Alarm tag for an electronic article surveillance system

Claim 2

An antitheft tag for use in an electronic article surveillance system, comprising: tag housing means; piezoelectric means attached to said tag housing means in a way such that a force applied to said tag housing means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means, said piezoelectric means generating an electrical signal in response to said mechanically coupled force and comprising a piezoelectric film; and alarm detection means for generating an alarm indication in response to said electrical signal generated by said piezoelectric means.

Claim 3

A tag in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: locking means for removably attaching said tag housing means to an article to be monitored, said locking means being attached to said housing means in such a way that a force applied to said locking means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means.

Claim 4

A tag in accordance with claim 2, wherein: said piezoelectric means generates a voltage which is proportional to said force mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means.

Claim 5

A tag in accordance with claim 3, wherein: said alarm detection means comprises voltage comparing means for comparing the voltage generated by said piezoelectric means with a predetermined reference voltage.

Claim 6

A tag in accordance with claim 4, wherein: said alarm detection means further comprises alarm indicating means responsive to said output of said comparing means to initiate an indication of an alarm.

Claim 7

A tag in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said alarm indicating means is further responsive to an output of an alarm resetting means to remove the indication of the alarm.

Claim 8

A tag in accordance with claim 6 wherein: said alarm indicating means comprises a piezo sounder, said piezo sounder being mounted internal to said tag housing means.

Claim 9

A tag in accordance with claim 7 further comprising: a battery for supplying power to said alarm detection means.

Claim 10

A tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said piezoelectric means is located inside said tag housing means.

Claim 11

A tag in accordance with claim 9, wherein: said alarm detection means is located inside said tag housing means.

Claim 12

A tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said tag housing means comprises a plastic enclosure having a flat bottom surface, said piezoelectric means being mechanically attached to an inner surface of said flat bottom surface.

Claim 13

A tag in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said piezoelectric means exhibits a resistance change which is proportional to said force mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means; and said alarm detection means is responsive to said resistance change to generate said alarm indication.

Claim 14

A tag in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said tag further comprises a label housed within said tag housing means.

Claim 15

A tag in accordance with claim 13, wherein: said label is a magnetic label.

Claim 16

A tag in accordance with claim 13, wherein: said label is one of an RF label and a microwave label.

Claim 17

An antitheft tag for use in an electronic article surveillance system, comprising: tag housing means; piezoelectric means attached to said tag housing means in a way such that a force applied to said tag housing means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means, said piezoelectric means generating an electrical signal in response to said mechanically coupled force; alarm detection means for generating an alarm indication in response to said electrical signal generated by said piezoelectric means; locking means for removably attaching said tag housing means to an article to be monitored, said locking means being attached to said housing means in such a way that a force applied to said locking means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means; and said locking means comprises a retaining tack, a tack clip and locking member, said retaining tack being mechanically affixed to one of said tag housing means and said tack clip and said locking member attached to one of said tack slip and said tag housing means and said retaining tack being removably retained by said locking member.

Claim 18

An antitheft tag for use in an electronic article surveillance system, comprising: tag housing means; piezoelectric means attached to said tag housing means in a way such that a force applied to said tag housing means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means, said piezoelectric means generating an electrical signal in response to said mechanically coupled force; alarm detection means for generating an alarm indication in response to said electrical signal generated by said piezoelectric means; locking means for removably attaching said tag housing means to an article to be monitored, said locking means being attached to said housing means in such a way that a force applied to said locking means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means; and said locking means comprises a retaining tack, a tack clip and locking member, said retaining tack being mechanically affixed to one of said tag housing means and said tack clip and said locking member attached to one of said tack slip and said tag housing means and said retaining tack being removably retained by said locking member.

Claim 19

An electronic article surveillance system comprising: means for detecting the presence of an antitheft tag within an interrogation zone; an antitheft tag comprising: tag housing means; piezoelectric means attached to said tag housing means in a way such that a force applied to said tag housing means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means, said piezoelectric means generating an electrical signal in response to said force and comprising a piezoelectric film; and alarm detection means for generating an alarm indication in response to said electrical signal generated by said piezoelectric means.

Claim 20

An electronic article surveillance system comprising: means for detecting the presence of an antitheft tag within an interrogation zone; an antitheft tag comprising: tag housing means; piezoelectric means attached to said tag housing means in a way such that a force applied to said tag housing means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means, said piezoelectric means generating an electrical signal in response to said force and comprising a piezoelectric film; and alarm detection means for generating an alarm indication in response to said electrical signal generated by said piezoelectric means.

Claim 21

A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein: said tag further comprises: locking means for removably attaching said tag housing means to an article to be monitored, said locking means being attached to said housing means in such a way that a force applied to said locking means is mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means.

Claim 22

A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein: said piezoelectric means generates a voltage which is proportional to said force mechanically coupled to said piezoelectric means.

Claim 23

A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein: said piezoelectric means is located inside said tag housing means.

Claim 24

A tag in accordance with claim 20 wherein: said alarm detection means is located inside said tag housing means.

Claim 25

A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein: said tag further comprises: a label housed within said tag housing means.

Claim 26

A system in accordance with claim 22 wherein: said label is one of a magnetic label, an RF label and a microwave label.

Claim 27

A system in accordance with claim 23 wherein: said means for detecting the presence of said tag comprises: transmitting means for transmitting a signal into said interrogation zone, wherein said label causes a signal to be generated in response to said transmitted signal and receiving means for receiving said generated signal and generating an alarm.