Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a pedestal of an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system. The methods comprise: capturing at least one first image or video by a camera coupled to the pedestal; analyzing the at least one first image or video to detect a person's presence and determine the person's location relative to the camera; determining a first beam pointing direction for the pedestal based on results of the analysis of the at least one first image or video; and steering a read beam of the pedestal in accordance with the first beam pointing direction so that a main lobe of the pedestal's antenna field pattern covers a first area of an interrogation zone.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a reader. The methods comprise: supplying power from the reader to an external sensor using a single cable that (A) connects the reader to both an external antenna and the external sensor and (B) is used for data communications between the reader, the external antenna and the external sensor; receiving, by the reader via the single cable, a sensor signal comprising information indicating the external sensor's detection of an individual's presence in proximity thereto, where the sensor signal has a frequency that is outside the antenna's transmit frequency; initiating tag read operations of the reader in response to the sensor information's reception at the reader; and communicating an interrogation signal for tag reading from the reader to the external antenna via the single cable, where the interrogation signal has a frequency which is outside the external sensor's receive frequency band.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a pedestal of an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system. The methods comprise: capturing at least one first image or video by a camera coupled to the pedestal; analyzing the at least one first image or video to detect a person's presence and determine the person's location relative to the camera; determining a first beam pointing direction for the pedestal based on results of the analysis of the at least one first image or video; and steering a read beam of the pedestal in accordance with the first beam pointing direction so that a main lobe of the pedestal's antenna field pattern covers a first area of an interrogation zone.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a reader. The methods comprise: supplying power from the reader to an external sensor using a single cable that (A) connects the reader to both an external antenna and the external sensor and (B) is used for data communications between the reader, the external antenna and the external sensor; receiving, by the reader via the single cable, a sensor signal comprising information indicating the external sensor's detection of an individual's presence in proximity thereto, where the sensor signal has a frequency that is outside the antenna's transmit frequency; initiating tag read operations of the reader in response to the sensor information's reception at the reader; and communicating an interrogation signal for tag reading from the reader to the external antenna via the single cable, where the interrogation signal has a frequency which is outside the external sensor's receive frequency band.