Wireless tamper device

• US 10,276,006 B1
• Filed: 12/02/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Price, Wade T., Olsen, Bruce R., Roeder, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura N
• Application Number:
  US15/829,876
• Time in Patent Office: 514 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/12 by the breaking or disturbance of stretched cords or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/128 the housing being an electronic circuit unit, e.g. memory or CPU chip protecting computer components in secure or tamper resistant housings G06F21/86; protecting computer input devices, e.g. keyboards G06F21/83

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless tamper device (“WTD”). The WTD includes a transmitter, multi-layer probe, processing device, and power supply. The processing device is in signal communication with the multi-layer probe and the power supply is in signal communication with the transmitter and processing device. The processing device includes a processor and a computer-readable medium (“CRM”). The CRM has encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to initiating a tamper state to untampered, detect a physical trigger on the multi-layer probe, and set the tamper state to tampered in response to detecting the physical trigger.

Claims

1. A wireless tamper sensor comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a multi-layer probe having predetermined electrical characteristics;

a processing device in signal communication with the multi-layer probe; and

a power supply in signal communication with the transmitter and the processing device, wherein the processing device includes;

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium accessible to the processor, the computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by the processor to;

initiate a tamper state of the wireless tamper sensor to untampered responsive to the wireless tamper sensor being armed by a user;

detect a physical trigger on the multi-layer probe;

set the tamper state to tampered in response to detecting the physical trigger;

receive a wake command from an external device, wherein the user utilizes the external device to arm the wireless tamper sensor with the wake command;

authenticate the wake command; and

setting the tamper state to untampered responsive to the wake command being authenticated.

2. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulating material that encloses at least a portion of the wireless tamper sensor.

3. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, further comprising a trigger switch, wherein the trigger switch is configured to be armed by the user, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to set the tamper state to untampered responsive to the trigger switch being activated.

4. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, wherein the multi-layer probe is an antenna having an antenna length, and wherein the physical trigger is a reduction of the antenna length.

5. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, wherein detecting the physical trigger on the multi-layer probe includes determining that the multi-layer probe has new electrical characteristics as a result of the physical trigger.

6. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 5, wherein the physical trigger is a separating of a layer of material within the multi-layer probe.

7. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, further comprising a sensor in signal communication with the processing device, wherein the sensor senses the physical trigger on the multi-layer probe.

8. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to transmit a tamper state signal in response to detecting the physical trigger, wherein the tamper state signal indicates that the tamper state is either tampered or untampered.

9. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

receive a status command from the external device;

authenticate the status command; and

transmit the tamper state signal in response to receiving the status command, wherein the tamper state signal indicates that the tamper state is either tampered or untampered.

10. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer, wherein detecting the physical trigger includes detecting a movement or vibration with the accelerometer.

11. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

receive a reset signal from the external device; and

reset the tamper state to untampered in response to receiving the reset signal.

12. The wireless tamper sensor of claim 1, wherein the processing device includes a field programmable-gate array.

13. A method for detecting tampering on a wireless tamper device, the method comprising:

arming the wireless tamper device by a user, wherein arming includes initiating a tamper state of the wireless tamper device to untampered;

detecting a physical trigger on a multi-layer probe;

setting the tamper state to tampered in response to detecting the physical trigger;

receiving a wake command from an external device, wherein the user utilizes the external device to arm the wireless tamper device with the wake command;

authenticating the wake command; and

setting the tamper state to untampered responsive to the wake command being authenticated.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting a tamper state signal in response to detecting the physical trigger, wherein the tamper state signal indicates that the tamper state is tampered.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a status command from the external device;

authenticate the status command; and

transmitting a tamper state signal in response to receiving the status command.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the physical trigger includes determining that the multi-layer probe has been broken or substantially altered.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multi-layer probe is an antenna.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the physical trigger includes detecting a movement or vibration with an accelerometer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a reset signal from the external device; and

resetting the tamper state to untampered.