Abstract:
A signal received in an electronic article surveillance system (100) is comb-filtered (150, 150') to remove interference. A second comb-filtering fucntion (154, 154') is provided to detect occasions when the first comb-filtering generates ringing artifacts in response to impulsive noise. Alarm indications (133) are inhibited at times when the artifacts due to impulsive noise are detected. Bandwiths of the filtering functions are adjustable in response to operator input (182).
Abstract:
A longitudinal curvature in an amorphous metal alloy ribbon (32) is reduced by heat-treatment. While the heat-treatment occurs, the alloy ribbon (32) is bent "backwards" against the longitudinal curvature, to reduce the amount of heat-treatment required. The process is carried out continuously by transporting the alloy ribbon (32) from reel (36) to reel (38), while wrapping the ribbon (32) around a heated roller (34). Using a discrete strip cut from the alloy ribbon (32) subjected to the curvature-reducing process, a magnetomechanical EAS marker (24') is constructed that has a relatively low profile, while retaining desired magnetic properties.
Abstract:
A surveillance camera assembly housing (28) is releasably locked to a base (24) for the housing. The base is installed in a ceiling or at another location remote from ground level. A removal tool (22) provided at the end of a pole (136) has fingers (36) which are inserted into apertures in the assembly housing. The tool engages the assembly housing by means of the fingers, while also being operated to release a mechanism which secures the housing to the base. The housing, now secured to the tool, is removed from the base and brought to ground level. In this way, removal of the surveillance camera is accomplished without resort to ladders or scaffolding.
Abstract:
A video surveillance system (10) has a camera equipped with a fisheye lens (20) 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 (20) is mounted vertically above a plane under surveillance. The camera produces a fisheye image (14) made up of a plurality of pixels. The fisheye image (14) is distorted due to the properties of the fisheye lens (20). The system corrects the distortion by mapping the pixels of the fisheye image (14) to coordinates produced by selecting a particular part of the fisheye to be viewed.
Abstract:
A video camera apparatus (1) and a video surveillance system having a video camera are provided with a video compression unit (50) which utilizes quantization for spatial processing and motion vectors for temporal processing. The camera apparatus and surveillance system include a camera (10) with an adjustment mechanism (18) which allows panning, tilting, zooming and focusing of the camera. The adjustment mechanism has a device for generating adjustment indication signals which indicate the state of adjustment of the camera. The adjustment indication signals are generated by a remote control panel or by means of transducers which detect the state of panning, tilting, zooming or focusing. Spatial or temporal processing are traded off, depending on whether the adjustment indication signals indicate movement of the camera or zooming or focusing of the lens. Compressed video signals are received by a monitoring station (220) for decompression and display.
Abstract:
A method for detecting metal using an electronic article surveillance ("EAS") system. The EAS system includes a transmitter and a receiver. An EAS interrogation signal is transmitted to establish the interrogation zone. The EAS interrogation signal is used to detect EAS markers and metal objects within the interrogation zone. The EAS signal is received and a metal object present in the interrogation zone is detected during a metal detection cycle. The metal object is detected based upon perturbations in the received EAS interrogation signal. The metal detection cycle is periodically interspersed with at least one EAS detection cycle.
Abstract:
A method for configuring a pattern recognition system begins by receiving object recognition data from at least one first local image processing system. The object recognition data is stored in at least one global database. Configuration data is determined for a second local image processing system based at least in part upon the received object recognition data from the at least one first image processing system, and then transmitted to the second local image processing system.
Abstract:
A security tag includes an EAS component having a defined surface area, and an RFID component having a defined surface area. The EAS component surface area is configured to at least partially overlap the RFID component surface area. The RFID component includes an antenna which at least partially overlaps the first surface. A substantially planar spacer having a thickness is at least partially disposed between the defined surface areas of the EAS and RFID components. The RFID element read range is affected and controlled by the spacing between the RFID element and the EAS element. The RFID reader is capable of activating the RFID component when the RFID component is within the read range. The antenna includes a magnetic loop antenna in electrical contact with a spiral antenna to increase near field read response.
Abstract:
An apparatus, system and method for creating a repositionable radio frequency identification ("RFID") interrogation zone to locate objects in which the apparatus, system and method includes a radio frequency ("RF") antenna that transmits a RFID interrogation signal to establish the repositionable RFID interrogation zone and receives a reflected RFID reply signal from at least one RFID tag associated with an object in the repositionable RFID interrogation zone, and a handle that is coupled to the RF antenna. The apparatus, system and method can further include a handle being rotatably coupled to the RF antenna about a pivot point that allows angular position adjustment of the RF antenna to the handle, with a trigger switch coupled to the handle.
Abstract:
A radio frequency identification ("RFID") system and RFID tag (500) that include a substrate body (504) having a surface where the substrate body defines a plane of the tag, an RFID integrated circuit (510) disposed on the surface of the substrate body, and an antenna (502) that has an antenna pattern, which is disposed on the substrate body 'and in electrical communication with the RFID integrated circuit, the antenna generating a radiation pattern with maximum gain along an axis that is substantially coplanar with the tag. The antenna can include a first antenna portion (506) and a second antenna portion (508), the first antenna portion forming an antenna pattern in a counterclockwise direction and the second antenna portion forming an antenna pattern in a clockwise direction.