Tamper evident cargo container seal bolt lock

• US 9,121,195 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neology Incorporated (OEP Technologie BV)
• Original Assignee: Neology Incorporated (OEP Technologie BV)
• Inventors: Mullis, Joe, Kruest, James Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/791,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20130255337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/542, 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/572.9, 340/650, 340/651, 340/652
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/00 Tamper-indicating means relating to aerosol containers B65D83/224
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/22 Safety features floating covers B65D88/34; arrangements of indicating or measuring devices B65D90/48; fire-fighting A62C
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/00 Accessories in connection with locks buffers E05F5/00; means for preventing rattling of wings E05F7/04; means for taking the weight of the wing E05F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/22 Means for operating or controlling lock or fastening device accessories, i.e. other than the fastening members, e.g. switches, indicators E05B39/00 - E05B45/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0067 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0072 Operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0097 including means for monitoring voltage, e.g. for indicating low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/005 Locks with means for tracking the location of locked items, e.g. freight containers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/04 with counting or registering devices time recording locks G07C1/32
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0017 Anti-theft devices, e.g. tags or monitors, fixed to articles, e.g. clothes, and to be removed at the check-out of shops
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07798 part of the antenna or the integrated circuit being adapted for rupturing or breaking, e.g. record carriers functioning as sealing devices for detecting not-authenticated opening of containers electronic seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/32 Time-recording locks
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0317 having bolt like sealing means means for preventing relative axial movement of a pin, spigot, shaft or the like and a member surrounding it F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0329 having electronic sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/625 Operation and control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8081 Electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8216 Tampering detector

Abstract

Systems and methods for a tamper-evident cargo container seal bolt lock are disclosed herein. The device can include a receiving member, a conductive bolt member adapted to be snap-locked into the receiving member, and a plastic encapsulant which tethers the bolt member to the receiving member. The encapsulant can contain an electrically conductive medium, such as a wire, which runs from the receiving member to the second end of the bolt. A sensory circuit disposed within the receiving member can be configured to sense whether the circuit has been interrupted (e.g., if the bolt has been cut). In the event of an interruption, the circuit can record the present time and/or date in memory. An RFID transponder disposed within the encapsulant or the receiving member can then transmit the recorded date/time to an RFID interrogator if a dispute subsequently arises as to when the lock had been broken.

Claims

1. A bolt lock device comprising:

a bolt member;

a receiving member adapted to receive a first end of the bolt member;

an encapsulant connected to the receiving member and to the bolt member, the

encapsulant comprising a conductive medium, wherein when the first end of the bolt member has been received in the receiving member, an electrically conductive pathway is formed from the conductive medium, through at least a portion of the bolt member and at least a portion of the receiving member; and

a sensory circuit comprising memory, wherein the sensory circuit is adapted to transmit electrical current through the electrically conductive pathway so as to detect whether the circuit has been interrupted, the sensory circuit being further adapted to record the current date and time in the memory in the event of a detected interruption.

2. The bolt lock device of claim 1, wherein the bolt member comprises metal.

3. The bolt lock device of claim 1, wherein the conductive medium comprises electrical wiring.

4. The bolt lock device of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant comprises plastic.

5. The bolt lock device of claim 1, wherein a second end of the bolt member comprises an electrically conductive head having a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the rest of the bolt member.

6. The bolt lock device of claim 5, wherein the conductive medium is adapted to electrically interface with the conductive head.

7. The bolt lock device of claim 1, wherein the sensory circuit further comprises a serial bus connection.

8. The bolt lock device of claim 1, wherein the sensory circuit further comprises a transponder, an antenna, and a battery.

9. The bolt lock device of claim 8, wherein the transponder, the antenna, and the battery are disposed within the receiving member.

10. The bolt lock device of claim 8, wherein the transponder, the antenna, and the battery are disposed within the encapsulant.

11. The bolt lock device of claim 8, wherein the transponder comprises an RFID chip.

12. The bolt lock device of claim 8, wherein the battery comprises a cell battery.

13. The bolt lock device of claim 8, wherein the battery comprises a thin-film battery.

14. The bolt lock device of claim 8, wherein the battery is adapted to electrically connect with the sensory circuit only if the first end of the bolt member has been received in the receiving member.

15. A method for electronically detecting whether a bolt lock has been tampered with, the method comprising:

receiving a first end of a bolt member in a receiving member, the receiving member being connected to the bolt member via an encapsulant comprising a conductive medium, wherein when the first end of the bolt member has been received in the receiving member, an electrically conductive pathway is formed from the conductive medium, through at least a portion of the bolt member and at least a portion of the receiving member;

transmitting an electrical current through the electrically conductive pathway;

detecting whether a sensory circuit has been interrupted; and

in the event of a detected interruption, recording the current date and time in memory.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request from an external device to read memory content; and

in response to the request, transmitting data indicating the recorded date and time to the external device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting data indicating the recorded date and time to the external device further comprises wirelessly transmitting data indicating the recorded date and time to the external device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting data indicating the recorded date and time to the external device further comprises transmitting data indicating the recorded date and time to the external device over a serial bus cable.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request from an external device to write data to memory;

in response to the request, writing the data to the memory.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data comprises a location and a date.