TAMPER-INDICATING MONETARY PACKAGE

• US 20090309722A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Votaw, Elizabeth S., Garnett, Karen, Nichols, Michelle, Mon, Felix, Atwood, Todd, Heddleson, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,982,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1481 with optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

A monetary package capable of detecting and communicating tampering is described. The monetary package may comprise a container having a volume configured to hold monetary items such as currency, checks, and negotiable instruments, a sensor configured to detect an opening of the container, a device coupled to the sensor and configured to store data responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the container, and a transmitter configured to wirelessly send the stored data

Claims

1. A monetary package, comprising:

a container having a volume configured to hold monetary items;

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the container;

a device coupled to the sensor and configured to store data responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the container; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly send the stored data.

2. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the container is a bag.

3. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the container is a box.

4. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor configured to sense a presence of light.

5. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a flap moveable with respect to a remainder of the container, and the sensor comprises an electrically conductive path disposed at least partially on the flap and configured so as to form a continuous electrically conductive path when the flap is closed and a broken electrically conductive path when the flap is open.

6. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an electrically conductive path disposed on the container and configured so as to form a continuous electrically conductive path when the container is closed and a broken electrically conductive path when the container is open.

7. The monetary package of claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the data responsive to the signal.

8. The monetary package of claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to be powered by the received signal.

9. A monetary package, comprising:

a bag having a flap;

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the flap;

a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) tag configured to store an identifier and data having a value that depends on whether the sensor has detected that the flap has been opened, and to wirelessly transmit the identifier and the data.

10. The monetary package of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor configured to sense a presence of light.

11. The monetary package of claim 9, the sensor comprises an electrically conductive path disposed at least partially on the flap and configured so as to form a continuous electrically conductive path when the flap is closed and a broken electrically conductive path when the flap is open.

12. A tamper-detecting device for a monetary package, the tamper-detecting device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the monetary package;

a device coupled to the sensor and configured to store data responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the monetary package; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly send the stored data.

13. The tamper-detecting device of claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor configured to sense a presence of light.

14. The tamper-detecting device of claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises an electrically conductive path, and the sensor is configured to detect whether the monetary package is opened on a basis of whether the electrically conductive path is broken.

15. The tamper-detecting device of claim 12, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the data responsive to the signal.

16. The tamper-detecting device of claim 12, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to be powered by the received signal.

17. A tamper-detecting device for a monetary package, the tamper-detecting device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the monetary package; and

a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) tag configured to store an identifier and data having a value that depends on whether the sensor has detected that the monetary package has been opened, and to wirelessly transmit the identifier and the data.

18. The tamper-detecting device of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor configured to sense a presence of light.

19. The tamper-detecting device of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises an electrically conductive path, and the sensor is configured to detect whether the monetary package is opened on a basis of whether the electrically conductive path is broken.

20. The tamper-detecting device of claim 17, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.