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 warning signal, and configured to wirelessly transmit a signal to a remotely-located alarm box indicative of the audible alarm or warning signal;

wherein the wire is electrically coupled to the electronic unit such that the wire functions as an antenna to 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 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 an audible alarm when the label holder is rotated away from the bottom end, and configured to transmit a warning signal to the signal 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 an audible alarm and transmit a warning signal to the signal 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 an audible alarm and transmit a warning signal to the signal box 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 that 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; wherein the wire is electrically coupled to a electronic unit such that the wire functions as an antenna for the transmission of the wireless signal to the alarm box and;

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 tor connecting the alarm box to an output receiving device.

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.