Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/10403106
Timestamp: 2019-10-15 23:26:17
Document Index: 761564869

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 16800653']

US Patent for Merchandise security system with optical communication Patent (Patent # 10,403,106 issued September 3, 2019) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Wireless TransceiverUS Patent for Merchandise security system with optical communication Patent (Patent # 10,403,106)
Mar 15, 2019 - InVue Security Products Inc.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/109,145, filed on Aug. 22, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/723,744, filed on Oct. 3, 2017, and now U.S. Pat. No. 10,062,253, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,846, filed on May 25, 2016, and now U.S. Pat. No. 9,818,274, which claims the benefit to priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/167,382 filed on May 28, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/257,380 filed on Nov. 19, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/260,693 filed on Nov. 30, 2015, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In another embodiment, an end of the cable 20 may include a sound generating device (e.g., a piezoelectric device) that is configured to communicate sound from the sensor 12 to the base 18. The sound generating device could be a speaker or like device configured to generate sound and as a result, vibration, along the cable. The base 18 may likewise include a sound generating device for generating sound along the cable 20 in an opposite direction towards the sensor 12. The sound generating devices may be configured to operate at a “tone” that is outside the human audio frequency band. The sound generating device may be located within the connector 50 and may be purely mechanical in some cases. The connector 50 may include a crimp 52 that is configured to rotate on the sound generating device. The end of the cable 20 opposite the connector 50 could include a similar crimp and swivel connection with the sound generating device. In some cases, the sound generating device in the base 18 is configured to detect vibrations transmitted from the sound generating device in the sensor 12. The base 18 may include monitoring circuity configured to detect when the vibrations cease, which may be indicative of a security event. The monitoring circuitry could also be configured to sense a particular signal format of vibrations. The monitoring circuity could be configured to filter other sounds/vibrations so that only the desired sound/vibration is detected. In some embodiments, the sound generating devices may transmit sound periodically and towards one another. Thus, the sound generating devices may be used to determine if the cable 20 has been cut or disconnected. In some instances, the base 18 could send a high energy signal up to the sensor 12 via the cable 20, which the sensor could “energy harvest” and save the power in a capacitor or battery, so that the sensor always has power to send a “reply” to the base, at a lower power, but the base may have an amplifier to amplify the signal. Another option is to use an “echo” concept, by sending a signal up the cable 20, and use the crimp 52 at the end of the cable 20 to bounce (echo) some of the signal back to the base 18. The monitoring circuitry may monitor a sense loop and stop the “echo” in response to a security event.
a sensor configured to be attached to the item of merchandise, wherein the sensor contains an optical transceiver; and
a cable comprising an optical transceiver at one end of the cable and a releasable connector, wherein the releasable connector is configured to attach the cable to the sensor and to receive the optical transceiver of the cable, wherein the cable comprises a plurality of electrical conductors for providing power to the optical transceiver of the cable,
wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to rotate relative to one another,
wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to communicate optical signals with one another to detect disconnection of the cable from the sensor,
wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to communicate with one another to detect cutting of the cable.
2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable is configured to rotate within the releasable connector.
3. The security system of claim 1, wherein the cable is not a fiber optic cable.
4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a connector configured to electrically connect the sensor to the item of merchandise, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to communicate with one another to determine if the connector has been removed from the item of merchandise.
5. The security system of claim 4, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable is configured to rotate within the releasable connector.
6. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to transmit data between one another.
7. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a power source for providing power to the optical transceiver, and wherein the power source is configured to provide power to the sensor for interpreting signals provided by the optical transceiver of the sensor and to provide power to the optical transceiver of the sensor.
8. The security system of claim 1, wherein the releasable connector is configured to threadably engage the sensor.
9. The security system of claim 1, wherein the releasable connector comprises a threaded collar having threads for engaging corresponding threads defined by the sensor.
10. The security system of claim 9, wherein the threads of the threaded collar surround the optical transceiver of the cable when the threaded collar is attached to the sensor.
11. The security system of claim 10, wherein the threads of the sensor surround the optical transceiver of the cable when the threaded collar is attached to the sensor.
12. The security system of claim 9, further comprising a clip configured to removably secure the threaded collar to the end of the cable.
13. The security system of claim 12, wherein the threaded collar is configured to receive the clip therein.
14. The security system of claim 9, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable is configured to rotate within the releasable connector.
15. The security system of claim 14, wherein the cable is not a fiber optic cable.
16. The security system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an upper surface configured to attach to the item of merchandise and a rear surface configured to connect to the releasable connector, wherein the rear surface defines a recess containing the optical transceiver of the sensor.
17. The security system of claim 16, wherein the recess is configured to receive the optical transceiver of the cable.
18. The security system of claim 16, wherein the sensor further comprises a plunger or pressure switch on the upper surface for detecting removal of the item of merchandise.
19. The security system of claim 16, wherein the releasable connector extends outwardly from the rear surface when connected to the sensor.
20. The security system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical conductors are configured to communicate signals to and from the optical transceiver of the sensor.
21. The security system of claim 20, further comprising a recoiler connected to the cable and a slip ring for electrically connecting the cable to the recoiler.
22. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the sensor and the optical transceiver of the cable do not communicate using coded signals.
23. The security system of claim 22, wherein the optical transceiver of the sensor and the optical transceiver of the cable communicate data between one another.
24. The security system of claim 23, further comprising an alarm configured to generate an alarm signal in response to the failure of the optical transceiver of the sensor or the optical transceiver of the cable to receive the data.
25. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to communicate with one another to detect removal of the item of merchandise from the sensor.
26. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are separated by an air gap when the releasable connector is connected to the sensor.
27. The security system of claim 1, wherein sensor comprises a printed circuit board, the optical transceiver of the sensor being attached to the circuit board and housed within the sensor.
28. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable is configured to rotate within the releasable connector while the releasable connector is connected to the sensor.
29. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the sensor and the optical transceiver of the cable communicate data between one another, the data comprising one or more packets of information.
30. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor are configured to rotate relative to one another when the releasable connector is connected to the sensor.
31. The security system of claim 1, further comprising a base for removably supporting the sensor thereon, wherein the base comprises an opening for receiving at least a portion of the releasable connector and the cable when the sensor is supported on the base.
32. The security system of claim 31, further comprising a recoiler connected to the cable for retracting the cable through the opening of the base, wherein the recoiler is electrically connected to the plurality of electrical conductors.
33. The security system of claim 32, further comprising a slip ring electrically connected to the plurality of electrical conductors at an end of the cable that is opposite that of the optical transceiver of the cable.
34. The security system of claim 31, wherein the base is configured to transfer power to the sensor and the item of merchandise, and wherein the cable does not transfer power to the sensor or the item of merchandise.
35. The security system of claim 1, wherein the optical transceiver of the cable and the end of the cable are configured to rotate relative to the optical transceiver of the sensor when the releasable connector is connected to the sensor.
36. A method for securing an item of merchandise, comprising:
attaching a sensor to an item of merchandise, wherein the sensor contains an optical transceiver; and
attaching an end of a cable to the sensor with a releasable connector, the end of the cable comprising an optical transceiver, the cable comprising a plurality of electrical conductors for providing power to the optical transceiver of the cable, the optical transceiver of the cable and the optical transceiver of the sensor configured to rotate relative to one another, the optical transceiver of the sensor and the optical transceiver of the cable configured to communicate optical signals with one another for detecting disconnection of the cable from the sensor and cutting of the cable.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein connecting comprises threadably engaging the releasable connector to the sensor, the optical transceiver of the cable configured to rotate relative to the optical transceiver of the sensor when the releasable connector is engaged with the sensor.
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Patent number: 10403106
Patent Publication Number: 20190213853
Application Number: 16/354,400
International Classification: G08B 13/12 (20060101); G08B 13/14 (20060101);