Abstract: An EAS (electronic article surveillance) system and tag of type responsive to incident energy comprising EAS messages and other messages related to pricing and identification of articles includes circuitry for response to such EAS messages and for the receipt, storage and issuance of such pricing and article identification data, message generator apparatus for transmitting such EAS and other messages in the form of tag incident energy, and apparatus for interrogating the tags to cause such tag issuance of such stored pricing and identification data. An inventory store is responsive to issuance of tag stored identification data to decrement the inventory store and the use of article price totalizer apparatus responsive to the tag issuance of such stored pricing data. Further, the tag includes display apparatus for visual presentation of such pricing data.

Abstract: An electronic digital compass utilizes an amorphous magnetostrictive wire 100 exhibiting reentrant behavior as a core. A sense wiring 104 is wrapped about the core and the core is driven with a triangular wave through a drive coil 102. The earth's magnetic field biases the core 100 such that when the core 100 is driven to reentrant jumps the time duration between adjacent pulses induced into the sense winding 104 is related to the heading. A pair of such arrangements are used in physical 90 degree relationship to resolve ambiguities in heading angle. The resulting heading angle calculation is a true digital product which is independent of analog amplitude variations and requires little or no adjustment for high accuracy.

Abstract: Alarm tags releasably attachable to articles to be monitored in a retail installation or the like have enhanced operational capabilities giving rise to an improved likelihood of detection of article theft. The system has a transmitter unit which radiates signals containing diverse message contents. The tags each include an attachment device for releasably securing the tag to an article, a receiver unit for receiving such radiated signals and decoding the messages therein, an alarm unit and a signal processor, the latter being responsive to the state of the attachment device and to decoded messages for selectively operating the alarm unit to provide sensible output alarm indication.In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a transmitter in an exit area of the retail installation which radiates a signal containing a first message for receipt only by tags in such area and has a transmitter in a checkout area which radiates signals containing various selectable messages for article checkout purposes.

Abstract: A wraparound enclosure has two sections, joined by a hinged strap member, which telescopingly engage when applied around an article to form a right rectangular parallelepiped. A microwave detectable tag is secured on the interior to one wall of the enclosure. The sections are interlocked in the closed condition by three pairs of latches and strikes, two on each of three sides of the enclosure. Typically the enclosure may be installed around a container holding a cassette of magnetic recording tape. For authorized removal of the cassette and its container from a protected area such as a store, the enclosure is removed by insertion in a releasing mechanism having means for grasping one section while applying spring pressure against the enclosed container through an opening in the grasped section. A lever, upon being depressed, actuates a series of rocker plates with fingers to simultaneously engage and release all of the latches whereupon the enclosure springs open.

Abstract: A floor mat consisting of a conductive grid laminated to a conductive sheet with a layer of dielectric material therebetween to form a capacitor is disposed between the pedestals that house means for radiating a microwave signal through a surveillance area. A low frequency signal is applied to the capacitor mat for direct capacitive coupling through the body of a pedestrian to any surveillance tag carried thereon.

Abstract: The monitor has means for automatically initiating a counter which displays accumulated bottom time and surface interval and means for preventing resetting until a safe surface interval has elapsed.