2. Introduction of the inventor
• Arthur Minasy (1925 – 9 May 1994) was an
American inventor. His most famous
invention was in 1966, when he
invented surveillance tags that could be
attached to items in stores to prevent
shoplifting.
• Minasy graduated from New York University
with an engineering degree in 1949 and
a master's degree in industrial engineering
in 1952.
3. Types of tags used in retailer shops
• RFID Tags
• Ink Tags
• Specialty Tags
4. RFID tAGS
Plastic Security Tags clip a radio-frequency identification chip directly
onto an item. When the chip crosses the detection sensor, an alarm is
triggered to alert store employees to the theft. These tags are available
in many forms, such as gator, clam shell and golf ball. In these styles,
the two sides of the tag interlock with each other to make it difficult for
thieves to remove. Each type of interlocking clip may require its own
special opening tool. In contrast, strip tags have an adhesive backing
that sticks to a piece of merchandise.
5. Ink tags
Ink Tags are geared toward preventing shoplifting instead of triggering
an alarm when a theft does occur. They typically are used on clothing
items that would be ruined if stained with ink. When the tag is
removed without the benefit of the tool the store cashier uses, a vial
inside bursts and spills ink onto the item. The ink vials can be combined
with standard RFID chips to provide an added level of protection.
However, smaller stores often use ink tags alone to save on the cost of
installing a detection system.
6. Speciality Tags
Certain types of specialty merchandise require their own customized
security tag solution. For example, liquor bottle tags attach to the cap
and set off an alarm when the cap is twisted open. Eyeglass Security
tags attach to the frame, usually at the temples or near the end of the
earpieces. The thin design of the tags allow them to stick onto the
glasses without interfering with a customer's ability to try them on.
Shackle tags can be used to secure the handles of briefcases and
purses.
7. Detection Systems
• Without a detection system, security tags are
useless. Detectors typically are placed on both
sides of each of the store's exits. When the
sensor passes the detectors, the alarm goes
off. Most tags also can be programmed to set
off an alarm if someone attempts to remove
them without the proper tool. The detection
system usually is connected to software that
controls the sensitivity, volume and duration
of the alarm. Sensonmatic and Checkpoint are
the two most commonly used retail security
programs.
8. Working
If you walk through the doorway without paying for
something, the radio waves from the transmitter (hidden in
on one of the door gates) are picked up by the coiled
metal antenna in the label. This generates a tiny electrical
current that makes the label transmit a new radio signal of
its own at a very specific frequency. The receiver (hidden in
the other door gate) picks up the radio signal that the tag
transmits and sounds the alarm. Why doesn't the alarm
sound when you pay for something? You may have noticed
that the checkout assistant passes your item over or through
a deactivating device (sometimes it's incorporated into the
ordinary barcode scanning mechanism, and sometimes it's
completely separate). This destroys or deactivates the
electronic components in the RF label so they no longer pick
up or transmit a signal when you walk through the gates and
the alarm does not sound.
10. Removal & Deactivation
• Security tags require removal when a product is sold. This simple process
occurs using a detacher device which is mounted or installed in the counter
at the Point of Sale. Either a mechanical device or a high-powered magnet,
the detacher releases the security tag’s locking mechanism and allows the
tag to be removed. Tags can then be re-used on other products.
• Security labels are usually deactivated by a deactivator that is situated at
the point of sale or integrated into the scanner. This deactivator works by
breaking a circuit within a label so they no longer emit a signal and can
pass near an antenna without causing an alarm to sound. Labels cannot be
re-used.