US20090289769A1 - Method and System for Tracking Containers Having Metallic Portions, Cover for Containers Having Metallic Portions, Tags for Use With Container Having Metallic Portions and Methods of Calibrating Such Tags - Google Patents
Method and System for Tracking Containers Having Metallic Portions, Cover for Containers Having Metallic Portions, Tags for Use With Container Having Metallic Portions and Methods of Calibrating Such Tags Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20090289769A1 US20090289769A1 US12/533,421 US53342109A US2009289769A1 US 20090289769 A1 US20090289769 A1 US 20090289769A1 US 53342109 A US53342109 A US 53342109A US 2009289769 A1 US2009289769 A1 US 2009289769A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- tag
- container
- security
- security device
- recess
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/20—External fittings
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/20—External fittings
- B65D25/205—Means for the attachment of labels, cards, coupons or the like
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
- G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
- G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
- G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
- G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
- G06K19/07749—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
- G06K19/07771—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card the record carrier comprising means for minimising adverse effects on the data communication capability of the record carrier, e.g. minimising Eddy currents induced in a proximate metal or otherwise electromagnetically interfering object
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
- G08B13/02—Mechanical actuation
- G08B13/14—Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
- G08B13/22—Electrical actuation
- G08B13/24—Electrical actuation by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
- G08B13/2402—Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting
- G08B13/2428—Tag details
- G08B13/2437—Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
- G08B13/2445—Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2203/00—Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators
- B65D2203/10—Transponders
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to security systems and devices for use with containers having some metallic portion to hold a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., and more particularly, to devices for holding such a tag on the container such that an RF receiver is able to readily discern a return signal from the tag, to systems making use of such devices, and to methods of using such systems and calibrating such tags.
- a security tag e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc.
- EAS electronic article surveillance
- RFID radio frequency identification
- EAS, RFID and other types of electronic security tags can be and are used mounted or secured to many different products, e.g., books, pallets, containers, and electronics.
- products that are housed in containers or cans having metallic portions, e.g., containers or cans for baby foods and other foodstuffs, etc. have not been effectively tagged.
- plastic has inherent limitations for housing such products. For example, plastic may allow trace amounts of bacteria through it.
- Baby food manufacturers are particularly sensitive to the limitations of plastics as a container medium and consequentially, many such manufacturers make their containers or cans out of cardboard tubular midsection having a pressed, thin aluminum foil around the outside of the midsection as a means for preventing liquid leakage out of the container.
- the lid and the base of the can or container are generally made of a thin aluminum sheet.
- a relatively thick, annular aluminum annular ring serves to join the lid to the cardboard midsection, a similar ring serves to join the base to the cardboard midsection. This arrangement provides an inexpensive, easily manufactured, waterproof container that can safely hold foodstuffs.
- such containers include so much metal that they cannot be effectively tagged with an EAS, RFID or other electromagnetic radiation based tag, since the metal of the container will interfere with the electromagnetic properties of the tag, e.g., the metal portion of the can will reduce the amplitude of the return signal from the tag. Moreover, the metallic portion of the container also tends acts as an antenna, thereby altering the frequency response of the tag.
- the tag is capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter, e.g., a transceiver, and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver, e.g., the transceiver.
- the device has a holding portion and is arranged to be secured to the container, whereupon the holding portion is located over or under the metallic portion of the container.
- the holding portion of the device is arranged to hold the tag in place over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- a security device for attachment to a container.
- the security device comprising a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., and a tag holder for mounting the tag on the container.
- the container has a metallic portion onto which the security tag is desired to be secured, said security tag being capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from. a transmitter, e.g., transceiver, and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver, e.g., the transceiver.
- the tag holder includes a holding portion for holding the tag thereon.
- the tag holder is arranged to be secured to the container over the metallic portion of the container so that the holding portion holds the tag in place over, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- a conventional container e.g., a baby food container
- a security tag e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc.
- the container has a metallic portion onto which the security tag is desired to be secured.
- the security tag is capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter, e.g., a transceiver, and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver, e.g., the transceiver.
- the tag holder includes a holding portion on which the tag is secured.
- the tag holder is arranged to be secured to the container so that the holding portion holds the tag in place over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of said tag with the receiver.
- a system for monitoring the presence of a container having a metallic portion comprises a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., a tag holder and a transmitter and a receiver, e.g., a transceiver.
- the tag is capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from the transmitter and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to the receiver.
- the tag holder includes a holding portion and is adapted to be secured to the container so that the holding portion holds the security tag on the container over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not interfere with the proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- a method of tagging a container having a metallic portion with a security tag e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc.
- the method basically entails providing a security tag capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter and returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver.
- the tag is disposed and secured to the container over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- a method of calibrating a security tag e.g., an EAS tag, a RFID tag, etc.
- the method entails providing a security tag capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter and for returning a discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver when operating in free space.
- the tag is disposed over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of said container.
- An electromagnetic signal is transmitted to the, whereupon said tag provides a discernable return signal as a function of its location with respect to the metallic portion of the container.
- the frequency and magnitude of the return sign is determined and, if necessary, at least one electrical parameter of the tag is modified, so that the return signal provided by the tag is within a desired frequency range, e.g., 13.56 MHz, 8.2 MHz +/ ⁇ 0.5 MHz, etc., and of a minimum amplitude.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one exemplary, prior art, type of container for which the subject invention is of particular utility;
- FIG. 2 is a view, like that of FIG. 1 , but showing the bottom of the prior art container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one exemplary EAS tag constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention and which is arranged for securement to either the top or the bottom of the container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
- FIG. 4A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of one exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that of FIG. 3 on the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown in FIG. 4A ;
- FIG. 5A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that of FIG. 3 on the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown in FIG. 5A ;
- FIG. 6A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of still another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that of FIG. 3 on the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 6B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown in FIG. 6A ;
- FIG. 7A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of still another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that of FIG. 3 on the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 7B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 8 is an exploded side elevation view, of still another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that of FIG. 3 and which is adapted to be mounted on the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 9 is a side elevation view, partially in section, showing the embodiment of the holding device of FIG. 8 and the tag of FIG. 3 ready to be mounted on the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4A one exemplary embodiment of a holding device 20 constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention for holding a security, e.g., RF, RFID, etc., tag 200 ( FIG. 3 ) on a conventional container or can 10 having at least one metallic portion.
- the device 20 of FIG. 4A enables a security tag to be mounted on the container adjacent the metallic portion of the container to operate, e.g., respond to an interrogation signal, in a manner similar to a tag on a non-metallic container. Accordingly, a metallic container making use of this invention can be protected from theft, tracked and/or identified as has been accomplished with tags on non-metallic containers.
- the container or can 10 can be of any type of construction, such as a conventional can shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , or any other type of hollow container having at least one wall portion formed of metal.
- the tag can be of conventional construction, e.g., a conventionally constructed EAS tag, or can be a larger area, e.g., circular shaped, tag, constructed in accordance with another aspect of this invention.
- One such tag is the exemplary tag 200 shown in FIG. 3 .
- the container or can 10 basically comprises cylindrical mid-section or side wall 10 A, a top wall 10 B, a bottom wall 10 C ( FIG. 2 ), a top bead 10 D extending about the periphery of the side wall 10 A at the interface of the side wall and the top wall and a bottom bead 10 E extending about the periphery of the side wall at the interface of the side wall and the bottom wall.
- the side wall is a tubular member that may be formed of cardboard with a metallic, e.g., aluminum, inner lining (not shown) or may be made up entirely of metal, e.g., aluminum.
- the top wall or lid 10 B is a generally planar member of circular profile and can be made up of any suitable material, e.g., aluminum.
- the bottom wall or base 10 C is of similar construction to the top wall 10 B, except that the top wall may be constructed, e.g., have a weaken or frangible line 10 F extending about its periphery, to be readily removed by pulling it off of the container to provide access to the contents of the container.
- the top wall or lid 10 B may include a conventional pull tab 12 .
- the beads 10 D and 10 E are of identical construction, e.g., each is formed of aluminum.
- the bead 10 D serves to fixedly secure the lid 10 B to the side wall 10 A.
- the bead 10 E serves to fixedly secure the base 10 C to the side wall 10 A. It should be pointed out at this juncture that the metal portions of the container 10 can be formed of other metals than aluminum, if desired.
- the exemplary tag 200 of this invention will be described later. Suffice for now to state that it is similar in construction to activatable/deactivatable swept frequency EAS tags sold by Checkpoint Systems, Inc., of Thorofare, N.J., the assignee of this invention, except that it is somewhat larger in size and of circular profile to enable it to cover most of the area of either the lid 10 B or base 10 C of the container 10 when it is mounted thereon by a mounting device constructed in accordance with this invention, e.g., a device like device 20 of FIG. 4A .
- the security tag 200 has the same basic structure as that disclosed in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No.
- the diameter of tag 200 is 3 inches to 4.5 inches, whereas the tag of the '445 patent has a surface area of about 2.5 sq. in. Moreover, the tag 200 is circular in shape, whereas the tag of '445 patent is square in shape.
- the circular shape of tag 200 has renders the tag more efficient per unit area than tags of square or rectangular profile. Thus, when the energy demands of the tag are high, and the space one can fit the tag into is small, a circular tag is preferable. Otherwise, a square or rectangular profile tag can be used in place of the circular tag.
- the surface area of the square or rectangular tag will need to be greater than the circular tag, for a given application. If the container is a different shape, e.g., the portion on which the tag is to be located, the largest circular tag that can be fitted into that shape is preferred.
- tag 200 basically comprises a pair of electrically conductive patterns or traces, to be described hereinafter, to form the electrical circuitry of the tag.
- the tag 200 is an EAS resonant tag in the form of a coil L and a pair of capacitors C 1 and C 2 , with the electrically conductive traces making up those electrical components.
- the tag 200 includes a first electrically conductive trace 202 and a second electrically conductive trace 204 .
- the traces are formed of any suitable electrically conductive material, e.g., aluminum.
- the first electrically conductive trace 202 is in the form of a spiral coil that is of constant width along its length except for its end portions 202 A and 202 B.
- the coil forms the inductor L.
- the end portion 202 A at the inner end of the coil 202 is of an enlarged, e.g., bulbous, area to form a first plate of a first capacitor, namely, capacitor C 1 .
- the end portion 202 B at the outer end of the coil 202 is also enlarged to form a first plate of a second capacitor, namely, capacitor C 2 .
- the second trace 204 is disposed over the first trace and is an elongated, generally linear, strip that is of constant width along its length except for its end portions 204 A, and 204 B.
- the end portion 204 A at the inner end of the strip 204 is of an enlarged, e.g., bulbous, area to form the second plate of the first capacitor C 1 .
- the end portion 204 B at the outer end of the strip 204 is also of an enlarged area to form the second plate of the second capacitor C 2 .
- a dielectric layer 206 such as a film of polyethylene, only a portion of which is shown, is interposed between the two electrically conductive traces 202 and 204 .
- the dielectric layer 206 serves as the dielectric between the plates of the first and second capacitors C 1 and C 2 , respectively.
- the electrical properties of the resonant circuit created by the traces 202 and 204 can be adjusted by changing the geometry and/or the materials making up the traces and/or by changing the thickness and/or material(s) making up the dielectric film 206 .
- the adjustment of the electrical properties of the tag is important to enable the tag to be appropriately calibrated for use with a particular container construction and holding device constructions, as will be described in detail later.
- the tag 200 may be mounted on a paper layer or some other substrate, such as substrate 208 , to facilitate its securement to a holding device constructed in accordance with this invention, or to the article to be tagged (if no holding device is necessary, e.g., if the container doesn't include any metallic portion over which the tag is to be placed).
- the substrate 206 may include an adhesive (not shown) on it.
- the tag 20 when mounted on the container 10 by means of a mounting device constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly suitable for use in a conventional EAS security system.
- conventional EAS equipment e.g., an RF pedestal including a transceiver
- the inductor/capacitor circuit of the tag 200 is resonant within that transmitted frequency band, e.g., at approximately 8.2 MHz +/ ⁇ 0.5 MHz.
- the presence of a non-deactivated tag within the field of that transmitted RF signal distorts the signal and that distortion is detected by the receiver portion of the transceiver, which then produces an alarm. If however, the tag has been deactived, an alarm signal will not be produced when the tag is within the field.
- the holding device 20 basically comprises a cap which is arranged to be secured to the container 10 over its lid or top wall 10 B.
- the cap could just as easily be secured over the base or bottom wall 10 C.
- the cap basically comprises a disk-like member 22 and an ring-like insert 24 , each of which is preferably made of plastic or some other non-metal.
- the member 22 is in the form of a generally planar wall 26 of circular profile having a downwardly depending annular flange 28 .
- the inner surface of the flange 28 includes an internal helical thread 30 .
- the insert 24 is in the form of a ring having an upper annular portion 32 and a lower annular portion 34
- the upper annular portion 32 has an outside diameter that is approximately equal to the inside diameter of the annular flange 28 and includes an external helical thread 36 for engagement with the internal helical thread 30 .
- the engagement of the threads 30 and 36 releasably secures the disk-like member 22 to the ring-like insert 24 .
- the lower annular portion 34 depends downward from the upper portion 32 and is of larger outside diameter than the outside diameter of the upper portion 32 .
- the inner surface of the lower annular portion 34 includes an annular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper or lower beads 10 D and 10 E, respectively, of the can 10 .
- the recess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembled cap 22 on the can 10 .
- the bottom end of the lower annular portion 34 of the ring-like insert includes a projection or lip having a cam surface 40 extending inward radially.
- This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over the cam surface 40 and into the contiguous recess 38 , thereby releasably locking the holding device (cap) 20 in place on the can.
- the undersurface 26 A of the holding device 20 When so mounted the undersurface 26 A of the holding device 20 will be spaced from the metallic lid of the can 10 .
- the undersurface 26 A thus can serve as the location for mounting the security tag, e.g., tag 200 , to space the tag from the metal of the lid 10 B (or the base 10 C, if the cap 20 is mounted over the base).
- the security tag e.g., tag 200
- the signal compromising effect of that metal is overcome.
- the spacing of the tag from the metal lid overcomes the signal amplitude attenuating effect of the metal of the lid.
- the amount of spacing between the tag and the metal lid or base can be determined empirically or otherwise to enable the tag when mounted on the can to provide a discernable return signal of a desired amplitude and within a desired frequency range to be readily read by the receiver of the security system.
- the manner of calibrating the tag for such operation will be described later.
- the tag 20 can be held onto the undersurface 26 A of the holding device or cap 20 in various manners.
- an adhesive is used. That adhesive may be in the form of a coating 210 on the substrate 208 of the tag 200 .
- the holding device (cap) 20 is snap-fit on the container 10 , it may be readily removed by the user (purchaser) of the product to provide the user with access to the lid (or base, as the case may be) of the container. In particular, all that is required to provide such access is for the user to pull the cap 20 upward with respect to the can 10 , whereupon the bead 10 D will exit from the annular recess 38 , thereby freeing the cap from the can. The user can then open the can's lid 10 B by merely pulling on the pull tab 12 .
- a seal or wrap can be provided about the holding device and the container to hold the two together.
- a wrap 42 in the form of a heat shrinkable band, may be provided about the entire holding device/can combination or only about the holding device and a contiguous portion of the can.
- the wrap need not be heat shrinkable.
- Other mechanisms for sealing the cap 20 onto the container are envisioned, such as using an adhesive seal, a paper seal, or using a cap integrally formed on the container. The last option is similar to the way milk containers are sealed.
- FIGS. 7A and 7B there is shown an alternative embodiment of a holding device or cap 120 constructed in accordance with this invention.
- the cap 120 is similar in most respects to the holding device 20 , except that it is a unitary structure that is not made up of a disk-like member and ring-like insert.
- the holding device 120 makes use of a spacer, to be described later, that is located between the metal portion of the can 10 and the portion of the holding device 120 at which the security tag 200 is located.
- the common components of the holding devices 20 and 120 will be given the same reference numbers.
- the holding device 120 basically comprises a integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generally planar wall 126 of circular profile and a downwardly depending annular flange 128 .
- the inner surface of the annular flange 128 includes an annular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper or lower beads 10 D and 10 E, respectively, of the can 10 .
- the recess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembled cap 120 on the can 10 .
- the bottom end of the lower annular portion 34 of the ring-like insert includes a projection having a cam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over its outer surface and into the contiguous recess, thereby releasably locking the holding device 120 in place on the can 10 .
- the planar wall 126 includes an undersurface 126 A, which like the embodiment 20 serves as the location for mounting the security tag 200 , whereupon the tag of the holding device will be spaced from the metallic lid of the can 10 .
- a physical spacer element 102 is provided in the holding device 120 to sandwich the tag 200 between it and the undersurface 126 A of the cap 120 .
- the spacer 102 basically comprises a disk-like member formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal.
- the outside diameter of the spacer is approximately equal to the inside diameter of the annular flange 128 , and the thickness of the spacer is such that its lower surface is flush with the upper edge of the annular recess 28 when the tag is sandwiched therebetween, as clearly shown in FIG. 7A .
- the tag 200 can be held in place by an adhesive layer 210 as described earlier. Since the tag will be sandwiched between the spacer 102 and the undersurface 126 of the cap member the adhesive 210 may be omitted.
- the holding device 120 may make use of a wrap 42 to hold it in place on the container to deter its removal from the container.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a holding device 220 of this invention.
- the holding device 220 is perhaps the most preferred of the various embodiments since it is constructed to have a portion serving as a label for the container 10 to which the device 220 is secured.
- the device 220 includes various features common to the holding devices 20 and 120 . In the interest of brevity the common components of those devices will be given the same reference numbers.
- the holding device or cap 220 basically comprises an integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generally planar central wall 226 of circular profile, a downwardly depending annular flange 228 and an upwardly depending annular flange 230 .
- the inner surface of the downwardly depending annular flange 128 includes an annular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper or lower beads 10 D and 10 E, respectively, of the can 10 .
- the recess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembled cap 220 on the can 10 .
- the bottom end of the lower annular portion 34 of the ring-like insert includes a projection having a cam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over its outer surface and into the contiguous recess, thereby releasably locking the holding device 220 in place on the can 10 .
- the planar wall 226 includes a stepped circular shaped recess 232 in its top surface.
- the recess 232 includes a lower section 232 A and an upper section 232 B,
- the inside diameter of the upper section is larger than the inside diameter of the lower section to form an annular ledge 232 C.
- This surface serves to receive an annular disk-like member 234 , which can be used to form a label for the device/article to be tagged.
- the label 234 basically comprises a sheet of plastic, cardboard, paper or some other material which can bear indicia, e.g, text, graphics, etc., thereon.
- the outside diameter of the label 234 is slightly less than the inside diameter of the recess section 232 A so that its peripheral edge can rest on and be secured by means, e.g., an adhesive (not shown) to the top surface of the ledge 232 C.
- the undersurface of the label 234 serves as the location on which the tag 200 is mounted. To that end, the tag is secured to the undersurface of the label 234 by the adhesive 210 .
- the height of the recess section 232 B is selected to be at least equal to the thickness of the label 232 .
- the height of the recess section 232 A is selected to be at least equal to the combined thickness of the tag 200 and the adhesive layer 210 .
- the label fits flush within the cap as shown in FIG. 5A , with the thickness of the planar wall 226 spacing the tag from the metal lid 10 B of the container.
- the adhesive securement of the label to the cap device 220 prevents the surreptitious removal of the tag.
- the holding device 220 may make use of a wrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the device.
- FIGS. 6A and 6B there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a holding device or cap 320 constructed in accordance with this invention.
- the holding device 320 is similar in many respects to the holding device 220 in that it makes use of a label to serve as the means for holding the tag in place.
- the holding device 320 basically comprises an integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generally planar central wall 326 of circular profile, a downwardly depending annular flange 328 and an upwardly depending annular flange 330 .
- the inner surface of the downwardly depending annular flange 128 includes an annular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper or lower beads 10 D and 10 E, respectively, of the can 10 .
- the recess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembled cap 320 on the can 10 .
- the bottom end of the lower annular portion 328 includes a projection having a cam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over its outer surface and into the contiguous recess, thereby releasably locking the holding device 220 in place on the can 10 .
- the upper annular flange 330 includes a top surface 332 in which an annular recess 334 is located.
- a pair of opposed annular lips 336 extend towards each other on opposite sides of the recess 334 contiguous with the top surface 332 .
- the lips 336 are angled slightly downward to create a tapering entryway to the recess 334 . This entryway and recess serves as the means for securing a label to the cap device 320 , as will be described hereinafter.
- the label basically comprises a disk-like member 338 of circular profile and which can bear indicia, e.g, text, graphics, etc., thereon.
- the undersurface of the label serves as the location for mounting the security tag 200 in the same manner as described earlier, e.g., via the use of the adhesive 210 .
- the label is arranged to be secured to the cap device 320 via the recess 334 .
- an annular ridge 340 projects downward from the undersurface of the label member 338 closely adjacent the periphery thereof. The ridge in cross-section resembles an arrowhead.
- the label 338 with the tag secured to its bottom surface as described above when placed over the cap device 320 it can be pressed downward to secure it to the cap device.
- the downward push causes the arrowhead portion of the label's ridge 338 to pass through the tapering entryway to the recess 334 , thereby causing the lips 336 to flex to enable the arrowhead portion of the ridge to pass therethrough into the recess.
- the lips flex back to lock the arrowhead portion of the ridge within the recess. This action effectively secures the label 338 onto the cap device 320 , thereby preventing surreptitious removal of the tag 200 .
- the holding device 320 may make use of a wrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the device.
- FIG. 8 there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a holding device 420 constructed in accordance with this invention.
- the holding device 420 is similar in many respects to the holding device 120 in that it makes use of a unitary construction, but does not include a spacer element and includes alternative means for securing the tag 200 in place.
- the holding device or cap 420 basically comprises an integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generally planar central wall 426 of circular profile, a downwardly depending annular flange 428 , and an intermediate annular flange 430 .
- the intermediate flange extends radially inward from the inner surface of the downwardly depending annular flange 428 .
- the inner surface of the downwardly depending annular flange 428 includes an annular recess 38 located immediately below the intermediate flange 430 .
- the annular recess 28 has an inside diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper or lower beads 10 D and 10 E, respectively, of the container 10 to enable it to receive either the top or bottom beads of the container to secure the holding device 420 on the container in the same manner as described earlier.
- the tag 200 is arranged to be secured to the undersurface of the generally planar central wall 426 without the use of any adhesive.
- an annular wall or ridge 432 projects downward from the undersurface of the central wall 426 .
- An annular recess 434 is located in the ridge 432 to enable the circular tag 200 to be snap-fit therein.
- the bottom end of the annular ridge 432 includes a projection having a cam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the periphery of the circular tag 200 to slide over its cam surface and into the contiguous recess 434 , thereby locking the tag 200 in place in that recess under the central wall 426 of the cap 420 .
- the tag 200 When the tag is so mounted and the holding device or cap 420 is mounted on the container 10 the tag 200 will be spaced from the metallic lid of the can 10 .
- the holding device 420 may make use of a wrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the device.
- FIG. 9 there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a holding device 520 constructed in accordance with this invention.
- the holding device 520 is similar in many respects to the holding device 420 except that it makes use of the adhesive securement of the tag to the device.
- the holding device or cap 520 basically comprises an integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generally planar central wall 426 of circular profile, a downwardly depending annular flange 428 , and an intermediate annular flange 430 .
- the intermediate flange extends radially inward from the inner surface of the downwardly depending annular flange 428 .
- the inner surface of the downwardly depending annular flange 428 includes an annular recess 38 located immediately below the intermediate flange 430 .
- the annular recess 28 has an inside diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper or lower beads 10 D and 10 E, respectively, of the container 10 to enable it to receive either the top or bottom beads to secure the holding device 420 on the container in the same manner as described earlier.
- the tag 200 is arranged to be secured to the undersurface of the generally planar central wall 426 of the holding device 520 by use of an adhesive.
- the adhesive is preferably in the form of a coating 210 on the substrate 208 of the tag 200 .
- the holding device 520 may make use of a wrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the holding device.
- a holding device or cap of this invention may not include the annular recess for securing it to a container.
- other securing mechanisms could be used, such as grooves, adhesives, fasteners, or other devices.
- some embodiments merely space the tag from the metal portion of the container by air, other embodiments make use of a physical spacer element, essentially sandwiching the tag between the top of the cap and the spacer element.
- the spacer like the cap itself, is preferably made of plastic for economic & magnetic purposes as it is readily available and a dielectric. However, other materials may be substituted for plastic, as known in the art.
- Calibration of the tag/holding device for use on a particular container is accomplished in the following general manner.
- the following utlines the general method steps for determining the necessary frequency that the tag needs to be designed at so that transceivers can receive the desired signal.
- transceivers of EAS tags listen for a return signal at 8.2 MHz.
- the frequency of the tag will be different for each type of container, most of the tags have a return frequency set to 7.0 MHz.
- the inductance is 0.9:H and the capacitance is 521 pF.
- tags return frequency All frequencies that are commonly received by receivers are envisioned as possible modifications to the tags return frequency. While other transceivers can easily be designed to receive drastically different frequencies, it is desirable to design this tag to work at this specific frequency so that it will be compatible with existing transceivers. While it is contemplated to have the transceiver emit a signal so that tag returns a signal at 8.2 MHz, or simply have the transceiver listen at a different frequency, it is desirable to enable the tag to be compatible with other tags and security systems.
- the tag of the current invention returns a signal with a strength of 2.5-6.0 units. Higher strengths are envisioned as technological limitations allow. The signal strength needs to be greater, because the metallic container has a shielding effect on the return signal. Thus the tag's return signal is made stronger so the receiver can receive an intelligible signal from the tag.
- Every canister, jar, can, or container has a different disruptive capacity on the magnet field generated by the tag.
- the container disturbs the frequency the tag resonates at, and reduces the magnitude of the signal.
- the container can be modified by varying the capacitance or inductance of the tag to raise or lower the signal at which the tag resonates.
- the tag is spaced away from the container. While the unique properties of the container will determine how far the tag will need to be spaced, the tag will generally be spaced at least 1 cm from the top of the container. The further away the container is, the greater the signal strength. Combining the two steps yields the distance the tag should be spaced and the limitations of the structure of the tag.
- This new tag is designed so that when it is placed onto a metallic container a standard transceiver for security tags can detect the signal.
- the tag is structured to be able to return a signal when attached to a metallic container means that it is required that the signal is strong enough so that a standard pedestal-style transceiver, the standard distance away (4-6 feet), can detect the signal.
- a standard transceiver is the Checkpoint Liberty PX pedestal.
- the finished product i.e., the container with the holding device supporting a security tag thereon spaced from the container
- the finished product is made by placing the tag into the cap, placing the spacer under the tag (if the holding device makes use of a spacer element), placing the cap on the container's lid, and optionally placing a safety seal or wrap over the cap and container.
- the cap could place the cap on the bottom of the container and place a standard cap on the top of the device.
- one aspect of the subject invention entails use of a special cap or tag holder that has a spacer inside of it which effectively brings the tag a given distance away from the metal top, lid, or cap of a container to be tagged. This drastically reduces the effect the metal structure of the container has on shielding the resonance signal of the tag. Without the spacer, the container blocks or at least substantially degrades the tag's return signal.
- the subject invention includes several aspects, e.g., a holding device that optionally has a spacer inside of it to allow a security tag to be spaced far enough away from a metallic portion of a container to provide an intelligible signal to be received by the receiver, a security tag that is powerful enough and is calibrated correctly to send a discernable signal back to the transceiver amidst the distortion and shielding caused by the metallic portion of the container, and a method of designing and calibrating security tags for appropriate operation on containers having at least one metallic portion using the holding devices of this invention. It should also be pointed out at this juncture, that while use of the tag shown in FIG. 3 is a preferred way to effectively tag a container having a metallic portion, conventionally constructed and shaped security tags may, in some cases, be used, depending upon the construction of the container/can and the size of the tag.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed towards a novel procedure and system for making a security tag for an aluminum-pressed, cardboard container. The method employs a system of distancing the tag from the container and a method of calibrating the tag. The tag is then inserted into a specially designed cap and spaced a given distance from the container. The product is sealed and then sold to the consumer.
Description
- This application claims priority from provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/614,072, filed on Sep. 29, 2004 whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein.
- “Not Applicable”
- “Not Applicable”
- 1. Field of Invention
- This invention relates generally to security systems and devices for use with containers having some metallic portion to hold a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., and more particularly, to devices for holding such a tag on the container such that an RF receiver is able to readily discern a return signal from the tag, to systems making use of such devices, and to methods of using such systems and calibrating such tags.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- The prior art teaches various mechanisms of using security tags to secure a multitude of different products. Some examples of commonly known security tags are RF, AM and UHF tag, traditionally known as electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags. Other security tags, e.g., radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, make use of electronic chips. EAS, RFID and other types of electronic security tags can be and are used mounted or secured to many different products, e.g., books, pallets, containers, and electronics. Heretofore, products that are housed in containers or cans having metallic portions, e.g., containers or cans for baby foods and other foodstuffs, etc., have not been effectively tagged.
- As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, many containers for foods are made of plastic. However, plastic has inherent limitations for housing such products. For example, plastic may allow trace amounts of bacteria through it. Baby food manufacturers are particularly sensitive to the limitations of plastics as a container medium and consequentially, many such manufacturers make their containers or cans out of cardboard tubular midsection having a pressed, thin aluminum foil around the outside of the midsection as a means for preventing liquid leakage out of the container. Additionally, the lid and the base of the can or container are generally made of a thin aluminum sheet. A relatively thick, annular aluminum annular ring serves to join the lid to the cardboard midsection, a similar ring serves to join the base to the cardboard midsection. This arrangement provides an inexpensive, easily manufactured, waterproof container that can safely hold foodstuffs. However, such containers include so much metal that they cannot be effectively tagged with an EAS, RFID or other electromagnetic radiation based tag, since the metal of the container will interfere with the electromagnetic properties of the tag, e.g., the metal portion of the can will reduce the amplitude of the return signal from the tag. Moreover, the metallic portion of the container also tends acts as an antenna, thereby altering the frequency response of the tag.
- Thus, a need exists for a device which will enable the effective tagging of containers that include substantial metallic portions, e.g., baby food containers, soup containers, etc.
- In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provided a device for attachment to a container having a metallic portion onto which a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., is desired to be secured. The tag is capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter, e.g., a transceiver, and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver, e.g., the transceiver. The device has a holding portion and is arranged to be secured to the container, whereupon the holding portion is located over or under the metallic portion of the container. The holding portion of the device is arranged to hold the tag in place over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided a security device for attachment to a container. The security device comprising a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., and a tag holder for mounting the tag on the container. The container has a metallic portion onto which the security tag is desired to be secured, said security tag being capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from. a transmitter, e.g., transceiver, and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver, e.g., the transceiver. The tag holder includes a holding portion for holding the tag thereon. The tag holder is arranged to be secured to the container over the metallic portion of the container so that the holding portion holds the tag in place over, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- In accordance with still another aspect of this invention there is provided the combination of a conventional container, e.g., a baby food container, a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., and a tag holder. The container has a metallic portion onto which the security tag is desired to be secured. The security tag is capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter, e.g., a transceiver, and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver, e.g., the transceiver. The tag holder includes a holding portion on which the tag is secured. The tag holder is arranged to be secured to the container so that the holding portion holds the tag in place over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of said tag with the receiver.
- In accordance with still another aspect of this invention there is provided a system for monitoring the presence of a container having a metallic portion. The system comprises a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc., a tag holder and a transmitter and a receiver, e.g., a transceiver. The tag is capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from the transmitter and for returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to the receiver. The tag holder includes a holding portion and is adapted to be secured to the container so that the holding portion holds the security tag on the container over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not interfere with the proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- In accordance with still another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of tagging a container having a metallic portion with a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, an RFID tag, etc. The method basically entails providing a security tag capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter and returning a desired discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver. The tag is disposed and secured to the container over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of the container by a distance sufficient to ensure that the metallic portion of the container does not preclude proper operation of the tag with the receiver.
- In accordance with still another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of calibrating a security tag, e.g., an EAS tag, a RFID tag, etc., that is arranged for use with a container having a metallic portion. The method entails providing a security tag capable of receiving a transmitted electromagnetic signal over the air from a transmitter and for returning a discernable electromagnetic signal to a receiver when operating in free space. The tag is disposed over or under, but spaced from, the metallic portion of said container. An electromagnetic signal is transmitted to the, whereupon said tag provides a discernable return signal as a function of its location with respect to the metallic portion of the container. The frequency and magnitude of the return sign is determined and, if necessary, at least one electrical parameter of the tag is modified, so that the return signal provided by the tag is within a desired frequency range, e.g., 13.56 MHz, 8.2 MHz +/−0.5 MHz, etc., and of a minimum amplitude.
- The invention will be described in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numerals designate like elements and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one exemplary, prior art, type of container for which the subject invention is of particular utility; -
FIG. 2 is a view, like that ofFIG. 1 , but showing the bottom of the prior art container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one exemplary EAS tag constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention and which is arranged for securement to either the top or the bottom of the container shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 ; -
FIG. 4A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of one exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that ofFIG. 3 on the top portion of the container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown inFIG. 4A ; -
FIG. 5A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that ofFIG. 3 on the top portion of the container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown inFIG. 5A ; -
FIG. 6A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of still another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that ofFIG. 3 on the top portion of the container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown inFIG. 6A ; -
FIG. 7A is a side elevation view, partially in section, of still another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that ofFIG. 3 on the top portion of the container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 7B is an exploded view, partially in section, of the embodiment of the holding device shown inFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 8 is an exploded side elevation view, of still another exemplary embodiment of a holding device constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention shown holding a tag like that ofFIG. 3 and which is adapted to be mounted on the top portion of the container ofFIG. 1 ; and -
FIG. 9 is a side elevation view, partially in section, showing the embodiment of the holding device ofFIG. 8 and the tag ofFIG. 3 ready to be mounted on the top portion of the container ofFIG. 1 . - Referring now in greater detail to the figures, there is shown in
FIG. 4A one exemplary embodiment of a holdingdevice 20 constructed in accordance with one aspect of this invention for holding a security, e.g., RF, RFID, etc., tag 200 (FIG. 3 ) on a conventional container or can 10 having at least one metallic portion. Thedevice 20 ofFIG. 4A , as well as the other exemplary embodiments of other holding devices shown and described herein and other holding devices constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention, enables a security tag to be mounted on the container adjacent the metallic portion of the container to operate, e.g., respond to an interrogation signal, in a manner similar to a tag on a non-metallic container. Accordingly, a metallic container making use of this invention can be protected from theft, tracked and/or identified as has been accomplished with tags on non-metallic containers. - It should be pointed out at this juncture that the container or can 10 can be of any type of construction, such as a conventional can shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , or any other type of hollow container having at least one wall portion formed of metal. Depending upon the size of the container and the amount of metal that makes it up, the tag can be of conventional construction, e.g., a conventionally constructed EAS tag, or can be a larger area, e.g., circular shaped, tag, constructed in accordance with another aspect of this invention. One such tag is theexemplary tag 200 shown inFIG. 3 . - Before describing the details of the various holding devices of this invention, a brief description of the
can 10 and of thetag 200 is in order. To that end, as can be seen inFIGS. 1 and 2 the container or can 10 basically comprises cylindrical mid-section orside wall 10A, atop wall 10B, abottom wall 10C (FIG. 2 ), atop bead 10D extending about the periphery of theside wall 10A at the interface of the side wall and the top wall and abottom bead 10E extending about the periphery of the side wall at the interface of the side wall and the bottom wall. The side wall is a tubular member that may be formed of cardboard with a metallic, e.g., aluminum, inner lining (not shown) or may be made up entirely of metal, e.g., aluminum. The top wall orlid 10B is a generally planar member of circular profile and can be made up of any suitable material, e.g., aluminum. The bottom wall orbase 10C is of similar construction to thetop wall 10B, except that the top wall may be constructed, e.g., have a weaken or frangible line 10F extending about its periphery, to be readily removed by pulling it off of the container to provide access to the contents of the container. To that end, the top wall orlid 10B may include aconventional pull tab 12. Thebeads bead 10D serves to fixedly secure thelid 10B to theside wall 10A. Similarly, thebead 10E serves to fixedly secure thebase 10C to theside wall 10A. It should be pointed out at this juncture that the metal portions of thecontainer 10 can be formed of other metals than aluminum, if desired. - The
exemplary tag 200 of this invention, will be described later. Suffice for now to state that it is similar in construction to activatable/deactivatable swept frequency EAS tags sold by Checkpoint Systems, Inc., of Thorofare, N.J., the assignee of this invention, except that it is somewhat larger in size and of circular profile to enable it to cover most of the area of either thelid 10B orbase 10C of thecontainer 10 when it is mounted thereon by a mounting device constructed in accordance with this invention, e.g., a device likedevice 20 ofFIG. 4A . In particular, in the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 3 thesecurity tag 200 has the same basic structure as that disclosed inFIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,445 (the “'445 patent”), which is assigned to Checkpoint Systems, Inc. and whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, with the following exceptions. The diameter oftag 200 is 3 inches to 4.5 inches, whereas the tag of the '445 patent has a surface area of about 2.5 sq. in. Moreover, thetag 200 is circular in shape, whereas the tag of '445 patent is square in shape. The circular shape oftag 200 has renders the tag more efficient per unit area than tags of square or rectangular profile. Thus, when the energy demands of the tag are high, and the space one can fit the tag into is small, a circular tag is preferable. Otherwise, a square or rectangular profile tag can be used in place of the circular tag. However, the surface area of the square or rectangular tag will need to be greater than the circular tag, for a given application. If the container is a different shape, e.g., the portion on which the tag is to be located, the largest circular tag that can be fitted into that shape is preferred. - As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, by using the largest tag possible, one can reduce the effects that the metallic portion of the container has on signal returned to the receiver. However, in experimentation, using a 11.4 sq. in. tag provides useful signal power, though larger tags would be more powerful, but more expensive to manufacture. Additionally, the inductance and capacitance of circular tags are different as compared to square tags.
- Turning now to
FIG. 3 the details of theexemplary tag 200 will now be considered. As can be seen, tag 200 basically comprises a pair of electrically conductive patterns or traces, to be described hereinafter, to form the electrical circuitry of the tag. In the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 3 , thetag 200 is an EAS resonant tag in the form of a coil L and a pair of capacitors C1 and C2, with the electrically conductive traces making up those electrical components. In particular, thetag 200 includes a first electricallyconductive trace 202 and a second electricallyconductive trace 204. The traces are formed of any suitable electrically conductive material, e.g., aluminum. The first electricallyconductive trace 202 is in the form of a spiral coil that is of constant width along its length except for itsend portions end portion 202A at the inner end of thecoil 202 is of an enlarged, e.g., bulbous, area to form a first plate of a first capacitor, namely, capacitor C1. Theend portion 202B at the outer end of thecoil 202 is also enlarged to form a first plate of a second capacitor, namely, capacitor C2. Thesecond trace 204 is disposed over the first trace and is an elongated, generally linear, strip that is of constant width along its length except for itsend portions end portion 204A at the inner end of thestrip 204 is of an enlarged, e.g., bulbous, area to form the second plate of the first capacitor C1. Theend portion 204B at the outer end of thestrip 204 is also of an enlarged area to form the second plate of the second capacitor C2. Adielectric layer 206, such as a film of polyethylene, only a portion of which is shown, is interposed between the two electricallyconductive traces dielectric layer 206 serves as the dielectric between the plates of the first and second capacitors C1 and C2, respectively. - As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the electrical properties of the resonant circuit created by the
traces dielectric film 206. The adjustment of the electrical properties of the tag is important to enable the tag to be appropriately calibrated for use with a particular container construction and holding device constructions, as will be described in detail later. - The
tag 200 may be mounted on a paper layer or some other substrate, such assubstrate 208, to facilitate its securement to a holding device constructed in accordance with this invention, or to the article to be tagged (if no holding device is necessary, e.g., if the container doesn't include any metallic portion over which the tag is to be placed). In order to facilitate the securement of the tag to the holding device or to the article itself thesubstrate 206 may include an adhesive (not shown) on it. - The
tag 20 when mounted on thecontainer 10 by means of a mounting device constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly suitable for use in a conventional EAS security system. For example conventional EAS equipment, e.g., an RF pedestal including a transceiver, can be used to generate a so-called swept RF signal within a desired bandwidth. The inductor/capacitor circuit of thetag 200 is resonant within that transmitted frequency band, e.g., at approximately 8.2 MHz +/−0.5 MHz. The presence of a non-deactivated tag within the field of that transmitted RF signal distorts the signal and that distortion is detected by the receiver portion of the transceiver, which then produces an alarm. If however, the tag has been deactived, an alarm signal will not be produced when the tag is within the field. - Turning now again to
FIGS. 4A and 4B , the details of the construction and operation of one exemplary embodiment of atag holding device 20 constructed in accordance with this invention will now be discussed. To that end it can be seen that the holdingdevice 20 basically comprises a cap which is arranged to be secured to thecontainer 10 over its lid ortop wall 10B. This is merely exemplary, since the cap could just as easily be secured over the base orbottom wall 10C. - The cap basically comprises a disk-
like member 22 and an ring-like insert 24, each of which is preferably made of plastic or some other non-metal. Themember 22 is in the form of a generallyplanar wall 26 of circular profile having a downwardly dependingannular flange 28. The inner surface of theflange 28 includes an internalhelical thread 30. Theinsert 24 is in the form of a ring having an upperannular portion 32 and a lowerannular portion 34 The upperannular portion 32 has an outside diameter that is approximately equal to the inside diameter of theannular flange 28 and includes an externalhelical thread 36 for engagement with the internalhelical thread 30. The engagement of thethreads like member 22 to the ring-like insert 24. The lowerannular portion 34 depends downward from theupper portion 32 and is of larger outside diameter than the outside diameter of theupper portion 32. The inner surface of the lowerannular portion 34 includes anannular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper orlower beads can 10. Therecess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembledcap 22 on thecan 10. In order to facilitate that action, the bottom end of the lowerannular portion 34 of the ring-like insert includes a projection or lip having acam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over thecam surface 40 and into thecontiguous recess 38, thereby releasably locking the holding device (cap) 20 in place on the can. - When so mounted the
undersurface 26A of the holdingdevice 20 will be spaced from the metallic lid of thecan 10. Theundersurface 26A thus can serve as the location for mounting the security tag, e.g.,tag 200, to space the tag from the metal of thelid 10B (or thebase 10C, if thecap 20 is mounted over the base). By spacing thetag 200 away from the metal of the lid, the signal compromising effect of that metal is overcome. In particular, the spacing of the tag from the metal lid overcomes the signal amplitude attenuating effect of the metal of the lid. The amount of spacing between the tag and the metal lid or base can be determined empirically or otherwise to enable the tag when mounted on the can to provide a discernable return signal of a desired amplitude and within a desired frequency range to be readily read by the receiver of the security system. The manner of calibrating the tag for such operation will be described later. - The
tag 20 can be held onto theundersurface 26A of the holding device orcap 20 in various manners. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B an adhesive is used. That adhesive may be in the form of acoating 210 on thesubstrate 208 of thetag 200. - Since the holding device (cap) 20 is snap-fit on the
container 10, it may be readily removed by the user (purchaser) of the product to provide the user with access to the lid (or base, as the case may be) of the container. In particular, all that is required to provide such access is for the user to pull thecap 20 upward with respect to thecan 10, whereupon thebead 10D will exit from theannular recess 38, thereby freeing the cap from the can. The user can then open the can'slid 10B by merely pulling on thepull tab 12. - In order to deter the surreptitious removal of the holding device or cap 20 with the
tag 200 therein from thecontainer 10 while it is in the retail establishment and before it passes through the exit security system, a seal or wrap can be provided about the holding device and the container to hold the two together. To that end, as shown inFIG. 4A awrap 42, in the form of a heat shrinkable band, may be provided about the entire holding device/can combination or only about the holding device and a contiguous portion of the can. Moreover, the wrap need not be heat shrinkable. Other mechanisms for sealing thecap 20 onto the container are envisioned, such as using an adhesive seal, a paper seal, or using a cap integrally formed on the container. The last option is similar to the way milk containers are sealed. - In
FIGS. 7A and 7B there is shown an alternative embodiment of a holding device or cap 120 constructed in accordance with this invention. Thecap 120 is similar in most respects to the holdingdevice 20, except that it is a unitary structure that is not made up of a disk-like member and ring-like insert. Moreover, the holdingdevice 120 makes use of a spacer, to be described later, that is located between the metal portion of thecan 10 and the portion of the holdingdevice 120 at which thesecurity tag 200 is located. In the interest of brevity the common components of the holdingdevices device 120 basically comprises a integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generallyplanar wall 126 of circular profile and a downwardly dependingannular flange 128. The inner surface of theannular flange 128 includes anannular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper orlower beads can 10. Therecess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembledcap 120 on thecan 10. In order to facilitate that action, the bottom end of the lowerannular portion 34 of the ring-like insert includes a projection having acam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over its outer surface and into the contiguous recess, thereby releasably locking the holdingdevice 120 in place on thecan 10. - The
planar wall 126 includes anundersurface 126A, which like theembodiment 20 serves as the location for mounting thesecurity tag 200, whereupon the tag of the holding device will be spaced from the metallic lid of thecan 10. Unlike the holding device, where air serves to fill the space between the tag and the metal portion of the can, aphysical spacer element 102 is provided in theholding device 120 to sandwich thetag 200 between it and theundersurface 126A of thecap 120. Thespacer 102 basically comprises a disk-like member formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal. The outside diameter of the spacer is approximately equal to the inside diameter of theannular flange 128, and the thickness of the spacer is such that its lower surface is flush with the upper edge of theannular recess 28 when the tag is sandwiched therebetween, as clearly shown inFIG. 7A . Thetag 200 can be held in place by anadhesive layer 210 as described earlier. Since the tag will be sandwiched between thespacer 102 and theundersurface 126 of the cap member the adhesive 210 may be omitted. - If desired, the holding
device 120 may make use of awrap 42 to hold it in place on the container to deter its removal from the container. - In
FIGS. 5A and 5B there is shown another exemplary embodiment of aholding device 220 of this invention. The holdingdevice 220 is perhaps the most preferred of the various embodiments since it is constructed to have a portion serving as a label for thecontainer 10 to which thedevice 220 is secured. Thedevice 220 includes various features common to the holdingdevices central wall 226 of circular profile, a downwardly dependingannular flange 228 and an upwardly dependingannular flange 230. The inner surface of the downwardly dependingannular flange 128 includes anannular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper orlower beads can 10. Therecess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembledcap 220 on thecan 10. In order to facilitate that action, the bottom end of the lowerannular portion 34 of the ring-like insert includes a projection having acam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over its outer surface and into the contiguous recess, thereby releasably locking the holdingdevice 220 in place on thecan 10. - The
planar wall 226 includes a stepped circular shapedrecess 232 in its top surface. Therecess 232 includes alower section 232A and anupper section 232B, The inside diameter of the upper section is larger than the inside diameter of the lower section to form anannular ledge 232C. This surface serves to receive an annular disk-like member 234, which can be used to form a label for the device/article to be tagged. Thelabel 234 basically comprises a sheet of plastic, cardboard, paper or some other material which can bear indicia, e.g, text, graphics, etc., thereon. The outside diameter of thelabel 234 is slightly less than the inside diameter of therecess section 232A so that its peripheral edge can rest on and be secured by means, e.g., an adhesive (not shown) to the top surface of theledge 232C. The undersurface of thelabel 234 serves as the location on which thetag 200 is mounted. To that end, the tag is secured to the undersurface of thelabel 234 by the adhesive 210. The height of therecess section 232B is selected to be at least equal to the thickness of thelabel 232. Moreover, the height of therecess section 232A is selected to be at least equal to the combined thickness of thetag 200 and theadhesive layer 210. Accordingly, when the tag is secured onto the undersurface of thelabel 234 and the label is secured in therecess 232 of thecap member 220 the label fits flush within the cap as shown inFIG. 5A , with the thickness of theplanar wall 226 spacing the tag from themetal lid 10B of the container. The adhesive securement of the label to thecap device 220 prevents the surreptitious removal of the tag. - If desired the holding
device 220 may make use of awrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the device. - In
FIGS. 6A and 6B there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a holding device or cap 320 constructed in accordance with this invention. The holdingdevice 320 is similar in many respects to theholding device 220 in that it makes use of a label to serve as the means for holding the tag in place. Thus, in the interest of brevity the common components of the holdingdevices device 320 basically comprises an integral member, preferably formed of plastic or some other suitable non-metal, and having a generally planarcentral wall 326 of circular profile, a downwardly dependingannular flange 328 and an upwardly dependingannular flange 330. The inner surface of the downwardly dependingannular flange 128 includes anannular recess 38 whose inside diameter is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper orlower beads can 10. Therecess 38 is provided to enable the upper or lower bead of the can to be snap-fit therein to mount the assembledcap 320 on thecan 10. In order to facilitate that action, the bottom end of the lowerannular portion 328 includes a projection having acam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the bead of the can to slide over its outer surface and into the contiguous recess, thereby releasably locking the holdingdevice 220 in place on thecan 10. - The upper
annular flange 330 includes atop surface 332 in which anannular recess 334 is located. A pair of opposedannular lips 336 extend towards each other on opposite sides of therecess 334 contiguous with thetop surface 332. Thelips 336 are angled slightly downward to create a tapering entryway to therecess 334. This entryway and recess serves as the means for securing a label to thecap device 320, as will be described hereinafter. - The label basically comprises a disk-
like member 338 of circular profile and which can bear indicia, e.g, text, graphics, etc., thereon. The undersurface of the label serves as the location for mounting thesecurity tag 200 in the same manner as described earlier, e.g., via the use of the adhesive 210. As also mentioned above the label is arranged to be secured to thecap device 320 via therecess 334. To that end, anannular ridge 340 projects downward from the undersurface of thelabel member 338 closely adjacent the periphery thereof. The ridge in cross-section resembles an arrowhead. Accordingly, when thelabel 338 with the tag secured to its bottom surface as described above is placed over thecap device 320 it can be pressed downward to secure it to the cap device. In particular, the downward push causes the arrowhead portion of the label'sridge 338 to pass through the tapering entryway to therecess 334, thereby causing thelips 336 to flex to enable the arrowhead portion of the ridge to pass therethrough into the recess. Once this has occurred the lips flex back to lock the arrowhead portion of the ridge within the recess. This action effectively secures thelabel 338 onto thecap device 320, thereby preventing surreptitious removal of thetag 200. - If desired the holding
device 320 may make use of awrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the device. - In
FIG. 8 there is shown another exemplary embodiment of aholding device 420 constructed in accordance with this invention. The holdingdevice 420 is similar in many respects to theholding device 120 in that it makes use of a unitary construction, but does not include a spacer element and includes alternative means for securing thetag 200 in place. Thus, in the interest of brevity the common components of the holdingdevices central wall 426 of circular profile, a downwardly dependingannular flange 428, and an intermediateannular flange 430. The intermediate flange extends radially inward from the inner surface of the downwardly dependingannular flange 428. The inner surface of the downwardly dependingannular flange 428 includes anannular recess 38 located immediately below theintermediate flange 430. Theannular recess 28 has an inside diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper orlower beads container 10 to enable it to receive either the top or bottom beads of the container to secure theholding device 420 on the container in the same manner as described earlier. - The
tag 200 is arranged to be secured to the undersurface of the generally planarcentral wall 426 without the use of any adhesive. To that end an annular wall orridge 432 projects downward from the undersurface of thecentral wall 426. Anannular recess 434 is located in theridge 432 to enable thecircular tag 200 to be snap-fit therein. In order to facilitate that action, the bottom end of theannular ridge 432 includes a projection having acam surface 40 extending inward radially. This projection is arranged to flex slightly to enable the periphery of thecircular tag 200 to slide over its cam surface and into thecontiguous recess 434, thereby locking thetag 200 in place in that recess under thecentral wall 426 of thecap 420. - When the tag is so mounted and the holding device or
cap 420 is mounted on thecontainer 10 thetag 200 will be spaced from the metallic lid of thecan 10. - If desired the holding
device 420 may make use of awrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the device. - In
FIG. 9 there is shown another exemplary embodiment of aholding device 520 constructed in accordance with this invention. The holdingdevice 520 is similar in many respects to theholding device 420 except that it makes use of the adhesive securement of the tag to the device. Thus, in the interest of brevity the common components of the holdingdevices central wall 426 of circular profile, a downwardly dependingannular flange 428, and an intermediateannular flange 430. The intermediate flange extends radially inward from the inner surface of the downwardly dependingannular flange 428. The inner surface of the downwardly dependingannular flange 428 includes anannular recess 38 located immediately below theintermediate flange 430. Theannular recess 28 has an inside diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the upper orlower beads container 10 to enable it to receive either the top or bottom beads to secure theholding device 420 on the container in the same manner as described earlier. - As mentioned above, the
tag 200 is arranged to be secured to the undersurface of the generally planarcentral wall 426 of the holdingdevice 520 by use of an adhesive. To that end, the adhesive is preferably in the form of acoating 210 on thesubstrate 208 of thetag 200. - If desired the holding
device 520 may make use of awrap 42 to hold the device in place on the container to deter removal of the holding device. - It should be pointed out at this juncture that a holding device or cap of this invention may not include the annular recess for securing it to a container. Thus, it is contemplated that other securing mechanisms could be used, such as grooves, adhesives, fasteners, or other devices. Moreover, while some embodiments merely space the tag from the metal portion of the container by air, other embodiments make use of a physical spacer element, essentially sandwiching the tag between the top of the cap and the spacer element. The spacer, like the cap itself, is preferably made of plastic for economic & magnetic purposes as it is readily available and a dielectric. However, other materials may be substituted for plastic, as known in the art.
- Calibration of the tag/holding device for use on a particular container is accomplished in the following general manner. In particular, the following utlines the general method steps for determining the necessary frequency that the tag needs to be designed at so that transceivers can receive the desired signal. For example, as is know, transceivers of EAS tags listen for a return signal at 8.2 MHz. Though the frequency of the tag will be different for each type of container, most of the tags have a return frequency set to 7.0 MHz. The inductance is 0.9:H and the capacitance is 521 pF. These ranges are exemplary and other values can be used to achieve the desired frequency. Also, other frequencies can be used such 13.56 MHz. All frequencies that are commonly received by receivers are envisioned as possible modifications to the tags return frequency. While other transceivers can easily be designed to receive drastically different frequencies, it is desirable to design this tag to work at this specific frequency so that it will be compatible with existing transceivers. While it is contemplated to have the transceiver emit a signal so that tag returns a signal at 8.2 MHz, or simply have the transceiver listen at a different frequency, it is desirable to enable the tag to be compatible with other tags and security systems.
- Checkpoint Systems Inc, the assignee of the subject invention, commercially offers an EAS security tag under model designation of “410” EAS tag. That tag has the following basic properties.
-
- Front area etched=0.5807 sq. in.
- Back area etched=1.6814 sq. in.
- Design Frequency=8.4 MHZ.
- Final Frequency=8.2 MHz
- Q Range=70-75
- Capacitance 141.2 pf
- Inductance=2.495 uh
- Number of turns=8
- Coil line width=0.034 in.
- Spacing between coils=0.01 in.
- Width of margins=0.1 in.
- Circuit Dimensions=1.55 in.×1.65 in.
- If the signal strength that the 410 tag returns in free air when exposed to a rf interrogation signal from an rf antenna of a conventional EAS pedestal, such as that sold by Checkpoint Systems, Inc., under the trademark Liberty PX, is said to establish a reference of 1.0 units, then the tag of the current invention returns a signal with a strength of 2.5-6.0 units. Higher strengths are envisioned as technological limitations allow. The signal strength needs to be greater, because the metallic container has a shielding effect on the return signal. Thus the tag's return signal is made stronger so the receiver can receive an intelligible signal from the tag.
- Every canister, jar, can, or container has a different disruptive capacity on the magnet field generated by the tag. Generally, the container disturbs the frequency the tag resonates at, and reduces the magnitude of the signal. The container can be modified by varying the capacitance or inductance of the tag to raise or lower the signal at which the tag resonates. In order to minimize the detriment of the tag's signal loss resulting from the metal of the container, the tag is spaced away from the container. While the unique properties of the container will determine how far the tag will need to be spaced, the tag will generally be spaced at least 1 cm from the top of the container. The further away the container is, the greater the signal strength. Combining the two steps yields the distance the tag should be spaced and the limitations of the structure of the tag. This new tag is designed so that when it is placed onto a metallic container a standard transceiver for security tags can detect the signal.
- The tag is structured to be able to return a signal when attached to a metallic container means that it is required that the signal is strong enough so that a standard pedestal-style transceiver, the standard distance away (4-6 feet), can detect the signal. An example of a standard transceiver is the Checkpoint Liberty PX pedestal.
- As alluded to earlier, the finished product, i.e., the container with the holding device supporting a security tag thereon spaced from the container, is made by placing the tag into the cap, placing the spacer under the tag (if the holding device makes use of a spacer element), placing the cap on the container's lid, and optionally placing a safety seal or wrap over the cap and container. Alternatively, one could place the cap on the bottom of the container and place a standard cap on the top of the device. Or one could place a tagged cap on the top and bottom of the device.
- As should be appreciated from the foregoing one aspect of the subject invention entails use of a special cap or tag holder that has a spacer inside of it which effectively brings the tag a given distance away from the metal top, lid, or cap of a container to be tagged. This drastically reduces the effect the metal structure of the container has on shielding the resonance signal of the tag. Without the spacer, the container blocks or at least substantially degrades the tag's return signal.
- As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the above, the subject invention includes several aspects, e.g., a holding device that optionally has a spacer inside of it to allow a security tag to be spaced far enough away from a metallic portion of a container to provide an intelligible signal to be received by the receiver, a security tag that is powerful enough and is calibrated correctly to send a discernable signal back to the transceiver amidst the distortion and shielding caused by the metallic portion of the container, and a method of designing and calibrating security tags for appropriate operation on containers having at least one metallic portion using the holding devices of this invention. It should also be pointed out at this juncture, that while use of the tag shown in
FIG. 3 is a preferred way to effectively tag a container having a metallic portion, conventionally constructed and shaped security tags may, in some cases, be used, depending upon the construction of the container/can and the size of the tag. - While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
Claims (20)
1.-96. (canceled)
97. A security device for attachment to a container having a sidewall, a generally planar metallic portion located adjacent the sidewall and a bead having regularly shaped periphery connecting the generally planar metallic portion to the sidewall, said security device comprising:
a security tag that responds to a magnetic or an electromagnetic field of a particular frequency or frequencies by providing a discernable electromagnetic return signal; and
a non-conductive tag holder for mounting said security tag adjacent, but spaced from, the generally planar metallic portion of the container, said non-conductive tag holder comprising:
a portion to which said security tag is secured; and
a recess of corresponding shape to the regularly shaped periphery of the bead of the container arranged for receipt of the bead of the container to secure said security device to the container adjacent, but spaced from, the generally planar metallic portion of the container.
98. The security device of claim 97 wherein said tag holder comprises:
an open upper recess section;
a lower recess section; and
a non-conductive lid, said lower recess section including said recess arranged for receipt of the bead of the container and wherein said lid comprises a first side and a second side, said security tag being secured to said second side, said non-conductive lid being securable with said open upper recess section.
99. The security device of claim 98 wherein said first side of said lid comprises indicia pertaining to the container.
100. The security device of claim 97 wherein the generally planar metallic portion is circular and said recess for receipt of the bead of the container is circular.
101. The security device of claim 100 wherein said security device comprises a circular coil.
102. The security device of claim 101 wherein said security tag comprises a pair of capacitors coupled to each end of said coil.
103. The security device of claim 97 wherein said tag holder comprises:
a member having an undersurface and a downwardly depending flange contiguous with said undersurface defining a recess, said downwardly depending flange comprising a threaded inner wall, said security tag being secured to said undersurface;
a non-conductive insert having a threaded outer wall for engaging said threaded inner wall, said non-conductive insert further comprising an annular portion;
and wherein said annular portion forms said recess for receipt of the bead of the container.
104. The security device of claim 103 wherein the generally planar metallic portion is circular and said recess for receipt of the bead of the container is circular.
105. The security device of claim 104 wherein said security device comprises a circular coil.
106. The security device of claim 105 wherein said security tag comprises a pair of capacitors coupled to each end of said coil.
107. The security device of claim 97 wherein said device is adapted to be used with a security tag that is calibrated to return an electromagnetic return signal of 8.2 MHz +/−0.5 MHz or 13.56 MHz despite the existence of collective interference caused by the generally planar metallic portion of the container.
108. The security device of claim 107 additionally comprising a wrap arranged to encircle at least a portion of said holder and a portion of the sidewall of the container contiguous with said holder.
109. The security device of claim 108 wherein said wrap comprises a heat-shrinkable tube.
110. A method of tagging a container with a security tag, the container having a sidewall, a generally planar metallic portion located adjacent the sidewall and a bead having regularly shaped periphery connecting the generally planar metallic portion to the sidewall, said method comprising:
providing a security tag that responds to a magnetic or an electromagnetic field of a particular frequency or frequencies by providing a discernable electromagnetic return signal;
disposing said security tag between two members of non-conductive material to form a tag holder; and
coupling said tag holder to the bead of the container to maintain said security tag a predetermined distance away from the generally planar metallic surface of the container.
111. The method of claim 110 wherein said step of coupling said tag holder comprises disposing said security tag at least approximately 1 cm from the generally planar metallic surface of the container.
112. The method of claim 110 wherein said step of disposing said security tag between two members of non-conductive material comprises positioning said security tag between an undersurface of a non-conductive cap-like structure an a non-conductive insert.
113. The method of claim 112 wherein said step of positioning said security tag between the undersurface of a non-conductive cap-like structure and a non-conductive insert comprises threadedly engaging said insert within said cap-like structure.
114. The method of claim 112 wherein said step of disposing said security tag between two members of non-conductive material comprises adhesively securing said security tag to said undersurface.
115. The method of claim 112 wherein said step of disposing said security tag between two members of non-conductive material comprises positioning said security tag within a recess defined by a projection extending inwardly from a sidewall of said cap-like structure.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US12/533,421 US20090289769A1 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2009-07-31 | Method and System for Tracking Containers Having Metallic Portions, Cover for Containers Having Metallic Portions, Tags for Use With Container Having Metallic Portions and Methods of Calibrating Such Tags |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US61407204P | 2004-09-29 | 2004-09-29 | |
US11/119,857 US7583194B2 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-05-02 | Method and system for tracking containers having metallic portions, covers for containers having metallic portions, tags for use with container having metallic portions and methods of calibrating such tags |
US12/533,421 US20090289769A1 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2009-07-31 | Method and System for Tracking Containers Having Metallic Portions, Cover for Containers Having Metallic Portions, Tags for Use With Container Having Metallic Portions and Methods of Calibrating Such Tags |
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US11/119,857 Continuation US7583194B2 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-05-02 | Method and system for tracking containers having metallic portions, covers for containers having metallic portions, tags for use with container having metallic portions and methods of calibrating such tags |
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US20090289769A1 true US20090289769A1 (en) | 2009-11-26 |
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US11/119,857 Expired - Fee Related US7583194B2 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-05-02 | Method and system for tracking containers having metallic portions, covers for containers having metallic portions, tags for use with container having metallic portions and methods of calibrating such tags |
US12/533,421 Abandoned US20090289769A1 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2009-07-31 | Method and System for Tracking Containers Having Metallic Portions, Cover for Containers Having Metallic Portions, Tags for Use With Container Having Metallic Portions and Methods of Calibrating Such Tags |
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US11/119,857 Expired - Fee Related US7583194B2 (en) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-05-02 | Method and system for tracking containers having metallic portions, covers for containers having metallic portions, tags for use with container having metallic portions and methods of calibrating such tags |
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EP (2) | EP2045190A1 (en) |
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US20110063786A1 (en) * | 2008-06-20 | 2011-03-17 | Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. | Resin overcap provided with ic tag |
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US8411422B2 (en) | 2008-06-20 | 2013-04-02 | Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. | Resin overcap provided with IC tag |
US8547688B2 (en) | 2008-06-20 | 2013-10-01 | Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. | Resin overcap provided with IC tag |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR20070083827A (en) | 2007-08-24 |
EP1794058A2 (en) | 2007-06-13 |
JP2008515109A (en) | 2008-05-08 |
TWI282320B (en) | 2007-06-11 |
TW200616846A (en) | 2006-06-01 |
US20060086808A1 (en) | 2006-04-27 |
EP2045190A1 (en) | 2009-04-08 |
US7583194B2 (en) | 2009-09-01 |
WO2006039461A3 (en) | 2006-07-06 |
AU2005291987A1 (en) | 2006-04-13 |
AU2005291987B2 (en) | 2009-10-08 |
CA2582145A1 (en) | 2006-04-13 |
WO2006039461A2 (en) | 2006-04-13 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC., NEW JERSEY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:APPALUCCI, LAWRENCE;MCGOLDRICK, DAVE;ROBERTS, PAUL A.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:023053/0123;SIGNING DATES FROM 20050218 TO 20050428 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |