Method and optical shield for detecting tampering
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- an optical fiber with a first end and a second end, the optical fiber conformed to an object, the object comprising a container having multiple parts that physically alter the optical fiber when the container or 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 attached to the optical fiber at a first location and configured to capture a current optical signature from the second end, the detachable optical spectral analyzer in communication with a data store;
an identical detachable optical spectral analyzer configured to be attached to the optical fiber at a second location after the detachable optical spectral analyzer was detached, the identical detachable 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 at least one of the container or the multiple parts has been tampered with based on the difference exceeding the threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for detecting tampering are disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes an optical fiber with a first end and a second end, the optical fiber conformed to an object. The object includes a container having multiple parts that physically alter the optical fiber when the container or at least one of the multiple parts is tampered with. The system also includes 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. The system further includes 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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an optical fiber with a first end and a second end, the optical fiber conformed to an object, the object comprising a container having multiple parts that physically alter the optical fiber when the container or 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 attached to the optical fiber at a first location and configured to capture a current optical signature from the second end, the detachable optical spectral analyzer in communication with a data store; an identical detachable optical spectral analyzer configured to be attached to the optical fiber at a second location after the detachable optical spectral analyzer was detached, the identical detachable 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 at least one of the container or 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, 19)
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12. A method comprising:
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attaching a detachable optical spectral analyzer to an optical fiber at a first location; capturing, at the detachable optical spectral analyzer, an initial optical signature from a second end of the optical fiber while an object is at the first location, the optical fiber conformed to the object, the object comprising a container having multiple parts, the optical fiber physically altered when at least one of the container or 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; detaching the detachable optical spectral analyzer from the optical fiber; transporting the object from the first location to a second location; attaching an identical detachable optical spectral analyzer to the optical fiber at the second location; capturing, at the identical detachable optical spectral analyzer, a current optical signature from the second end while the object is at the second location; retrieving, at the identical detachable optical spectral analyzer, the initial optical signature from the data store; determining, at the identical detachable optical spectral analyzer, whether a difference between the current optical signature and the initial optical signature exceeds a threshold, and determining, at the identical detachable optical spectral analyzer, that the at least one of the container or 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