Patent ID: 7671741

Claim:
A security tag comprising: a housing; a membrane operable for attachment to merchandise, wherein the housing is connected to the membrane; a monitoring device operable to monitor whether a party removes or attempts to remove the housing from the membrane; an alarm operable to emit a tamper signal when the monitoring device indicates that a party has removed or attempted to remove the housing from the membrane in an unauthorized condition, wherein the alarm does not emit the tamper signal when the housing is removed or attempted to be removed from the membrane in an authorized condition and the security tag is in the authorized condition when it receives an encrypted deactivation signal to deactivate the alarm; a deactivator positioned on a top surface of the housing portion and operable to receive the encrypted deactivation signal to deactivate the alarm; and a controller connected to the deactivator and operable to control at least the alarm, wherein the controller monitors an electric circuit formed between the housing and the membrane and controls the alarm to emit the tamper signal when the circuit is disrupted, and wherein the controller receives the deactivation signal to deactivate the alarm.