Asset seal device and method

• US 20070103310A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hopman, Nicholas, Flatt, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0317 having bolt like sealing means means for preventing relative axial movement of a pin, spigot, shaft or the like and a member surrounding it F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0335 using RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means

Abstract

A device and method of sealing a container comprises a mechanical bolt (201′) with a circuit disposed thereon. The circuit includes RFID function. When a captivating device (203) is joined with one end of the bolt (201′) the RFID circuit changes state and operates to transmit symbolic data. When the bolt is severed or cut off the RFID circuit again changes state and operates to transmit other symbolic data.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a circuit substrate disposed onto a surface of a bolt; and

an RFID circuit disposed onto the circuit substrate with a plurality of electrically separated conductors arranged at one end of the circuit substrate wherein electrically connecting said conductors causes the RFID circuit to change state.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the RFID circuit is an active RFID circuit.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the one end of the circuit substrate associated with the plurality of electrically separated conductors is disposed conforming to a cylindrical geometry of the bolt.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the RFID circuit is disposed contained coaxially within the outer extents of the cylindrical geometry of the bolt.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the RFID circuit comprises a battery.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an antenna coupled to the RFID circuit.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein the antenna is arranged helically surrounding the bolt.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the surface along which the circuit substrate is disposed is a longitudinal surface of the bolt.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically separated conductors comprises a plurality of electrically separated circuit traces.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9, wherein the plurality of circuit traces comprises two electrically separated circuit traces.

11. A device in accordance with claim 9 further comprising another circuit trace positioned distal the one end of the circuit substrate associated with the plurality of electrically separated circuit traces.

12. An asset sealing method comprising the steps of:

providing an RFID device on a bolt; and

effecting a state change in the RFID device dependent on attaching a captivating device to said bolt.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a step of transmitting symbolic data dependent on the step of effecting a state change.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a step of effecting another state change dependant on cutting the bolt.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a step of transmitting other symbolic data dependent on the step of effecting another state change.