Deactivator with wireless communication enabler
Systems ( 100, 150 ) and methods ( 700, 800 ) for transitioning a handheld device ( 100 ) from a partially inoperative state to a fully operative state. The methods comprise performing operations to pair a first communication device ( 150 ) and a second communication device ( 100 ). In response to the pairing of the first and second communication devices, the second communication device is transitioned from the partially inoperative state in which deactivation operations for deactivating an active security tag ( 124 ) are disabled to the fully operative state in which said deactivation operations are enabled.
1. A method for operating a handheld device, comprising:
obtaining a unique identifier from a first communication device;
comparing the unique identifier to a plurality of pre-stored unique identifiers identifying authorized users of a second communication device;
performing operations to pair the first communication device and the second communication device when results of the comparing indicate that the unique identifier matches one of the pre-stored unique identifier;
in response to the pairing of the first and second communication devices, transitioning the second communication device from a partially inoperative state in which deactivation operations for deactivating an active Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) security tag are disabled to a fully operative state in which said deactivation operations are enabled; and
transitioning the second communication device back to the partially inoperative state when the first communication device travels out of range of the second communication device.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing operations by the second communication device to wait for a trigger event that occurs when a trigger of the second communication device is actuated by a person.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the trigger is actuated to request a detection and deactivation of the active EAS security tag.
4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the trigger is actuated to cause a first communication to be transmitted from the second communication device to a scanner.
5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising performing scanning operations by the scanner in response to a reception of the first communication to obtain information from an object to which the active security tag is coupled.
6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising transmitting a second communication from the scanner to the second communication device when the information is obtained from the object.
7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising performing operations by the second communication device to detect and deactivate the active security tag in response to the reception of the information sent from the scanner.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication device comprises a smart device facilitating an identification of a person in possession of the first communication device.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second communication device is a handheld tag reader.
10. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the scanner comprises a barcode scanner, a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) reader, or a Near Field Communication (“NFC”) device.
11. A system, comprising:
a first communication device configured to be paired to with a second communication device, where a paring between the first and second communication devices is performed when results of comparison operations indicate that a unique identifier obtained from the first communication device matches one of a plurality of pre-stored unique identifiers identifying authorized users of the second communication device; and
the second communication device that transitions from a partially inoperative state in which deactivation operations for deactivating an active Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) security tag are disabled to a fully operative state in which said deactivation operations are enabled, in response to the pairing of the first and second communication devices;
wherein the second communication device transitions back to the partially inoperative state when the first communication device travels out of range of the second communication device.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the second communication device further performs operations to wait for a trigger event that occurs when a trigger of the second communication device is actuated by a person.
13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the trigger is actuated to request a detection and deactivation of the active EAS security tag.
14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the trigger is actuated to cause a first communication to be transmitted from the second communication device to a scanner.
15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the scanner performs scanning operations in response to a reception of the first communication to obtain information from an object to which the active EAS security tag is coupled.
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein a second communication is transmitted from the scanner to the second communication device when the information is obtained from the object.
17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the second communication device performs operations to detect and deactivate the active security tag in response to the reception of the information sent from the scanner.
18. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the first communication device comprises a smart device facilitating an identification of a person in possession of the first communication device.
19. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the second communication device is a handheld tag reader.
20. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the scanner comprises a barcode scanner, a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) reader, or a Near Field Communication (“NFC”) device.