System and method using proximity detection for reducing cart alarms and increasing sensitivity in an EAS system with metal shielding detection

A method for detecting electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) marker shielding, the method comprising:

• detecting the presence of an object in an interrogation zone;
• initiating a countdown timer;
• detecting a metallic object within the interrogation zone;
• determining whether a wheeled device is passing through the interrogation zone;
• and
• responsive to determining that a wheeled device is not passing through the interrogation zone and upon detecting the metal object, generating an alert signal notifying a presence of EAS marker shielding upon expiration of the countdown timer.

An electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) system controller for use with a metal detector, the EAS system controller comprising:

• an EAS subsystem, the EAS subsystem detecting an EAS marker in an interrogation zone;
• an object detector, the object detector detecting objects located proximate to an entry point of the EAS subsystem;
• a timer programmed to start a countdown sequence upon receiving a signal generated by the object detector;
• a communication interface, the communication interface receiving inputs from the metal detector, the object detector and the timer;
• a cart detection subsystem including a sensor array, the cart detection subsystem operable to differentiate between a wheeled device and a human passing through the interrogation zone based on an output of the sensor array;
• and
• a processor electrically coupled to the EAS subsystem, the communication interface and the cart detection subsystem, the processor programmed to receive a signal from the object detector and the timer to initiate gathering information outputted from the cart detection system and information outputted from the metal detector to determine whether to generate an alarm signal based on a presence of EAS marker shielding.