Security system with anti-tampering sensors and cybersecurity

• US 10,107,014 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shamrock Supply Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: OpticalLock, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanchez, Jorge, Fuller, Carol E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PENG, CHARLIE YU
• Application Number:
  US15/345,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20170058565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/00 Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures tamper-indicating closures without means for discouraging, see the relevant groups, e.g. B65D41/32, B65D51/20
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2045/0685 Optical fibres for transmitting the sensor signal
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0068 in padlocks E05B37/025, E05B37/10 and E05B37/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/005 Locks with means for tracking the location of locked items, e.g. freight containers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/005 Chain-locks, cable-locks or padlocks with alarms
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/061 for combination locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/003 Chain, wire or cable locks alarms therefor E05B45/005; E05B69/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/02 Locks for railway freight-cars, freight containers or the like; Locks for the cargo compartments of commercial lorries, trucks or vans
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/088 of optical fibres; Mechanical features associated with the optical testing of optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/31 with a light emitter and a light receiver being disposed at the same side of a fibre or waveguide end-face, e.g. reflectometers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/186 using light guides, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0273 Labels for bottles, flasks
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0329 having electronic sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a method for tamper-proof protection of containers used for shipment of goods. The system contains a lock with electronic and mechanical components and a controller. A sensor is connected to a lock so that if forms a closed loop. The sensor can be an optical fiber or a distributed arrangement with an optical or an electrical shield. The electronics in the lock provide real time monitoring of the status of the lock. The lock cannot be opened or reproduced due to the signature of the closed loop which is stored in a remote server. Intrusions detected are relayed to an authorized recipient via a variety of communication channels. The data and control of the entire system is protected with several programs targeted to provide cybersecurity.

Claims

1. A system for detecting tampering, comprising:

a sensor with two opposing ends; and

a lock body connected to the two opposing ends of the sensor, the lock body comprising;

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal through the sensor; and

a receiver configured to receive the signal from the sensor;

wherein the lock body is coupled to at least one additional sensor arranged around a container, the at least one additional sensor including at least one of an electrical shield wallpaper and an optical shield wallpaper.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock body includes a combination lock configured to receive an input by a user, and wherein the combination lock is configured to disconnect one of the two opposing ends of the sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one end of the sensor is fixed to the lock body and connected to the receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an optical fiber.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an electrical conductor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional sensor includes an electrical shield wallpaper arranged around the container.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional sensor includes an optical shield wallpaper arranged around the container.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional sensor is wirelessly connected to the lock.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional sensor includes a plurality of additional sensors, and wherein each of the additional sensors is configured to respectively communicate with the lock body via wired or wireless communication.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock body further includes:

a latching hole configured to receive a first one of the two opposing ends of the sensor, wherein the latching hole is configured to release the first one of the two opposing ends; and

a fixed hole configured to receive a second one of the two opposing ends of the sensor, wherein the fixed hole is configured to not release the second one of the two opposing ends of the sensor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the lock body further includes a first cable connected to the fixed hole and the receiver and configured to transmit the sensor signal received at the fixed hole to the receiver.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second cable configured to transmit a sensor signal from a driver circuit to the end of the sensor inside the latching hole.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second cables include optical fiber cables.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second cables include electrical conductors.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the centers of the latching hole and the fixed hole are less than 20 cm apart.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the centers of the latching hole and the fixed hole are less than 10 cm apart.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external antenna configured to communicate with the lock body.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock body includes a GPS receiver.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock body includes a motion detector.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock body includes a camera.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock body includes an event recorder.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is less than 30 cm long.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the container contains a medicine.