without, at a stage upstream from the retail store.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for applying an EAS tag.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an EAS tag or label that is particularly suitable for achieving the above objectives.

These and other purposes include tagging products,
This is achieved in accordance with the present invention by performing at an upstream stage of the distribution channel, preferably at the time of manufacture, rather than at a EAS equipped store as before. Such upstream tagging has not yet been detected at this stage by the EAS device, which is ultimately intended to sense. In addition, after these tags remain undetected through subsequent distribution channels, it is determined whether all of the tagged items in each bulk package will be used in EAS equipped stores. Reaches the stage. This is generally performed at the merchandise receiving facility of each store. At this stage, the tag attached to each product in advance is made detectable, and thereafter, the product with the detectable tag is processed through the store in a usual manner.

According to the method of the present invention, the time and labor required for tag application in a store is reduced, and the reliability of the tag application process is greatly improved. In addition, it is possible to tag products in a way that is even less visible to shoppers,
The protection provided by S is further improved. The use of prominent EAS tags, which can be aesthetically and functionally impaired, is overcome.

For further details, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an EAS tag processing method embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a tag used in performing the method shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tag of FIG. 2 along the line 3-3 in FIG.

 FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the tag of FIG.

In some drawings, the same reference numbers indicate similar structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the flow chart of FIG. 1, block 10 represents the stage of manufacture of a product in which a method embodying the present invention is employed.

As shown in block 11, according to the present invention, an EAS tag is affixed to these products during the production stage of the products.

Further, in accordance with the present invention, these tags are at that stage undetected by certain types of EAS devices that are ultimately designed to sense.

Block 13 shows a distribution route through which the product to which these tags are attached before being sold to a retail store.

Block 14 indicates the merchandise receiving facility of one of these retailers.

Block 15 shows the means for "activating" the EAS tag, which is preferably located at the merchandise receiving facility 14 of the retail store and is affixed to merchandise brought into the receiving facility 14 from the distribution channel 13.
"Activate" means making these tags detectable by the retail store's EAS device.

Block 16 represents a retail store where merchandise that has been brought in and has a detectable tag is displayed for sale.

Block 17 illustrates the means at the retail store 16 to deactivate tags affixed to goods that are legally removed from the store 16 due to the fact that the goods have been legitimately purchased through a cash register.

Block 18 shows the detection of the EAS detection device equipped with the retail store 16 and the tags that have not been deactivated at the cash register.

In the flow chart of FIG. 1, the manufacturing step represented by block 10 is exactly the same as the conventional one, with the only exception that the EAS tag is affixed to the product at this stage. However, this application can also be performed by various but known and conventional means. For example, EAS
The tag may simply adhere to each product itself or to an individual package of the product. These EAS tags are generally
Since the outer shape resembles a thick piece of paper of one or two square inches and has a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to one side, these applications simply press them against the surface of the goods or each package. Is fine. For this reason, the application procedure can be the same as that previously used in retail stores, but the difference is that the machines used in the manufacturing process to apply other types of tags and labels to goods are conventionally used. Can be performed more efficiently and more reliably with the same type of machine.

The distribution channel indicated by block 13 is entirely conventional and encompasses various means of transporting goods to retail stores, warehouses storing goods, and the like. During this route, the merchandise is generally placed in bulk units, such as cardboard boxes, in individual units. According to the invention, these boxes contain EASs that have not yet been made detectable.
Products that have already been tagged are placed.

The store pick-up facility 14 is also conventional and includes the usual unloading locations and article handling equipment used by retailers to bring in goods.

However, according to the invention, this receiving facility 14 also
Means 15 are provided for activating a tag that is affixed to the carried-in product and cannot be detected at that time. How this is done is described later in this specification.

Thereafter, the imported goods are processed in the same manner as in other EAS equipped stores. That is, in the conventional method, for example, the merchandise is displayed in the merchandise display area, and the merchandise is selected through the cashier and purchased through the cash register, so that the merchandise is processed through the store 16. EAS as part of the cashier operation
The tag is inactivated by means 17. Alternatively, when taken out illegally, it is detected by the EAS detection device 18.

In particular, the conventional EAS device 18 used to detect EAS tags that have not been deactivated by the means 17 can be of the so-called swept frequency RF type. Briefly, this type of device can operate at frequencies between 7.4 and 9.0, for example.
Transmits a high frequency (RF) signal that fluctuates periodically between ΜHz. EAS tags used with this type of device include an inductor-capacitor (LC) circuit that resonates in this emission band, for example, at about 8.2 Hz. When an EAS tag is present, the RF signal is distorted, and this distortion is detected by a nearby receiver and an alarm is issued.

Such swept frequency RF type EAS detectors are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,500,373, 3,810,147, and
3,828,337. The contents of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. As for the deactivating means 17, it can also operate on a swept frequency RF basis in the range 7.4 to 9.0 MHz. Such deactivating means are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,498,076 and 4,567,473.
No. 1). The contents of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.

The commercial EAS detector, as well as the sweep frequency RF type deactivator, is the assignee of the present invention, Checkp.
Available at oint System, Inc., Thorofare, New Jersey.

Next, FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the above-described sweep frequency RF
1 schematically illustrates one type of EAS tag suitable for use in the practice of the present invention, along with an EAS device of the type.

This tag 20 is a dielectric substrate that can be made of polyethylene
The substrate has conductive patterns 22 and 23 on each side that can each be formed of aluminum.

2, the angular spiral of pattern 22 forms inductor 22a, while the central angular shape forms one plate of capacitor 24. The plate on the opposite side of the capacitor 24 is formed by a corresponding angular portion of the pattern 23 shown in phantom in FIG. The triangular portion at the upper right end of the spiral portion of the pattern 22 forms one plate of the smaller second capacitor 25. The plate on the opposite side of this second capacitor 25 is formed by a corresponding triangular part of the pattern 23 shown in phantom in FIG. Also,
In pattern 23, conductive passages 26 (shown in phantom in FIG. 2) connect the plates of capacitors 24 and 25 together.

In FIG. 4, the equivalent circuit of the EAS tag 20 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is an inductor 22a and capacitors 24 and 25.
And a resonance circuit formed by

According to the invention, the tag 20 further has two recesses 26a and 27. The depression 26a is formed in the capacitor 24, while the depression 27 is formed in the capacitor 25.

The EAS device 18 of FIG. 1, which ultimately detects the tag 20, and the deactivation device 17, which can ultimately deactivate the tag 20, both transmit signals that vary within a frequency between 7.4 and 9.0 MHz. If the sweep frequency is of the RF type described above, the value of the inductor 22a and the capacitors 24 and 25 will cause the tag 20 to initially resonate at a frequency substantially above the 7.4-9.0 MHz region, e.g., a frequency of about 18 MHz. Selected to form an LC circuit. If the capacitor 25 is shorted, the inductor
The value of 22a and the capacitor 24 are also 7.4 ~ 9.0MHz for the tag 20
, For example, to form an LC circuit that resonates at about 8.2 MHz.

The above-mentioned U.S. Pat. Open to the public. In these U.S. patents, the short circuit is
EAS designed for use with type EAS devices
Used to deactivate tags.

In the present invention, the recess 26a of the capacitor 24 is provided for the same fundamental purpose, that is, to finally deactivate the tag 20 in step 17 of FIG. However, in the present invention, the depression 27 of the other capacitor 25 is used for the opposite purpose, that is, the EAS detection step 18 of FIG.
It is arranged to activate the tag 20 that could not be detected by.

The electronic device used with the tag 20 in the activation step 15 of FIG. 1 can be the same as that disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,498,076 and 4,567,473, with two exceptions.

One exception is that the operating frequency range is the range that includes the higher frequencies (about 18 MHz) at which the tag 20 initially resonates. This high frequency range can be between 16.5-19.5 MHz.

Another exception is that the electronic device operates at substantially higher power.

By operating in the higher frequency range, the device allows the capacitor 25 to be shorted through the recess 27. By operating at a sufficiently high power, the capacitors of a plurality of tags 20 are provided, such as in a bulk package in which the products tagged in the manufacturing and tagging stages 10, 11 of FIG. Can be simultaneously short-circuited.

Shorting the capacitor 25 in this manner activates all tags 20 in the bulk package located at the receiving facility 14 of FIG. 1 and thus becomes detectable at step 18 in a completely conventional manner.

Furthermore, they are also deactivated in step 17, also in a completely conventional manner.

The detection in step 18 is simply due to the presence of such an activation tag 20 in the swept frequency RF field. Distortion of the RF field due to this tag is sensed by the EAS receiver and an alarm is issued.

Deactivation in step 17 is by operating as disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,498,076 and 4,567,473, ie, by shorting capacitor 24 through recess 26a.

Connect both capacitors 24 and 25 (see Fig. 4)
Due to the short circuit through 26a and 27, the tag 20 is again
In step 18, the state is not detected. As already mentioned, according to the present invention, the activation means for simultaneously activating the tags affixed to all the goods in the bulk packaging of the goods.
15 need to be operated at a higher power than the deactivating means 17, which is usually used to deactivate only one tag at a time. Such high power can exceed the limits regulated by regulatory agencies such as the US Federal Communications Commission. In such a case, a simple measure would be to include the RF field generated by the activating means and to be large enough to include both the activating means and the product carrying the EAS tag in bulk packaging. To deploy an enclosure. Such an enclosure may take various conventional forms, such as a metal box. The same procedure, enclosing the activation means and the bulk packaging, can also be used when the frequency range in which the activation signal is emitted is problematic with respect to regulatory requirements. This frequency domain is preferably selected so as not to include an integer multiple of the frequency domain of the subsequently issued deactivation signal. This is to prevent the possibility that the activation signal can also deactivate the activated tag due to spurious resonances that can occur at multiples of the resonance frequency of the activated tag.

As already mentioned, the resonance frequency is set to a first value (eg,
To activate the tag 20 by changing from about 18 MHz to a second value (eg, about 8.2 MHz), the capacitor 25 is shorted by applying a sufficiently strong electromagnetic field at the first frequency. . The total voltage generated by this applied field appears to traverse the series connected capacitors 25 and 24 (see FIG. 4). However, this total voltage is distributed between the capacitors in inverse proportion to their plate size. By making capacitor 25 substantially smaller than capacitor 24, the voltage across the former is always substantially greater than the voltage across the latter. This, and due to the fact that both depressions are made substantially the same, as desired,
Capacitor 25 insulates faster than capacitor 24.

With the method according to the invention, it is not necessary to distinguish between goods brought into the EAS equipped store and other goods at the stage of manufacture or distribution. Instead, every item is tagged, after which the EAS-equipped store itself can activate the item received, while no other store needs to do anything.

Furthermore, these tags can be applied to individual products in a way that is difficult to apply at each store. For example, placing an EAS tag inside a “bubble pack” or inside a cardboard box containing specific items can be done at the manufacturing and tagging stages (10, 11 in FIG. 1). no problem. This has the advantage that the shopper is unaware that the item is protected because it hides the EAS tag.

According to the present invention, without departing from the concept of the present invention,
Many other variations are possible.

For example, the invention is not limited to use with merchandise sold at retail stores. Other applications such as bookstores, video shops, etc. may also be beneficial.

As another example, a first change in the resonant frequency of the tag to "activate" the tag does not necessarily require an unrecessed portion of the capacitor, such as the recessed portion 27 shown in FIGS. Alternatively, the tag is provided with two sets of capacitors connected by fusible links, as more fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,161. This patent is incorporated herein by reference. The fusible link is opened at the activation stage 15 of FIG. 1 to change the frequency to a frequency that can be detected by the store's EAS system. The higher power required to open such fusible links is addressed by enclosing with the aforementioned RF enclosure.

Also, a preferred application of the present invention is for situations where all tagged goods in a bulk package are activated at the same time, but the same method may be used after dividing the goods into smaller quantities. Or to activate only one at a time. In this case, the other advantages gained from tagging with manufacturing are still valid.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention is preferably limited only by the appended claims.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventors Piccoli, Anthony F. New Jersey, USA 08106 Audubon, Wu. Pine Street 415 (56) References JP-A-62-260095 (JP, A) JP-A-1-501104 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G08B 13 / twenty four

Claims (22)

(57) [Claims] An article monitoring device (1) arranged in a facility (16).
8) A method of deploying a product on which a device (20) is pasted so as to be detected by 8) in the facility (16), which cannot be detected by the device, but can be activated to be detectable. Attaching the appliance (20) to the product before the product arrives at the facility (16); supplying the product to the facility (16); and receiving the product at the facility (16). Activating the device (20) (15), wherein the device (20) resonates at a first frequency when supplied to the facility (16); The method comprising, after being received at (16), an electronic circuit adapted to resonate at a second frequency by the activating step (15). 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying is performed simultaneously with the manufacture (10) of the article. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said supplying step is in bulk packaging comprising a number of units of said commodity. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said activating step (15) is performed while said goods are still in bulk packaging form. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the circuit resonating at the first frequency is not detected by the electronic merchandise monitoring device, but the circuit resonating at the second frequency is detectable. . 6. A product monitoring device (1) arranged in a facility (16).
8) the instrument (20) so that the instrument (20) is detected
A system for deploying a commodity with an affixed thereto in the facility (16), wherein the appliance (20) that cannot be detected by the commodity monitoring device (18) but can be activated to be detectable is: Means for attaching the goods to the facility before the goods arrive at the facility, means for supplying the goods to the facility (16), and means for receiving the goods at the facility (16). Means (15) for activating the device (20), wherein when the device (20) is supplied to the facility,
An electronic circuit that resonates at a frequency; and the activating means (15) includes means for switching a resonance frequency of the circuit to a second frequency by applying an electromagnetic field at the first frequency. Equipped system. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for dispensing includes means for consolidating said article into a bulk package comprising a number of units of said article to which said implement is affixed. 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said activating means (15) operates while said goods are still in bulk packaging form. 9. The system of claim 6, wherein said electronic merchandise monitor comprises means for detecting said circuit resonating at said second frequency. 10. The system of claim 6, wherein said facility (16) is a retail store and said merchandise is a merchandise sold at said retail store. 11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said means for providing is a distribution channel for merchandise sold at said retail store. 12. An apparatus (20) for use in a system according to claim 6, comprising: a resonant circuit having two capacitors (24, 25) for resonating at the first frequency; Means (15, 26a, 27) for selectively disabling at least one of (24, 25) and causing the circuit to resonate at the second frequency. 13. The capacitor (24, 25) has a different size, and said disabling means comprises a capacitor (24, 25).
25) A depression (26a, 27) is provided on one of the 25).
The device according to 2. 14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the other of the capacitors (24, 25) is also provided with a depression (26a, 27). 15. An appliance (20) for interacting with an electronic goods surveillance system (18), comprising a resonant circuit responsive to an applied electromagnetic field, said resonant circuit comprising: A first operating mode configured to resonate at a first frequency corresponding to an operating frequency of the system; and a second operating mode wherein the resonant circuit is different from an operating frequency of the electronic product monitoring system.
Means for interacting with said electronic goods surveillance system (18) by means of a second mode of operation configured to resonate at a frequency, said interacting means being adapted to activate said electronic goods for its activation. An instrument that can be interacted with a monitoring system, wherein the interacting means comprises means for changing from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation, further comprising the mode of changing operating at the second frequency. (20). 16. An etched circuit portion (22, 23), wherein said resonant circuit is formed on opposite sides of a substrate (21).
Wherein the means for changing is a depression (26a, 27) formed at a first selected location along one of the etched circuit portions (22, 23), whereby the first 16. The device (2) according to claim 15, wherein a narrow space is formed between the etched circuit portions (22, 23) at selected locations.
0). 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first selected position is performed after the device (20) is exposed to an electromagnetic field applied at the second frequency.
17. The device (20) of claim 16, wherein the device (20) is selected to include a series resonant circuit operating at the first frequency. 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means (17) for deactivating said resonant circuit after said device (20) is exposed to an electromagnetic field applied at said first frequency. Appliances (20). 19. The deactivating means (17) is a depression (26a, 27) formed at a second selected position along one of the etched circuit parts (22, 23), 19. The device (20) according to claim 18, wherein this creates a narrow space between the etched circuit portions (22, 23) at the second selected location. 20. The second selected position is selected to cause a short circuit in the series resonant circuit after the device (20) is exposed to an electromagnetic field applied at the first frequency. Item (20). 21. Exposure of said device (20) to an electromagnetic field applied at said second frequency causes depressions (26a, 27) provided at said second selected position to cause a short circuit within said series resonant circuit. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein before operating to cause, a depression (26a, 27) disposed at the first selected position is configured to operate to complete the series resonant circuit. Utensils (20). 22. The series resonant circuit has two capacitor elements (24, 25), the first of which defines the first selected position for the depression (26a, 27). And the second element defines the second selected position for the depression (26a, 27), and the plate of the first element (27) of the capacitor element is 20. The device (20) according to claim 19, wherein the element (24) is smaller than the plate portion.