Multi-secured RFID electronic seal

• US 8,508,371 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology Armaments Bureau MND (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Lee, Ming-Town, Chang, Yu-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US12/947,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/10.1, 340/5.61
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A multi-secured RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) electronic seal includes a bolt, a bolt pedestal and a RFID system. The bolt has a male bolt portion with an electrical connecting point. The bolt pedestal has a female pedestal portion with several nodes to electrically connect with the electrical connecting point to provide plural selections of connecting and disconnecting. The RFID system includes a RFID chip and a transmission conductor embedded in the bolt, and an antenna installed on the bolt pedestal. When the bolt and the bolt pedestal is securely locked together, whether the RFID chip is electrically connects to the antenna depends on if the electrical connecting point connects a preset node, so that a RFID signal may be selectively transmitted by the RFID chip through the antenna.

Claims

1. A multi-secured RFID electronic seal comprising:

a bolt with a male bolt portion, the male bolt portion having at least one electrical connecting point;

a bolt pedestal with a female pedestal portion, correspondingly receiving the male bolt portion of the bolt to securely lock with each other, the female pedestal portion having a plurality of nodes therein to electrically connect with the electrical connecting point of the male bolt portion;

a RFID system, comprising;

a RFID chip embedded inside the bolt;

a transmission conductor, electrically connecting with the RFID chip and the electrical connecting point of the male bolt portion; and

an antenna installed on the bolt pedestal, electrically connecting with at least one of the nodes;

a protection circuit, electrically connecting with the RFID chip and the antenna after the bolt and the bolt pedestal being securely fastened;

wherein when the bolt and the bolt pedestal is separated after being securely fastened, the protection circuit become disconnected so that the RFID chip fails to electrically connect with the antenna;

wherein after the bolt and the bolt pedestal is securely fastened, the RFID chip selectively and electrically connects with at least one of the nodes through the transmission conductor, the electrical connecting point of the male bolt portion and the protection circuit, so that the RFID chip transmits a RFID signal through a corresponding one of the signal transmission path and then the antenna.

2. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the male bolt portion comprises plural ones of the electrical connecting points, when a preset one of the nodes is not electrically connected with a preset one of the electrical connecting point, the RFID chip is disconnected with the antenna.

3. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the protection circuit is embedded inside the bolt and electrically connects between the transmission conductor and the male bolt portion.

4. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the protection circuit is embedded inside the bolt pedestal and electrically connects between at least one of the nodes in the female pedestal portion and the antenna.

5. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 1, wherein at least one of the nodes comprises a hook structure.

6. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal f claim 5, wherein the hook structure hooks on the protection circuit of the male bolt portion so that the hook structure hooks to disconnect the protection circuit on the male bolt portion when the bolt is forced to be removed from the female pedestal portion.

7. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the protection circuit is a non-symmetrical impedance circuit.

8. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 1, wherein each of the nodes electrically connects with a corresponding signal transmission path respectively and at least one of the signal transmission paths electrically connects with the antenna.

9. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 8, wherein when a preset one of the electrical connecting points of the male bolt portion is connected with a preset one of the nodes of the female pedestal portion with its corresponding signal transmission path effectively-connected, the RFID system may transmit the RFID signal through the corresponding signal transmission path.

10. The multi-secured RFID electronic seal of claim 8, wherein at least one of the nodes connects to a disconnected one of the signal transmission paths.

11. A multi-secured protection method of a RFID electronic seal comprising the steps of:

providing a bolt with a male bolt portion, the male bolt portion having at least one electrical connecting point;

providing a bolt pedestal with a female pedestal portion, the bolt pedestal correspondingly receiving the male bolt portion of the bolt to securely lock with each other, the female pedestal portion having a plurality of nodes therein to electrically connect with the electrical connecting point of the male bolt portion, each of the nodes electrically connecting with a corresponding signal transmission path respectively; and

providing a RFID system, the RFID system having a RFID chip embedded inside the bolt, a transmission conductor electrically connecting with the RFID chip and the electrical connecting point of the male bolt portion, and an antenna installed on the bolt pedestal and electrically connecting with at least one of the nodes through the corresponding signal transmission path;

wherein after the bolt and the bolt pedestal is securely locked with each other, the RFID chip selectively and electrically connects through the transmission conductor, the electrical connecting point of the male bolt portion to at least one of the nodes, so that a corresponding RFID signal can be transmitted through one of the corresponding signal transmitting paths and the then antenna;

the multi-secured protection method further comprising the step of;

providing a protection circuit, the protection circuit electrically connecting with the RFID chip and the antenna after the bolt and the bolt pedestal being securely fastened, wherein when the bolt and the bolt pedestal is separated after being securely fastened, the protection circuit become disconnected so that the RFID chip fails to electrically connect with the antenna.

12. The multi-secured protection method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

providing a hook structure on at least one of the nodes, the hook structure hooking on the protection circuit of the male bolt portion so that the hook structure hooks and disconnects the protection circuit on the male portion when the bolt is forced to be removed from the female pedestal portion.