RFID devices for verification of correctness, reliability, functionality and security

• US 7,712,674 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eigent Technologies LLC (Eigent Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Eigent Technologies LLC (Eigent Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Warner, Robert, Winters, Jack, McNair, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US11/359,268
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/492, 235/493, 340/572.1, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• 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
• 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: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

The present invention differs from the prior art in that the present invention provides one or a network of passive or active radio frequency identification (RFID) transceivers and antenna elements in different numbers, in various network sizes, in different configurations and on various substrates. The RFID transceiver can be co-located with standard semiconductor devices, for cost-effective circuit design and non-destructive fabrication test and analysis of integrated circuits and printed circuit boards after fabrication, and to locate, track and identify the integrated circuit, printed circuit boards and products in which they are implemented. The RFID transceivers can be coupled to substrates containing matter in gas, liquid, or solid form, such as medical devices like breast implants, for effective monitoring of the substrates to ensure that the substrate is in an unaltered state and the matter is still contained securely within. The RFID transceivers can be coupled to secure tapes of various lengths and widths and mesh bags or sheets of various sizes and they can be applied at the carton-level using them to locate, track and identify the integrated circuit, printed circuit boards and products in which they are implemented and/or the cartons in which they were placed.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:

an RFID device securing a carton, said device comprising a substrate comprising a plurality of RFID transceivers operatively networked to one another in a fixed, repeated pattern, wherein each of said RFID transceivers generates a response signal, wherein each response signal comprises either an end signal or a middle signal, wherein an end signal provides information indicating that a given RFID transceiver is at an end of said fixed, repeated pattern and is operatively connected to only one other of said RFID transceivers, and wherein a middle signal provides information indicating that a given RFID transceiver is not at an end of said fixed, repeated pattern and is operatively connected to at least two other of said RFID transceivers, and wherein each RFID transceiver comprises an on-board capacitor, said capacitor discharging upon a disconnection with said networked transceivers to force a disconnected said RFID transceiver to change its response from a middle signal to an end signal;

a master RFID device attached to said carton and operative to sample said plurality of RFID transceivers for middle and end signals for ensuring integrity, wherein said master RFID device is operative to determine whether a disconnection has occurred by determining whether there is a discrepancy between a number of sampled end and middle signals recorded at said master RFID device and a number of end and middle signals pre-stored in an electronic manifest.

2. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of RFID transceivers generate a probe signal along a connection between an adjacent one or more of the RFID transceivers and said end signal and middle signal are determined by said probe signal.

3. The RFID system of claim 1 further comprising a probing device communicating with said RFID device responding to a challenge from said probing device.

4. The RFID system of claim 3 wherein a two-way authentication is used between said probing device and said RFID device.

5. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein said fixed repeated pattern comprises a plurality of rows of said RFID transceivers networked to one another.

6. The RFID system of claim 5 wherein said fixed repeated pattern comprises said RFID transceivers networked to one another in a grid configuration.

7. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the number of RFID transceivers used in the RFID device is determined by a security level of said RFID device.

8. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein said fixed repeated pattern is on a sheet.

10. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein said RFID transceivers are coupled to a substrate.

9. A method of securing a carton comprising the steps of:

sealing said carton using an RFID device, said RFID device comprising a substrate comprising a plurality of RFID transceivers operatively networked to one another in a fixed, repeated pattern wherein said RFID device seals said carton such that said carton cannot be opened without breaking said RFID device and seal;

sampling said transceivers of said RFID device for ensuring security integrity via a master RFID device attached to said carton, wherein each transceiver responds to said sampling with either an end signal or a middle signal wherein an end signal provides information indicating that a given RFID transceiver is at an end of said fixed, repeated pattern and is operatively connected to only one other of said RFID transceivers, and wherein a middle signal provides information indicating that a given RFID transceiver is not at an end of said fixed, repeated pattern and is operatively connected to at least two other of said RFID transceivers, and wherein each RFID transceiver comprises an on-board capacitor, said capacitor discharging upon a disconnection between said networked transceivers to force a disconnected said RFID transceiver to change its response from a middle signal to an end signal;

determining whether disconnection has occurred, via said master RFID device determining whether there is a discrepancy between a number of sampled end and middle signals recorded at said master RFID device and a number of end and middle signals pre-stored in an electronic manifest.