Tamper Evident Radio Frequency Identification System And Package

Abstract of Disclosure A tamper evident package and system where the package has a radio frequency identification tag affixed to or imprinted onto the covering.  An interrogator emits an electromagnetic signal to the identification tag which responds with a predetermined signal if the covering of the package is intact and has not been breached or the identification tag may be powered and emit the predetermined signal intermittently or continuously by itself.   An attempt to enter the package disables the identification tag and will cause the identification tag, thereafter interrogated, to fail to send a signal or will send a signal that is different from the predetermined signal.  The interrogator recognizes the lack of or the different signal as an indication that the integrity of the package has been breached.

Detailed Description Referring to Fig 1, there is shown a functional overview of a radio frequency identification system for carrying out the purposes of the present invention. In Figure 1 , the system comprises three basic components including an antenna 10, a transceiver (with decoder) 12 and a transponder or radio frequency identification tag 14 that is preprogrammed with unique information or data concerning an associated package or item. The antenna 10 emits radio signals to activate the identification tag 14 and to read and/or write data to the identification tag 14.   The antenna may be any of a variety of sizes and shapes and can be built into a doorway or portal to receive signals from the identification tag 14 or from persons or things passing through the door or other portal.  An electromagnetic field provided by the antenna 10 can be constantly present so that, when multiple identification tags 14 are expected continually, they may be read as they arrive.  Alternatively, antenna 10 can be activated intermittently as required.  If constant interrogation is not required, a sensor device can activate the field when needed. The antenna 10 can be configured with the transceiver 12 to operate as a reader or interrogator 16 and can be configured either as a handheld or a fixed-mount device.  The interrogator 16 typically emits electromagnetic radio waves 18 at wavelengths of from less than one inch to 100 feet or more, depending upon power output, the radio frequency used and the resulting necessary size of the antenna elements.  When an RFID identification tag 14 passes through the electromagnetic zone 20, identification tag 14 detects the radio frequency activation signals from the interrogator 16 and responds by emitting radio waves 22 specifically to identify that particular identification tag 14.  The interrogator 16 detects the data encoded in the integrated circuit of the identification tag 14 and the data is thereafter passed on to a host computer 28 for processing the information. The RFID tag 14 itself may also be any one of a variety of shapes and sizes.  RFID tags 14 may be categorized as either active or passive.  Active identification tags 14 are usually powered by an internal battery and are typically read/write, that is, the data can be rewritten and/or modified.  The memory of an active identification tag 14 can vary according to application requirements, that is, some systems operate with up to 1 MB of memory.  In a typical read/write RFID system, an identification tag 14 can provide a set of instructions and the identification tag 14 can receive information.  This encoded data then becomes part of the history of the tagged product 24.  The battery-supplied power of an active identification tag 14 generally gives it longer range, however, the trade off is in the greater size, greater cost and, of course, a limited operational life.  Also, with the use of an active identification tag 14, the identification tag 14, having its own source of power, may emit an intermittent or continuous signal on its own that can be read by an interrogator 16 and can therefore send out a predetermined signal indicative of the integrity of the package without the need for an interrogating signal initiating a response signal.  Again, if there is a breach of the integrity of a package, the signal from the identification tag 14 can be terminated or modified by that breach to alert the interrogator of a breach of the integrity of a package. Passive RFID tags 14 typically operate without any separate external power source and obtain operating power generated from the interrogator 16.  Passive identification tags 14 thus are typically much lighter than active identification tags 14, less expensive, and offer a potentially unlimited operational lifetime.  The trade off is that passive identification tags 14 typically have shorter read ranges than active identification tags 14 and require a higher-powered interrogator 16. Read-only identification tags 14 are typically passive and are programmed with a set of data (usually 32-128 bits) that cannot be modified.  Read-only identification tags 14 often operate as a key or index into a database in the same way as linear barcodes reference a database containing modifiable product-specific information. The frequency ranges also distinguishes the various RFID systems.  Low frequency (30 kHz to 500 kHz) system have short reading ranges and lower system costs.  They are most commonly used in security areas, asset tracking and animal identifications.  High frequency (850 mHz to 950 mHz and 2. 4 gHz to 2.5 gHz) systems offer long read ranges (greater than 90 feet) and high reading speeds. A significant advantage of all types of RFID systems is the non-contact, non-line-of-sight nature of the technology.  Identification tags 14 can be read though a variety of substances such as snow, fog, ice, paint, crusted grime and other visually and environmentally challenging conditions, where barcodes or other optical read technologies would be useless.  The RFID identification tags 14 can also be read in challenging circumstances at remarkable speeds, in most cases responding in less than 100 milliseconds. The range that can be achieved in the RFID system is essentially determined by the power available at the interrogator 16 to communicate with the identification tags 14, the power available in the identification tag to respond, and the environmental conditions and structures, the former being more significant at higher frequencies including signal to noise ratio. Although the level of available power is the primary determinant of range, the manner and efficiency with  which that power is employed also influences the range.  The field or wave delivered from an antenna extends into the space adjacent to the antenna and its strength diminishes with respect to distance.  The antenna design will determine the shape of the field of propagation wave delivered, so that range will also be influenced by the angle subtended between the identification tag and the antenna. In space free of any obstructions or absorption mechanisms, the strength of the field declines in inverse proportion to the square of the distance.  For a wave propagating through a region in which reflections can arise from the ground and from obstacles, the reduction in strength can vary quite considerably, in some cases, as an inverse fourth power of the distance.   Where different paths arise in this way, the phenomenon is known as "multi-path attenuation".  At higher frequencies, absorption due to the presence of moisture can further influence range.  It is, therefore, important in many applications to determine how the environment, internal or external, can influence the range of communication.  Where a number of reflective metal obstacles are to be encountered within the application to be considered, and can vary in number from time to time, it may also be necessary to establish the implications of such changes through an appropriate environmental evaluation. Accordingly, the present invention incorporates the aforedescribed RFID technology to alleviate the problems associated with the constant monitoring of packages to determine if  there has been a breach of the integrity of any package.  Although the present invention will be described with respect to the shipping package integrity, the present invention is equally adaptable for use in controlled access to any suitable packaging including securing electronic devices and medical monitoring equipment and to a means of insuring that use of equipment has not been the subject of tampering.   Thus, the principles of the present invention can be used for any variety of containers, boxes, or other outer coverings that are subject to pilferage or tampering and to provide a means whereby the breach of integrity of such outer covering can be detected automatically and without the continued direct need of human involvement. The security and integrity of packages is critical for loss prevention, confidentiality and damage control.  Frequently it is not obvious or evident whether a package has been opened and resealed or tampered with prior to receipt by the end user.  By being able to automatically and directly monitor the integrity of a package to prevent unauthorized access to the contents of the package, tampering can be detected, thus enabling a manufacturer, distributor and/or end user to be aware of the integrity of the package or product. Turning now to Figure 2 , there is shown a functional overview of a system employing the present invention.  A package 26 is shown having emplaced thereon an identification tag 14.  The identification tag 14 may be an RFID or other suitable identification tag 14.  The identification tag 14 may contain encoded data corresponding to a unique product identification, such as serial number and history of the environmental conditions and location history corresponding to the package 26.  The interrogator 16 interrogates the identification tag 14 by directing a radio frequency signal toward the identification tag 14 which, in turn, responds with a predetermined response signal when the outer covering or container is intact and has not been breached.  Thus, the interrogator 16 receives and recognizes that predetermined signal and knows that the integrity of the package 26 has not been breached.  The interrogator 16 is, in turn, coupled to a computer system 28 for processing of the information. Turning now to Figure 3 , there is shown a detailed functional overview of a tamper evident package system.  The package 26 can provide information concerning the unauthorized access to the contents even if the package 26 has been resealed and no visual evidence of tampering can be seen.  The package 26 contains an RFID identification tag 14 which is adapted to be disabled or modified upon the opening of the package 26.  By positioning the RFID identification tag 14 across adjacent flaps 30 of the package 26, a fraction of the RFID identification tag 14 can be a part of each flap 30.  Normally, the identification tag 14 spans or crosses between the flaps 24 when the flaps are in the closed, contiguous orientation having a common seal line therebetween.  A conductive adhesive 32 or ink can be used to seal the flaps 30 together.  When the conductive adhesive 32 is broken by opening the package 26, tampering may have occurred with the contents.  While only two flaps 30 have been shown in Figure 3 , there can be a plurality of sets of flaps used with the package 26 and each set of flaps may have an identification tag across any or all of the sets of flaps to carry out the purpose of the present invention.  As an embodiment, where there are multiple sets of flaps, each set may have an identification tag having a differing predetermined signal such that the interrogator 16 can determine which set of flaps has been subject to a breach of integrity. Breaking of the conductive adhesive can thus disable the identification tag 14 or change the response of the identification tag 14 response signal when interrogated by the interrogator 16.  It should be noted that there may be a number of components to the identification tag 14, including thin wire conductors that may span the flaps 30, however one component of the identification tag 14 will be an antenna 31 and thus, the disabling of the antenna 31 or any of the other components will, in effect, disable the ability of the response signal to be the predetermined signal from the identification tag 14 when the identification tag 14 is properly interrogated by the interrogator 16.  Again, the response signal from the identification tag 14 may be a total lack of any response signal at all or may be any changed response signal that is different than the predetermined signal emitted in response to the interrogator 16 when the outer cover of the package 26 is intact and has not been breached. Although it is important that ultimately the antenna 31 of the identification tag 14 be disabled, there may be other components of the identification tag 14 that can be irreversibly disabled, and any one of which will prevent the antenna 31 of the identification tag 14 from returning the predetermined signal to the interrogator 16.  For example, there may be various components such as sectioned antenna ports, antenna-interposer connections, chip-interposer connections and the like that may be incorporated into the function of the identification tag 14 and any one of which, if irreversibly disabled by the breach of the integrity of the package 26, would prevent the identification tag 14 from returning the predetermined signal to the interrogation signal from the interrogator 16.  The components may also include the use of printed plastic or polymeric circuitry. Components of the RFID identification tag 14, such as the antenna 31, can be printed directly on the inside of package 26 or, alternatively, printed on the outside of the package 26.  The identification tag 14 may also be laminated intermediate two or more materials.   The printed components can be coupled with a conductive adhesive 32 or a thin conductive element.  Thus, the breaking of the conductive adhesive 32 or the thin conductive element, or the tearing apart of a laminate will disable the identification tag 14 or change its response to the radio frequency signal from the interrogator 16.  The conductive adhesive must have the property that it cannot be easily re-glued or reconnected so that the identification tag 14 cannot readily be reactivated by any attempt to reseal the package 26 to conceal the breach of the integrity of that package 26. Alternatively, the identification tag 14 can be distributed over the package or coupled to a thin conductive element that can fully surround to encompass the entire package (which may be partially or completely printed), thus providing complete tamper evidence from opening the package 26 at any potential opening.  When the identification tag 14 is interrogated by an external system, a lack of response or a modified response indicates the potential of tampering. Concealed damage and tampering can be detected and revealed in a number of ways.  The information provided by the package 26 can be communicated to a remote computer system over the internet, thus enabling a shipper, manufacturer or other concerned party to monitor and track the integrity of the package 26.  A bar code 34 can also be used in conjunction with the identification tag 14 to provide additional information, if needed or desired. In view of the foregoing description, numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.  By providing a series of identification tags or a series of modifications to the interrogation response, it is possible to determine the level and degree of tampering and access to the package.  Accordingly, the description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention.  Details of the structure maybe be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come with the scope of the appended claims is reserved.