Container tamper-proof protection by use of printed fiber optics manufacturing and integrated sensors

• US 10,388,129 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpticalLock, Inc.
• Original Assignee: OpticalLock, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanchez, Jorge, Fuller, Carol E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Charlie Y
• Application Number:
  US15/986,672
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• 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: G01D 5/268 using optical fibres G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/088 of optical fibres; Mechanical features associated with the optical testing of optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/30 Testing of optical devices, constituted by fibre optics or optical waveguides
• 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 provide a method for tamper-proof protection of containers used for shipment of goods. An optical fiber is embedded in an Optical Shield Wallpaper which lines all interior surfaces of any size of a shipping container, package, box, barrel or other shaped container. Wallpaper is manufactured using large scale rollers that press fibers with encapsulated adhesives onto an appropriate medium. Small medicine containers are protected with a fiber optic shield and sensors manufactured using ink jet printing techniques. Light is applied to the optical fiber and a measurement of optical fiber characteristics is performed. Digital signal processing is used to generate pedigree information, which may include items such as shipping location, serial numbers and lot numbers for the goods. The status of the autonomous anti-tampering system is monitored real-time for unauthorized intrusions. Intrusions detected are relayed to an authorized recipient via a variety of communication channels.

Claims

1. A system for detecting tampering, comprising:

a sensor comprising an optical shield wallpaper, the sensor comprising a waveguide arranged upon an interior surface of a container;

an antenna disposed within the container proximate to a nonmetallic portion of the container;

a detection device connected to two opposing ends of the waveguide, the detection device comprising;

a transmitter configured to transmit a first signal through the sensor via a first opposing end of the waveguide;

a receiver configured to;

receive a second signal from the sensor via a second opposing end of the waveguide; and

detect tampering with the container based at least in part on the second signal; and

a communications interface in communication with the antenna, the communications interface configured to cause the antenna to broadcast a radio frequency signal responsive to a detection of tampering at the receiver; and

an additional sensor disposed between the nonmetallic portion of the container and the antenna, the additional sensor comprising a panel of optical shield wallpaper connected to the detection device, wherein the detection device is further configured to detect tampering with the nonmetallic portion of the container.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first signal via a first end of the additional sensor, and wherein the receiver is further configured to:

receive a third signal from a second end of the additional sensor; and

detect tampering with the nonmetallic portion of the container based at least in part on the third signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the detection device further comprises a memory configured to store a signal signature for the nonmetallic portion of the container, and wherein the receiver is configured to detect tampering with the nonmetallic portion by at least determining that a difference between a signature of the third signal and the signal signature corresponds to a threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the nonmetallic portion of the container comprises a radio-frequency-transparent window.

5. The system of claim 4,

wherein the window comprises a first material, and

wherein the additional sensor is adjacent to an interior surface of the window, and

wherein the additional sensor comprises a substrate comprising the first material.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first material comprises glass.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a light emitter, and wherein the waveguide comprises an optical fiber, and wherein the first signal and the second signal comprise modulated light.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection device further comprises a memory configured to store a signal signature for the container, and wherein the receiver is configured to detect tampering by at least determining that a difference between a signature of the second signal and the signal signature corresponds to a threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the signal signature is extracted and stored prior to monitoring to detect tampering.

10. A method of manufacturing a tamper detection system, comprising:

embedding at least one waveguide on a substrate to form a sensor comprising an optical shield wallpaper;

coupling the sensor to a detection device, the detection device configured to transmit a first signal through the sensor via a first opposing end of the waveguide, receive a second signal from the sensor via a second opposing end of the waveguide, and detect tampering with a container based at least in part on the second signal;

arranging the substrate including the waveguide upon an interior surface of the container;

placing an antenna within the container proximate to a nonmetallic portion of the container, the antenna in communication with a communications interface of the detection device such that the communications interface can cause the antenna to broadcast a radio frequency signal responsive to a detection of tampering by the detection device; and

placing an additional sensor between the nonmetallic portion of the container and the antenna, the additional sensor comprising a panel optical shield wallpaper connected to the detection device, wherein the detection device is further configured to detect tampering with the nonmetallic portion of the container.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detection device is further configured to:

transmit the first signal via a first end of the additional sensor;

receive a third signal from the second end of the additional sensor; and

detect tampering with the nonmetallic portion of the container based at least in part on the third signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing a signal signature for the nonmetallic portion of the container, wherein the detection device is configured to detect tampering with the nonmetallic portion by at least determining that a difference between a signature of the third signal and the signal signature corresponds to a threshold.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the nonmetallic portion of the container comprises a radio-frequency-transparent window.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the window comprises a first material, the method further comprising placing the additional sensor between the window and the antenna, the additional sensor comprising a substrate comprising the first material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first material comprises glass.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the detection device comprises a light emitter, wherein the waveguide comprises an optical fiber, and wherein the first signal and the second signal comprise modulated light.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing a signal signature for the container, wherein the detection device is configured to detect tampering by at least determining that a difference between a signature of the second signal and the signal signature corresponds to a threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the signal signature is extracted and stored prior to monitoring to detect tampering.