Tamper Detection RFID Tape

• US 20110285507A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Inventors: Nelson, Erik T.
• Application Number:
  US12/784,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

A wrapping material includes a sheet of non-rigid material; a first substantially planar RFID that is attached to the sheet of non-rigid material, the first RFID having a main body and a closed-loop conductor extending from the main body of the first RFID; and a second substantially planar RFID is attached to the sheet, the second RFID having a main body and a closed-loop conductor extending from the main body of the second RFID; and wherein the closed-loop conductor of the first RFID is arranged relative to the closed-loop conductor of the second RFID such that all straight lines that lie between the first RFID and the second RFID and that do not intersect the main body of the first RFID or the second RFID intersect the closed-loop conductor of the first RFID and/or the second RFID.

Claims

1. A method of tracking whether a container has been opened, comprising:

attaching a first RFID device to an area of the container that is capable of having an opening made or expanded in the area, such that when the container is opened at the area, the first RFID device is disabled.

2. The method of claim 1 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the first RFID device comprises attaching an RFID device having a closed-loop conductor that extends from the main body of the RFID device, such that when an opening is made or expanded at the area, the RFID device is disabled.

3. The method of claim 2 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising using the closed-loop conductor to transmit or receive wireless signals.

4. The method of claim 1 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the first RFID device comprises placing the first RFID device to intersect an edge of a closing portion of the container, the portion capable of moving relative to the body of the container to enclose or expose the inside of the container.

5. The method of claim 1 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the first RFID device comprises substantially enclosing the container with a sheet having the first RFID device on or within the sheet.

6. The method of claim 1 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the first RFID device comprises placing on the container a sheet coated with adhesive material, the sheet having the first RFID device on or within the sheet.

7. The method of claim 1 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising storing identification information of the first RFID device in a database.

8. The method of claim 1 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising attaching a second RFID device to the container.

9. The method of claim 8 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the second RFID device comprises placing the second RFID device at a position on the container at which the second RFID device will not be disabled when the container is opened.

10. The method of claim 9 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the second RFID device further comprises placing the second RFID device to not intersect any edge of a closing portion of the container, wherein the portion is capable of moving relative to the body of the container to enclose or expose the inside of the container.

11. The method of claim 8 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising:

a. monitoring for the transmission of identification information from the first RFID device or the second RFID device;

b. associating in a database any identification information received from the first RFID device with the container; and

c. associating in the database any identification information received from the second RFID device with the container.

12. The method of claim 8 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the first RFID device and of the second RFID device comprises placing a closed-loop conductor that extends from the main body of the first RFID device and a closed-loop conductor that extends from the main body of the second RFID device such that all straight lines that are between the first RFID device and second RFID device and are not intersecting the main body of the first RFID device or second RFID device intersect the closed-loop conductor of the first RFID device and/or the second RFID device.

13. The method of claim 12 for tracking whether a container has been opened, wherein the attaching of the first RFID device and of the second RFID device further comprises substantially enclosing the container with a sheet having the first RFID device and the second RFID device on or within the sheet.

14. A wrapping material, comprising

a. a sheet of non-rigid material;

b. a first substantially planar RFID device that is attached to the sheet of non-rigid material, the first RFID device having a main body and a closed-loop conductor extending from the main body of the first RFID device; and

c. a second substantially planar RFID device that is attached to the sheet of non-rigid material, the second RFID device having a main body and a closed-loop conductor extending from the main body of the second RFID device; and

wherein the closed-loop conductor of the first RFID device is arranged relative to the closed-loop conductor of the second RFID device such that all straight lines that lie between the first RFID device and the second RFID device and that do not intersect the main body of the first RFID device or the second RFID device intersect the closed-loop conductor of at least one of the first RFID device and the second RFID device.

15. The wrapping material of claim 0, wherein the sheet of non-rigid material has a substantially rectangular shape and wherein the first substantially planar RFID device and the second substantially planar RFID device are arranged longitudinally along the length of the sheet of non-rigid material.

16. The wrapping material of claim 15, wherein the sheet has a first line of perforations that runs parallel to the width of the sheet and intersects the closed-loop conductor that extends from the main body of at least one the first RFID device and the second RFID device.

17. The wrapping material of claim 16, wherein the sheet has a second line of perforations that runs parallel to the width of the sheet and that runs on the same side of both the first RFID device and of the second RFID device.

18. The wrapping material of claim 0, further comprising a third substantially planar RFID device that is attached to the sheet of non-rigid material, the third RFID device having a main body and a closed-loop conductor extending from the main body of the third RFID device;

and wherein the closed-loop conductor of the second RFID device is arranged relative to the closed-loop conductor of the third RFID device such that all straight lines between the second RFID device and third RFID device not intersecting the main body of the second RFID device or the third RFID device intersect the closed-loop conductor of at least one of the second RFID device and the third RFID device.

19. A system for tracking whether a container has been opened, comprising a first RFID device configured to be attached to a container and to be disabled when an opening into the container is made or expanded.

The system of claim 19 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising a second RFID device configured to be attached to a container.

20. The system of claim 0 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising a detector configured to monitor whether identification information is received from the first RFID device;

and wherein the first RFID device has a receiver configured to receive energy from wireless signals.

21. The system of claim 20 for tracking whether a container has been opened, further comprising a database that associates identification information of the first RFID device to the container.