NL1028063C2 - Combined security tag and identification label for shop goods, comprises price label part with large resonance loop connected to security tag part with small resonance loop - Google Patents

Abstract

A price label part (2) with a relatively large electric resonance loop is connected to a security tag part (1) with a relatively small electric resonance loop so that the strength of the electromagnetic in the security tag part is increased if the label comes to be in the transmitter field of a radio-frequency security or identification system, namely an EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) system.

Description

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Nedap N.V. / A24 J.H.L. Hogen Esch 5 Security and identification label with booster function

The invention relates to a security and identification label with a booster function, which is used in the protection against theft and identification of, for example, clothing.

EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems are used for the electronic protection of clothing against theft. Here, mainly two systems are used, namely a radio frequency RF system that uses electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 8.2 MHz and an acoustical AM system that uses electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 58 KHz or also 56 KHz. . In the first-mentioned RF system, security labels or security labels are used that consist of an electrical resonance circuit formed by a coil and a capacitor, and in the second AM system, security labels or security labels are applied in which a metal strip is brought into mechanical resonance in a bias magnetic field. With the AM system it is also possible to use an electrical resonance circuit consisting of a coil wound on a ferrite rod connected to a capacitor.

In addition to a security label, all articles 30 are also provided with a price label on which the price and other information of the relevant article are stated and a barcode to automatically read this information at a cash register.

For the further automation of 1028063 -2- the logistical process of items, from manufacturer to customer, there is currently international cooperation to arrive at a standardized Electronic Product Code (EPC) to replace the well-known barcode. For this EPC 5, two frequency ranges have been established internationally for non-contact remote readout, namely a UHF frequency of 865-915 MHz for contactless detection of items at pallet and container level at a greater distance and an HF frequency of 13.56 MHz for contactless detection of individual articles at a smaller distance.

It is particularly interesting for the clothing industry to integrate the EAS function and the EPC function into one label or label, because this results in a saving in the operations required to apply and remove these labels or labels. With regard to this integration, the applicant has previously filed a Dutch patent application No. 1025725 with the aim of integrating the two frequencies of 8.2 and 13.56 MHz into a label 20 with only one coil for coupling to both electromagnetic fields.

However, in order to achieve the greatest possible sensitivity and thus read-out distance, it is also important that the coil for coupling to the electromagnetic field is as large as possible. This is in contrast to the desire to make the anti-theft security labels as small, light and unobtrusive as possible. Because the electronic components needed to make an EPC identification label are still too expensive to be used once and then discarded, it is an interesting option to reuse these components if possible.

The present invention relates to the! combining a price label and a security label, wherein a single-used price label portion is provided with a relatively large electrical resonance circuit, with which the electromagnetic field strength in the security label portion connected to this price label portion and used several times is strengthened, both for the security frequency of 8.2 MHz and also for the identification frequency of 13.56 MHz, so that a large sensitivity can still be achieved with a smaller and lighter security label. The resonant circuit of the price-label portion thus works, both in the transmission field of a radio-frequency security system and of a radio-frequency identification system, as a booster for the relatively smaller resonance circuit of the security and / or identification-label portion of the combined label according to the invention .

In US patent 5,270,717, Schuermann describes an "Extended range RF-ID transponder" in which a non-tuned so-called "loosely coupled" coil is used to connect a transponder to a reader. However, in contrast to the present invention, this system operates on only one frequency, has an unmatched intermediate antenna and is intended to adapt the reader antenna to the application environment. Furthermore, in contrast to the present invention, this intermediate antenna is formed by connecting two coils 25 of different dimensions.

Optionally, it is also possible to provide an acoustic-magnetic resonance element in the security label portion according to the invention and to provide the magnetically detachable fastening mechanism that is normally applied to RF security labels with an additional disconnect function, so that this security label portion can also be disconnected using the decoupling devices in use with the AM systems. In this way a universal security label is created that can be used for the majority of all common article security systems and thus in the logistics process of the entire clothing industry.

This invention will be elucidated on the basis of a number of figures, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the front and back of a combined security label according to the invention;

Figure 2 schematically represents the electrical diagram of the security label; Figure 3 shows a combined security label with the optional combination with an AM system.

The housing (1) in figure 1 of the reused part of a combined security label according to the invention comprises an electronic circuit which is schematically shown in figure 2. The one-time-use price label part (2) consists of a paper or plastic body provided with a small hole, through which this price label part (2) is attached to the reused security label part (1) and the article to be protected by means of a needle (10). This attachment takes place with the aid of the ball pin (11), which forms part of the security label part (1) and which consists in a known manner of a number of spherical balls, which are supported by means of a spring against the needle and in a conical cavity. to press. The slope of this cone-shaped cavity is so self-inhibiting that clamping occurs and the needle cannot be withdrawn from this cone-shaped cavity. With the aid of a disconnecting device provided with a strong magnet, the spherical balls can be pulled loose against the force of the spring, so that the needle can be removed again. In addition to the possibility of integrating the bullet lock (11) into the housing (1) of the security label portion (1), as indicated in Figure 1, sometimes a separate lock is used which functions in the same way.

Needle (10) consists of a thin needle, usually provided with a large cylindrical head to limit the accessibility of the lock mechanism from the needle side 5.

The once-used price label portion (2) is provided with coil (8) connected to a capacitor not shown in Figure (1). This coil and capacitor form an electrical resonance circuit and are etched in known manner from thin aluminum foils which are applied on two sides to a plastic film, whereafter this composition is laminated between two paper cover films or plastic cover films.

In contrast to the situation shown in figure 1 and figure 3 for the sake of clarity, the coil and the capacitor within the cover films of the price-label portion (2) are invisible from the outside.

To prevent the inductive coupling between the coil of the price label section (2) and the coil in the security label section (1) from changing, a groove (12) is provided in the rear security label section (1) in which the one-off used price label portion (2) is slid, so that this price label portion (2) cannot rotate relative to the security label portion (1) around the needle (10).

As shown diagrammatically in Figure 2, the coil (8) of the once-used price label portion (2) couples with coil (4) that is arranged circumferentially inside the housing of the security label portion (1). The coil 30 (8) and the capacitor (9) form an electrical resonance circuit in the price label portion (2) with a resonance frequency of approximately 16 MHz.

In the security label section (1) is connected to coil (4) an RFID (Radio Frequent Identification 1028063 -6-)

Device) identification chip (3) arranged which can transmit an identification code and possibly other information to a transmitter / receiver which operates with a frequency in a known manner, for example as standardized in the international ISO standards ISO-15693 and ISO-18000 of 13.56 MHz.

Furthermore, a resonant circuit consisting of a self-inductance (5) and a capacitor (6) is connected in series with capacitor (7) to coil (4). This circuit ensures, as described in the applicant's Dutch patent application no. 1025725, that two resonance peaks occur in the electromagnetic spectrum of the total circuit of the security label part (1), namely both at 8.2 MHz and at 13.56 MHz. The resonant circuit formed by the self-inductance (5) and the capacitor (6) also resonate at 13.56 MHz, resulting in a large impedance in the relevant circuit for this frequency. At a frequency of 8.2 MHz, this impedance is low, as a result of which capacitor (7) is connected in parallel to the tuning capacitor in the RFID chip (3), whereby the resonance frequency of 13.56 MHz of the chip (3) shifts down to 8.2 MHz.

By now coupling the relatively large coil (8) of the price label portion (2) with the smaller coil (4) in the security label portion (1) according to the invention, the field strength of the transmitter / receiver is concentrated in coil (4) ) of the security label part (1) whereby a greater sensitivity is obtained on both frequencies, i.e. both at 8.2 MHz and at 13.56 MHz. Of course, this circuit works in the same way if the security label portion (1) is arranged for only one of the frequencies 8.2 MHz and 13.56 MHz instead of both.

Particularly in the logistics circuit, due to the relatively large antenna coil (8) in the price-label portion (2), this provides a considerable improvement in readability.

A potential thief who thinks to disable the security function by cutting through or removing the price label portion (2) is disappointed, because the circuit in the security label portion (1) also works without the presence of the price label portion (2), albeit with a slightly reduced sensitivity and will therefore trigger an alarm in the anti-theft system, which works with a frequency of 8.2 MHz.

The combined security label of Fig. 3 contains the same electronic circuit as described above, but has been expanded with an acoustical AM 15 function. The lock mechanism has also been extended with a provision to be able to use the disconnection devices that are common with the AM systems via an opening (13) in the housing (1).

The mechanical lever which is pushed inwards via opening (13) in these uncoupling devices operates via a cam a sleeve in which the spherical balls of the lock (11) are received and pushes it away from the above-described conical cavity, so that the blocking from the needle is lifted.

The combined security label of Figure 3 can therefore be disconnected both with the aid of a magnetic disconnection device and with a disconnection device that is customary with AM systems. The shape of the security label portion (1) is somewhat adapted for this situation, to allow this label to also fit into the receiving opening of the disconnection devices customary in the AM systems, and to unlock or operate these devices.

1028063

Claims (12)

A security and identification label with a booster function, characterized in that, in order to obtain a greater sensitivity, a price label portion provided with a relatively relatively large electrical resonance circuit is connected to a security label portion provided with a security and / or identification function with a relatively small resonance circuit, as a result of which the electromagnetic field strength in this security label part connected to the price label part is strengthened if the combination of the price label and the security label is in the transmission field of a radio frequency security system or of a radio frequency identification system. A security and identification label with a booster function according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the price label part provided with price and article information is used once and that the security label part is used several times. 25 3. A security and identification label with a booster function as claimed in one or both of the preceding claims, characterized in that the security label part comprises an electrical circuit which resonates on both the standardized RF security frequency of 8.2 MHz and on the | standardized identification frequency of 13.56 j MHz. 1028063 -9- A security-er identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that the security-label portion contains an identification function according to the standard ISO-15693 or according to the standard ISO-18000. A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that an acoustic magnetic resonance element is optionally included in the security label part. A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that an uncoupling function is optionally added in the security label section for uncoupling using decouplers used in AM systems. 20 7. A security and identification label with a booster function according to the preceding claim, characterized in that this added uncoupling function consists of a canister provided with a cam, wherein the mechanical lever of the detachment device via this cam is the canister with the spherical balls received therein , against the force of a spring, pushes away from the conical cavity which ensures the clamping of the balls against the fastening needle 30. - 1 0 * 8 Ö 6 3: -10- A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that instead of a bullet lock integrated in the security label part, use is made of a separate bullet lock with corresponding functionality. 9. A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that the one-time-used price label part consists of a coil and capacitor circuit which is etched in a double-sided aluminum foil on plastic carrier foil , laminated between two papers or possibly 15 plastic cover films. 10. A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that the security label portion is provided with a groove into which the price label portion associated with the security label is slid to prevent this price label portion can rotate relative to the security label portion which would alter the inductive coupling between these two portions. 11. A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the security label part also functions without the presence of the price label part, albeit with slightly reduced sensitivity. 1028063 12. A security and identification label with a booster function according to one or more preceding claim (s), characterized in that the security label has such a shape that it fits into the receiving opening of the disconnection devices customary with AM systems. 1028063