Synchronization of electronic article surveillance systems having metal detection
AssigneeTyco Fire & Security GmbH
InventorsJohn A. Allen, Adam S. Bergman, Manuel A. Soto
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Abstract
A method and system are provided for minimizing metal detection signal interference by dividing a standard EAS system metal detection burst timeslot into a plurality of timeslots per burst in order to minimize triggering metal detection false alarm signals between adjacent metal detection systems. The method and system include synchronizing a plurality of metal detection systems by generating a signal having a predefined time duration and segmenting the signal into multiple timeslots per signal. A selected timeslot that is assigned to each of the plurality of metal detection systems is stored and the system performs metal detection using the assigned timeslot.
Claims20
A method of synchronizing metal detection among a plurality of electronic article surveillance (EAS)/metal detection systems by using segmented metal detection burst windows, each metal detection burst window being segmented into multiple timeslots, the method comprising:
- receiving an assignment to one of the multiple timeslots;
- storing the assigned timeslot;
- and
- synchronizing metal detection by performing metal detection within the assigned timeslot.
An electronic article surveillance (EAS)/metal detection system having metal detection that is synchronized with metal detection of at least one other EAS/metal detection system by using segmented metal detection burst windows, each metal detection burst window being segmented into multiple timeslots, the system comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- receive an assignment of one of the multiple timeslots;
- cause the memory to store the assigned timeslot;
- and
- perform metal detection within the assigned timeslot.
A method of synchronizing metal detection in a plurality of electronic article surveillance (EAS)/metal detection systems by using segmented metal detection burst windows, the method comprising:
- synchronizing an EAS burst window, an EAS receive window and a metal detection burst window of each EAS/metal detection system based on a signal crossing point, each metal detection burst window being segmented into multiple timeslots, each one of the plurality of EAS/metal detection systems being assigned a respective one of the multiple time slots;
- storing, at each EAS/metal detection system, the corresponding assigned timeslot;
- and
- synchronizing metal detection among the plurality of EAS/metal detection systems by performing metal detection, at each EAS/metal detection system, within the corresponding assigned timeslot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.