Asset seal device and method

• US 7,400,247 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Flatt, Steven R., Hopman, Nicholas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/267,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 340541-567, 3405681-5729, 340/545.2, 340/545.4, 340/545.6, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 737/61, 343/720
• US Class Current: 340/545.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0317 having bolt like sealing means means for preventing relative axial movement of a pin, spigot, shaft or the like and a member surrounding it F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0335 using RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means

Abstract

A device and method of sealing a container comprises a mechanical bolt (201′) with a circuit disposed thereon. The circuit includes RFID function. When a captivating device (203) is joined with one end of the bolt (201′) the RFID circuit changes state and operates to transmit symbolic data. When the bolt is severed or cut off the RFID circuit again changes state and operates to transmit other symbolic data.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a bolt having a longitudinal surface;

a circuit substrate disposed onto the bolt;

an antenna disposed on the bolt;

a conductor disposed along the longitudinal surface of the bolt; and

an RFID circuit disposed onto the circuit substrate and coupled to the conductor wherein affixing the bolt within a captivation device completes an electrical circuit with the conductor, thereby allowing the RFID circuit to transmit a first state, and wherein a cutting of the bolt will cut through the conductor and break the electrical circuit allowing the RFID circuit to transmit a second state.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the RFID circuit is an active RFID circuit.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the one end of the circuit substrate associated with the plurality of electrically separated conductors is disposed conforming to a cylindrical geometry of the bolt.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the RFID circuit is disposed contained coaxially within the outer extents of the cylindrical geometry of the bolt.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the RFID circuit comprises a battery.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an antenna coupled to the RFID circuit.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein the antenna is arranged helically surrounding the bolt.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the surface along which the circuit substrate is disposed is a longitudinal surface of the bolt.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrically separated conductors comprises a plurality of electrically separated circuit traces.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9, wherein the plurality of circuit traces comprises two electrically separated circuit traces.

11. A device in accordance with claim 9 further comprising another circuit trace positioned distal the one end of the circuit substrate associated with the plurality of electrically separated circuit traces.

12. An asset sealing method comprising the steps of:

providing an RFID device on a bolt;

providing an antenna on the bolt, the antenna coupled to the RFID device;

providing a conductor on a longitudinal surface of the bolt, the conductor coupled to the RFID device;

effecting a first state change in the RFID device dependent on attaching a captivating device to said bolt wherein the RFID device completes a circuit with the conductor;

transmitting the first state by the antenna; and

effecting a second state change by a cutting of the conductor; and

transmitting the second state by the antenna.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a step of transmitting symbolic data dependent on the step of effecting a state change.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a step of effecting another state change dependant on cutting the bolt.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a step of transmitting other symbolic data dependent on the step of effecting another state change.

16. A method of signaling whether an asset is secured by a bolt within a captivation device, comprising:

placing an RFID device, disposed on the bolt, in a first state by completing a circuit with a trace extending longitudinally along the bolt when the bolt is placed within the captivation device;

transmitting a signal indicating the first state by an antenna on the bolt;

placing the RFID device in a second state should the trace be subsequently broken while at least a portion of the bolt remains positioned within the captivation device; and

transmitting a signal indicating the second state by an antenna on the bolt.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting the state of the RFID device by an antenna coupled to the RFID device and disposed on the bolt.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting the state of the RFID device by an antenna coupled to the RFID device and disposed helically surrounding the bolt.