Magnetic Field Activated Intrusion Detection

• US 20130265163A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Joyce, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US13/156,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265163A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/551
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation

Abstract

In certain embodiments, an intrusion detection device includes a magnetic field activated sensor and a cascading circuit. The magnetic field activated sensor is operable to detect movement of a corresponding component by sensing a magnetic flux variation of a magnetic device coupled to the component and generate a signal indicating that the corresponding component has moved. The cascading circuit is coupled to the magnetic field activated sensor and is operable to receive the signal generated by the magnetic field activated sensor and to generate a tamper detection signal if the signal indicating that the corresponding component has moved is received or if another tamper detection signal generated by another intrusion detection device is received.

Claims

1. An intrusion detection system, comprising:

a plurality of intrusion detection devices, each intrusion detection device corresponding to one of a plurality of components, each intrusion detection device comprising;

a magnetic field activated sensor operable to;

detect movement of its corresponding component by sensing a magnetic flux variation of a magnetic device coupled to the corresponding component; and

generate a signal indicating that the corresponding component has moved; and

a cascading circuit, comprising;

a first input coupled to the magnetic field activated sensor and operable to receive the signal generated by the magnetic field activated sensor indicating that the corresponding component has moved; and

a second input coupled to another cascading circuit of another intrusion detection device;

the cascading circuit operable to generate a tamper detection signal if the signal indicating that the corresponding component has moved is received at the first input or if another tamper detection signal generated by the other intrusion detection device is received at the second input.

2. The intrusion detection system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components comprises a plurality of circuit boards of a computer system.

3. The intrusion detection system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components comprise components of a firearm.

4. The intrusion detection system of claim 1, wherein the cascading circuit comprises a logic OR gate.

5. The intrusion detection system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic device comprises a permanent magnet.

6. The intrusion detection system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field activated sensor comprises a magnetometer.

7. The intrusion detection system of claim 1, further comprising an intrusion detection supervisory system operable to receive the tamper detection signal.

8. An intrusion detection system, comprising:

a first magnetic device coupled to a first component and operable to produce a first magnetic field;

a second magnetic device coupled to a second component and operable to produce a second magnetic field;

a first intrusion detection device positioned proximate to the first magnetic device, the first intrusion detection device operable to detect the first magnetic field of the first magnetic device and in response to a change in the first magnetic field, generate a first tamper detection signal;

a second intrusion detection device positioned proximate to the second magnetic device, the second intrusion detection device operable to;

receive the first tamper detection signal;

detect the second magnetic field of the second magnetic device; and

generate a second tamper detection signal in response to either receiving the first tamper detection signal or a change in the second magnetic field of the second magnetic device; and

an intrusion detection supervisory system operable to receive the second tamper detection signal generated by the second intrusion detection device.

9. The intrusion detection system of claim 8, wherein the first and second components comprise circuit boards of a computer system.

10. The intrusion detection system of claim 8, wherein the first and second components comprise components of a firearm.

11. The intrusion detection system of claim 8, wherein the first and second magnetic devices comprise permanent magnets.

12. The intrusion detection system of claim 8, wherein second intrusion detection device comprises:

a magnetic field activated sensor operable to;

detect movement of the second magnetic device by sensing a magnetic flux variation of the second magnetic device; and

generate a signal indicating that the second magnetic device has moved; and

a cascading circuit, the cascading circuit operable to;

receive the signal generated by the magnetic field activated sensor indicating that the second magnetic device has moved; and

generate the second tamper detection signal if the signal indicating that the second component has moved is received or if the first tamper detection signal is received by the cascading circuit.

13. The intrusion detection system of claim 12, wherein the cascading circuit comprises a logic OR gate.

14. The intrusion detection system of claim 8, wherein the magnetic field activated sensor comprises a magnetometer.

15. An intrusion detection method, comprising:

producing, by a first magnetic device coupled to a first component, a first magnetic field;

producing, by a second magnetic device coupled to a second component, a second magnetic field;

generating, by a first intrusion detection device positioned proximate to the first magnetic device, a first tamper detection signal in response to a change in the first magnetic field of the first magnetic device;

receiving, by a second intrusion detection device positioned proximate to the second magnetic device, the first tamper detection signal;

detecting, by the second intrusion detection device, a change in the second magnetic field of the second magnetic device;

generating, by the second intrusion detection device, a second tamper detection signal in response to either receiving the first tamper detection signal or detecting a change in the second magnetic field of the second magnetic device; and

receiving, at an intrusion detection supervisory system, the second tamper detection signal generated by the second intrusion detection device.

16. The intrusion detection method of claim 15, further comprising storing, by the intrusion detection supervisory system, the received second tamper detection signal.

17. The intrusion detection method of claim 15, further comprising performing, by the intrusion detection supervisory system, a punitive measure in response to receiving the second tamper detection signal.

18. The intrusion detection method of claim 17, wherein the punitive measure comprises erasing software or firmware.

19. The intrusion detection method of claim 17, wherein the punitive measure comprises physically harming one or more devices.

20. The intrusion detection method of claim 15, wherein the first and second components comprise circuit boards of a computer system.