Patent ID: 7015790

Claim:
A system for preventing theft of an object, said system comprising: an electronic article surveillance (EAS) device operatively attached to an object; a security path for detection of said EAS device, said security path including at least one security gate; a reader operatively coupled to said security path and associated with one of said or least one security gate; a smart card for being read by said reader, said smart card containing an identification profile of an authorized user of said object; and a computer attached to said reader, said computer disabling a security function of said security path at said security gate if a person presenting said card at said reader is determined as being authorized to remove said object after having said smart card read by said reader; and an alarm operatively coupled to said security path, wherein upon passage through said path without first having established that said person is authorized to remove said object, said EAS device triggers the path to activate said alarm and subsequently when said smart card is read by said reader and said person is determined as being authorized to remove said object said alarm is turned off.