Authorization control for an anti-theft security system

A system comprising:

• an anti-theft security system;
• and
• a plurality of security fobs, the security fobs including a manager security fob, wherein each security fob includes an identifier for that security fob;
• wherein the anti-theft security system comprises an interface and security circuitry;
• wherein the security circuitry is configured to control a security status for the anti-theft security system based on an authentication of a security fob, the security circuitry including a hardware processor and a memory;
• wherein the memory is configured to store (1) a software program for execution by the hardware processor in response to a connection of a security fob with the interface, and (2) an authorization list, wherein the authorization list is configured to identify one or more identifiers for one or more security fobs that are authorized to control the security status of the anti-theft security system;
• wherein the software program comprises a plurality of processor-executable instructions that, upon execution by the hardware processor, are configured to cause the hardware processor to:
• receive an identifier for the connected security fob through the interface;
• determine whether the connected security fob corresponds to a manager security fob;
• in response to a determination that the connected security fob corresponds to the manager security fob, (1) start a timer that defines a time window, (2) determine whether another security fob has been connected with the interface before expiration of the defined time window, and (3) in response to a determination that another security fob has been connected with the interface before the expiration of the defined time window, add an identifier for the another security fob to the authorization list;
• and
• in response to a determination that the connected security fob does not correspond to the manager security fob, (1) compare the received identifier with the authorization list, and (2) in response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the received identifier matches an identifier on the authorization list, permit the connected security fob to control the security status for the anti-theft security system.

A computer program product comprising:

• a plurality of processor-executable instructions that are resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the instructions, upon execution by a hardware processor, are configured to cause the hardware processor to:
• receive an identifier for a security fob connected to an interface that is in communication with the hardware processor;
• determine whether the connected security fob corresponds to a manager security fob;
• in response to a determination that the connected security fob corresponds to the manager security fob, (1) start a timer that defines a time window, (2) determine whether another security fob has been connected with the interface before expiration of the defined time window, and (3) in response to a determination that another security fob has been connected with the interface before the expiration of the defined time window, add an identifier for the another security fob to an authorization list, wherein the authorization list is configured to identify one or more identifiers for one or more security fobs that are authorized to control a security status of an anti-theft security system;
• and
• in response to a determination that the connected security fob does not correspond to the manager security fob, (1) compare the received identifier with the authorization list, and (2) in response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the received identifier matches an identifier on the authorization list, permit the connected security fob to control the security status for the anti-theft security system.

A method comprising:

• connecting a manager security fob with an interface, the interface for cooperation with a hardware processor that manages an authorization list for an anti-theft security system, the authorization list for listing one or more identifiers for one or more security fobs that are authorized to control a security status for the anti-theft security system;
• disconnecting the manager security fob from the interface;
• in response to the connecting or the disconnecting, starting a timer, the timer defining a time window;
• connecting a user security fob with the interface;
• the hardware processor reading an identifier for the connected user security fob through the interface;
• the hardware processor determining that the user security fob connecting occurred before expiration of the defined time window;
• in response to the determination that the user security fob connecting occurred before expiration of the defined time window, the hardware processor adding the read identifier to the authorization list to thereby authorize the user security fob for use in controlling the security status of the anti-theft security system;
• subsequently re-connecting the user security fob with the interface;
• and
• in response to the re-connecting, the hardware processor (1) reading the identifier for the re-connected user security fob through the interface, (2) comparing the read identifier for the re-connected user security fob with the authorization list, and (3) in response to the comparison resulting in a determination that the read identifier for the re-connected user security fob matches an identifier on the authorization list, permitting the re-connected user security fob to control the security status for the anti-theft security system.