Claims
- 1-31. cancelled.
- 32. A system for data reading and electronic article surveillance (EAS) deactivation, comprising
a housing including a lower housing section containing a lower window oriented generally horizontally and an upper housing section containing a upper window oriented generally vertically; a data reader disposed in the housing to read an item through the upper and lower windows as the item is passed through a scan volume defined between the upper and lower windows; a first EAS deactivation coil unit including (a) a central portion and (b) outer windings disposed around the central portion, wherein the first EAS deactivation coil unit is disposed in one of the lower and upper housing sections and to one lateral side of the window thereof.
- 33. A system according to claim 32 further comprising
a weigh platter, the lower window disposed in the weigh platter; an inner scan housing containing lower scanner components, wherein the deactivation unit is disposed in a cavity between the weigh platter and the inner scan housing.
- 34. A system according to claim 32 wherein the first EAS deactivation coil unit comprises a downstream EAS coil unit disposed on a downstream side of the window, the system further comprising an upstream EAS coil unit disposed in the housing on a side of the window opposite the first EAS deactivation coil unit.
- 35. A system according to claim 34 wherein the upstream EAS coil unit comprises a sensing unit for sensing presence of an EAS tag approaching the scan volume.
- 36. A system according to claim 34 wherein the upstream EAS coil unit comprises a second EAS deactivation coil unit.
- 37. A system according to claim 32, wherein the first EAS deactivation coil unit is constructed and arranged to be interchangeable as between one lateral side of the window to the other.
- 38. A system according to claim 32 wherein the first section EAS deactivation unit comprises a coil having a plurality of windings without a solid core.
- 39. A system according to claim 32 wherein the first section EAS deactivation unit comprises a coil having a plurality of windings with a core of magnetically active material.
- 40. A system for data reading and electronic article surveillance (EAS) deactivation, comprising
a housing including a window adapted for facing a scan volume; a data reader disposed in the housing to read an item through the window as the item is passed in a sweep direction through the scan volume; a first EAS deactivation coil unit including (a) an elongated central portion and (b) outer winding(s) disposed around the central portion, wherein the deactivation coil unit is disposed in the housing adjacent to the window for deactivating an EAS tag on an item being passed through the scan volume.
- 41. A system according to claim 40 further comprising
a weigh platter, the lower window disposed in the weigh platter; an inner scan housing containing lower scanner components, wherein the deactivation unit is disposed in a cavity between the weigh platter and the inner scan housing.
- 42. A system according to claim 40 wherein the first EAS deactivation coil unit comprises a downstream EAS coil unit disposed on a downstream side of the window, the system further comprising an upstream EAS coil unit disposed in the housing on a side of the window opposite the first EAS deactivation coil unit.
- 43. A system according to claim 42 wherein the upstream EAS coil unit comprises a sensing unit for sensing presence of an EAS tag approaching the scan volume.
- 44. A system according to claim 42 wherein the upstream EAS coil unit comprises a second EAS deactivation coil unit.
- 45. A system according to claim 40 wherein the first EAS deactivation coil unit is constructed and arranged to be interchangeable as between one lateral side of the window to the other.
- 46. A system according to claim 40 wherein the first section EAS deactivation unit comprises a coil having a plurality of windings without a solid core.
- 47. A system according to claim 40 wherein the first section EAS deactivation unit comprises a coil having a plurality of windings with a core of magnetically active material.
- 48. A method for checkout of an item bearing an optical code and having a deactivatable security tag, comprising the steps of:
passing the item along an item path and through a read volume of a data reader, the data reader being disposed in a housing; reading the optical label on the item with the data reader through a window in the housing; generating a security tag deactivation field with a security tag deactivation unit, the deactivation unit being disposed in the housing, and the deactivation field being located in the item path downstream of the read volume; wherein once the data reader has read the optical code on the item and identified it, activating the security tag deactivation field and deactivating the security tag.
- 49. A method according to claim 48 wherein the deactivation field overlaps to some extent with the read volume.
- 50. A method according to claim 48 further comprising
generating a security tag detection field with a detection unit, the detection unit being disposed in the housing, and the detection field being located in the item path upstream of the read volume; alerting the deactivation unit upon detection of a security tag.
- 51. A system for data reading and electronic article surveillance (EAS) deactivation, comprising
a housing including a window adapted for facing a scan volume; a data reader disposed in the housing to read an item through the window as the item is passed in a sweep direction through the scan volume; a first EAS unit located in the housing toward an upstream side of the window, the first EAS unit comprising an EAS detector for sensing presence of EAS tags on items on an upstream side of the scan volume; a second EAS unit located generally downstream of the scan volume, the second EAS unit comprising an EAS deactivation coil for deactivating EAS tags.
- 52. A system according to claim 51 wherein the second EAS unit comprises a plurality of windings disposed about an interior.
- 53. A system according to 52 wherein the interior comprises a core of magnetically active material.
- 54. A system according to claim 51 wherein the second EAS deactivation unit comprises (a) an elongated central portion and (b) outer winding(s) disposed around the central portion.
- 55. A system according to claim 51 further comprising a controller receiving input from both the data reader and the first EAS unit, and controlling activation of the EAS deactivation coil.
- 56. A system according to claim 51 wherein the first EAS unit comprises an EAS detector for sensing EAS tags on items approaching the scan volume.
- 57. A method of operating a self-service checkout terminal comprising the steps of: allowing scanning of an item for purchase via a scanner; determining whether the item has an active electronic article surveillance tag; and allowing deactivation of the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined that the item includes an electronic article surveillance tag.
- 58. The method of claim 57, wherein the step of determining whether an item has an active electronic article surveillance tag includes the step of utilizing an electronic article surveillance detector.
- 59. The method of claim 58, wherein the step of utilizing an electronic article surveillance detector, includes utilizing an electronic article surveillance detector that is associated with the scanner.
- 60. The method of claim 57, further comprising the step of determining whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated after the step of allowing deactivation of the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined that the item includes an electronic article surveillance tag.
- 61. The method of claim 60, wherein the step of determining whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated includes the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector.
- 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector, includes the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector that is associated with a bagwell of the self checkout.
- 63. The method of claim 61, wherein the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector, includes the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector that is associated with a security scale of the self checkout.
- 64. A self checkout comprising: a scanner operative to scan an item; an electronic article surveillance detector operative to detect whether a scanned item has an active electronic article surveillance tag; and an electronic article surveillance deactivator operative to deactivate the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined by the electronic article surveillance detector that a scanned item has an active electronic article surveillance tag.
- 65. The self checkout of claim 64, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector is associated with the scanner.
- 66. The self checkout of claim 64, further comprising a second electronic article surveillance detector that is operative to determine whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated by the electronic article surveillance deactivator.
- 67. The self checkout of claim 66, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a bagwell of the self checkout.
- 68. The self checkout of claim 66, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a security scale of the self checkout.
- 69. The self checkout of claim 66, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector comprises a coil and electronic circuitry/logic that is operative to obtain a signal from the coil indicative of an active electronic article surveillance tag.
- 70. The self checkout of claim 69, wherein the coil and electronic circuitry/logic are modular.
- 71. A self checkout comprising: a processor; a scanner in communication with the processor; an electronic article surveillance detector in communication with the processor; an electronic article surveillance deactivator; and memory in communication with the processor and storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: (a) allow scanning of an item for purchase via the scanner, (b) determine whether the item has an active electronic article surveillance tag via the electronic article surveillance detector, and (c) allow deactivation of the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined that the item includes an electronic article surveillance tag.
- 72. The self checkout of claim 71, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector is associated with the scanner.
- 73. The self checkout of claim 71, further comprising a second electronic article surveillance detector, and the memory has further program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine via the second article surveillance detector whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated by the electronic article surveillance deactivator.
- 74. The self checkout of claim 73, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a bagwell of the self checkout.
- 75. The self checkout of claim 73, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a security scale of the self checkout.
- 76. The self checkout of claim 71, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector comprises a coil and electronic circuitry/logic, and the memory has further program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to cause the electronic circuitry/logic obtain a signal from the coil indicative of an active electronic article surveillance tag.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/062,274 filed Feb. 1, 2002, which application is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10062274 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Child |
10825444 |
Apr 2004 |
US |