U.S. patent application number 16/840185 was filed with the patent office on 2020-10-08 for variable pattern shield protection system for a tamper-evident container.
The applicant listed for this patent is OpticalLock, Inc.. Invention is credited to Carol E. Fuller, Jorge Sanchez.
Application Number | 20200320903 16/840185 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004799387 |
Filed Date | 2020-10-08 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200320903 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sanchez; Jorge ; et
al. |
October 8, 2020 |
VARIABLE PATTERN SHIELD PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR A TAMPER-EVIDENT
CONTAINER
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments provide a method for tamper-evident
shipment or storage of goods. An Electrical Shield pattern is
embedded in or printed on a substrate with other electrical,
optical, and electronic components, communication components,
semiconductors, which are attached or printed on a substrate to
form a shipment bag used as a shipping container. The shield
pattern can be made variable between different bags by using
algorithms entered into a printer control system. The shipment bag
with its components can then be assigned a unique signature which
differentiates each bag. Application of encryption methods serves
to guarantee the shipped goods are authentic and that were not
tampered with during shipment. Digital signal processing is used to
generate pedigree information, which may include items such as
shipping location, serial numbers, sensor information, and lot
numbers for the goods. The information related to the history of
tampering attempts and other sensor status can be placed in
encrypted form in an RFID tags or control or monitoring electronics
which can be read by a mobile phone application or sent to a remote
cloud-based server.
Inventors: |
Sanchez; Jorge; (Poway,
CA) ; Fuller; Carol E.; (Santee, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
OpticalLock, Inc. |
La Mesa |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004799387 |
Appl. No.: |
16/840185 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62829577 |
Apr 4, 2019 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09F 2003/0248 20130101;
G09F 3/0376 20130101; H04L 9/3247 20130101; G09F 2003/0277
20130101; G09F 3/0335 20130101; H04L 9/3263 20130101; G09F
2003/0216 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G09F 3/03 20060101
G09F003/03; H04L 9/32 20060101 H04L009/32 |
Claims
1. An anti-tamper container comprising: an electrical shield made
with a variable conductive pattern having a conductive pattern
design on a substrate, the conductive pattern design varying in at
least one of form or density; and monitoring electronics in
communication with the electrical shield and configured to detect a
tampering status of the container based on an electrical signature
of the electrical shield.
2. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the conductive
pattern design is variable in density and form.
3. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the conductive
pattern design is generated automatically by a process that uses an
algorithm.
4. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the conductive
pattern design comprises one or more traces comprising conductive
ink.
5. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the conductive
pattern design comprises one or more traces comprising carbon
ink.
6. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the conductive
pattern design comprises one or more electric or electronic
circuits placed on insulating material to provide a unique
signature.
7. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the electrical
shield comprises optical components placed on insulating material
to provide a unique signature.
8. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the electrical
shield further comprises one or more printed sensors on the
substrate to provide information needed to guarantee quality of
shipped goods.
9. The anti-tamper container of claim 9, wherein the one or more
printed sensors comprise at least one of a temperature sensor or a
humidity sensor.
10. The anti-tamper container of claim 1, wherein the monitoring
electronics use a programmable shield measurement test time period
to extend battery life.
11. A method for secure shipment of goods using the anti-tamper
container of claim 1, the method comprising: placing the goods into
the anti-tamper container of claim 1; causing encryption of the
electrical signature based on an encryption key; causing the
encrypted electrical signature to be stored in the monitoring
electronics of the first container; causing the first container to
be transferred to a recipient; and causing a decryption key
corresponding to the encryption key to be sent to a computing
device associated with the recipient to guarantee authenticity of
the goods.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the decryption key is
transferred to the recipient via a remote server.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the decryption key is sent to
the recipient automatically based on an initialization of the
monitoring electronics by a computing device associated with a
sender of the goods.
14. A set of anti-tamper containers, each anti-tamper container of
the set of anti-tamper containers comprising: an electrical shield
made with a variable conductive pattern having a conductive pattern
design on a substrate, the conductive pattern design being
different from the conductive pattern design of at least one other
anti-tamper container of the set of anti-tamper containers; and
monitoring electronics in communication with the electrical shield
and configured to detect a tampering status of the container based
on an electrical signature of the electrical shield.
15. The set of anti-tamper containers of claim 14, wherein the
conductive pattern design is randomly differentiated among the
anti-tamper containers using an algorithm.
16. An anti-tamper mailing bag comprising: a rectangular substrate
folded widthwise about a dividing line and sealed along edges
perpendicular to the dividing line to form a bag having an open
edge opposite the dividing line; a first flap contiguous with the
open edge, the first flap comprising a plurality of first
conductive contacts; a plurality of second conductive contacts
arranged on an outside of the bag proximate the open edge or on a
second flap contiguous with the open edge opposite the first flap,
each second conductive contact having substantially the same
lateral location and distance from the open edge as a corresponding
one of the plurality of first conductive contacts; a plurality of
printed traces disposed on the rectangular substrate, each printed
trace of the plurality of printed traces electrically connecting
one of the first conductive contacts to one of the second
conductive contacts other than the second conductive contact
corresponding to the one of the first conductive contacts; and an
adhesive configured to adhere the first flap to the outside of the
bag or the second flap such that each first conductive contact is
electrically connected to the corresponding second conductive
contact to form a single conductive path around the bag including
the plurality of printed traces.
17. The anti-tamper mailing bag of claim 16, further comprising
monitoring electronics electrically connected to at least one of
the printed traces.
18. The anti-tamper mailing bag of claim 17, wherein at least some
components of the monitoring electronics are printed onto the
substrate or the first flap.
19. The anti-tamper mailing bag of claim 17, wherein the adhesive
comprises a conductive adhesive disposed on the first conductive
contacts or on the second conductive contacts.
20. The anti-tamper mailing bag of claim 19, wherein the conductive
adhesive is disposed on both the first conductive contacts and the
second conductive contacts.
Description
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS
[0001] Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic
priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed
with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference
under 37 CFR 1.57.
[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/829,577, filed Apr. 4, 2019, titled
"ELECTRICAL SHIELD PROTECTION FOR A TAMPER-PROOF CONTAINER," which
is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all
purposes.
BACKGROUND
Field
[0003] The presently disclosed embodiments relate to the prevention
and identification of tampering of a container of goods. This is
done in order to prevent substitution of counterfeit products
instead of the legitimate goods, and to identify potential product
contamination, or to prevent access to secured articles, or to
discourage theft and unauthorized access in general.
Description of the Related Art
[0004] Shipping containers used in transportation of goods are
vulnerable to intrusion. Containers can be compromised when they
are illegally removed from holding yards, or breached during the
shipping process, or when they are in secured cages or other forms
of storage. An emerging issue is a breach of the container through
its walls or shipping package rather than through the container
doors or openings.
[0005] Globalization of product manufacturing has brought a
significant challenge to consumers, in the sense that many products
are substituted by counterfeits during and after manufacture,
throughout portions of the supply chain, and especially while
in-transit. As an example, some of these products can be
pharmaceuticals, wine, documents, and jewelry or secured biological
products. Consequences of illegal access to containers can cause
financial losses, harm the health of users of the products, or
cause a loss of valuable information. When counterfeit products do
not perform as intended, they can jeopardize national security.
Counterfeiters attack the supply chains used for any and all
manufactured goods, for example, electronic parts, costly
mechanical parts, expensive perfumes and cosmetics, and medicines.
Some of the worst examples include counterfeit medicines, which can
be substituted with chemicals with life threatening consequences;
fastening bolts used in critical locations such as bridges and
aircraft; fire extinguishers containing compressed air which cannot
perform in urgent situations; and electronic parts that are
installed in national defense systems which reduce reliability,
security, and performance.
[0006] Present solutions include the utilization of Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) tags. These tags are devices that are
attached to the products or shipping container. They contain an
identification code and in some cases manufacturing information
about the part. During shipment and at different locations of the
supply chain, the RFID tags are scanned by equipment that applies
near field radio frequencies to the RFID tag and reads the identity
of the part to determine if the tag will return the correct
information. If this is the case, then the product is understood to
be on track for the shipping process.
[0007] However, the present use of RFID tags has significant
weaknesses. When used in a box or package containing products, the
tags used only ensure the box or package is the same as the tag
used at shipment but does not guarantee the authenticity of the
contents in the shipping container. The box or package contents can
be counterfeit and could have been changed somewhere within the
supply chain during transit, at a warehouse, or in the
transportation vehicle between supply chain locations. As long as
the RFID tag has not been dismantled, damaged, or removed, the
package would be perceived as intact.
SUMMARY
[0008] Embodiments disclosed herein address the above-stated needs
to protect consumers from counterfeit products and for protecting
goods during shipment.
[0009] Embodiments of the present technology include an arrangement
of an Electrical Shield or Electrical Shields that covers all or
substantially all sides of the interior of a container of any
shape, which can include all interior surfaces such as the bottom,
the top, the two sides, and end walls. An Electrical Shield is a
pattern embedded on a substrate medium such as woven and non-woven
fabrics, paper, cardboard, wood products, rigid plastics, plastic
sheets, or foam, and other conformable flexible media. The pattern
can be printed using carbon inks, or commonly used conductive inks
or a semiconductor material. In addition, there can be various
electrical and electronic components mounted on the substrate which
when added to the conductive pattern form the Electrical Shield.
The resulting combination is a continuous pattern of Electrical
Shield that, along with the conformable media and electrical and
electronic components will blanket all the container interior
walls. The arrangement of the present technology forms what is
known as an Electrical Shield.
[0010] In other embodiments, the Electrical Shield can include a
conductive or semi-conductive pattern printed on a base material
which is enclosed with protective layers to form a bag where the
material goods to be shipped are placed. The printed Electrical
Shield can form a resistance network, a capacitor network, an
inductor network, a network with semiconductor or optical
components, or a combination of one or more of these elements. The
network can contain embedded integrated circuits and patterns with
conductive or semi conductive circuits made with silicon integrated
circuits and implemented in combination with metal materials. The
Electrical Shield can include a printed pattern including any
electrical and electronic components and may include a sensor.
[0011] The printed pattern used to form the Electrical Shield can
be made with various materials that can be a conductor or a
semiconductor. There are implementations of a pattern that use
conductive materials such as silver or copper. In some embodiments
of the present technology, an Electrical Shield implementation
utilizes conductive inks or carbon inks for printing a conductive
pattern. Carbon inks and conductive inks can be printed on many
different media, including plastics or paper to obtain resistances
of a few tens of ohms per square. The printed patterns can be
measured by conventional electronics. Carbon inks are sufficiently
low in cost such that they are practical for use in many
high-volume applications, and especially for protection of
shipments. Furthermore, these inks can be printed with patterns
that insert electronic components, optical components, and
conductive materials in order to produce complete circuits. New
technologies allow printing, on plastic media, of electrical and
electronic components such as capacitors, inductors, batteries,
antennas, resistors, sensors for temperature, pressure and
humidity, optical components and even semiconductors. For example,
humidity sensors can be obtained by printing techniques to add to
the solutions presented here. See the following reference titled:
"A highly sensitive printed humidity sensor based on a
functionalized MWCNT/HEC composite for flexible electronics
application", by Vikram S. Turkani, published in the Journal
Nanoscale Advances on Issue 6, 2019,
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2019/na/c9na00179d,
which is incorporated by reference herein. This research article
covers the use of carbon nanotubes or graphite to obtain a humidity
sensor that can be printed on a substrate. Discrete semiconductor
components such as integrated circuits can be added to the
Electrical Shield by mounting them with an appropriate adhesive to
the substrate. The resulting Electrical Shield can be connected and
measured by the integrated circuits to obtain a unique signature.
This unique signature can be a digital value which is obtained by a
measurement of the shield pattern and the other electrical and
electronic components printed in the substrate or in the bag
enclosing goods as discrete components. The signature can include
various characteristics such as resistance, capacitance, and
electronic digital patterns from an embedded semiconductor or an
optical component. The resulting signature of the Electrical Shield
can be made unique and therefore can be used to authenticate
individual container packages to avoid counterfeit packages.
[0012] The Electrical Shield can be embedded in wrapper materials
to form multiple configurations in order to adapt the Electrical
Shield for shipping various types of goods. This arrangement can be
done in such a way as to form a shipment bag. The bag in turn can
surround the goods to be shipped. Also, the bag with shipment goods
can be placed in another external container such as a cardboard
box, a case, or on or within a shipping pallet. As described
before, the measurement of the Electrical Shield sensor provides a
characteristic signature which is unique. The signature of the
Electrical Shield sensor is used in combination with a set of
electronics and software features to protect the container and
identify tampering. If the Electrical Shield is cut, the signature
is altered, which will indicate tampering. Patterns of conductive
ink or carbon ink can be placed on the material such that the gap
between the patterns is sufficiently narrow to prevent intrusion
into the container without damage to the shield or without an
instantaneous change to the signature characteristics of the
shield. The sensed signature can be stored in a set of control
electronics or an RFID tag. Other information that can be stored
are any attempts of prior openings of the container with the
Electrical Shield, and the time when the tampering occurred.
Information stored in the control electronics or an RFID tag can be
encrypted. The receiving person of the shipping goods can utilize a
mobile phone with a custom application to identify the history of
the container and the status of the Electrical Shield. A mobile app
at the receiving end would use a matching decryption key to
securely determine the information stored in the bag.
[0013] In a first aspect, an anti-tamper container includes an
electrical shield made with a variable conductive pattern having a
conductive pattern design on a substrate, the conductive pattern
design varying in at least one of form or density; and monitoring
electronics in communication with the electrical shield and
configured to detect a tampering status of the container based on
an electrical signature of the electrical shield.
[0014] In some embodiments, the conductive pattern design is
variable in density and form. In some embodiments, the conductive
pattern design is generated automatically by a process that uses an
algorithm. In some embodiments, the conductive pattern design
includes one or more traces including conductive ink. In some
embodiments, the conductive pattern design includes one or more
traces comprising carbon ink. In some embodiments, the conductive
pattern design includes one or more electric or electronic circuits
placed on insulating material to provide a unique signature. In
some embodiments, the electrical shield includes optical components
placed on insulating material to provide a unique signature. In
some embodiments, the electrical shield further includes one or
more printed sensors on the substrate to provide information needed
to guarantee quality of shipped goods. In some embodiments, the one
or more printed sensors include at least one of a temperature
sensor or a humidity sensor. In some embodiments, the monitoring
electronics use a programmable shield measurement test time period
to extend battery life.
[0015] In a second aspect, a method for secure shipment of goods
using the anti-tamper container of the first aspect includes
placing the goods into the anti-tamper container of the first
aspect, causing encryption of the electrical signature based on an
encryption key, causing the encrypted electrical signature to be
stored in the monitoring electronics of the first container,
causing the first container to be transferred to a recipient, and
causing a decryption key corresponding to the encryption key to be
sent to a computing device associated with the recipient to
guarantee authenticity of the goods.
[0016] In some embodiments, the decryption key is transferred to
the recipient via a remote server. In some embodiments, the
decryption key is sent to the recipient automatically based on an
initialization of the monitoring electronics by a computing device
associated with a sender of the goods.
[0017] In a third aspect, a set of anti-tamper containers is
described. Each anti-tamper container of the set of anti-tamper
containers includes an electrical shield made with a variable
conductive pattern having a conductive pattern design on a
substrate, the conductive pattern design being different from the
conductive pattern design of at least one other anti-tamper
container of the set of anti-tamper containers; and monitoring
electronics in communication with the electrical shield and
configured to detect a tampering status of the container based on
an electrical signature of the electrical shield.
[0018] In some embodiments, the conductive pattern design is
randomly differentiated among the anti-tamper containers using an
algorithm.
[0019] In a fourth aspect, an anti-tamper mailing bag includes a
rectangular substrate folded widthwise about a dividing line and
sealed along edges perpendicular to the dividing line to form a bag
having an open edge opposite the dividing line; a first flap
contiguous with the open edge, the first flap comprising a
plurality of first conductive contacts; a plurality of second
conductive contacts arranged on an outside of the bag proximate the
open edge or on a second flap contiguous with the open edge
opposite the first flap, each second conductive contact having
substantially the same lateral location and distance from the open
edge as a corresponding one of the plurality of first conductive
contacts; a plurality of printed traces disposed on the rectangular
substrate, each printed trace of the plurality of printed traces
electrically connecting one of the first conductive contacts to one
of the second conductive contacts other than the second conductive
contact corresponding to the one of the first conductive contacts;
and an adhesive configured to adhere the first flap to the outside
of the bag or the second flap such that each first conductive
contact is electrically connected to the corresponding second
conductive contact to form a single conductive path around the bag
including the plurality of printed traces.
[0020] In some embodiments, the anti-tamper mailing bag further
includes monitoring electronics electrically connected to at least
one of the printed traces. In some embodiments, at least some
components of the monitoring electronics are printed onto the
substrate or the first flap. In some embodiments, the adhesive
comprises a conductive adhesive disposed on the first conductive
contacts or on the second conductive contacts. In some embodiments,
the conductive adhesive is disposed on both the first conductive
contacts and the second conductive contacts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The nature, objects, and advantages of the present
technology will become more apparent after considering the
following detailed description in connection with the accompanying
drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts
throughout.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a typical Electrical Shield implemented with
strips of conductive material placed on a base of nonconductive
material.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows various patterns for an Electrical Shield that
allow for unpredictability of the pattern in terms of pattern
design and density.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows a view of a possible pattern used to implement
an Electrical Shield.
[0025] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of how the material layers can be
folded to form a bag with the Electrical Shield.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows an example system solution and control
electronics in accordance with the present technology.
[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates example data management processes in
accordance with the present technology.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The disclosed embodiments provide systems, devices, and
processes for tamper evident security of a shipping container. A
package with an Electrical Shield and a process consisting of a
test system and digital signal processing software allows a
shipping container to be protected on all its sides.
[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of how the elements of the
Electrical Shield are related after the conductive material is
printed and before the printed elements are surrounded by a package
to form a shipping bag. At 101, the traces of conductive patterns
are shown. These patterns are applied on a base of material 111
such as plastic. Patterns can be modified from time to time, can be
made denser and with a variety of designs in order to provide
protection unexpected by someone trying to tamper with the
Electrical Shield. Prior to assembly, at 102 is one side of the
Electrical Shield and at 104 is second side of what will be the
Electrical Shield. Typically, all the patterns of conductive
printed material will be covered with an insulating layer as will
be described further. The patterns will be covered once the
Electrical Shield is assembled into a bag. At 103 the illustration
shows the dividing line where the Electrical Shield will be folded.
The Electrical Shield has a row of contact dots in line with dot
114 and a row of dots in line with dot 115 at the opposite ends of
the printed pattern. For this discussion, we assume the printed
pattern has been covered with a layer of insulating material (not
shown) between line 113 and line 105. Also, the dots in the row of
dot 114 and the dots in the row of dot 115 have been covered with a
conductive adhesive. Therefore, when the Electrical Shield is
folded at 103, the Electrical Shield dividing line at dot 113 will
align with the line shown at 115. With this type of fold, we can
achieve a continuous trace of conductive stripe as follows:
[0030] If we start at contact dot 107 we have a direct connection
with contact dot 114 via trace 112. Dot 114 in turn connects with
contact dot 115 by means of the conductive stripe. Note that the
pattern is laid out at an offset angle. Thus, after folding,
contact dot 115 connects with contact dot 116. Furthermore, contact
dot 116 by means of the conductive pattern will connect with dot
117. Dot 117 will in turn connect with dot 118 after the pattern is
folded. As we continue with this sequence, we will end with a
connection to contact dot 108. As a result, we will accomplish a
continuous circuit starting from contact dot 107 and ending with
contact dot 108. This design of the printed pattern thus can
achieve a continuous Electrical Shield between 107 and 108.
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates several examples of patterns that can be
used to achieve an Electrical Shield with a variable Electrical
Shield design that is variable in density and form. In this
illustration we used what is known as a Hilbert space filling curve
which is a fractal algorithm used to fill our space in two
dimensions. For an explanation of the Hilbert algorithm (see the
following reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilbert curve).
There are multiple ways in which the Electrical Shield can be
generated using an algorithm to advantageously impede the tampering
of the shield because the shield pattern on the substrate can be
made variable and with different densities. The approach of using
algorithms is that the pattern can be changed automatically so that
the pattern is random using an algorithm and the data can be
inputted into a printer so the patterns can be readily changed. The
algorithms can be input into programmable printers so that each
individual Electrical Shield or Shields in each production lot can
be different and thus achieve the maximum protection against
tampering because a pattern for any one shipping bag cannot be
predicted. For example, a group of bags in a production lot of bags
may have substantially the same external appearance while having
different internal Electrical Shield densities or forms such that
it is difficult or impossible to predict where the conductive
traces are present without cutting into or otherwise tampering with
the bag.
[0032] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment used for a given design of
the shield pattern. At 300, the overall design of the shield
pattern is shown. This pattern can be made with carbon inks or
other conductive material. As described above, multiple other types
of additional electrical, optical, and electronic components can be
embedded in the pattern, such as in the middle of the pattern. The
pattern in FIG. 3 can be placed in an arrangement where the pattern
is surrounded on the top and the bottom with insulating layers of
plastic or paper material, protective foam, layers of bubble wrap,
external package, and shipping labels in order to form a shipping
bag. For the purpose of this discussion we will assume the printed
pattern of FIG. 3 has been covered with an insulating layer between
the dividing line at 302 and the dividing line at 306. Sections 303
and 305 include a conductive pattern that can be variable in
density and/or form at different points within the sections 303 and
305. Examples of such variations may include for example, density
of traces per unit area of the substrate, or form of the traces
(e.g., relative location and spacing of curved, straight, and/or
angled sections within an individual trace or between adjacent
traces).
[0033] Portions of the figure at 301 and 307 show features with
circular feature patterns 309. These features are contact points
that can maintain a continuous trace for the electrical shield when
the completed bag is assembled. In some embodiments, circular dot
features 309 will be covered by a conductive adhesive for this
purpose. Rectangular pads 308 are used to connect the shield
pattern to monitoring electronics. Some of the circular dot
features 309 and rectangular features 308 may be covered with an
anti-oxidation coating of noble metal or other suitable material.
Other shapes and configurations for the features 308 and 309 are
possible. Furthermore, sections 301 and 307 may be covered each
with a strip of insulating material such as plastic and or wax
paper in order to keep the conductive features of the bag from
sticking to unwanted surfaces prior to using the bag for shipment
of goods.
[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates an example process for folding the
printed pattern insulating and protective material, labels,
electrical, optical, and electronic components, to form a shipping
bag. As depicted in step A, the bag will be folded in the middle at
dividing line 304. The pattern containing two of the longer sides
401, 402 will be sealed at the edges between sections 302 and 306
using a thermal sealing manufacturing process or a strong adhesive.
The center part of the pattern is open and available to place
shipping goods. Step B shows how the section 307 is folded to the
back of the section 305 with a 180-degree fold. Furthermore, as
step C shows, the printed pattern is folded at the dividing line
304 by 180 degrees over section 303. At that point, each of the two
longer sides of the bag 401, 402 will be sealed at the edges
between sections 302 and 306 with the appropriate sealing method.
In some embodiments, the sides of flap 307 may also be sealed to
the longer sides 401, 402 at this stage. Step D shows the completed
bag ready to receive the shipment goods. After the goods are placed
in the bag, flap section 301 is folded over section 302 to seal the
bag for shipment. Note that prior to this last step depicted in
step D, there can be a tape of insulating material that is peeled
off from surfaces 301 and 307 which can be used to uncover the
conductive dots 308 and 309.
[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates example elements of the electronics. At
501 is a set of sensors and timers used to monitor environmental
parameters such as temperature, humidity, and shock, which is
necessary in order to preserve the quality of material shipped in
the bag. For example, if the bag contains medications, then the
sensors ensure the medications did not exceed recommended
environmental conditions. Another example is when the bag is used
to safeguard food materials such as high-priced seafood, where it
is important to monitor all conditions of temperature, humidity,
and the time since shipment was initiated. The completed bag 300 is
connected to a sensor detector 503 which contains signal
conditioning electronics such as amplifiers. At 504 is a processor,
which is implemented with a microcontroller, an ARM processor, an
FPGA, or any other equivalent controller. The processor 504
contains an analog to digital conversion system and the embedded
control system firmware. The firmware monitors the bag to record
whether it is opened during shipment. In some embodiments, the
monitoring electronics may use a programmable shield measurement
test time period to extend battery life. For example, the
monitoring electronics may be programmed to obtain the signature of
the printed pattern in the bag on a periodic basis, such as every
minute, every ten minutes, every thirty minutes, every hour, etc.,
at a predetermined time or times each day, or according to any
other suitable periodic or event-based schedule. The firmware in
the processor 508 also obtains the signature of the printed pattern
in the bag, the status of the sensors and the timer 501 and then
encrypts the information. This can be done in firmware or with the
assistance of an encryption integrated circuit (IC) 508. The
encrypted information is then stored in the control electronics or
an NFC tag IC at 505. At 507 a mobile phone or other NFC reader can
be used by the receiver of the shipment goods to read the encrypted
information 506 that was stored in the control electronics or an
NFC tag IC 505. Many elements of this set of electronics can be
printed on a substrate using specialized inks. In addition, some
components can be placed directly on the substrate with the
Electrical Shield pattern as described earlier. The electronic
system can also include a GPS, a GPS antenna to detect location
during the shipment of goods. Other communication devices such as
Wi-Fi and cell, and can be included with service providers for LTE,
Sigfox and LORA standards.
[0036] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an example process used to
manage the shipment of goods. At 601 the shipper of goods uses the
bag as a container for the goods to be shipped. A computer or other
computing device is used to connect to the controller in the
shipping bag and to initialize the bag. At the point of shipment,
the encryption key is stored in the processor 504 along with the
signatures and pedigree for the bag. The bag is then closed. At
605, an email and a decryption key are sent to the receiver of the
shipment. In addition, for shipment management purposes, the
information regarding the shipment is stored in a server.
[0037] At the receiver end 607, the receiver of the goods will
receive an email and a decryption key. The receiver will typically
use a phone app to open an application which allows the receiver to
connect to the bag. At 609, the phone app will retrieve a message
from the bag containing any tampering data and a signature with the
pedigree information. The phone app will decrypt the information
and display it for the receiver. At 611, once the receiver confirms
the lack of tampering and the status of the goods, the bag can be
opened.
[0038] As a specific example, in the situation of pharmaceutical
shipments, the sender can be a pharmacy at the shipping location.
The corresponding decryption key and email will be sent to the
phone app in the mobile phone of the individual receiving the
shipment of medications. The receiver of the pharmaceuticals can
then connect with the bag (e.g., using the phone app and/or an NFC
link) to be advised if the bag was opened, how long the
transportation took, whether the temperature and humidity range
required were not exceeded, etc.
[0039] Various modifications to these embodiments, and the generic
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments
without departing from the spirit or scope of the present
technology. Thus, the present technology is not intended to be
limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the
widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features
disclosed herein.
* * * * *
References