Electronic anti-theft merchandise tag having means for activating an alarm in response to an attempt to remove the tag from the merchandise

Claim 2

A security tag comprising: means operatively associated with said tag for attaching the tag to an article to be safeguarded; a power supply enclosed within the tag, said power supply comprising a battery and a series combination of a capacitor and a resistor connected across the battery whereby the capacitor is charged by the battery through said resistor; a radio frequency transmitter enclosed within the tag; and means carried by said tag and operable in response to an alarm condition for activating the transmitter utilizing the energy stored in said capacitor.

Claim 3

A security tag, as defined in claim 1, in which: said alarm condition is produced as a result of tampering with said tag attaching means.

Claim 4

A security tag, as defined in claim 2, in which: said transmitter includes an encoder controlling energization of the transmitter in accordance with a predetermined code, said encoder being powered by the energy stored in said capacitor.

Claim 5

A security tag for attachment to an article of merchandise, the tag comprising: a housing; an electrical circuit enclosed within the housing for activating an alarm; an electrical power supply enclosed within the housing for energizing the circuit; a tack comprising a head and a shank, the shank being adapted to be inserted into the housing of the tag; a fastener enclosed within the housing for receiving and gripping the tack shank; and means associated with the tag for sensing the presence of the tack head, the sensing means being coupled to energize the alarm-activating circuit from the power supply in response to an output from the sensing means indicative of displacement of the tack head relative to the tag.

Claim 6

A security tag for attachment to an article of merchandise, the tag comprising: a housing; an electrical circuit enclosed within the housing for activating an alarm; an electrical power supply enclosed within the housing for energizing the circuit; a tack comprising a head and a shank, the shank being adapted to be inserted into the housing of the tag; a fastener enclosed within the housing for receiving and gripping the tack shank; and means associated with the tag for sensing the presence of the tack head, the sensing means being coupled to energize the alarm-activating circuit from the power supply in response to an output from the sensing means indicative of displacement of the tack head relative to the tag.

Claim 7

A security tag for attachment to an article of merchandise, the tag comprising: a housing; an electrical circuit enclosed within the housing for activating an alarm; a source of electrical energy enclosed within the housing for energizing the electrical circuit; a switch enclosed within the housing for controlling energization of the circuit by the electrical energy source; means projecting from the housing and operatively associated with the switch for operating the switch; a tack for attaching the tag to the article, the tack comprising a head and a shank, the shank being adapted to be inserted into the housing of the tag, the switchoperating means being positioned so as to be depressed by the head of the tack when the tack shank is inserted into the housing; and a fastener enclosed within the housing for receiving and gripping the tack shank and resisting withdrawal of the tack from the tag, displacement of the tack head relative to the tag as a result, for example, of an unauthorized attempt to withdraw the tack or sever the tack head releasing the switch-operating means thereby energizing the alarm-activating circuit, the tack being releasable from the fastener by authorized means brought into operative association with the fastener to separate the tag from the article without activating the alarm.

Claim 8

A security tag for attachment to an article of merchandise, the tag comprising: a housing; an electrical circuit enclosed within the housing for activating an alarm; a source of electrical energy enclosed within the housing for energizing the electrical circuit; a switch enclosed within the housing for controlling energization of the circuit by the electrical energy source; means projecting from the housing and operatively associated with the switch for operating the switch; a tack for attaching the tag to the article, the tack comprising a head and a shank, the shank being adapted to be inserted into the housing of the tag, the switchoperating means being positioned so as to be depressed by the head of the tack when the tack shank is inserted into the housing; and a fastener enclosed within the housing for receiving and gripping the tack shank and resisting withdrawal of the tack from the tag, displacement of the tack head relative to the tag as a result, for example, of an unauthorized attempt to withdraw the tack or sever the tack head releasing the switch-operating means thereby energizing the alarm-activating circuit, the tack being releasable from the fastener by authorized means brought into operative association with the fastener to separate the tag from the article without activating the alarm.

Claim 9

A security tag, as set forth in claim 5, in which: the electrical circuit includes a radio frequency transmitter for radiating an RF signal upon being energized by the electrical energy source.

Claim 10

A security tag, as set forth in claim 6, in which: the radio frequency transmitter includes an encoder for modulating the radiated RF signal in accordance with a predetermined code.

Claim 11

A security tag, as set forth in claim 5, in which: the switch comprises a microswitch having an actuator; and the switch-operating means includes a cam surface engaged by the microswitch actuator whereby travel of the switch-operating means between the depressed and released positions operates the switch.

Claim 12

A security tag, as set forth in claim 5, in which: the electrical circuit further includes a detection circuit tuned to the frequency of an RF surveillance field, the tuned circuit being connected across the switch, resonance of said tuned circuit in the presence of said field causing energization of the alarm-activating circuit.

Claim 13

A security tag, as set forth in claim 5, which includes: a cable having one end affixed to the head of the tack and an other end affixed to the housing, the cable, tack and housing being adapted to form a closed loop for attaching the tag to an article to be protected, the cable including a pair of conductors normally insulated from each other and extending substantially the entire length of the cable, the pair of conductors being connected across the switch, an attempt to cut the cable causing the conductors to come into contact with each other thereby energizing the electrical alarm-activating circuit.

Claim 14

A security tag, as set forth in claim 5, in which: the source of electrical energy includes a battery and the series combination of a capacitor and a resistor connected across the battery whereby the capacitor is charged by said battery through said resistor, the energy stored in said capacitor momentarily energizing the electrical alarm-activating circuit in response to release of the switch operating means.

Claim 15

A security tag, as set forth in claim 5, in which: the electrical circuit includes means for disabling the circuit when the authorized tack releasing means is brought into operative association with the fastener.

Claim 16

A security tag for attachment to an article of merchandise, the tag comprising: a housing; an electrical circuit enclosed within the housing, the circuit including a source of electrical energy for energizing the circuit and means for activating an alarm; a tack comprising a head and a shank, the shank being adapted to be inserted into the housing of the tag; a locking fastener enclosed within the housing for receiving and gripping the tack shank; and a cable having one end affixed to the head of the tack and another end affixed to the housing, the cable, tack and housing being adapted to form a closed loop for attaching the tag to the article to be protected, the cable having electrically conductive means coupled to energize the alarm-activating circuit from said electrical energy source in response to an attempt to sever, or severance of, the cable.

Claim 17

A security tag for attachment to an article of merchandise, the tag comprising: a housing; an electrical circuit enclosed within the housing, the circuit including a source of electrical energy for energizing the circuit and means for activating an alarm; a tack comprising a head and a shank, the shank being adapted to be inserted into the housing of the tag; a locking fastener enclosed within the housing for receiving and gripping the tack shank; and a cable having one end affixed to the head of the tack and another end affixed to the housing, the cable, tack and housing being adapted to form a closed loop for attaching the tag to the article to be protected, the cable having electrically conductive means coupled to energize the alarm-activating circuit from said electrical energy source in response to an attempt to sever, or severance of, the cable.

Claim 18

A security system for safeguarding articles in a department store or storage facility, comprising: a plurality of monitoring tags, each tag having means for attaching the tag to an article to be safeguarded, the tag enclosing an electrical circuit including means for detecting tampering with the tag-attaching means; an RF transmitter energizable in response to tampering with the attaching means; and an encoder for modulating the RF transmission in accordance with a tag-address code applied to the encoder; a receiver including: means for detecting a code-modulated RF signal transmitted from a monitoring tag and having an output; a decoder to the output of the signal-detecting having an address code identical to that of the tag encoder, the decoder having an output for providing a signal when the decoder address code matches that of the tag encoder; and means for activating an alarm in response to the decoder output signal. .

Claim 19

A security system for safeguarding articles in a department store or storage facility, comprising: a plurality of monitoring tags, each tag having means for attaching the tag to an article to be safeguarded, the tag enclosing an electrical circuit including means for detecting tampering with the tag-attaching means; an RF transmitter energizable in response to tampering with the attaching means; and an encoder for modulating the RF transmission in accordance with a tag-address code applied to the encoder; a receiver including: means for detecting a code-modulated RF signal transmitted from a monitoring tag and having an output; a decoder to the output of the signal-detecting having an address code identical to that of the tag encoder, the decoder having an output for providing a signal when the decoder address code matches that of the tag encoder; and means for activating an alarm in response to the decoder output signal. .

Claim 20

A system, as defined in claim 14, in which: the receiver further includes an encoder coupled to the decoder output, said encoder being encoded with an address code identifying a department or area of said store or facility, the encoder providing an output in response to an output signal from the decoder; and means responsive to said encoder output for indicating an alarm condition.

Claim 21

A security tag comprising: a housing; means operatively associated with the tag for attaching the tag to an article to be safeguarded; an electrical switch enclosed within the housing; a switch actuator projecting from the housing for controlling the switch in response to an attempt to separate the tag from the article; a radio frequency transmitter enclosed within the housing; and an electrical circuit for energizing the transmitter, the circuit including the switch for controlling energization of the transmitter.

Claim 22

A security tag comprising: a housing; means operatively associated with the tag for attaching the tag to an article to be safeguarded; an electrical switch enclosed within the housing; a switch actuator projecting from the housing for controlling the switch in response to an attempt to separate the tag from the article; a radio frequency transmitter enclosed within the housing; and an electrical circuit for energizing the transmitter, the circuit including the switch for controlling energization of the transmitter.

Claim 23

A security tag, as set forth in claim 16, in which: the electrical circuit further includes an encoder for controlling energization of the transmitter in accordance with a predetermined code.

Claim 24

A security tag, as set forth in claim 16, in which: the electrical circuit further includes a detection circuit responsive to an RF surveillance field, the detection circuit being connected across the switch and producing an output in the presence of said field to energize the transmitter.

Claim 25

A security tag, as set forth in claim 16, in which: the attaching means is a tack, the switch actuator sensing the presence of the tack.

Claim 26

A security tag, as set forth in claim 16, in which: the attaching means includes a cable attached to the housing and adapted to form a closed loop for attaching the tag to the article to be protected, the cable including a pair of conductors normally insulated from each other, the pair of cables being connected across the switch, an attempt to cut the cable causing the conductors to come into contact with each other to energize the transmitter.