Method and optical shield for detecting tampering
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a container having multiple parts, at least one of the multiple parts arranged within an expanded material;
an optical fiber with a first end and a second end, the optical fiber conformed by the expanded material such that the optical fiber is physically altered when the at least one of the multiple parts is tampered with;
a detachable light source configured to emit a light pulse, the optical fiber configured to receive the light pulse at the first end and emit an optical signature at the second end;
a detachable optical spectral analyzer configured to capture a current optical signature from the second end, the optical spectral analyzer in communication with a data store, the optical spectral analyzer comprising a processor configured to;
retrieve a stored optical signature from the data store, the stored optical signature captured from the second end when the light pulse was applied to the first end prior to the detachable optical spectral analyzer capturing the current optical signature from the second end,determine whether a difference between the current optical signature, captured from the second end of the optical fiber and resulting from the light pulse at the first end, and the stored optical signature, captured from the second end of the optical fiber and resulting from the light pulse at the first end, exceeds a threshold, anddetermine that the at least one of the multiple parts has been tampered with based on the difference exceeding the threshold.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes conforming an arrangement of an optical fiber to an object to detect tampering with the object when the optical fiber arrangement is changed, measuring an optical signature of the optical fiber arrangement in a first measurement, measuring the optical signature of the optical fiber arrangement at a time after the first measurement in a second measurement, and comparing the first and second measurements to detect tampering with the object from a change in the optical fiber arrangement. In another embodiment, an optical shield includes an optical fiber arranged to detect tampering with an object resulting from a change in the optical fiber arrangement and an optical fiber carrier coupled to the optical fiber for conforming the optical fiber arrangement to the object.
16 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a container having multiple parts, at least one of the multiple parts arranged within an expanded material; an optical fiber with a first end and a second end, the optical fiber conformed by the expanded material such that the optical fiber is physically altered when the at least one of the multiple parts is tampered with; a detachable light source configured to emit a light pulse, the optical fiber configured to receive the light pulse at the first end and emit an optical signature at the second end; a detachable optical spectral analyzer configured to capture a current optical signature from the second end, the optical spectral analyzer in communication with a data store, the optical spectral analyzer comprising a processor configured to; retrieve a stored optical signature from the data store, the stored optical signature captured from the second end when the light pulse was applied to the first end prior to the detachable optical spectral analyzer capturing the current optical signature from the second end, determine whether a difference between the current optical signature, captured from the second end of the optical fiber and resulting from the light pulse at the first end, and the stored optical signature, captured from the second end of the optical fiber and resulting from the light pulse at the first end, exceeds a threshold, and determine that the at least one of the multiple parts has been tampered with based on the difference exceeding the threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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capturing, at a detachable optical spectral analyzer, an initial optical signature from a second end of an optical fiber while a container is at a first location, the container having multiple parts, at least one of the multiple parts arranged within an expanded material, the optical fiber conformed by the expanded material, the optical fiber physically altered when the at least one of the multiple parts is tampered with, the optical fiber comprising a first end and the second end, the optical fiber configured to receive a light pulse at the first end and emit an optical signature at the second end; storing, at the detachable optical spectral analyzer, the initial optical signature in a data store; transporting the container from the first location to a second location; capturing, at the detachable optical spectral analyzer, a current optical signature from the second end while the container is at the second location; retrieving, at the detachable optical spectral analyzer, the initial optical signature from the data store; determining, at the detachable optical spectral analyzer, whether a difference between the current optical signature and the initial optical signature exceeds a threshold; and determining, at the detachable optical spectral analyzer, that the at least one of the multiple parts has been tampered with based on the difference exceeding the threshold. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification