JP3384765B2 - Alarm unit and anti-theft system using the same - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an antitheft device which is connected to a product displayed in a store and protects the product from illegal acts such as shoplifting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a store which displays and sells products such as compact disc cassettes and magnetic tape cassettes has an anti-theft system as shown in FIG. 4 in order to protect these products from illegal acts such as shoplifting. It is adopted.

Such an anti-theft system comprises an anti-theft gate 30 installed near an exit 40 of a store and a product 50.
And an alarm unit 20 attached to the. A circuit board 31 and a transmission antenna (not shown) are built in the anti-theft gate 30, and the circuit board 31 includes a transmission circuit (not shown) for generating an alarm activation signal (notification signal) for the alarm unit 20. .

As shown in FIG. 5, the alarm unit 20 includes a buzzer 22, a circuit board 23, a battery (not shown) and the like inside a casing 21, and a plurality of sound emission holes 24 are formed on the surface of the casing 21. At the same time, the alarm actuating switch piece 25, which is interlocked with the mounting state of the product 50, is provided in a protruding manner. The operation of the buzzer 22 is controlled by the circuit board 23 and sounds when the alarm unit 20 is removed from the product 50 or when the alarm unit 20 passes through the anti-theft gate 30. Also, FIG.
There is also a type in which an alarm unit is attached to a product with a wire instead of the alarm activation switch piece 25. In this case, the alarm unit detects that the wire has been removed or the wire has been cut, and issues an alarm.

At the store, the product 50 is displayed on the display stand with the alarm unit 20 attached. When a store clerk sells a product 50 to a customer, an alarm disabling device (not shown) sends a specific reset signal to the circuit board 23 of the alarm unit 20 to set the buzzer 22 not to sound, Remove the unit 20 from the product 50,
In exchange for the price, he hands the product 50 to the customer.

On the other hand, if the customer illegally removes the alarm unit 20 from the product 50, the alarm activation switch piece 25 is turned off and the buzzer 22 sounds. Moreover, when the customer illegally tries to take the product 50 together with the alarm unit 20 out of the store, the circuit board 23 of the alarm unit 20 is
Upon receiving an alarm activation signal from the transmission antenna of the anti-theft gate 30, the buzzer 22 sounds.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main part of a circuit configuration in a conventional alarm unit. In FIG. 3, the alarm activation signal transmitted from the anti-theft gate is received by the receiving antenna 1, amplified by the signal amplification circuit 2, and then detected by the control circuit 3. If a predetermined alarm activation signal is given, a buzzer (not shown) is displayed. The alarm is sounded. Further, the signal amplifying circuit 2 and the control circuit 3 are supplied with operating power from a battery 4 installed in the alarm unit.

[0008]

Since such an alarm unit uses a battery as a power source, it is desired that the power consumption be extremely small in a storage state where it is not necessary to issue an alarm. That is, since the alarm unit is usually attached to each product, it is very troublesome and expensive to replace the batteries of all the alarm units, which is a very important problem.

However, in such a conventional alarm unit, operating power is directly supplied from the battery 4 to the receiving circuit (the receiving antenna 1 and the signal amplifying circuit 2 are collectively referred to as the receiving circuit. The same applies hereinafter). The alarm unit is not attached to the product because it is installed (it is not necessary to receive the alarm activation signal)
Even in the storage state, the receiving circuit will operate,
It was causing unnecessary power consumption.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the alarm unit according to the present invention, the alarm unit is connected to an antitheft object and the connection state with the antitheft object is released or a predetermined condition is reached. In an alarm unit that issues an alarm by detecting that an operation signal transmitted to the area is received,
At least a receiving circuit, a control circuit, a battery, and an alarm actuating switch interlocking with the connection state of the anti-theft object, the battery supplies operating power to the control circuit, and the control circuit outputs an alarm. When the unit is connected to the anti-theft object and the alarm actuation switch is turned on, it starts supplying operating power to the receiving circuit, and further, the control circuit cancels the alarm issued from the alarm unit. When a predetermined reset signal is received and the alarm actuation switch is in the OFF state, supply of operating power to the receiving circuit is stopped.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an operation signal which is combined with an anti-theft object according to the present invention, is released from the connection state with the anti-theft object, or is transmitted to a predetermined area. In an alarm unit that detects the reception of an alarm and issues an alarm, at least a receiving circuit, a control circuit, a battery, and an alarm actuating switch that is interlocked with the connection state of the antitheft object, the battery is While supplying operating power to the control circuit, the control circuit supplies operating power to the receiving circuit, a predetermined reset signal for canceling an alarm issued from the alarm unit is received, and the alarm activation switch is in the OFF state. In this case, the supply of operating power to the receiving circuit is stopped.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of a circuit configuration of an alarm unit according to the present invention. The same parts as those in the conventional example of FIG.

Therefore, the difference from the conventional example of the present invention is that the power supply to the signal amplification circuit 2 is not provided from the battery 4, but is related to the operation of the alarm actuation switch 5 and via the control circuit 3. Power is being supplied. still,
Although the conventional example of FIG. 3 also has the alarm activating switch itself, since it is not related to the power supply to the signal amplification circuit 2,
It is omitted in FIG.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when the alarm unit is not used (not attached to the product) and is attached to the product, the alarm activation switch 5 is turned on.
N (S1).

Then, the control circuit 3 detects that the alarm activation switch 5 is turned on, and starts supplying operating power to the receiving circuit (the signal amplifying circuit 2) (S2).

Next, the control circuit 3 determines whether or not the receiving circuit has received the alarm activation signal from the anti-theft gate (S3), and when the reception of the alarm activation signal is detected, an alarm is issued ( S5).

When the control circuit 3 does not detect the alarm activation signal in the determination step of S3, the control circuit 3 determines whether or not the alarm activation switch 5 is OFF (S4), and O
If it is FF, an alarm is sounded (S5). Also, O
If it is N, the process returns to the determination step of S3.

While the alarm of S5 is sounding, the control circuit 3
Determines whether or not the receiving circuit has received the reset signal from the alarm disabling device (S6), and stops the sounding of the alarm when the reset signal is detected (S7). If the reset signal is not detected, the determination step of S6 is continued. At this time, the alarm remains sounding.

After the alarm is stopped, the control circuit 3 determines whether or not the alarm actuation switch 5 is OFF (S8).
If it is FF, power supply to the receiving circuit is stopped (S9). On the other hand, if it is ON, the process returns to S3, and the alarm standby state is continued.

That is, in the apparatus of this embodiment, when the alarm activation switch is turned on (when the alarm unit is attached to the product), the supply of operating power to the receiving circuit starts from the storage state of the alarm unit. When a reset signal is transmitted by the store clerk and the alarm activation switch is turned off (when the alarm unit is removed from the product), the supply of operating power to the receiving circuit is stopped and the storage state is restored.

[0023]

According to the present invention, power is supplied to the receiving circuit when the alarm unit is in a storage state in which the product is not installed, that is, when the alarm unit does not need to receive the alarm activation signal or the reset signal. Since it is not generated, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed and operation time can be extended.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of an alarm unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the alarm unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram showing a conventional alarm unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an anti-theft gate installed near an exit of a store.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an alarm unit attached to a product.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 receiving antenna 2 signal amplifier circuit 3 control circuit 4 batteries 5 Alarm switch

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-10-228591 (JP, A) JP-A-62-264396 (JP, A) JP-A-4-19934 (JP, A) JP-A-2-98799 (JP , A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G08B 13/14 G08B 13/22

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An alarm is issued when it is connected to an anti-theft object and the connection with the anti-theft object is released or an actuation signal transmitted to a predetermined area is received. In the alarm unit, at least a receiving circuit, a control circuit, a battery, and an alarm actuating switch that works in conjunction with the connection state of the anti-theft object, the battery supplies operating power to the control circuit, The control circuit starts supplying operating power to the receiving circuit when the alarm unit is coupled to the anti-theft object and the alarm actuation switch is in the ON state, and further, the control circuit is emitted from the alarm unit. When a predetermined reset signal for canceling the alarm is received and the alarm activation switch is in the OFF state, the supply of operating power to the receiving circuit is stopped. News unit. 2. An alarm is issued when it is connected to an anti-theft object and the connection state with the anti-theft object is released or an actuation signal transmitted to a predetermined area is received. In the alarm unit, at least a receiving circuit, a control circuit, a battery, and an alarm actuating switch that works in conjunction with the connection state of the anti-theft object, the battery supplies operating power to the control circuit, The control circuit supplies the operating power to the receiving circuit, supplies the operating power to the receiving circuit when a predetermined reset signal for canceling the alarm issued from the alarm unit is received and the alarm activation switch is in the OFF state. An alarm unit characterized by stopping. 3. An anti-theft system comprising the alarm unit according to claim 2, an operation signal transmission device for transmitting the operation signal, and an alarm disabling device for transmitting the reset signal.