Abstract: A security device for attachment to a container having external walls such that a transponder thereon is located externally of or adjacent to one of said external walls so as to avoid being shielded by a metal layer within the container (e.g. the metal layer within a disk such as a CD or DVD). The security device is arranged to trigger an alarm signal if the container is moved within the range of an alarm unit with the security device attached thereto, and has a releasable locking mechanism to secure it to the container such that release of the locking mechanism requires the use of authorized release means. In one embodiments the transponder is located in the vicinity of a window in a metal layer, e.g. at the centre of the disk.

Abstract: A method of sensing the position of a first element with respect to a second element is disclosed, the first element being movable with respect to the second. The method comprises: (a) fixing a first magnetic marker to said first element; (b) fixing a second magnetic marker to said second element; (c) sensing the positions of the two markers by a remote magnetic sensing technique. Optionally, a third magnetic marker may be used, the second and third markers then preferably being located at the extremes of travel of said first element. The method may be used to determine linear or angular relationships.

Abstract: An electronic article surveillance system for detecting articles carrying or containing magnetically responsive markers is disclosed, which system comprises a transmitting antenna in the form of a large loop of current-carrying material through which the articles are passed, and one or more receiving antenna units, which detect the electromagnetic response of the markers to an interrogating electromagnetic field generated by the transmitting antenna.

Abstract: An electronic article surveillance system is provided having a transmitter for generating two alternating magnetic fields by way of a single transmitter coil fed with a transmitter signal current, and a receiver that detects harmonics and intermodulation products of the alternating magnetic fields by way of a receiver coil that generates a receiver signal current. The receiver comprises a wide-bandwidth phase detector locked on to a frequency p.f.sub.2 .+-.q.f.sub.1, where p and q are positive integers, one of which may be zero, and a digital signal processor adapted to carry out a full time-domain analysis of the waveform of the receiver signal current, and wherein the transmitter signal current corresponds to the linear super position of two alternative currents with a relatively low frequency f.sub.1 and high frequency f.sub.2 respectively.

Abstract: An attachment device for a security or antipilferage tag, and a combination of such a device with the tag. The attachment device comprises a cap having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a pair of electrically conductive pins depending from the lower surface, and an electrical conductor within the body of said cap which makes an electrical connection between the pair of pins. The tag forming one element of the combined tag and attachment device includes a first opening adapted to receive one of the pins and to permit electrical contact between the one pin and a first part of the electrical circuit within the tag, and a second opening adapted to receive the other of the pair of pins and to permit electrical contact between the other pin and a further part of the electrical circuit within the tag. Unauthorised removal of the attachment device from the tag results in the generation of an alarm signal.

Abstract: An antipilferage system for the detection of magnetic tags comprises an assembly (2) of spirally wound emitter (1) and/or detector (3a, 3b) coils. This arrangement enables a tag to be detected regardless of its orientation.

Abstract: An antipilferage tag (10) includes an acoustic resonator chamber (12) which has a membrane (1,2) formed of a layer of magnetostrictive material (2) as well as a system which may incorporate such tags. The system has a generator for generating an alternating magnetic field and a tag capable of interacting with the alternating magnetic field to generate an alarm tone, characterized in that (i) the alarm tone is generated by a tag which includes an acoustic resonator; and (ii) the generator for generating an alternating magnetic field and the tag are so arranged that an audible alarm tone is generated by the tag when it is subjected to the alternating magnetic field.

Abstract: A housing contains a pick-up coil for detecting an external magnetic field; a power supply; a tone generator; and an electric circuit powered by said power supply and arranged to activate said tone generator in response to an output from said magnetic field pick-up including a piezoelectric material surrounded about its circumference by a thin layer of magnetostrictive material. Since the electrical output of the piezoelectric material is dependent on the stress imparted to it by the magnetostrictive material, and since the dimensional change in the magnetostrictive material is proportional to the magnetic field in the environment in which the magnetostrictive material is located, the electrical output of the piezoelectric material provides a measure of magnetic field strength.

Abstract: This application discloses a method of recognizing and/or locating preselected categories of articles, which comprises applying to the articles a plurality of magnetic elements in predetermined associations (e.g. with predetermined numbers of magnetic elements and with predetermined spacings between said elements), whereby when the articles are caused to move relative to a predetermined interrogating magnetic field, each particular association of magnetic elements gives rise to a magnetic signature whereby the article or category of article carrying each of the predetermined associations can be recognized and/or located. A series of tags or markers for use in such a method, as well as a system for determining the location and/or identity of an article within an article conveying network, are also disclosed.