Anti-theft retail merchandise hook with radio transmission

1. A signal-emitting retail display device comprising:

a wire having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion configured to support a label holder, the bottom portion configured to store one or more retail items; and

an electronic unit that includes an emitter, the emitter being configured to emit an audible alarm or a warning signal, and configured to wirelessly transmit a signal to a remotely-located alarm box indicative of the audible alarm or the warning signal, the remotely-located alarm box configured for connection to an output receiving device configured to alert a user to a theft condition;

wherein the wire is electrically coupled to the electronic unit such that the wire functions as an antenna for the transmission of the signal to the remotely-located alarm box.

2. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 1 , wherein the top portion has a top end and the bottom portion has a bottom end, the top end and bottom end arranged in spaced relation to each other such that a label holder attached to the top end abuts the bottom end;

wherein the label holder is configured to rotate away from the bottom end to allow merchandise to be removed from the bottom portion; and

wherein the emitter is configured to emit the audible alarm or the warning signal when the label holder is rotated away from the bottom end.

3. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 2 , wherein the emitter is configured to emit the audible alarm when the label holder is rotated away from the bottom end, and configured to transmit the warning signal to the remotely-located alarm box when the label holder is rotated away from the bottom end for longer than a threshold length of time.

4. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 2 , wherein the emitter is configured to emit the audible alarm and transmit the warning signal to the remotely-located alarm box when the label holder is rotated away from the bottom end for longer than a threshold length of time.

5. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 2 , wherein the emitter is configured to emit the audible alarm and transmit the warning signal to the remotely-located alarm box when the label holder is rotated away from the bottom end more than a predetermined number of times within a threshold length of time.

6. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 1 , further comprising a U-shaped locking mechanism coupled to the electronic unit and configured to selectively rotate between an up position and a down position, wherein, in the down position, the U-shaped locking mechanism wraps around the bottom wire with the bottom wire passing through an aperture created by the U-shaped locking mechanism and the electronic unit, the U-shaped locking mechanism further configured to lock in the down position upon receipt of a signal by the electronic unit.

7. An alarm box comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal from one or more signal-emitting retail display devices, at least one of the signal-emitting retail display devices having a wire with a too portion configured to support a label holder, and a bottom portion configured to store one or more retail items, wherein the wire functions as an antenna for the transmission of the wireless signal to the alarm box;

an alarm box emitter configured to emit an audible signal indicative of the wireless signal received from the one or more signal-emitting retail display devices; and

one or more terminals for connecting the alarm box to an output receiving device, the output receiving device configured to alert a user to a theft condition.

8. The alarm box of claim 7 , wherein each of the one or more terminals is configured to connect to one of a computer, a pager, a cellular telephone, a public address system, computer memory, a video camera, and a video monitor.

9. The alarm box of claim 7 , further comprising control circuitry configured to transmit a control signal used to activate or control the output receiving device.

10. The alarm box of claim 7 , further comprising a mode-switching button for switching the alarm box between different modes of operation.

11. The alarm box of claim 7 , further comprising control circuitry that causes the emitter to emit a first audible signal when a first wireless signal from the one or more signal-emitting retail display devices indicates no-theft condition, and to emit a second audible signal, different from the first audible signal, when a second wireless signal from the one or more signal-emitting retail display devices indicates a theft condition.

12. The alarm box of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry causes the emitter to emit the second audible signal when the first wireless signal is absent for a threshold amount of time.

13. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 1 , wherein the alarm box comprises:

a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal from one or more signal-emitting retail display devices;

an alarm box emitter configured to emit an audible signal indicative of the wireless signal received from the one or more signal-emitting retail display devices; and

one or more terminals for connecting the alarm box to an output receiving device.

14. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 13 , wherein the alarm box includes control circuitry that causes the emitter to emit a first audible signal when a first wireless signal from the one or more signal-emitting retail display devices indicates no-theft condition, and to emit a second audible signal, different from the first audible signal, when a second wireless signal from the one or more signal-emitting retail display devices indicates a theft condition.

15. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 14 , wherein the control circuitry causes the emitter to emit the second audible signal when the first wireless signal is absent for a threshold amount of time.

16. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 13 , wherein the alarm box includes control circuitry configured to transmit a control signal used to activate or control the output receiving device.

17. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 13 , wherein each of the one or more terminals is configured to connect to one of a computer, a pager, a cellular telephone, a public address system, computer memory, a video camera, and a video monitor.

18. The signal-emitting retail display device of claim 13 , wherein the alarm box includes a mode-switching button for switching the alarm box between different modes of operation.