Anti-theft method for detecting the unauthorized opening of containers and baggage
First Claim
1. For an apparatus having an aperture capable of being closed and opened by moving first and second closure members together and apart, respectively, an improved security device for signalling whether the aperture is opened, comprising:
- (a) an elongated electrical conductor having first and second ends, the conductor extending between the two closure members and being attached to both the first closure member and the second closure member so that the two closure members cannot be moved apart more than a predetermined amount to open the aperture without breaking the conductor; and
(b) an RFID transceiver, connected to the two ends of the conductor, including an electrical circuit for detecting when electrical continuity between the two ends of the conductor is broken and subsequently transmitting a radio frequency alarm signal.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A simple trip-wire or magnetic circuit associated with a shipping container provides continuity, which is detected electrically. Simply, if continuity is disabled by a forced entry of the container, electrical detection means, such as a radio-frequency-identification (RFID) tag, will alert the owner or monitoring station. The trip-wire concept would require the replacing of a broken trip wire (resulting from forced entry), while the magnetic circuit concept can be reused repetitively. In a second embodiment a magnetic circuit and the detection device (RFID tag) are embedded into the shipping article during manufacturing. The preferred detection device, an RFID tag, could also be a battery backed transceiver type on which a replaceable or rechargeable battery could be mounted on the inside of the shipping container during manufacturing. The RFID tag would communicate with an interrogator unit, which could be connected to a host computer. The interrogator and/or the host computer and/or other alarm devices would then monitor the shipping container'"'"'s status (opened or closed).
173 Citations
31 Claims
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1. For an apparatus having an aperture capable of being closed and opened by moving first and second closure members together and apart, respectively, an improved security device for signalling whether the aperture is opened, comprising:
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(a) an elongated electrical conductor having first and second ends, the conductor extending between the two closure members and being attached to both the first closure member and the second closure member so that the two closure members cannot be moved apart more than a predetermined amount to open the aperture without breaking the conductor; and (b) an RFID transceiver, connected to the two ends of the conductor, including an electrical circuit for detecting when electrical continuity between the two ends of the conductor is broken and subsequently transmitting a radio frequency alarm signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. For an apparatus having an aperture capable of being closed and opened by moving first and second closure members together and apart, respectively, an improved security device for signalling whether the aperture is opened, comprising:
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(a) an electrical device, mounted on the apparatus adjacent the aperture, for detecting whether the aperture is open or closed; and (b) an RFID transceiver which transmits a radio frequency alarm signal after said device detects the aperture has been opened. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. For an apparatus having an aperture which is selectably closed and opened by moving first and second closure members together and apart, respectively, an improved security device for signalling whether the aperture is opened, comprising:
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(a) an electrical device, mounted on the apparatus adjacent the aperture, for detecting whether the aperture is open or closed, wherein the electrical device includes; (i) first and second electrical contacts mounted on the first closure member, and (ii) a third electrical contact mounted on the second closure member at a position such that, when the two closure members are moved together so as to close the aperture, the third electrical contact mates with both the first and the second contacts so as to complete an electrical continuity between the first and second contacts; and (b) an RFID transceiver which transmits a radio frequency alarm signal in response to said electrical continuity being broken.
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12. A secure apparatus for signalling whether an aperture of the apparatus is opened, comprising:
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an apparatus having first and second closure members and having an aperture capable of being closed and opened by moving the two closure members together and apart, respectively; an electrical device, mounted on the apparatus adjacent the aperture, for detecting whether the aperture is opened; and an RFID transceiver which transmits an alarm signal after said device detects the aperture has been opened. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for signalling whether an aperture is opened, comprising the steps of:
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providing an apparatus having first and second closure members and having an aperture capable of being closed and opened by moving the first and second closure members together and apart, respectively; detecting whether the aperture is opened; and in response to detecting that the aperture is opened, transmitting a radio frequency alarm signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification