Anti-disassembly component and electronic device
By employing randomly selected, diversely distributed tamper-proof components and flexible circuit board designs in electronic devices, the problem of low tamper-proof reliability is solved, achieving higher tamper-proof reliability and security.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HYTERA COMM CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
The parameters of the anti-tampering devices in existing electronic devices are easily cracked, resulting in low reliability of anti-tampering measures.
Using randomly selected, diverse anti-tamper components, changes in electrical parameters are detected by a detection circuit board. The anti-tamper components are difficult to restore when disassembled. Combined with the design of flexible circuit boards and easily broken parts, the difficulty of breaking the electrical parameters is increased.
It improves the tamper resistance reliability of electronic devices, enhances the electrical parameters of tamper-proof components to make them harder to crack, and improves the security of the devices.
Smart Images
Figure CN224473533U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of security protection technology, and in particular to an anti-tampering component and electronic device. Background Technology
[0002] Electronic devices typically take six months or longer to reach the user after production. During long-distance transportation and warehousing, there is a risk of unauthorized disassembly followed by the insertion of explosives or tampering. While related technologies incorporate anti-tampering devices, the parameters of these devices are easily cracked, resulting in low reliability of the anti-tampering measures. Utility Model Content
[0003] This application provides an anti-tampering component and an electronic device, which can solve the technical problem of low reliability of anti-tampering of electronic devices.
[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an anti-tampering component applied to an electronic device. The electronic device includes a detachable component, the anti-tampering component, and a detection circuit board. One end of the anti-tampering component is connected to the detachable component, and the other end is connected to the detection circuit board. The detection circuit board is used to detect changes in the electrical parameters of the anti-tampering component. When the detachable component is disassembled, it can trigger a change in the electrical parameters of the anti-tampering component. The anti-tampering component is randomly selected from multiple anti-tampering components to be assembled, and the electrical parameters of the multiple anti-tampering components to be assembled exhibit a diverse distribution.
[0005] This application also provides an electronic device that includes the tamper-proof component described above.
[0006] The anti-tamper component provided in this application has several advantages. First, the electrical parameters of the anti-tamper component can be changed when triggered by a detachable part, making it difficult to restore the anti-tamper component and making its electrical parameters difficult to crack, thus improving the reliability of anti-tamper protection for electronic devices. Second, the anti-tamper component is randomly selected from multiple anti-tamper components to be assembled, and the electrical parameters of these multiple anti-tamper components are distributed in a diverse manner, making the electrical parameters of the anti-tamper component random, further increasing the difficulty of cracking the electrical parameters, thereby improving the reliability of anti-tamper protection for electronic devices. Attached Figure Description
[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0008] Figure 1 This is a partial cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electronic device provided in this application;
[0009] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the anti-disassembly component provided in this application;
[0010] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the anti-disassembly component provided in this application;
[0011] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the anti-disassembly component provided in this application. Detailed Implementation
[0012] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be particularly noted that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the application. Similarly, the following embodiments are only some, not all, embodiments of the present application, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0013] In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. The terms "first," "second," and "third" in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific orientation (as shown in the figures). If the specific orientation changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.
[0014] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.
[0015] This application provides an electronic device. The electronic device may be a mobile terminal, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer, etc. Please refer to... Figure 1 The electronic device 100 may include a housing 10, an anti-tamper component 20, a detection circuit board 30, a main unit 40, and a removable component 60. The housing 10 may include multiple sub-housings, which enclose an installation space. The anti-tamper component 20, the detection circuit board 30, and the main unit 40 can be installed within the housing 10. The main unit 40 is used to implement preset product functions. The housing 10 provides protection for components installed within it, and the anti-tamper component 20 and the detection circuit board 30 prevent the electronic device 100 from being illegally disassembled. The removable component 60 may be the housing 10, a removable battery of the electronic device 100, or other removable components within the electronic device 100. The following description uses the housing 10 as an example to illustrate the removable component 60. One end of the anti-tamper component 20 is connected to the removable component 60, and the other end is connected to the detection circuit board 30. The detection circuit board 30 may be a circuit board independent of the main unit 40, or it may be integrated into the main unit 40, meaning the detection circuit board 30 can share a circuit board with the main unit 40. The detection circuit board 30 is used to detect changes in the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20 to determine whether the electronic device 100 has been illegally disassembled. For example, when the tamper-proof function of the electronic device 100 is first activated before shipment, the detection circuit board 30 collects the initial values of the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20 and stores them in the secure area; when the electronic device 100 reaches the user, the detection circuit board 30 collects the current values of the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20 again and compares the current values with the initial values. If the change in the electrical parameters is greater than a threshold, it is determined that the electronic device 100 has been illegally disassembled, and the electronic device 100 can perform preset operations, such as issuing a warning message or performing a self-destruct action, thereby improving the security of the electronic device 100.
[0016] When the detachable component 60 is removed, it can trigger a change in the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20. For example, when the housing 10 is removed, the housing 10 can apply a force to the tamper-proof component 20, causing the tamper-proof component 20 to deform or even break, thereby triggering a change in the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20. This makes the tamper-proof component 20 difficult to restore, and its electrical parameters are not easily cracked, thus improving the reliability of the tamper-proof feature of the electronic device 100. The tamper-proof component 20 is randomly selected from multiple tamper-proof components to be assembled, and the electrical parameters of these multiple tamper-proof components are distributed in a diverse manner. A diverse distribution of the electrical parameters of the multiple tamper-proof components to be assembled means that at least a portion of the tamper-proof components to be assembled have electrical parameters different from those of other tamper-proof components to be assembled. In this design, within a batch of tamper-proof components to be assembled, each component may have a unique electrical parameter; or several components may share the same electrical parameter, but this parameter may differ from that of other components in the same batch. This results in a mixture of components with different electrical parameters, and the electrical parameter of any randomly selected component is uncertain. This arrangement leads to a diverse distribution of electrical parameters for the tamper-proof components 20 of multiple electronic devices 100 produced in the same batch. This randomness makes it difficult for a disassembler to ascertain the electrical parameters of each component, further increasing the difficulty of cracking the electrical parameters and thus improving the reliability of the tamper-proof mechanism of the electronic device 100.
[0017] In one embodiment, the detachable component 60 includes a housing 10. By configuring the detachable component 60 as the housing 10, when the housing 10 is removed, the housing 10 can apply a force to the anti-tamper component 20, causing the anti-tamper component 20 to deform or even break. Since the anti-tamper component 20 is installed inside the housing 10, the anti-tamper component 20 is damaged after the housing 10 is removed. Even if the housing 10 is disassembled, it is difficult to observe the original state of the anti-tamper component 20, making it difficult to crack the electrical parameters of the anti-tamper component 20, further improving the reliability of the anti-tamper protection of the electronic device 100.
[0018] The anti-tampering component 20 can be a force-sensitive component. For example, the anti-tampering component 20 may include a capacitor that is easily deformed under force. When the housing 10 is disassembled, the capacitor is destroyed under the force applied by the housing 10. The capacitor is difficult to repair so that the capacitance value can be restored to the initial value. Therefore, the change in capacitance value can be used to determine that the electronic device 100 has been illegally disassembled.
[0019] In one embodiment, the tamper-proof component 20 includes a flexible circuit board, with both ends connected to the housing 10 and the detection circuit board 30, respectively. The flexible circuit board in the tamper-proof component 20 serves two purposes: firstly, it is bendable, allowing for easy connection of one end to the housing 10 and the other end to the detection circuit board 30 after bending; secondly, it is relatively thin and lightweight, occupying minimal internal space and weight for the electronic device 100, thus having minimal impact on its operation. When the housing 10 is removed, the flexible circuit board breaks or partially breaks under the action of the housing 10, altering its electrical parameters. This breakage makes it difficult to restore the electrical parameters to their initial values through repair, thus making the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20 less susceptible to breach and improving the reliability of the tamper-proof mechanism of the electronic device 100.
[0020] In one embodiment, the flexible circuit board may integrate at least one of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor, with electrical parameters including at least one of resistance, capacitance, and inductance values. That is, the detection circuit board 30 can detect one of the resistance, capacitance, and inductance values of the flexible circuit board, or simultaneously detect multiple parameters of the resistance, capacitance, and inductance values of the flexible circuit board, to determine whether the electronic device 100 has been illegally disassembled. This configuration makes the detection targets of the detection circuit board 30 diverse, making it difficult for the disassembly operator to know the specific type of electrical parameters detected by the detection circuit board 30, further increasing the difficulty of cracking the electrical parameters.
[0021] Please see Figure 2 In one embodiment, the flexible circuit board includes a substrate layer 21 and a wiring layer 22 disposed on the substrate layer 21. The substrate layer 21 can provide mechanical support for the wiring layer 22. The material of the substrate layer 21 can be polyimide (PI) or polyester (PET). Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 The circuit layer 22 has traces 221, and at least one of the length, width, and thickness of the traces 221 for multiple tamper-evident components to be assembled is distributed in a diversified manner, so that the resistance values of the multiple tamper-evident components to be assembled are diversified. Diversifying the resistance values by varying the form of the traces 221 has two advantages: firstly, it simplifies the process of integrating resistors on the flexible circuit board, reducing the cost of the tamper-evident component 20; secondly, the resistance value is easy to detect, simplifying the circuit structure of the detection circuit board 30, thereby reducing product cost.
[0022] In the production process of flexible circuit boards, multiple (e.g., ten to twenty) semi-finished anti-tampering components to be assembled can be formed on the same panel. The resistance value can be diversified by changing the routing form 221. After the panel is cut, multiple anti-tampering components to be assembled are obtained, so that multiple anti-tampering components with different resistance values are mixed together.
[0023] In one embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the resistance values of any two tamper-evident components to be assembled, with unequal resistance values, is greater than or equal to 10% of the resistance value of the component with the smaller resistance value. That is, the resistance value difference between the tamper-evident components to be assembled is greater than or equal to 10%, resulting in a significant difference in resistance between two tamper-evident components with similar resistance values. This facilitates detection by the circuit board 30 and prevents false positives. Exemplarily, the resistance value difference can be 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or 30%, and is not specifically limited herein.
[0024] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 4 In one embodiment, trace 221 includes at least one sub-segment, and the sub-segment includes an effective segment 223 connected to the detection circuit board 30. With this configuration, when trace 221 includes multiple sub-segments, each sub-segment of trace 221 can be connected to the detection circuit board 30 in series or parallel, or only one sub-segment can be connected to the detection circuit board 30. When the resistance values differ significantly, the anti-tamper component 20 with the lower resistance value can selectively connect one or more sub-segments in parallel to the detection circuit board 30, while the anti-tamper component 20 with the higher resistance value can connect each sub-segment in series to the detection circuit board 30. This results in the trace 221 forming a pattern distribution range on the substrate layer 21 that is approximately the same, with similar patterns in shape. This makes it difficult for a disassembly attempt to determine which sub-segment is connected to the detection circuit board 30, further increasing the difficulty of cracking the resistance value. The substrate layer 21 includes a first portion 211, a second portion 212, and a breakable portion 213. The first portion 211 is connected to the housing 10, the second portion 212 is connected to the detection circuit board 30, and the breakable portion 213 is connected between the first portion 211 and the second portion 212. At least a portion of the effective segment 223 is located in the first portion 211, the second portion 212, and the breakable portion 213, respectively. When the housing 10 is disassembled, the breakable portion 213 breaks or partially breaks under the action of the housing 10. By setting a breakable portion 213 between the first portion 211 and the second portion 212, the fracture area of the substrate layer 21 when subjected to force is located in the breakable portion 213, making the position of the fracture area of the substrate layer 21 controllable. The effective segment 223 of the trace 221 is set to cross the breakable portion 213, so that the effective segment 223 crosses the fracture area of the substrate layer 21. When the breakable portion 213 breaks, it causes the effective segment 223 to break, which can ensure that the segment of the trace 221 connected to the detection circuit board 30 breaks, preventing the break from occurring in the segment not connected to the detection circuit board 30 and causing misjudgment, thereby improving the reliability of the tamper protection of the electronic device 100.
[0025] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3As shown, the fragile portion 213 has at least one of a notch and a through hole. The fragile portion 213 may have only one of the notch and through hole, or it may have both. The number of notches and through holes may be one or more. By providing a notch or a through hole in the fragile portion 213, the cross-section of the fragile portion 213 can be weakened, making it easier to break under the action of the housing 10, thereby improving the tamper-proof reliability of the electronic device 100. In one embodiment, the thickness of the fragile portion 213 is less than the thickness of the first portion 211 and the second portion 212, which also weakens the cross-section of the fragile portion 213, making it easier to break under the action of the housing 10. This helps to control the fracture area of the substrate layer 21 under stress within the fragile portion 213.
[0026] The first part 211 and the second part 212 may be connected in a straight line, with the breakable part 213 located between the first part 211 and the second part 212. Alternatively, please refer to Figure 3 In one embodiment, an angle is formed between the first portion 211 and the second portion 212, and the breakable portion 213 is disposed near the bend of the angle. For example, the angle can be 90°, in which case the substrate layer 21 can be approximately L-shaped or T-shaped. By placing the breakable portion 213 at or near the bend of the angle, stress concentration occurs at the bend, making the breakable portion 213 more prone to breakage under the action of the housing 10, thereby improving the tamper resistance reliability of the electronic device 100.
[0027] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device 100 also includes a connector 50, which connects the tamper-evident component 20 to the housing 10. The connector 50 can be an adhesive backing or an adhesive layer formed by the curing of glue to facilitate the connection between the tamper-evident component 20 and the housing 10. An electrical contact 222 is provided at the end of the trace 221, located at the end of the first part 211 away from the breakable part 213. The electrical contact 222 is used to connect to the detection circuit board 30. The electrical contact 222 can be a solder pad, which can be soldered to the detection circuit board 30; or, the electrical contact 222 can be a gold finger, which can be plugged into the detection circuit board 30. The first part 211 is connected to the detection circuit board 30 through the electrical contact 222, so that the tamper-evident component 20 is electrically connected to the detection circuit board 30 while fixing one end of the tamper-evident component 20 to the detection circuit board 30. No additional connector is needed at the end where the tamper-evident component 20 is connected to the detection circuit board 30, which reduces the number of components.
[0028] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the flexible circuit board also includes a cover layer 23, which covers the circuit layer 22. The material of the cover layer 23 can be polyimide (PI) or polyester (PET). By providing the cover layer 23 to cover the circuit layer 22, on the one hand, the cover layer 23 can protect the traces 221, making them less susceptible to oxidation, wear, and chemical corrosion, thereby extending the lifespan of the flexible circuit board and improving the reliability of the tamper-proof electronic device 100; on the other hand, the cover layer 23 makes the pattern of the traces 221 less likely to be observed by a disassembly person, thus increasing the difficulty of cracking the electrical parameters.
[0029] The material of the circuit layer 22 can be copper or silver paste. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the material of the circuit layer 22 is carbon ink. With this configuration, on the one hand, carbon ink has a large resistivity, which facilitates the control of the resistance value differences among multiple tamper-proof components to be assembled; on the other hand, the traces 221 formed by carbon ink processing are difficult to repair after breakage, and the electrical parameters of the tamper-proof component 20 are not easily cracked, which can improve the reliability of the tamper-proof of the electronic device 100.
[0030] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of this application and does not limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made based on the content of this application specification and drawings, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are similarly included in the patent protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. An anti-tamper member characterised in that, The invention is applied to an electronic device, which includes a detachable component, an anti-tamper component, and a detection circuit board. One end of the anti-tamper component is connected to the detachable component, and the other end of the anti-tamper component is connected to the detection circuit board. The detection circuit board is used to detect changes in the electrical parameters of the anti-tamper component. When the detachable component is disassembled, the electrical parameters of the anti-tamper component can be triggered to change. The anti-disassembly component is randomly selected from multiple anti-disassembly components to be assembled, and the electrical parameters of the multiple anti-disassembly components to be assembled are diverse.
2. The anti-tamper element of claim 1, wherein The anti-tamper component includes a flexible circuit board, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the detachable component and the detection circuit board; When the detachable component is removed, the flexible circuit board breaks or partially breaks under the action of the detachable component, thereby changing the electrical parameters of the flexible circuit board.
3. The anti-tamper element of claim 2, wherein, The electrical parameters include at least one of resistance, capacitance, and inductance; and / or, The detachable component includes the housing of the electronic device.
4. The anti-tamper element of claim 2, wherein, The flexible circuit board includes a substrate layer and a circuit layer disposed on the substrate layer. The circuit layer has traces, and at least one of the length, width, and thickness of the traces of the plurality of anti-tamper components to be assembled is distributed in a diversified manner, so that the resistance values of the plurality of anti-tamper components to be assembled are distributed in a diversified manner.
5. The anti-tamper element of claim 4, wherein, The absolute value of the difference between the resistance values of any two unequal anti-tamper components to be assembled, and the ratio of the resistance value of the smaller one to 10%, is greater than or equal to 10%.
6. The anti-tamper element of claim 4, wherein, The trace includes at least one sub-segment, and the sub-segment includes an effective segment connected to the detection circuit board; The substrate layer includes a first part, a second part, and a breakable portion. The first part is connected to the detachable component, the second part is connected to the detection circuit board, and the breakable portion is connected between the first part and the second part. At least a portion of the effective segment is located in the first part, the second part, and the breakable portion, respectively. When the detachable component is disassembled, the fracturing part breaks or partially breaks under the action of the detachable component.
7. The anti-tamper element of claim 6, wherein, The fractured portion is provided with at least one of a notch and a through hole; and / or, The thickness of the fractured portion is less than the thickness of the first portion and the second portion.
8. The anti-tamper element of claim 7, wherein, An angle is formed between the first part and the second part, and the breakable part is located near the bend of the angle.
9. The anti-tamper element of claim 6, wherein, The electronic device further includes a connector that connects the tamper-proof component to the detachable component; The end of the trace is provided with an electrical contact, which is located at the end of the first part away from the breakable part, and the electrical contact is used to connect to the detection circuit board.
10. A tamper-evident member according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein, The flexible circuit board further includes a cover layer that covers the circuit layer; and / or, The material of the circuit layer is carbon black.
11. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic device includes an anti-tamper component as described in any one of claims 1-10.