Anti-counterfeit label having increased security

• US 10,108,894 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WISeKey Semiconductors
• Original Assignee: WISeKey Semiconductors
• Inventors: Pic, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyen K
• Application Number:
  US15/740,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20180197057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 235451, 235492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07798 part of the antenna or the integrated circuit being adapted for rupturing or breaking, e.g. record carriers functioning as sealing devices for detecting not-authenticated opening of containers electronic seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0273 Labels for bottles, flasks
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0329 having electronic sealing means

Abstract

The invention relates to a near field magnetically coupled contactless tag, comprising a substrate comprising a rupture zone; a master microcircuit arranged on the substrate on one side of the rupture zone, and configured to be interrogated by a near-field reader; a slave microcircuit arranged on the substrate on the other side of the rupture zone; and a sacrificial link connecting the two microcircuits, wherein the two microcircuits are configured to negotiate mutual authentication through the sacrificial link.

Claims

1. A near field magnetically coupled contactless tag, comprising:

a substrate comprising a rupture zone;

a master microcircuit arranged on the substrate on one side of the rupture zone, and configured to be interrogated by a near-field reader;

a slave microcircuit arranged on the substrate on the other side of the rupture zone; and

a sacrificial link connecting the two microcircuits, wherein the two microcircuits are configured to negotiate mutual authentication through the sacrificial link.

2. The tag according to claim 1, comprising an antenna configured to supply power to the master microcircuit, the sacrificial link being configured to power the slave microcircuit from the master microcircuit.

3. The tag of claim 2, wherein the sacrificial link comprises a conductive track configured in a loop crossing a second rupture zone.

4. The tag according to claim 2, wherein the sacrificial link comprises a meander-shaped conductive track occupying a region of interest of the substrate such that a piercing of the region of interest breaks the conductive track.

5. The tag according to claim 2, comprising two facing metal surfaces arranged on opposite faces of the substrate in a region of interest of the substrate, configured such that a piercing of the region of interest causes a permanent short-circuit between the two metal surfaces, wherein the metal surfaces are connected to the slave microcircuit so that the short-circuit prevents the operation of the slave microcircuit.

6. The tag of claim 1, wherein the two microcircuits are of the same type, each comprising two specific pins designed to supply power to an external circuit when the microcircuit is connected to an antenna, or to receive an external power supply when the microcircuit is not connected to an antenna.

7. The tag of claim 1, wherein the master microcircuit is configured to implement near field communication technology and the slave microcircuit is configured to implement a different communication technology.