Abstract: A coil array for an EAS marker deactivation device is formed of three co-planar "pancake" coils energized by an a.c. drive signal and arranged to provide significant alternating magnetic fields in each of two orthogonal, horizontal directions. The coil geometry and arrangement are selected to provide smooth field distribution to minimize the possibility of harm to video and audio tapes and other magnetic medium products.

Abstract: Video data storage apparatus stores on a hard disk plural fields of video data and header data associated with each field of video data. The video data is reproduced from the hard disk and the reproduced video data is processed by an image analysis algorithm. Data indicative of the outcome of the image analysis is then recorded on the hard disk as part of the header data.

Abstract: Apparatus for analyzing and storing video data includes a video camera for generating video data and analysis circuitry for analyzing the video data generated by the video camera to detect a predetermined characteristic of the video data. The apparatus also includes first and second storage devices, and routes the analyzed video data to a selected one of the first and second storage devices in response to detection of the predetermined characteristic of the video data.

Abstract: A digital recording device records and displays plural streams of video information. Portions of an image plane are assigned among image streams each generated by a respective video camera. A mouse is used to drag a camera icon into a region corresponding to a portion of the image plane to indicate assignment of the portion of the image plane to the stream of images generated by a corresponding camera. Other operating modes of the recording device are selectable by the user.

Abstract: A video surveillance system has a camera equipped with a fisheye lens having a substantially hemispheric field of view. The system implements operations equivalent to the panning, tilting and zooming of a conventional camera without the use of moving parts. The lens is mounted vertically above a plane under surveillance. The camera produces a fisheye image made up of a plurality of pixels. The fisheye image is distorted due to the properties of the fisheye lens. The system corrects the distortion by mapping the pixels of the fisheye image to coordinates produced by selecting a particular part of the fisheye image to be viewed. This allows an operator to select parts of the field of view of the fisheye lens and view them as if they had been produced by a camera having a conventional lens being panned tilted or zoomed. The fisheye image formed by the camera is split into four separate image components carried by four bundles of optical fibers.

Abstract: A control element for a magnetomechanical EAS marker is formed of an amorphous metalloid that has been annealed so as to be at least partially crystallized while remaining substantially flat. The annealing is preferably a two-stage process applied to induce semi-hard magnetic characteristics in an amorphous metallic material that is magnetically soft as cast. The two stages include a first stage in which the material is annealed for at least one hour at a temperature that is below a crystallization temperature of the material. The first stage results in a reduction in the volume of the material. The second stage is carried out at a temperature that is above the crystallization temperature and for a time sufficient to crystallize the bulk of the material and give it semi-hard magnetic properties. The two-stage annealing process prevents deformation of the material which has resulted from conventional crystallization processes.

Abstract: A device for deactivating a magnetomechanical electronic article surveillance marker includes first, second, third and fourth rectangular coils arranged in a two-by-two array in a common plane. Drive circuitry energizes the coils according to an operating cycle which includes three modes. In the first mode, all four coils are driven with respective alternating currents in phase with each other. In the second mode, the first and second coils are driven in phase with each other and the third and fourth coils are driven substantially in phase with each other and substantially 180.degree. out of phase with the first and second coils. In the third mode, the first and third coils are driven in phase with each other and the second and fourth coils are driven in phase with each other and 180.degree. out of phase with the first and third coils.

Abstract: A video data storage apparatus includes a source of video data including a number of video cameras and digitizing circuitry. Two hard disk drives are provided in the apparatus for storing the video data. Also provided in the apparatus is an archive device such as a back-up tape unit. Video data is stored on one of the hard disks, while concurrently video data is copied from the other hard disk onto the tape backup.

Abstract: A data communication and electronic article surveillance tag includes a data communication transponder and an electronic article surveillance tag.

Abstract: Signals from sixteen video cameras are selectively captured using three video decoding circuits. Each decoding circuit is selectively connectable to each camera. Each of two A/D converters is selectively connectable to each of the three decoding circuits. Two video field buffers are provided to store, respectively, the digital video signals generated by the two A/D converters.

Abstract: An inventory of goods is protected from theft by affixing to at least some of the items of the inventory an electronic article surveillance marker. An indicia which indicates the presence of the marker is also applied to the items of the inventory. In some cases, the indicia may be applied to goods to deter theft thereof even though no EAS marker is present on the goods. The indicia may include a code that indicates to store personnel that no EAS marker is in fact present. When a marker is present, the indicia may provide guidance as to how to activate or deactivate the marker. Information as to what kind of marker is affixed may also be included in the indicia.

Abstract: A marker for a harmonic electronic article surveillance system includes three wires of magnetic material arranged in parallel. The material has a magnetic hysteresis loop with a large Barkhausen discontinuity such that, upon exposure of the marker to an external magnetic field whose field strength in the direction opposing the instantaneous magnetic polarization of the marker exceeds a predetermined threshold value, there results a regenerative reversal of the magnetic polarization in the material. The three wires are coupled at opposite ends thereof by flux concentrating elements formed of a highly permeable material so that all three wires exhibit the regenerative reversal simultaneously on exposure to the above-described magnetic field. The flux concentrators have magnetic anisotropies oriented transversely relative to the length of the wires to aid in coupling the wires for simultaneous switching.

Abstract: A video image data field to be compression-encoded is divided into rectangular blocks. Each of the rectangular blocks is compared with a corresponding block of a reference image to generate comparison data. The block of the image to be encoded is selected for representation if the comparison data for the block meets a selection criterion. Mapping data is generated which is indicative of locations in the image plane corresponding to the selected blocks. The image to be encoded is represented in compressed form by header data, the mapping data and image data representative of the selected blocks.

Abstract: A self-biasing magnetostrictive element for use in a magnetomechanical EAS marker is a strip of amorphous alloy with crystalline particles of semi-hard or hard magnetic material distributed throughout the bulk of the amorphous alloy strip. The crystalline particles are magnetized to bias the amorphous alloy strip to resonate in response to an interrogation signal. The crystalline particles are formed by heat-treating the amorphous alloy strip at a temperature above the Curie temperature of the amorphous alloy in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field. The alloy strip is then cross-field annealed at a temperature below the Curie temperature of the amorphous alloy to form a transverse anisotropy in the amorphous bulk of the alloy strip. A preferred alloy composition includes iron, cobalt, niobium, copper, boron and silicon.

Abstract: A structure for supporting a plurality of recording medium drive units includes a base member supporting a floppy disk drive and a DAT drive, an intermediate member supported on the base member and supporting two hard disk drives, and a top member supported on the intermediate member and supporting one or two hard disk drives.The recording medium drive unit support structure is mounted within a housing, within which are also housed a motherboard, a second printed circuit board and a third printed circuit board. The motherboard has mounted thereon a microprocessor for controlling storage of video data on at least one of the hard disks. The second printed circuit board has integrated circuits mounted thereon for receiving plural streams of video information and for selecting for storage fields of video information included in the streams of video information.

Abstract: In a pulsed-signal magnetomechanical electronic article surveillance system, a single transmit circuit is used to drive two or more parallel-connected interrogation signal transmitting antennas. One or more switchable damping circuits are provided in series with the antennas to promote rapid damping of the interrogation signal at the end of each signal pulse. The damping circuit or circuits are situated to provide damping in the loop or loops formed by the parallel-connected antennas. Each switchable damping circuit is formed of a resistance connected between a respective antenna and a terminal of the transmit circuit, as well as a switching element connected across the resistance. The switching element is maintained in a conducting condition during each signal pulse and is open-circuited at the end of each pulse to bring the resistance into effective damping connection with the transmit antennas.

Abstract: A video surveillance system includes a remotely controllable video camera which generates a video signal, a video switch, a cable for transmitting the video signal from the video camera to the video switch, a control circuit connected to the cable for generating control signals to be transmitted to the video camera via the cable, and a control signal receiver associated with the camera and connected to the cable for receiving the control signals transmitted via the cable. The control signal receiver includes a detection circuit for automatically detecting the length of the cable and generating an adjustment signal indicative of the detected length of the cable. The control signal receiver also includes an adjustable circuit element which is adjusted on the basis of the adjustment signal so as to compensate for the detected length of the cable. The automatic cable compensation in the control signal receiver provides reliable detection of the camera control signals.

Abstract: A surveillance device having a camera and lens assembly in which a condition of the assembly is controllable by a movable part and in which a closed loop digital motion control system is used to control the movable part and, therefore, the condition. The closed loop motion control system includes a dedicated digital signal processor which is used exclusively to control the movable part. The digital motion control system also includes a drive motor which is responsive to the digital signal processor and a digital encoder which monitors the position of the movable part and provides encoded position signals to the processor. Movable parts for the pan and tilt assemblies of the surveillance device are controlled by separate closed loop motion control systems each having its own dedicated digital signal processor.

Abstract: A harmonic-type EAS marker includes a wire segment formed of cobalt alloy. To form the wire segment, the cobalt alloy is cast as an amorphous wire, die-drawn to a smaller diameter, and then annealed with application of longitudinal tension. The annealed wire is cut to produce wire segments which have a magnetic hysteresis loop with a large Barkhausen discontinuity at a lower threshold level than has previously been achieved.

Abstract: A deactivation device for use in an EAS system and comprising a detection transmit means operable to transmit a detection field into a detection/deactivation area, a detecting means operable to sense a signal from an EAS tag responsive to the detection field, and a deactivating means for transmitting a deactivating field into the detection/deactivation area operable to deactivate said active EAS tag, and wherein said detection transmit means and said deactivating means use a common coil to transmit the respective fields.