Patent ID: 8077037

Claim:
A security system for portable articles, the security system comprising: one or more remote units, each comprising a tethering system adapted to connect one or more portable articles to the remote unit, an alarm circuit which can operate to generate a remote alarm signal if one or more of the portable articles is disconnected from the remote unit, and a RF transmitter which receives the remote alarm signal and responds by generating a RF transmission; and a central unit, comprising a RF receiver which receives the RF transmission and outputs a central alarm signal, and a dialer which responds to the central alarm signal by initiating one or more telephone connections via a telephone line, whereby the disconnection of the portable article from the remote unit can be reported via the telephone connection, wherein the central unit causes a first predetermined message from a plurality of different available messages to be transmitted over the telephone lines, the first predetermined message selected based upon at least one of: a) a recipient associated with the telephone line connection; b) an identity of at least one remote unit at which a remote alarm signal is generated; and c) an identity of a portable article disconnected from the at least one remote unit.