Abstract: A video surveillance system for monitoring an area is made up of a stationary pilot camera for monitoring the area and one or more moveable slave cameras for monitoring at least part of the area. Each slave camera is allocated to part of the area being monitored. The pilot camera produces a signal representative of the area. The location of a moving object in the area monitored by the pilot camera is determined. A signal is produced representing the location of the object. The slave cameras track the object based on the signal representing the location of the object. The pilot camera is provided with a fisheye lens and thus has a field of view wider than that of the slave cameras. The area being monitored is divided into cartesian, polar or spherical coordinates thereby enabling a microcomputer to instruct the slave camera to follow the object. The signal representative of the area is compressed and transmitted over a communications channel for remote monitoring.

Abstract: A method of making a magnetomechanical electronic article surveillance marker is provided that, in one embodiment, includes deposition or placing of at least one elongated bias magnet onto a substrate, depositing a cavity layer onto the substrate where the cavity layer defines an elongated cavity adjacent the bias magnet. Placing a magnetomechanical resonator into the cavity and sealing a cover onto the cavity layer wherein the resonator is captured in the cavity and free to mechanically vibrate substantially unencumbered. The substrate itself may be magnetic thereby eliminating a separate bias magnet. In an alternate embodiment, a cavity is molded in a plastic substrate sized to fit a resonator, and a cover is sealed to the substrate to capture a resonator in the cavity. At least one bias magnet is placed onto the cover adjacent the cavity and a second cover is sealed to the substrate, to the first cover, and to the bias fixing the bias in place adjacent the cavity.

Abstract: A method to power a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to increase multi-tag reading capability and increase the reading range of a passive tag without maximizing the continuous transmitted power level is provided. The RFID reader transmits a pulsed interrogation signal until an RFID tag response is received, and then switches to a continuous and pulsed power scheme. The continuous power emitted maintains the power supplied to the RFID tags so the tags will not reset due to loss of power. The pulsed signal permits reading the tags at longer ranges, especially when there is a plurality of tags in the area.

Abstract: Digital implementation of electronic article surveillance (EAS) detection filtering for pulsed EAS systems is provided. Embodiments include direct implementation as a quadrature matched filter bank, as an envelope detector, a correlation receiver, and as a discrete Fourier transform. Pre-detection nonlinear filtering is also provided for impulsive noise environments.

Abstract: A cordless handheld EAS tag deactivator is provided. The deactivator is housed in a portable handheld housing. An antenna is attached to the housing. The antenna is adapted for transmission of an electromagnetic field, which deactivates EAS tags within the field. An electronic circuit is connected to the antenna to generate the electromagnetic field. A battery contained within the housing is connected to the electronic circuit to power the generation and transmission of the electromagnetic field.

Abstract: An active RFID label is provided in which the antenna also forms the battery for the RFID chip that is part of the label. The antenna can be made of one or both of the electrodes forming a thin-film lithium-ion battery. The RFID chip, antenna and battery can all be placed upon the same substrate, and because the antenna and battery are co-located, the substrate can be made relatively flexible.

Abstract: A graphical work station for use with security devices associated with a location in which the graphic work station provides a graphical image and direction relative to the graphical image enables functions to be performed within the work station, at the security devices and/or with respect to the location.

Abstract: An EAS transmitter for generating an EAS transmission with a preselected guardband, comprises an oscillator for generating a fundamental frequency pulsed waveform and circuitry for effecting spectral window shaping of the fundamental frequency waveform on a time basis corresponding with the guardband for reducing sidelobe energy in the guardband. The transmitter may further include circuitry operative on the spectral window-shaped fundamental frequency waveform for further reducing sidelobe energy of the spectral window-shaped fundamental frequency waveform in frequency correspondence with the guardband. Another EAS transmitter comprises a storage unit having stored therein the sidelobe energy-reduced spectral window-shaped fundamental frequency waveform and obtaining EAS transmissions by use of the stored contents of the storage unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the position of magnetic tape within a magnetic tape cassette to ascertain whether the magnetic tape is in a rewound position within the cassette is provided. In a first aspect of the present invention, the magnetic tape cassette has two internal magnetic tape take-up reels. The magnetic tape stored on the tape-up reels is detected. The rewound status of the tape is determined by whether the magnetic tape is detected on only one reel or on both reels. In a second aspect of the present invention, a preselected amount of magnetic tape is detected within the magnetic tape cassette. The magnetic tape cassette is oriented and the position of the detected magnetic tape is determined relative to the orientation of the magnetic tape cassette. In a third aspect of the present invention, an electronically detectable member positioned in a known location of the cassette is detected. A preselected amount of magnetic tape within the cassette is detected.

Abstract: The present invention replaces the conventional bias magnets for EAS markers with a paintable or printable bias magnet material, which is either directly painted onto the EAS marker or first placed onto a substrate material, which is then placed into the EAS marker. The material includes a magnetic powder mixed with resin and solvent. This “bias paint” is then applied onto the EAS marker. The magnetic powder, resin, and solvent provide a very dense layer after drying, which has a magnetic material density that is usually lower than a rolled product, but is higher than that of the injection-molded magnet material. Printing the bias magnet allows nondeactivatable magnetomechanical EAS markers to be made using web-based mass production methods.

Abstract: An EAS tag in which the tag is held to an article by an attaching assembly a part of which is releasably prevented from being withdrawn from the body of the tag. The tag body is provided with an arcuate channel through which an arcuate detacher probe can be guided for releasing the attaching assembly part. A spring clamp provides the releasable preventing function and includes jaws specifically adapted to respond to in-plane torsional forces provided by the arcuate probe which is moved through the arcuate channel by rotation to reach the spring clamp. The tag has improved anti-defeat devices and methods including one or more of the following; a shield to protect the EAS sensor, a shield to protect the releasable spring clamp, a tag self-alarm that alarms upon various unauthorized defeat attempts, an LED to signal an armed condition of the tag alarm, a magnet switch to alarm the tag upon exposure to a relatively strong magnetic field, and a plurality of apertures to decoy the position of the alarm piezo.

Abstract: A surveillance apparatus for use in a camera surveillance system, the surveillance apparatus being microprocessor controlled and including an image blanking unit provided to establish privacy zones in which the video images of the surveillance apparatus are partially or totally blanked out to obscure viewing by an operator. The privacy zones are established by designating triangular areas of the image.

Abstract: Isolated planar conductive structures on separated layers of a PCB provide the normally-open, common, and normally-closed components of an electromechanical relay circuit to minimize inductive area. The isolated planar configuration reduces coupling of relay contact-noise currents to nearby sensitive circuits, and minimizes coupling EMI energy from nearby logic or microprocessor circuits to the relay contact circuits.

Abstract: An integrated self-checkout system and method incorporates access control, electronic article surveillance (EAS), and radio frequency identification (RFID) subsystems, and allows marketing advertisements and pricing to be directed to a specific individual. The customer uses either a cell phone or an interactive personal digital assistant (PDA) when in the store, which displays prices and/or advertisements. The prices and advertisements are selected according to the customer's buying habits. The customer's buying habits are obtained by tracking the customer in the store and recording selected parameters such as the customer's track through the store, the time spent in various locations in the store, items selected by the customer, and items purchased. A database of customer habits is input to a decision program that determines the content of advertisements, and the pricing of various items.

Abstract: An EAS antenna having uniform antenna thickness along the antenna height is provided. The antenna is contains at least two overlapping coils where the individual coil cross-sections are variable with respect to the circumference. If the individual coil thickness is halved at the overlap, the antenna will have uniform thickness along the antenna height. This is accomplished by reducing the number of wire turns per layer along one or more sections of the coil, and simultaneously increasing the number of wire layers on the same sections.