ELECTRONIC TAMPER DETECTION DEVICE

• US 20180040220A1
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Landauer, Gerhard Martin, Rebollo Pimentel, Ivan Jesus
• Granted Patent: US 10,282,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• 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: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 13/24 by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/08 Signalling of tampering with the line circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0335 using RFID tags

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic tamper detection device is provided, comprising a radio frequency antenna, a tamper loop, a power level determination unit and a tamper measurement unit, wherein: the power level determination unit is configured to determine a power level of the tamper detection device; the tamper measurement unit is configured to generate a measurement signal and to transmit said measurement signal through the tamper loop; the tamper measurement unit is further configured to adapt the measurement signal in dependence on the power level. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding tamper detection method is conceived. According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions is provided.

Claims

1. An electronic tamper detection device comprising a radio frequency antenna, a tamper loop, a power level determination unit and a tamper measurement unit, wherein:

the power level determination unit is configured to determine a power level of the tamper detection device;

the tamper measurement unit is configured to generate a measurement signal and to transmit said measurement signal through the tamper loop;

the tamper measurement unit is further configured to adapt the measurement signal in dependence on the power level.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power level corresponds to the strength of a radio frequency field present on the radio frequency antenna and the power level determination unit is configured to detect said strength, or wherein the power level corresponds to a chip supply voltage and the power level determination unit is configured to monitor said chip supply voltage.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the tamper measurement unit is further configured to receive the measurement signal from the tamper loop or to receive a signal derived from the measurement signal from the tamper loop.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the tamper measurement unit is configured to change the magnitude of the measurement signal in response to a change of the power level.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the field strength detection unit comprises a limiter control circuit operatively coupled to the tamper measurement unit, and wherein the tamper measurement unit is configured to change the magnitude of the measurement signal under control of the limiter control circuit.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the tamper measurement unit is configured to change the waveform of the measurement signal in response to a change of the power level.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the waveform of the measurement signal is a complex waveform, in particular a waveform that represents a bit stream, if the power level exceeds a predefined threshold.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the waveform of the measurement signal represents a constant current if the power level does not exceed said threshold.

9. The device of claim 1, being an RFID-enabled tamper detection device.

10. The device of claim 1, being a BLE-enabled tamper detection device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the tamper measurement unit comprises a voltage-controlled current source, a current-controlled current source, a current-controlled voltage source, or a voltage-controlled voltage source.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the tamper loop is a conductive wire.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the tamper measurement unit is configured to generate a tamper measurement signal for further processing by a digital circuit.

14. A tamper detection method using an electronic tamper detection device, wherein said device comprises a radio frequency antenna, a tamper loop, a power level determination unit and a tamper measurement unit, the method comprising:

the power level determination unit determines a power level of the tamper detection device;

the tamper measurement unit generates a measurement signal and transmits said measurement signal through the tamper loop;

the tamper measurement unit adapts the measurement signal in dependence on the power level.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing unit, carry out or control the method of claim 14.