Power Supply Phase Offset Control for AM EAS Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems using Acousto-Magnetic (AM) technology face synchronization challenges due to the need for close coordination and proprietary interfaces between manufacturers, leading to poor performance and high service costs from repeated interventions.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system that wirelessly synchronizes incompatible AM-based EAS systems by receiving a universal synchronization signal, determining a phase offset, and generating a phase-shifted AC signal to align transmit and receive operations, eliminating the need for proprietary interfaces and enabling automatic synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary interfaces and close coordination between manufacturers are used for synchronization, then system synchronization can be achieved, but device complexity and service costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a synchronization signal embedded in the AC power line as an intermediary mechanism. This signal acts as a universal mediator that enables different manufacturer's equipment to synchronize without requiring proprietary interfaces or direct coordination between manufacturers. The synchronization signal carries timing information that all compatible devices can interpret independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The AC power line is given a dual function: it continues to provide electrical power while also serving as a communication channel for synchronization signals. This universal approach allows any device connected to the same power line to synchronize automatically without requiring manufacturer-specific protocols or additional dedicated communication infrastructure.
2Reliability
If repeated technician interventions are performed to synchronize systems, then synchronization issues can be resolved, but loss of time and service costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-synchronization through the embedded synchronization signals in the AC power line. Devices automatically detect and adjust to the synchronization signal without requiring manual configuration or technician intervention. This self-service capability eliminates repeated service calls and reduces both time loss and service costs.
3Reliability
If AC power line is used for synchronization reference, then all surrounding systems can be synchronized, but phase offset misalignment causes poor performance and unwanted alarms
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization signal embedded in the AC power line provides continuous feedback information about the reference timing to all connected devices. This feedback mechanism enables devices to monitor and maintain precise phase offset alignment automatically, ensuring accurate synchronization without performance degradation or false alarms.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for synchronizing operations of incompatible systems. The methods comprise: programming receiver operations of a Power Supply (“PS”) so that PS is interoperable with a first system of the incompatible systems; receiving by PS a wireless universal synchronization signal from a beacon of the first system; determining, by PS, a value for a phase offset setting of an internal signal conditioner circuit based on information contained in the wireless universal synchronization signal; generating a phase shifted Alternating Current (“AC”) signal by applying a phase offset to an input AC power signal in accordance with the determined value for the phase offset setting; buffering the phase shifted AC signal to generate an output AC power signal; and using a zero crossing of the output AC power signal to synchronize transmit and receive operations of a second system of the incompatible systems with the first system's transmit and receive operations.