Patent ID: 7410103

Claim:
A system to detect product tampering comprising: one or more labels; two or more electronic components, wherein at least two of the two or more electronic components are fixedly attached to each of the one or more labels; an electronically readable data string recorded on each of the two or more electronic components, each data string being distinctive but associated with each other; at least one destructible conducting path electrically attached to each of the two or more electronic components and fixedly attached to the a substrate of its respective electronic component, whereby the destructible conducting path is disrupted when the substrate is tampered, thereby modifying the function of the electronic components; means for permanently attaching the one or more labels to at least one surface, wherein an attempt to manipulate the at least one surface shall disrupt the destructible electrically conducting path; means for remotely reading the electronically readable data string resident on each of the two or more electronic components; means for sorting the electronically readable data strings read from each of the two or more electronic components after reading the electronically readable data strings, the means for sorting including a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the plurality of instructions to: determine an actual number of associated electronically readable data strings by distinguishing differences between the associated electronically readable data strings, compare the actual number of associated electronically readable data strings to an expected number of associated electronically readable data strings, the expected number of associated electronically readable data strings being determined from parsing the associated electronically readable data strings; determine that an associated electronically readable data string failed to be detected by the means for remotely reading; and if an electronically readable data string failed to be detected, generate an error.