Methods and apparatuses for removing a security tag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11526684-B2
Application number	US-202017014482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Oct 8, 2019
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media for receiving a confirmation signal to unlock the security tag being detachably locked to a merchandise, wherein the confirmation signal includes a RFID device identifier associated with a RFID device of the security tag, and the RFID device is associated with a wireless device of the security tag, identifying the wireless device associated with the RFID device based on the RFID device identifier, transmitting a wireless signal to the wireless device to enable a controller to receive a release signal used to unlock the security tag from the merchandise, and transmitting the release signal to the controller to unlock the security tag from the merchandise.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of unlocking a security tag by a scanner, comprising:
receiving a confirmation signal to unlock the security tag being detachably locked to a merchandise, wherein the confirmation signal includes a RFID device identifier associated with a RFID device of the security tag, and the RFID device is associated with a wireless device of the security tag;
identifying the wireless device associated with the RFID device based on the RFID device identifier;
transmitting, from the scanner to the RFID device, a wireless signal to the wireless device to enable a controller of the RFID device to receive a release signal used to unlock the security tag from the merchandise, wherein the controller is unable to receive the release signal without receiving the wireless signal beforehand; and
transmitting, from the scanner to the RFID device after the transmission of the wireless signal, the release signal to the controller to unlock the security tag from the merchandise, wherein the release signal is different from the wireless signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal is a Bluetooth signal, a Wireless Fidelity signal, or a Near-Field Communication signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the wireless device comprises:
transmitting the RFID device identifier to a server storing an association between the wireless device and the RFID device; and
receiving a wireless device identifier associated with the wireless device, wherein the wireless device identifier is associated with the RFID device identifier.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the wireless device identifier is one of a hardware address of the wireless device or a portion of a hardware address of the wireless device, and the RFID device identifier is one of a hardware address of the RFID device or a portion of the hardware address of the RFID device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an energy of the release signal is used to generate an unlocking signal for unlocking the security tag.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal is encrypted.

7. A scanner, comprising:
a release signal transmitter; a transceiver;
memory that stores instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
receive a confirmation signal to unlock a security tag being detachably locked to a merchandise, wherein the confirmation signal includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) device identifier associated with a RFID device of the security tag and the RFID device is associated with a wireless device of the security tag;
identify the wireless device associated with the RFID device based on the RFID device identifier;
cause the transceiver to transmit, from the scanner to the RFID device, a wireless signal to the wireless device to enable a controller of the RFID device to receive a release signal used to unlock the security tag from the merchandise, wherein the controller is unable to receive the release signal without receiving the wireless signal beforehand; and
cause the release signal transmitter to transmit, from the scanner to the RFID device after the transmission of the wireless signal, the release signal to the controller to unlock the security tag from the merchandise, wherein the release signal is different from the wireless signal.

8. The scanner of claim 7 , wherein the wireless signal is a Bluetooth signal, a Wireless Fidelity signal, or a Near-Field Communication signal.

9. The scanner of claim 7 , wherein to identify the wireless device the processor is configured to:
transmit the RFID device identifier to a server storing an association between the wireless device and the RFID device; and
receive a wireless device identifier associated with the wireless device, wherein the wireless device identifier is associated with the RFID device identifier.

10. The scanner of claim 9 , wherein the wireless device identifier is one of a hardware address of the wireless device or a portion of a hardware address of the wireless device, and the RFID device identifier is one of a hardware address of the RFID device or a portion of the hardware address of the RFID device.

11. The scanner of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of an energy of the release signal is used to generate an unlocking signal for unlocking the security tag.

12. The scanner of claim 7 , wherein the wireless signal is encrypted.

13. A method by a security tag, comprising:
receiving a wireless signal transmitted by a scanner to enable a controller of the security tag to receive a release signal used to detach the security tag from a merchandise, wherein the controller is unable to receive the release signal without receiving the wireless signal beforehand;
sending an enablement signal, in response to receiving the wireless signal, to the controller to receive the release signal;
receiving the release signal transmitted by the scanner after the reception of the wireless signal, wherein the release signal is different from the wireless signal;
generating an unlocking signal, in response to receiving the release signal, for unlocking a lock mechanism of the security tag, wherein a first electrical energy of the unlocking signal is derived from at least a portion of a second electrical energy of the release signal; and
sending an unlocking signal to the lock mechanism to detach the security tag from the merchandise.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless signal is a Bluetooth signal, a Wireless Fidelity signal, or a Near-Field Communication signal.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless signal is encrypted.

16. A security tag, comprising:
a wireless device configured to:
receive a wireless signal transmitted by a scanner to enable a controller of the security tag to receive a release signal used to detach the security tag from a merchandise, wherein the controller is unable to receive the release signal without receiving the wireless signal beforehand; and
send an enablement signal, in response to receiving the wireless signal, to the controller to receive the release signal;

the controller configured to:
receive the release signal transmitted by the scanner after the reception of the wireless signal, wherein the release signal is different from the wireless signal;
generate an unlocking signal, in response to receiving the release signal, for unlocking a lock mechanism of the security tag, wherein a first electrical energy of the unlocking signal is derived from at least a portion of a second electrical energy of the release signal; and
send an unlocking signal to the lock mechanism to detach the security tag from the merchandise; and
the lock mechanism configured to unlock in response to receiving the unlocking signal.

17. The security tag of claim 16 , wherein the wireless device is a Bluetooth device, a Wireless Fidelity device, or a Near-Field Communications device.

18. The security tag of claim 16 , wherein the wireless signal is encrypted.

19. A method by a security tag, comprising:
receiving a release signal transmitted by a scanner having a signal waveform;
determining whether the signal waveform is substantially identical to a predetermined waveform;
generating an unlocking signal, in response to determining that the signal waveform is substantially identical to the predetermined waveform, for unlocking a lock mechanism of the security tag, wherein a first electrical energy of the unlocking signal is derived from at least a portion of a second electrical energy

Assignees

• Sensormatic Electronics Llc

Inventors

• Bergman Adam S
• Soto Manuel A
• Trivelpiece Steve E

Classifications

• G07C9/29

  the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards · CPC title

• E05B73/0017 Primary

  Anti-theft devices, e.g. tags or monitors, fixed to articles, e.g. clothes, and to be removed at the check-out of shops · CPC title

• G08B13/2417 Primary

  having a radio frequency identification chip · CPC title

• G06K7/10366 Primary

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G06K19/0723

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title