RF device with tamper detection

• US 9,082,057 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2010
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zest Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelleflex Corporation
• Inventors: McGregor, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US12/806,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system according to one embodiment includes communication circuitry for enabling wireless communication with an RF reader; energy harvesting circuitry for generating an electric current from RF energy; a sensor loop coupled to the energy harvesting circuitry; and a status register coupled to the sensor loop for indicating a broken or unbroken status of the sensor loop. A method according to one embodiment includes generating an electric current in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device, the current energizing a sensor loop; detecting a status of whether the sensor loop is broken or unbroken; storing the status in at least one of a status register and a nonvolatile memory; receiving a query from an RFID reader for the status; and sending the status to the RFID reader.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

communication circuitry for enabling wireless communication with an RF reader;

energy harvesting circuitry for generating an electric current from RF energy;

a status register circuit;

a sensor loop coupled to the RFID system at three pads, the three pads including;

a first pad coupled to a current source, wherein the current source receives the electric current generated by the energy harvesting circuitry,

a second pad coupled to the status register circuit, wherein the status register circuit is coupled to the sensor loop for indicating a broken or unbroken status of the sensor loop, and

a third pad coupled to ground of the RFID system; and

a nonvolatile memory separate from and coupled to the status register circuit for storing a status of the sensor loop based on the status of the status register circuit;

wherein the communication circuitry is configured to send the stored status of the loop to the RF reader.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID system is passive.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the status register circuit is configured to indicate that the sensor loop has been broken even when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken, wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to send a status of the status register circuit in addition to the stored status.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to store a timestamp in the memory, the timestamp being indicative of a time when the stored status was obtained.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a first resistor between the energy harvesting circuitry and the second pad.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second resistor coupled directly to the ground and the second pad, wherein the nonvolatile memory is system memory that is shared for other uses.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second resistor coupled directly to the ground and the second pad.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the status register circuit is configured to indicate that the sensor loop is unbroken when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken, wherein a broken status is stored in the memory when a broken sensor loop is detected even though the status register circuit indicates that the sensor loop is unbroken when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is not disabled when the sensor loop is broken, wherein the nonvolatile memory is system memory that is shared for other uses.

10. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

communication circuitry for enabling wireless communication with an RF reader;

energy harvesting circuitry for generating an electric current from RF energy;

a sensor loop coupled to the energy harvesting circuitry;

a status register coupled to the sensor loop for indicating a broken or unbroken status of the sensor loop,

a nonvolatile memory separate from and coupled to the status register for storing a status of the sensor loop based on the status of the status register,

wherein the nonvolatile memory is system memory that is shared for other uses,

wherein the RFID system is passive,

wherein the sensor loop is external to a housing coupled to the communication circuitry and energy harvesting circuitry,

wherein the sensor loop is coupled to a sensor node and also to ground,

a first resistor between the energy harvesting circuitry and the sensor node, the sensor loop extending from the first resistor to the status register; and

a second resistor between the ground and the sensor node, the second resistor being coupled to the sensor loop at a position on the sensor loop between the first resistor and the status register, the second resistor being directly coupled to sensor loop and to the ground.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to send the stored status of the loop to the RF reader.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is configured to store a timestamp in the memory, the timestamp being indicative of a time when the stored status was obtained, wherein the memory is system memory that is shared for other uses.

13. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, comprising:

communication circuitry for enabling wireless communication with an RF reader;

energy harvesting circuitry for generating an electric current from RF energy;

a sensor loop coupled to the energy harvesting circuitry;

a status register coupled to the sensor loop for indicating a broken or unbroken status of the sensor loop, wherein the system is not disabled when the sensor loop is broken;

a nonvolatile memory separate from and coupled to the status register for storing a status of the sensor loop based on the status of the status register; and

a second resistor coupled directly to the ground and the sensor node, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to send the stored status of the loop to the RF reader, wherein the system is configured to store a timestamp in the memory, the timestamp being indicative of a time when the stored status was obtained, wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to send a status of the status register in addition to the stored status, wherein the sensor loop is coupled to a sensor node and also to ground, and further comprising a first resistor between the energy harvesting circuitry and the sensor node.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the RFID system is passive, wherein the nonvolatile memory is system memory that is shared for other uses.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the status register is configured to indicate that the sensor loop has been broken even when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is operable to compare a voltage at the sensor node to one of the ground and a predetermined voltage.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the status register is configured to indicate that the sensor loop is unbroken when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken, wherein a broken status is stored in the memory when a broken sensor loop is detected even though the status register indicates that the sensor loop is unbroken when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken.

18. A method, comprising:

generating an electric current in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device, the current energizing a sensor loop;

detecting a status of whether the sensor loop is broken or unbroken;

storing the status in both a status register and a nonvolatile memory for later retrieval;

receiving a query from an RFID reader for the status; and

sending the stored status to the RFID reader,

wherein the status register is configured to indicate that the sensor loop is unbroken when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken; and

further comprising storing a broken status in the memory when a broken sensor loop is detected even though the status register indicates that the sensor loop is unbroken when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken; and

sending the broken status to the RFID reader, wherein the memory is system memory that is shared for other uses, wherein the status register is configured to indicate that the sensor loop has been broken even when the sensor loop is repaired after being broken.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the RFID device is not disabled when the sensor loop is broken;

and further comprising storing a timestamp in the nonvolatile memory, the timestamp being indicative of a time when the stored status was obtained; and

sending the timestamp with the stored status to the RFID reader.