Method for the tamper-evident and traceable marking of an assembly of two elements

• US 10,643,041 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Original Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Inventors: Verraes, Cedric
• Primary Examiner(s): Gudorf, Laura A
• Application Number:
  US16/309,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20190138773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/95 with markings, colours, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/021 by injecting a settable material after the screwing down
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0208 Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the tamper-evident and traceable marking of an assembly of a first element and a second element, the marking method comprising steps of assembling the first element and the second element, placing a radio tag marker on a first surface of the first element, the first surface being facing a second surface of the second element, and applying a first layer of locking varnish to a third surface, the third surface comprising the first surface and the second surface, in order to cover the marker, the first layer of locking varnish, once dried, guaranteeing that the marking is tamper-evident and the radio tag marker affording tracing of the marking.

Claims

1. A method for tamper-evident and traceable marking of an assembly of a first element and a second element, the marking method comprising the steps of:

assembling the first element and the second element, the first element being a screw and the second element being a chassis,

placing a marker of a radio tag type separated from the first and second elements, on an outside surface of the first element, called first surface, the first surface being next to an outside surface of the second element, called second surface, and

applying a first layer of locking varnish to a third surface in order to cover the marker, the third surface comprising the first surface and the second surface, the first layer of locking varnish, once dried, guaranteeing that the marking will be tamper-evident, the radio tag marker allowing tracing of the marking, and the method comprising the following steps of;

determining at least one value of a first parameter relating to the assembly step,

updating a database, the value of the first parameter being associated in said database with a first item of information associated with the radio tag marker wherein the marker is mechanically attached to the first surface and to the second surface directly via the first layer of locking varnish such that when the first element is separated from the second element, the marker is removed from the third surface thereby allowing the first element to be detected as being separated from the second surface and wherein the marker of the radio tag type is configured to be interrogated by an electronic interrogation device to attempt to find an identifier of a marking in order to determine whether an unauthorized disassembly and reassembly of the first element and the second element occurred.

2. The tamper-evident and traceable marking method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of applying the first layer of locking varnish to the third surface is performed before the step of placing the radio tag marker on the first surface, and

the step of placing the radio tag marker on the first surface comprising a step of placing the marker in the locking varnish so that the radio tag marker is covered by the locking varnish.

3. The tamper-evident and traceable marking method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of applying the locking varnish to the third surface comprising the first surface is performed before the step of placing the radio tag marker on the first surface,

the step of placing the marker on the first surface comprises a step of placing the radio tag marker in the locking varnish, and the method comprising an additional step of;

applying a second layer of locking varnish to the third surface in order to cover the radio tag marker.

4. The tamper-evident and traceable marking method according to claim 3, the radio tag marker being included in a wire, wherein placing the radio tag marker corresponds to placing the wire.

5. The tamper-evident and traceable marking method according to claim 4, wherein the method comprises additional steps of:

interrogating a marking by means of said electronic interrogation device in order to find a value of a third parameter recorded in a memory of a radio tag marker, and

finding in the database at least one second item of information associated with the value of the third parameter.

6. The tamper-evident and traceable marking method according to claim 1, the radio tag marker comprising a write memory, wherein the method comprises additional steps of:

determining at least one value of a second parameter relating to the assembly step,

recording in the write memory of the radio tag marker at least the value of the second parameter.

7. A device comprising an assembly of a first element and a second element, the first element being a screw and the second element being a chassis, the assembly being marked by tamper-evident and traceable marking comprising at least one radio tag marker integrated in a first layer of locking varnish, the marker of a radio tag type being placed separated from the first and second elements, on an outside surface of the first element, called first surface, the first surface being next to an outside surface of the second element, called second surface, the first layer of locking varnish being applied to a third surface in order to cover the marker, the third surface comprising the first surface and the second surface, wherein the marker is mechanically attached to the first surface and to the second surface directly via the first layer of locking varnish such that when the first element is separated from the second element, the marker is removed from the third surface thereby allowing the first element to be detected as being separated from the second surface and wherein the radio tag marker is configured to be interrogated by an electronic interrogation device to attempt to find an identifier of a marking in order to determine whether an unauthorized disassembly and reassembly of the first element and the second element occurred.

8. The device according to claim 7, the radio tag marker being included in a wire.

9. The device according to claim 7, the radio tag marker comprising a write memory, at least one value of a parameter relating to the assembly operation being recorded in the write memory.