Electronic fiber optic seal monitors

• US 7,872,220 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles B. Stieff
• Original Assignee: Charles B. Stieff
• Inventors: Stieff, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US11/074,313
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.14, 250/227.15, 250/227.16, 250/227.23, 250/221, 340/505, 340/512, 340/541, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557, 340/984, 340/539, 340/431, 340/531
• US Class Current: 250/227.14
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/16 using electric radiation detectors G01J1/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means

Abstract

The new seal monitor uses of a time dependant pseudo random number or a number from a time pad, which are lists of random numbers often used in encryption. This number changes periodically, for example, once an hour or whatever time interval is deemed timely by the particular application. It is intended that a remote monitoring station would send a request to the monitor and the monitor would respond with the random number that dependant on the time the monitor was started and how much time has elapsed. If the random number returned is correct it infers that the monitor is operating correctly and the seal has not been tampered with. If the monitor does not respond or responds with an incorrect number then the monitor or the seal has been tampered with. Light through a cable is periodically compared with historic outputs from that cable.

Claims

1. A method of sealing a container comprising:

connecting the fiber optic cable to the container,

connecting a light source to a first end of the cable,

connecting a photodetector to a second end of the cable,

reading dark output of the photodetector,

pulsing the light source,

reading light output of the photodetector,

storing the dark output and the light output in memory,

comparing, at intervals, current dark output of the photodetector with stored dark output,

pulsing the light source,

comparing light output of the photodetector with stored light output of the photodetector, and

reporting results of the comparing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a fingerprint of a fiber optic cable and comparing a later fingerprint of the fiber optic cable with the recorded finger print.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises an LED.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying output of the photodetector and converting the output from analog to digital before the storing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting further comprises providing time dependent random numbers from a random number generator and transmitting a time dependent generated random number upon matching comparison of the dark and light outputs.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a query signal from a remote monitor and wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the generated random number in response to the query.

7. A container sealing method comprising:

securing a container with a light transmitting seal,

monitoring the seal by pulsing light through the seal,

reading light output from the seal,

generating random numbers from a time pad,

remotely requesting the monitoring,

responding to the requesting with a generated random number according to time when the seal is intact, and

failing to respond or responding with an incorrect number when the seal has been tampered with.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising recording the light output reading and comparing the reading with previous readings.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the pulsing comprises pulsing an LED on for milliseconds.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising pulsing the light at intervals and recording light output at intervals and reporting non-comparing readings.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising periodically reading dark output from the seal without pulsing the light and recording the dark output readings and comparing the dark output readings with the recorded dark output readings.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising remotely monitoring containers on trains, box cars, trucks, warehouses and ships with local data concentrators and reporting data from the local data concentrators to a remote monitoring station.

13. A monitor for optical fiber cables comprising:

optical fibers having first and second ends,

an LED connect to the first ends of fibers,

a detector connected to the second ends of the fibers,

a timer connected to the LED and to the detector,

an amplifier connected to the detector,

an analog-to-digital converter connected to the amplifier,

a memory connected to the converter,

a comparator connected to the memory and to the converter for comparing present outputs with past outputs in the memory,

a clock connected to the comparator, to the LED, and to the detector for keying the LED, the detector and the comparator, and

a variable code source connected to the comparator and to the clock for outputting a time dependent code upon an agreement of outputs in the comparator.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a transceiver connected to the variable code source, to the clock, and to the timer for starting a light, detector, comparator sequence in response to a received query, and connected to the comparator or the variable code source for transmitting the time dependent code upon the agreement in the comparator.

15. A method of sealing a container comprising inserting a cable end, starting a clock, transmitting time and code, detecting dark light, storing dark light, detecting LED light, storing LED light, receiving poll, starting a timer, detect dark light, comparing detected dark light with stored dark light, lighting LED, detecting lighted light, comparing lighted light with the stored lighted light, when the dark lights and the lighted lights match, outputting a time dependent output code, and when either lights do not match outputting time, no output, or an alarm.