JPH0822583A - Burglar reporting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To develop the burglar reporting system of the unmanned shop. CONSTITUTION:The burglar reporting system is provided with an internal antenna which converts the high frequency into the response energy and an IC chip with the storage function which stores the numerical data and the communication function to send the numerical data. It gives an electronic tag 1 with the address number to identify plural electronic tags in the storage function to the objective merchandise. A detection antenna 2 which performs transmission and reception with the electronic tag is provided on one part of the housing case of the merchandise. A reading/writing device 3 connected with the antenna 2 and confirming the presence of the merchandise by calling up the address number written in the electronic tag, confirming the required merchandise by changing the address number, and sending a signal when there is unrecognized merchandise is arranged. The device 3 is connected to an announciator device 4 to the telephone line and an alarm signal is sent to a person in charge by telephone or by pocket bell.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for notifying of theft when an unattended store or the like is stolen. More specifically, the present invention relates to a batteryless, compact and lightweight system, and
The present invention relates to a system for reporting a theft by using an electronic tag having an IC built therein.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic tag used as a means for preventing theft of goods in department stores, jewelry stores, etc., has a built-in power supply itself to widen the response area and respond to detection signals. Although preferable from the standpoint of reliability, such a tag with a built-in power source has a drawback that the device is large and it is very inconvenient to carry it around a product.

Therefore, battery-less electronic tags have been proposed in the related art, for example, (a) an antenna for receiving microwaves or modulated low-frequency energy transmitted to an article tag or a surveillance area. And a receiver device having a non-linear element such as a diode directly connected to the antenna, which re-radiates the incident energy in a preselected relationship and does not include a power supply ( Japanese Patent Fair 3-45
No. 436), or (b) it is necessary to convert the received microwaves into DC power and use it in the transmission circuit of the response device to incorporate a battery as a drive power supply or to supply a commercial AC power supply from the outside. Nothing (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-6481)
Etc. are known.

However, (a) the means for simply reradiating the high frequency is apt to malfunction due to a metal object such as an umbrella, a pram, or a shopping cart. (B) Also, there is an attempt to avoid malfunction by comparing transmission signals of two different frequencies (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-53678), but when comparing two types of frequencies, it is more erroneous than a single wave. Although the rate of operation is reduced, there is a drawback that malfunctions are unavoidable at a certain rate. Such a malfunction cannot be tolerated even in the service industry, which puts the trust of the customer first, and gives a bad impression to the customer, which seriously hinders the trust of the business. Will end up.

[0005]

In order to solve this problem, the present inventor has previously proposed a theft prevention system which is battery-less and has a small size, and is capable of reliable detection without misidentification ( Japanese Patent Application No. 6-28942). The outline is as follows: an internal antenna capable of converting a high frequency wave formed by winding a coil around a magnetic core into response energy, a storage function for storing numerical data, and a numerical value data storage device in conjunction with the storage device. An electronic tag including an IC chip having a communication function for transmitting a product is attached to a target product, and a detection antenna that transmits and receives with the electronic tag when the product is passed by is placed in the sales floor,
It is connected to the detection antenna, the transmission from the tag received by the detection antenna is converted into a digital signal, the numerical data is read, and the transmission and reception are repeated at least twice or more to confirm the coincidence with the initial value to prevent theft. A reading / writing device for detection is provided, and the detection result of the reading / writing device is transmitted to an alarm device.

However, this system is an anti-theft system that informs a nearby store clerk in case of theft,
If the store is unmanned at night or on holidays, the effect cannot be exhibited. The present invention intends to develop a system for notifying the occurrence of theft or other abnormality in an unmanned store while making the most of the advantages of the electronic tag.

[0007]

The burglar alarm system of the present invention includes an internal antenna capable of converting a high frequency wave formed by winding a coil around a magnetic core into response energy, and a numerical data.
An electronic tag having a built-in IC chip having a memory function for storing data and a communication function for transmitting the numerical data in cooperation with a battery, and a plurality of electronic tags are attached to the electronic tag. An address number for identifying the item is set, a part of the storage case for the product is provided with a geodetic antenna for transmitting and receiving data to and from the electronic tag, and the address number stored in the electronic tag is connected to the geodetic antenna. Call and confirm the existence of the product, then change the address number and sequentially confirm all the products, and if there is a product that cannot be confirmed, arrange a reading / writing device, and send the reading / writing device as a notification device. It is configured to notify an administrator of an alarm signal through a telephone line by connecting to the.

[0008]

When the store is closed and unmanned, first, the detection antenna transmits a high frequency for calling the electronic tag having the predetermined address number, and the internal antenna of the electronic tag having the corresponding address number receives it. A core formed by winding a coil around a magnetic body converts a high frequency into response energy due to a change in magnetic flux. The response energy activates the IC chip of the internal antenna, and the IC works in conjunction with the capacitor.
The numerical data written in is transmitted. The detection antenna receives the transmission from the electronic tag, converts it into a digital signal and sends it to the reading / writing device, reads the numerical data, and confirms the existence of the product.

Next, the address number is changed and the same operation is repeated to sequentially confirm the existence of the necessary products.

If a product whose existence cannot be confirmed occurs, the reading / writing device judges it and notifies it to the notification device. Then, it is connected to the telephone line and the manager is informed of that fact via a wired telephone, pager, mobile telephone, personal computer communication or the like.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The anti-theft system of the present invention comprises an electronic tag 1 having the following characteristics, a detection antenna 2 that repeats transmission and reception with the electronic tag, a reading / writing device 3 connected to the detection antenna 2, and the read document. A notification device 4 which receives a detection result from the plug-in device 3 and is connected to a telephone line to notify is connected to a computer 5 which controls a command to each unit (see FIG. 1).

First, the product targeted by the present invention is a department store.
Items such as jewelry, precious metals, clothing, etc. that are easily subject to theft at retailers, jewelry stores, supermarkets, and other retailers, and the electronic tag 1 having the following characteristics is part of such products. Install.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic tag 1 is a lightweight and compact one that does not use a battery, and generally has an internal antenna 1a connected to an AC / DC converter and a control IC chip 1b connected to a power storage device. It consists of and. The internal antenna 1a plays a role of receiving a radio wave transmitted from a detection antenna 2 which will be described later and converting the radio wave into a response energy. The internal antenna 1a forms a core with a magnetic material having high magnetic permeability, It is made by winding a coil around the coil, and sends a high frequency to it to change the magnetic flux, and the change in the magnetic flux causes an alternating electromotive force. Then, the generated AC electromotive force is converted into DC by an AC / DC converter and sent to the IC chip 1b.

The control IC chip 1b has a memory function for identifying a unique product and a communication function for transmitting it to the reading / writing device, and has the internal antenna 1a.
Since the response energy due to is a small electromotive force, CMOS of an extremely low power consumption circuit is used in order to effectively utilize this. The capacity of the memory is basically 3 bits based on 64 bits.
You can select 20 bits, 576 bits, 1080 bits, etc. to store numerical data up to 20 digits.
The number of bits is selected according to the product number and other contents to be stored.

Then, in the IC chip 1b within the number of digits, first, when a plurality of electronic tags exist, an address number for identifying the electronic tags is written, and then a unique product is identified. Numerical data is written, and the numerical data includes (a) a special anti-theft identification number, and (b) a product number as a representative price, manufacturer, and year of manufacture. It is possible to select a mode in which numerical data necessary for product management such as date is stored and replaced with the identification number.

Further, the IC chip 1b is equipped with a communication function for transmitting the written numerical data to the reading / writing device, and the communication function is linked with the electric storage device. A small energy storage device is built in, and the response energy obtained from the high frequency is stored in the energy storage device, which is discharged and transmitted in cooperation with the internal antenna 1a.

Next, the detection antenna 2 receives the response energy
It has a transmission function of supplying a high frequency that can be converted to the electronic tag 1 to the electronic tag 1 and a reception function of receiving a transmission from the electronic tag 1 and transmitting it to the reading / writing device 3. However, the electronic tag 1 used in the present invention has a tendency that the detection area is relatively narrow in order to reverse the advantage of the battery-less system, and therefore one detection antenna cannot capture the entire sales floor. Therefore, in the case of an unmanned sales floor, the detection antenna 2 is arranged within a distance where transmission and reception with the electronic tag 1 attached to the product is possible. Specifically, (a) as shown in FIG. , A mode in which the antenna wire is arranged in a part of the case storing the product, (b) a mode in which the antenna wire is arranged in a part of a shelf or a stand on which the product is displayed, (c)
A mode in which the antenna wire is arranged on the floor of the sales floor where the products are displayed,
(D) An aspect in which an antenna wire is arranged on the ceiling of a sales floor where products are displayed is adopted.

Further, a reading / writing device 3 capable of reading, writing and searching is connected to the detection antenna 2. The reading / writing device 3 is composed of a high frequency module and a control module. The high frequency module transmits and receives radio waves.
It is responsible for the analog part of the reception and its output is sent to the control module as a binary digital signal.

The control module has a built-in microcomputer and (a) switches between transmission to the electronic tag and reception from the electronic tag, and (b) an address number and necessary product number, etc. It has a communication control function that confirms and detects the presence or absence of products. Further, (c) an input / output control function for controlling the reading and writing functions, the interface function with the personal computer, the buffer memory control, the output format selection, etc. A tuning control function and a synchronization control function for switching from the antenna are provided (see FIG. 1).
And FIG. 3).

When the notification device 4 is connected to the reading / writing device 3, and the notification device 4 determines that the product cannot be confirmed as the result of being recognized by the reading / writing device 3 and the product is stolen or there is a fear of theft. In addition, the reader / writer is connected to a telephone line in response to a command from the reader / writer 3, and the reader / writer is connected to a telephone, pager, mobile phone, personal computer, etc. of a home, a company, an office, etc. where an administrator exists through the telephone line. The content of the alarm 3 is notified. The means of notification is voice for a telephone, numerical display for a pager, and character and numerical display for a personal computer. In addition, the content of the notification is only to report the occurrence of theft or abnormality, or information managed by a personal computer,
For example, the content or the number of the abnormal product is transmitted together with the notification, and the contents thereof are set as necessary. Further, the notification destination can be set not only in one place but also in a plurality of places.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. First, the electronic tag 1 dedicated to the present invention is attached to a target product, and at that time, the reading / writing device 3 is used to add an address number to the electronic tag 1. And write the product number etc. This writing process can be erased, so even if it is used once,
At the time of reuse, the previous data can be erased and new data can be written to reuse the data.

Then, the electronic tag 1 is attached to a part of the target product so as not to be separated, and this is placed in the product storage case in which the antenna wire of the inspection antenna 2 is arranged. Keep it. Alternatively, the product with the electronic tag 1 is stored in a display shelf or a table where the antenna line is partially arranged, a sales floor where the antenna line is arranged on the floor, a sales floor where the antenna line is arranged on the ceiling, and the like. When all the staff members return home and the store is unmanned, the inspection antenna 2, the reading / writing device 3, and the notification device 4 are used.
And the computer 5 is put in the input state to lock the store.

Then, a high frequency is transmitted from the detection antenna 2 toward the electronic tag 1, and the high frequency is received by the internal antenna 1a of the electronic tag 1. First, an electromotive force is generated in a coil wound around a magnetic body due to a change in magnetic flux. Occurs, which becomes the response energy and operates the built-in IC chip 1b. Since the IC chip 1b stores the numerical data such as the address number and the product number by the writing process, it discharges the response energy stored in the built-in small battery and the internal numerical antenna stores the numerical data. It transmits to the reading / writing device 3 in cooperation with 1a. At this time, since the corresponding electronic tags 1 are sequentially called in accordance with the address numbers with respect to a large number of electronic tags 1, there is no interference.

Then, the reading / writing device 3 is switched to the receiving state after the transmission, and in response to the transmission from the electronic tag 1, the high frequency module converts the received signal into a digital signal, and the control module. Send to Le. The control module
Performs transmission / reception to / from the electronic tag 1, confirms the address number and, if necessary, the product number and the like, and if confirmed, determines that the product exists. At this time, the time required for transmission and reception with the electronic tag 1 is about 0.1 seconds, and even if there are many products, it is possible to repeat many transmissions and receptions within a short time. On the other hand, it is only 50 seconds. Therefore, it is possible to check all products, but if the number of products is huge and you want to check only some important products, you can select and check only important products from the address numbers. is there.

By the way, when the presence of the product cannot be confirmed by the above-mentioned transmission and reception, that is, when the electronic tag 1 having the corresponding address number does not reply to the transmission from the inspection antenna 2, the same operation is repeated, If there is no reply, it is determined that the theft has occurred or some abnormality has occurred.

When the reading / writing device 3 judges the result and delivers the result to the reporting device 4, it is connected to the telephone line and transmitted by the same line, and the administrator is informed that the theft or abnormality has occurred. Let us know. The means is a normal wired telephone,
It is possible to use any communication means such as pager, mobile phone, personal computer communication. In addition, the content of the alarm is simply to inform that an abnormality has occurred.
It is also possible to include the product number, price, and the like of the product whose existence cannot be confirmed by connecting with the data 5.

In response to the result, the administrator can take any means for arresting the criminal such as rushing to the scene, contacting a security company, or inputting a video monitor to record the inside of the store.

The above-mentioned transmission and reception can be carried out at intervals of a fixed time, but preferably, if it is carried out at all times and continuously, it is possible to detect and give an alarm immediately when a theft occurs, so that the administrator can A quick response is possible.

Although the system of the present invention is assumed to be an inspection system in the case of being unmanned at night, etc., it is possible to manage a person's entrance and exit by using the inspection antenna together with the antenna for shoplifting inspection daytime. If so, the management function is further improved.

[0030]

The present invention based on the above configuration and operation is
It is a battery-less, lightweight, small-sized electronic tag that is convenient to attach to and handle on products, and it also has an IC chip and can read and write digital numerical data such as address numbers. In the communication, call the electronic tags in the order of address numbers, confirm their existence, and if a theft occurs, connect it to a telephone line and automatically notify the result, so that unattended stores and buildings can It is an excellent invention that provides an active and reliable theft notification system that enables merchandise management.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an entire system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of an electronic tag used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing communication between a reading / writing device and an electronic doug.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 electronic tag 1a internal antenna 1b IC chip 2 detection antenna 3 reading / writing device 4 reporting device 5 computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An internal antenna capable of converting a high frequency wave formed by winding a coil around a magnetic core into response energy, a storage function for storing numerical data, and a numerical value data storage device in conjunction with a condenser. A built-in IC chip having a communication function for transmitting a data, and an electronic tag in which an address number for identifying a plurality of electronic tags is written in the storage function is attached to a target product, and a storage case for the product is attached. A geodetic antenna for transmitting and receiving data to and from an electronic tag is attached to a part of the electronic tag, and the geodetic antenna is connected, and the address number written in the electronic tag is called to confirm the existence of the product. Check the necessary products, arrange a reading / writing device that sends a message when there is a product that cannot be checked, connect the reading / writing device to a telephone line alarm device, and send an alarm signal to the administrator. Notification system.