OPTIMIZED MULTI-PATH LOOP SYSTEM FOR DETECTING A CHANGE OF CONDITIONS

Abstract

Systems and methods for an optimized multipath loop system for detecting condition changes are provided. An example includes a system comprising a multipath loop component, wherein the multipath loop component includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forming a parallel circuit component, and a logic circuit operationally coupled to the multipath loop component. The logic circuit can be configured to detect whether a continuous circuit path has been formed through at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition within a region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. The logic circuit can also be configured to output a signal indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM The present disclosure claims priority from US patent application No. 18 / 240,153, filed on August 30, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. STATE OF THE ART Tamper-proof loops can be used to detect a binary condition, with one state represented by a closed loop and the other by an open loop. These loops are generally formed with a single conductive path, which, if broken, indicates evidence of tampering. This can be suitable for many applications. However, this can limit the scope or applicability of the loop, especially if the loop is implemented as part of an environmental monitoring circuit. Therefore, there is a need for alternatives that overcome these challenges. SUMMARY Systems and methods for an optimized multipath loop system for detecting condition changes are provided. In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a system comprising a multipath loop component. The multipath loop component includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forming a parallel circuit component. The system also includes a logic circuit operationally coupled to the multipath loop component. The logic circuit can be configured to detect whether a continuous circuit path has been formed through at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition within a region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths.The logic circuit can also be configured to output a signal indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected. In a variation of this embodiment, the system may further include an antenna, and the logic circuit may be configured to output the signal via the antenna in response to the detection that the continuous circuit path has been formed. In another variation of this embodiment, the system may further include an antenna and the logic circuit may be configured to output the signal via the antenna in response to the reception of a radio frequency communication via the antenna, after it has been detected that the continuous circuit path has been formed. In another variation of this embodiment, the area defined by the multitude of nested discontinuous paths has a perimeter with a circular, oval, or rectangular shape. In another variation of this embodiment, discontinuities of adjacent paths in the multitude of nested discontinuous paths are at least partially offset from one another. In another variation of this embodiment, the system may further comprise a substrate and the multipath loop component is formed from at least one metallic etching that is etched into the substrate, or by transferring an electrically conductive ink onto the substrate. In another variation of this embodiment, the system may further comprise a reactive component that responds to the at least one environmental condition, wherein the reactive component includes a conductive material located near the region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. The conductive material may be spaced from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths upstream of the at least one environmental condition, and the reactive component may respond to the at least one environmental condition and cause the conductive material to touch at least one section of the region to form the continuous circuit path of at least one during or after the at least one environmental condition. In a variation of this embodiment, the reactive component includes a fusible component that separates the conductive material from the multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the fusible component melts in response to the at least one environmental condition. In another variation of this embodiment, the at least one environmental condition includes at least one of a temperature that meets a temperature threshold, a humidity that meets a humidity threshold, a pressure that meets a pressure threshold, a mechanical property that meets a mechanical property threshold, an exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or light that meets an illumination threshold. In a variation of this embodiment, the environmental condition corresponds to the deposition of a conductive material onto the area of ​​the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to damage or abnormal operation of an object monitored by the logic circuit. In a variation of this embodiment, the object is at least one of a battery, a pipe, a hydraulic device, a pneumatic device, a motor, a machine or a pump. In another variation of this embodiment, at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths has at least two discontinuities. In another variation of this embodiment, the logic circuit is further configured to detect the formation of multiple continuous conductive paths within the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and is configured to output the signal after the multiple continuous conductive paths have been formed. In another variation of this embodiment, the logic circuit is configured to output the signal after continuous conductive paths have been formed for each of the multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths. In another variation of this embodiment, a second multipath loop is operationally coupled to the logic circuit in parallel or in series with the multipath loop. In another variation of this embodiment, the system further comprises a second multipath loop component and a second logic circuit, wherein the second multipath loop is operationally coupled to the second logic circuit. In another embodiment, a method, in response to at least one environmental condition, comprises detecting, via a logic circuit, whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multipath loop component. The multipath loop component includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. Each nested discontinuous conductive path has at least one discontinuity. The plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forms a parallel circuit component, the logic circuit being operationally coupled to the multipath loop component. The method also includes outputting a signal via the logic circuit indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected. In a variation of this embodiment, the method further includes transmitting the output signal via an antenna. In another variation of this embodiment, the method further comprises transmitting the output signal via an antenna in response to receiving a radio frequency communication via the antenna. In another variation of this embodiment, the area defined by the multitude of nested discontinuous paths has a perimeter with a circular, oval, or rectangular shape. In another variation of this embodiment, discontinuities of adjacent paths in the multitude of nested discontinuous paths are at least partially offset from one another. In another embodiment, the multipath loop component is formed by etching at least one metallic etch into a substrate or by transferring electrically conductive ink onto a substrate. In a variation of this embodiment, detecting whether a continuous circuit path has been formed includes determining whether a reactive component has responded to at least one environmental condition. The reactive component includes a conductive material located near the region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the conductive material is spaced from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths upstream of the at least one environmental condition, wherein the at least one environmental condition causes the conductive material to touch at least one section of the region to form the continuous circuit path of at least one of the at least one during or after the at least one environmental condition. In another variation of this embodiment, the reactive component includes a fusible component that separates the conductive material from the multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the fusible component melts in response to the at least one environmental condition. In another variation of this embodiment, the at least one environmental condition includes at least one of a temperature that meets a temperature threshold, a humidity that meets a humidity threshold, a pressure that meets a pressure threshold, a mechanical property that meets a mechanical property threshold, an exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or light that meets an illumination threshold. In another variation of this embodiment, the environmental condition corresponds to the deposition of a conductive material onto the area of ​​the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to damage or abnormal operation of an object monitored by the logic circuit. In another variation of this embodiment, the object is at least one of a battery, a pipe, a hydraulic device, a pneumatic device, a motor, a machine or a pump. In another variation of this embodiment, the detection, via a logic circuit, of whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multi-path loop component includes the detection of whether at least two discontinuities in each nested discontinuous conductive path have formed a continuous conductive path in response to the at least one environmental condition. In another variation of this embodiment, detecting, via a logic circuit, whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multi-path loop component includes detecting the formation of multiple continuous conductive paths within the multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths and outputting a signal via the logic circuit indicating that the formation of the multiple continuous circuit paths has been detected. In another variation of this embodiment, the detection, via the logic circuit, of whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multi-path loop component includes the detection of the formation of a continuous conductive path in a second multi-path loop, which is operationally coupled to the logic circuit and connected in parallel or in series with the multi-path loop component. In another variation of this embodiment, the detection, via a second logic circuit, of whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multi-path loop component includes the detection of the formation of a continuous conductive path in a second multi-path loop that is operationally coupled to the second logic circuit. In another embodiment, the present disclosure includes a multi-path loop component, wherein the multi-path loop component comprises a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forming a parallel circuit component. Each of the nested discontinuous conductive paths has at least one discontinuity. The system further includes a reactive component that responds to the at least one environmental condition. The reactive component includes a conductive material that is arranged in an area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths and is configured to connect the at least one discontinuity in each of the nested discontinuous conductive paths via the conductive material to provide continuous conductive paths.In response to at least one environmental condition, the reactive component disconnects the conductive material from the continuous conductive paths to form discontinuous conductive paths. A logic circuit is operationally coupled to the multipath loop component. The logic circuit is configured to detect whether a discontinuous path has been formed by at least one of the multiple nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition within a region defined by the multiple nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the logic circuit is configured to output a signal indicating that a discontinuity of the continuous circuit path has been detected. In another embodiment, the present disclosure includes a method that, in response to at least one environmental condition, includes detecting, via a logic circuit, whether a discontinuous circuit path has been formed by a multipath loop component. The multipath loop component comprises a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. Each nested discontinuous conductive path has at least one discontinuity. The plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forms a parallel circuit component, the logic circuit being operationally coupled to the multipath loop component. A reactive component, comprising a conductive material, responds to the at least one environmental condition.The reactive component is located within an area defined by the multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths and is configured to complete at least one discontinuity in each of the nested discontinuous conductive paths across the conductive material to provide continuous conductive paths. The method also includes outputting a signal via the logic circuit indicating that the formation of a discontinuous circuit path has been detected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying figures, in which identical reference numerals in the separate views consistently refer to identical or functionally similar elements, are incorporated into the patent specification together with the detailed description below and form an integral part thereof. They serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts encompassing the claimed invention and to explain various principles and advantages of these embodiments. Figures 1A-C illustrate an exemplary system of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates an additional exemplary system of the present disclosure. Figures 3A-C illustrate an additional exemplary system of the present disclosure in use over time. Figures 4A-B illustrate additional exemplary systems of the present disclosure. Figures 5A-B illustrate an additional exemplary system of the present disclosure.Figure 6 illustrates an additional exemplary system of the present revelation. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary procedure of the present revelation. Experts will be aware that elements in the figures are illustrated for the sake of simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to improve the understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. The system and process components have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols where appropriate, showing only those specific details which are relevant for understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure which have the beneficial effect of the description contained herein, in order not to obscure the disclosure with details which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an optimized multipath loop system that includes a multipath loop component for condition change detection and / or tamper detection. The multipath loop component includes nested discontinuous conductive paths that form a parallel circuit component. A logic circuit can be operationally coupled to the multipath loop component to detect whether a continuous circuit path has been formed through at least one of the nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition within a region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths and / or tampering. The logic circuit can also be configured to output a signal indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected.The multipath loop component advantageously allows for greater coverage and surface area than conventional single-path solutions and can provide increased sensitivity, so that a condition change and / or manipulation that causes at least one of the discontinuities across the area covered by the multipath loop can lead to detection of the condition change and / or manipulation. Thus, the multipath loop component can require less manufacturing precision and be useful for detecting change conditions and / or manipulations over a larger surface area. This can be particularly useful in applications where the precise location where the condition change is detected is unknown.The multipath loop component can be used additionally or alternatively to register a change condition and / or manipulation when some or all of the discontinuities are completed; thus enabling greater customization and / or requiring multiple conditions to be met for the logic circuit to output a signal indicating the change condition and / or manipulation. Figures 1A-C illustrate an exemplary system 100 of the present disclosure. The system 100 can include a multi-path loop component 105 that includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, such as path 110a, each conductive path including at least one discontinuity, for example, discontinuity 115a. This plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forms a parallel circuit component such that a continuous circuit path can be formed from each of the conductive paths, for example, by a conductive material that bridges or completes discontinuity 115a to form a continuous conductive path 110a. The multipath loop component 105 can be formed by etching the nested discontinuous conductive paths or by printing or depositing electrically conductive ink, such as an aluminized ink, onto a substrate to create the nested discontinuous conductive paths. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is an example of a material from which the substrate can be formed. The multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths of the multipath loop component 105 can define an area with a perimeter that can have any suitable shape, depending on the application of the system. For example, the multitude of nested discontinuous conductive paths can define an area with a perimeter that has a circular, oval, or rectangular shape.For adjacent to the plurality of nested discontinuous paths, the discontinuities in each respective path can be at least partially offset from one another. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, discontinuous conductive paths 110a include a discontinuity 115a that is offset from the discontinuity 117a in the adjacent discontinuous conductive path, path 112a. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths of the multipath loop component 105 can have at least two discontinuities (e.g., as shown in Fig. 1C). System 100 can also include a logic circuit 130, which is operationally connected to the multipath loop component 105. The logic circuit 130 can be an integrated circuit or any other suitable circuit arrangement. The logic circuit 130 can be configured to detect whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition within the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths.The environmental condition can correspond to the deposition of a conductive material 102 onto the area of ​​the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to damage or abnormal operation of an object monitored by the logic circuit, at least one of a temperature that meets a temperature threshold, a humidity that meets a humidity threshold, a pressure that meets a pressure threshold, a mechanical property that meets a mechanical property threshold, exposure to a specified level of a chemical, light that meets an illumination threshold, and / or other environmental conditions. As an example, the system 100 can be configured to detect an environmental condition corresponding to battery leakage, with the multipath loop component 105 attached to or otherwise located near a battery. In the event of a leakage from the battery, a conductive material (e.g., the battery fluid) escaping from the battery can come into contact with at least one section of the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the conductive material can complete at least one of the discontinuous conductive paths, thereby forming a continuous circuit between the terminal ends of the multipath loop component 105, which can be detected by the logic circuit 130.In this way, the logic circuit 130 can be configured to detect leakage by determining whether a complete circuit path is present in the multipath loop component 105. As another example, the multipath loop component 105 can be attached to or positioned near a pipe to detect a leak of a conductive material, such as water. The multipath loop component 105 can be positioned such that, when the pipe leaks, the fluid leaking from the pipe comes into contact with at least one section of the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, thereby completing at least one of the discontinuous conductive paths to form a continuous circuit between the terminal ends of the multipath loop component 105, which can be detected by the logic circuit 130. In response to the determination that a continuous circuit path has been formed, the logic circuit 130 can output a signal.The logic circuit 130 can also be configured to monitor other objects, for example a hydraulic device, a pneumatic device, a motor, a machine, a pump and / or other objects that can emit conductive material. As another example, a conductive material can be arranged near the area defined by the multipath loop component 105, wherein the conductive material is physically separated and / or electrically isolated from the discontinuous conductive paths, e.g. as described in more detail with reference to Fig. 3A-C.In response to a predetermined environmental condition, such as at least one temperature that meets a temperature threshold, one humidity that meets a humidity threshold, one pressure that meets a pressure threshold, one mechanical property that meets a mechanical property threshold, one exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or one light that meets an illumination threshold, the conductive material can migrate and come into physical and electrical contact with at least one section of the area, such that the conductive material can complete at least one of the discontinuous conductive paths to form a continuous circuit between the terminal ends of the multi-path loop component 105, which can be detected by the logic circuit 130.In response to the determination that a continuous circuit path has been formed, the logic circuit 130 can output a signal. The system can also include at least one antenna 125. The logic circuit 130 can be configured to transmit a signal to the antenna indicating that the formation of a continuous circuit path has been detected, so that the antenna radiates the signal as a radio frequency signal, for example, to a remote device (e.g., a radio frequency communication device). The system can be a passive system. For example, the logic circuit 130 and the antenna 125 can form a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, as described in more detail with reference to Fig. 2.An RFID reader can transmit a high-frequency query signal, which can be received by the antenna and converted into an electrical current that powers the logic circuit 130. This allows the logic circuit 130 to determine the status of the multipath loop component and transmit the status-indicating signal back to the RFID reader. Alternatively or additionally, the system can optionally include a battery 135 to power the logic circuit 130. For example, the system 100, powered by the battery 135, can be configured to transmit the signal without requiring a query signal from an RFID reader.In one example, when powered by battery 135, the system can be configured to perform Bluetooth beaconing, whereby in response to logic circuit 130 detecting the formation of a continuous circuit path in multipath loop component 105, logic circuit 130 begins to periodically output a signal indicating the formation of a continuous circuit path in multipath loop component 105. In another example, the multipath loop component can be configured to include a plurality of discontinuous conductive paths, which are completed with a conductive material that bridges or completes the discontinuities of the discontinuous conductive paths to form a continuous circuit between the terminal ends of the multipath loop component 105. In response to at least one environmental condition, conductive material can be diverted away from or separated from the plurality of discontinuous conductive paths to create the discontinuities in the discontinuous conductive paths to form a discontinuous circuit between the terminal ends of the multipath loop component 105. The logic circuit 130 can be configured to output a signal indicating the interruption of a complete circuit path. Fig. 1C illustrates another exemplary system of the present disclosure. The system 100 can include a multipath loop component 105, which has at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths of the multipath loop component 105 with at least two discontinuities, e.g., path 110a and discontinuities 115a and 115b. As shown in Fig. 1C, in the multipath loop component 105, each of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths comprises at least two discontinuities. Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary system 100 of the present disclosure, in which the system 100 is an RFID tag. For example, the system 100 can be an RFID tag. As shown in Fig. 2, the RFID tag includes the logic circuit 130, an induction loop 140, and antennas 125, wherein the logic circuit is coupled to the induction loop 140 and operationally coupled to the antennas 125 via the induction loop 140. The induction loop itself can function as an antenna (and the RFID tag can be free of far-field antennas 125), for example, in near-field applications. One terminal end of the multi-path loop 105 is electrically connected to a first contact or node of the logic circuit 130, and the other terminal end of the multi-path loop component 105 is electrically connected to a second contact or node of the logic circuit 130. The RFID tag can be read by a suitable high-frequency device, such as an RFID reader / intercept device, as described herein. The RFID tag can be an ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID circuit configured for far-field radio frequency communication (e.g., in a frequency range of approximately 860 MHz to approximately 960 MHz). As a non-limiting example, the RFID tag can be configured according to one or more proprietary schemes and / or according to one or more standards, such as ISO 18000-6A, ISO 18000-6B, ISO 18000-6C, ISO / IEC 29143, and / or other standards. The logic circuit 130 can be operated to respond to far-field radio frequency communication via the induction loop 140 and the antennas 125. The RFID tag can be a passive RFID tag and the induction loop 140 can supply the logic circuit 130 with current via inductive coupling in response to high-frequency waves, e.g.emitted by an RFID reader / query device that induces an electric current in the antennas 125 and the induction loop 140. As described herein, one or more of the discontinuous conductive paths can be completed by a conductive material that comes into physical and electrical contact with the one or more discontinuous conductive paths to form a continuous circuit between the first and second contact / node of the logic circuit 130 in response to an environmental condition. Alternatively, the discontinuous conductive paths can be completed by the conductive material until an environmental condition occurs at which point conductive material can be displaced from the discontinuities in the discontinuous conductive paths to form a discontinuous circuit between the first and second contact / node of the logic circuit 130.In response to receiving a query signal from an RFID reader, the logic circuit 130 can be energized via inductive coupling and determine whether a continuous circuit path is formed between the first and second contacts / nodes (or, in some embodiments, a discontinuous circuit path) and transmit the signal indicating the status of the circuit path. For example, in response to a reader supplying RF energy to the system 100 (i.e., reading the RFID tag), if the logic circuit 130 determines that a complete circuit path has been formed, it outputs a signal indicating such formation to the antenna 125 for transmission to the reader or a remote host.Accordingly, the logic circuit 130 is configured to output the signal via the antenna in response to the reception of a high-frequency communication via the antenna, after it has been detected that the continuous circuit path has been formed. Alternatively, the system 100 can be an active RFID tag that automatically outputs the signal indicating that a continuous circuit path has been formed (e.g. due to an environmental condition and filling a discontinuity 115a in at least one of the plurality of discontinuous conductive paths with a conductive material), via antenna 125, in response to a detection of a continuous circuit path by the logic circuit 130. The logic circuit 130 can be configured to detect the formation of multiple continuous conductive paths within the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and can be configured to output the signal after the multiple continuous conductive paths have been formed. For example, conductive material can form continuous conductive paths by completing discontinuities 115a and 117a. In another embodiment, the logic circuit 130 can fail to transmit the signal indicating a complete circuit path unless a continuous circuit path is formed by each discontinuity within the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths of the multipath loop component 105. Figures 3A-C illustrate another exemplary system of the present disclosure. The system 100 can include a reactive component 145, which may be arranged above the multi-path loop component. The reactive component 145 can include a conductive material 147, which is arranged near the region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. The reactive component 145 can be configured to respond to at least one environmental condition, whereby the conductive material 147 of the reactive component 145 comes into physical and electrical contact with at least one section of the region to form the continuous circuit path of at least one of the at least one environmental condition during or after the at least one environmental condition.For example, the reactive component 145 can include a fusible component 148 that separates the conductive material 147 from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths of the multipath loop component 105. The fusible component 148 can be configured to melt in response to at least one environmental condition (e.g., temperature exceeding a temperature threshold) so that the conductive material 147 comes into contact with at least one section of the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths of the multipath loop component 105 to form a continuous circuit path. The minimum environmental condition can include, for example, at least one temperature that meets a temperature threshold, one humidity that meets a humidity threshold, one pressure that meets a pressure threshold, one mechanical property that meets a mechanical property threshold, one exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or one light that meets an illumination threshold. As an example, if an environmental condition exceeds the threshold (e.g.,(a pressure exceeding a pressure threshold), the sections of the reactive component 145 that separate the conductive material 147 from the multipath loop component 105 may be configured to break or deform, thereby bringing the conductive material 147 into contact with at least one section of the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths to form a continuous circuit path, e.g., by the conductive material 147 connecting the discontinuity 115a. The logic circuit 130 can, in response to receiving a signal from a reader via the antenna 125, transmit a signal indicating that a continuous circuit path has been formed in the multipath loop component 105 in response to at least one environmental condition. As another example, the system 100 can include the multipath loop component 105, which is positioned on or near a machine. The system 100 can include a reactive component 145, which includes conductive material 147 that is separate from the multipath loop component 105. In response to the machine's temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature threshold, the reactive component 145 can be configured to melt, causing the conductive material to come into contact with at least one section of the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, thus forming a continuous circuit path. The logic circuit 130 can detect this formation and transmit a signal via the antenna 125 to a controller (not shown) that is operationally coupled to the machine.In response, the control system can transmit a control signal to the machine, which adjusts the operation of the machine (e.g., switches the machine off). In another example, a multipath loop component 105 may be located near a motor that is to be monitored for leakage. The system 100 may include a reactive component 145, which includes conductive material 147 separated from the multipath loop component 105. In response to at least one environmental condition, the motor may begin to leak oil onto the area of ​​the multipath loop component 105 defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. The reactive component 145 may be configured to dissolve or melt as a result of contact with oil. Consequently, the conductive material may form a continuous circuit path that is detected by the logic circuit 130.The logic circuit 130 can then transmit a signal indicating the formation of a continuous circuit path, which corresponds to the detection of a leaking motor, which can then be addressed either by the control system adjusting the operation of the motor or by dispatching maintenance technicians to the site. Figures 4A-B and 5A-B illustrate additional exemplary systems of the present disclosure. Figures 4A-B illustrate a system 100 that includes a second multipath loop component 150. The second multipath loop component 150 can be operationally coupled to the logic circuit 130 and can be connected either in series (Figure 4A) or in parallel (Figure 4B) with the multipath loop component 105. Fig. 5B illustrates a system 100 that includes a second multipath loop component 150 which is operationally connected to a second logic circuit 155, wherein the logic circuits 130 and 155 are operationally coupled to a logic circuit 152 which can process signals indicating whether their respective multipath loop components 105 and 150 form continuous or discontinuous circuits from the logic circuits 130 and 155.The logic circuit 152 can output one or more signals via the antennas based on the signals received by the logic circuits 130 and 155 to indicate the status of the multipath loop components 105 and / or 150. Fig. 5B illustrates a system in which the logic circuit includes one pair of contacts / nodes for connecting the multipath loop component 105 and a second pair of contacts / nodes for connecting the multipath loop 150, wherein the logic circuit 130 can independently determine whether the multipath loop component 105 and / or the multipath loop component 150 form continuous or discontinuous circuits. Fig. 6 illustrates another exemplary system of the present disclosure. A facility 300 can accommodate a fleet of objects 160, each object, e.g., object 160a, having an attached system 100a of the present disclosure. Each system can include a multi-path loop component 105 with a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths and a logic circuit 130 configured to detect the formation of a continuous circuit path in the multi-path loop component 105 in response to an environmental condition. A user 171 can periodically take an inventory of the fleet 160 of objects, which may involve the use of a transceiver 170 transmitting a signal to the antenna 125 of one of the objects, e.g., object 160a.System 100a transmits a signal, and in response to receiving this signal, logic circuit 130 determines whether a complete circuit path has been formed in the multipath loop component 105 in response to an environmental condition. Upon detecting the formation of a complete circuit path, logic circuit 130 can transmit a signal via antenna 125 to a server 180 located remotely from transceiver 170, which can store data received from system 100a. Upon receiving such a signal from logic circuit 130, server 180 can notify the user that an environmental condition has caused the formation of a complete circuit path. Alternatively or additionally, the system 100a can include 300 fixed RFID readers that can periodically query systems 100a (e.g., by transmitting an RF query signal) to determine the status of the multipath loop components 130. For example, facility 300 could be a warehouse storing a fleet of batteries whose condition needs to be monitored and inventoried to reduce the risk of putting non-functional batteries into operation. A user 171 can periodically perform an inventory of the battery condition in the battery storage facility. For each battery, an RFID reader, e.g., transceiver 170, can be automatically queried or controlled by the user 171 to query the battery's condition by reading the system attached to the battery (e.g., system 100a attached to object 160a). The antenna 125 receives the signal from the reader 170, and in response, the logic circuit 130 transmits a signal via the antenna 125 indicating that a complete circuit path has formed in the multipath loop component 105 to a server 180.Such an indication corresponds to a detected leak in the battery, meaning that the battery is unreliable and should not be used. The server can include the necessary circuitry to track this status of each battery in battery storage facility 300. The response from systems 100a can also be used to determine the location of systems 100a in facility 300 for which the multi-path loop components indicate damaged or abnormal battery operation. Other exemplary installations may include storage facilities for perishable goods, such as food or pharmaceuticals, and non-perishable goods, such as canned goods or electronics, in which the goods are monitored, each having an attached system, e.g., System 100a, to detect whether an environmental condition, for example, exceeding a temperature threshold or a humidity threshold, has led to the formation of a complete circuit path in the multipath loop component 105. Figure 7 is a block flow diagram illustrating a method of the present disclosure. Although the exemplary method 700 is described with reference to the flow diagram illustrated in Figure 7, it should be noted that many other methods can be used to perform the actions associated with method 700. For example, the order of some of the blocks can be changed, certain blocks can be combined with other blocks, blocks can be repeated, and some of the described blocks are optional. Method 400 can be carried out by processing logic, which may include hardware (switching logic, dedicated logic, etc.), software, or a combination of both. Method 700 includes, in response to at least one environmental condition, detecting, via a logic circuit, whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multipath loop component, wherein the multipath loop component includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, each having at least one discontinuity, the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forming a parallel circuit component, and the logic circuit being operationally coupled to the multipath loop component (Block 702). For example, a multipath loop component 105 may be located near a battery to be monitored for leakage, such that if the battery experiences a leak, conductive material would leak at least partially onto the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. Furthermore, the procedure 700 also includes outputting a signal via the logic circuit 130 indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected (block 704). For example, in the case that the monitored battery leaks conductive material to form a continuous circuit path in the multipath loop component 105. The foregoing description refers to a block diagram of the accompanying drawings. Alternative implementations of the example represented by the block diagram include one or more additional or alternative elements, processes, and / or devices. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the exemplary blocks of the diagram may be combined, subdivided, rearranged, or omitted. The components represented by the blocks of the diagram are implemented by hardware, software, firmware, and / or any combination thereof. In some examples, at least one of the components represented by the blocks is implemented by a logic circuit. As used herein, the term "logic circuit" is expressly defined as a physical device that includes at least one hardware component configured (e.g.,A logic circuit is a device that controls one or more machines and / or performs operations on one or more machines (e.g., by operating according to a predetermined configuration and / or by executing stored machine-readable instructions). Examples of logic circuits include one or more processors, one or more coprocessors, one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more hardware accelerators, one or more special-purpose computer chips, and one or more system-on-a-chip (SoC) devices. Some example logic circuits, such as ASICs or FPGAs, are specifically configured hardware for performing operations (e.g.,one or more of the operations described herein and illustrated by the flowcharts of this disclosure, if any). Some exemplary logic circuits are hardware that executes machine-readable instructions to perform operations (e.g., one or more of the operations described herein and illustrated by the flowcharts of this disclosure, if any). Some exemplary logic circuits include a combination of specifically configured hardware components and hardware that executes machine-readable instructions. The foregoing description refers to various operations described herein and flowcharts that may be included herein to illustrate the sequence of those operations. All such flowcharts are representative of exemplary procedures disclosed herein.In some examples, the procedures depicted by the flowcharts implement the setup depicted by the block diagrams. Alternative implementations of exemplary procedures disclosed herein may include additional or alternative operations. Furthermore, operations of alternative implementations of the procedures disclosed herein may be combined, split, rearranged, or omitted. In some examples, the operations described herein are implemented by machine-readable instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored on a medium (e.g., a tangible machine-readable medium) for execution by one or more logic circuits (e.g., processor(s)). In some examples, the operations described herein are implemented by one or more configurations of one or more specifically designed logic circuits (e.g., ASIC(s)).In some examples, the processes described herein are implemented by a combination of one or more specifically designed logic circuits and machine-readable instructions stored on a medium (e.g., a tangible machine-readable medium) for execution by logic circuit(s). Specific embodiments were described in the preceding patent specification. However, those skilled in the art recognize that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the disclosure as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the patent specification and the figures are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and all such modifications are to be included within the scope of protection of the present teachings. In addition, the described embodiments / examples / implementations should not be interpreted as mutually exclusive, but rather as potentially combinable, provided such combinations are permissible in any way.In other words, any feature disclosed in one of the aforementioned embodiments / examples / implementations may be included in any of the further aforementioned embodiments / examples / implementations. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or be more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, necessary, or essential features or elements of any or all claims. The claimed disclosure is defined exclusively by the accompanying claims, including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of these claims as granted. Furthermore, in this document, relational terms such as first / first / first and second / second / second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.The terms “comprises,” “comprehensive,” “includes,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing,” or any further variation thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, procedure, article, or facility that comprises, comprises, includes, or contains a list of elements may not only include those elements but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent in such process, procedure, article, or facility. An element preceded by “comprises…,” “includes…,” or “contains…” does not, without further limitations, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, procedure, article, or facility that comprises, comprises, includes, or contains the element.The terms "a" and "an" are defined herein as one or more, unless expressly stated otherwise. The terms "essentially," "substantially," "approximately," "about," or any further version thereof are defined as being obvious to a person skilled in the art, and in one non-restrictive embodiment, the term is defined as being within 10%, in another embodiment as being within 5%, in another embodiment as being within 1%, and in yet another embodiment as being within 0.5%. The term "coupled," as used herein, is defined as "connected," although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is "configured" in a particular way is configured at least in that way, but may also be configured in ways not specified. The summary of the disclosure is provided to enable the reader to quickly grasp the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it is not intended to be used for the interpretation or limitation of the scope of protection or the meaning of the claims. Furthermore, it is evident from the preceding detailed description that various features in different embodiments are grouped together for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly stated in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the following claims, the subject matter of the invention may be comprised of fewer than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment.Therefore, the following claims are hereby included in the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature US 18 / 240,153

[0001] Cited non-patent literature ISO 18000-6A

[0050] ISO 18000-6B

[0050] ISO 18000-6C

[0050] ISO / IEC 29143

[0050]

Claims

System comprising: a multipath loop component, wherein the multipath loop component includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forming a parallel circuit component; and a logic circuit operationally coupled to the multipath loop component, wherein the logic circuit is configured to detect whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to at least one environmental condition in a region defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the logic circuit is configured to output a signal indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected. System according to claim 1, further comprising: an antenna, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output the signal via the antenna in response to the detection that the continuous circuit path has been formed. System according to claim 1, further comprising: an antenna, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output the signal via the antenna in response to the reception of a radio frequency communication via the antenna, after it has been detected that the continuous circuit path has been formed. System according to claim 1, wherein discontinuities of adjacent plurality of nested discontinuous paths are at least partially offset from one another. System according to claim 1, further comprising: a substrate, wherein the multipath loop component is formed from at least one metallic etching etched into the substrate, or by transferring an electrically conductive ink onto the substrate. System according to claim 1, further comprising: a reactive component that responds to the at least one environmental condition, wherein the reactive component includes a conductive material that is arranged near the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, wherein the conductive material is spaced apart from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths upstream of the at least one environmental condition, and the reactive component responds to the at least one environmental condition to cause the conductive material to touch at least one section of the area to form the continuous circuit path of at least one of during or after the at least one environmental condition. System according to claim 6, wherein the reactive component includes a fusible component that separates the conductive material from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the fusible component melts in response to the at least one environmental condition. System according to claim 6, wherein the at least one environmental condition includes at least one of a temperature that satisfies a temperature threshold, a humidity that satisfies a humidity threshold, a pressure that satisfies a pressure threshold, a mechanical property that satisfies a mechanical property threshold, an exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or light that satisfies an illumination threshold. System according to claim 1, wherein the environmental condition for the deposition of a conductive material onto the area corresponds to the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths in response to damage or abnormal operation of an object monitored by the logic circuit. System according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths has at least two discontinuities. System according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to detect the formation of multiple continuous conductive paths in the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and is configured to output the signal after the multiple continuous conductive paths have been formed. System according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output the signal after continuous conductive paths have been formed for each of the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths. System according to claim 1, further comprising a second multipath loop which is operationally coupled to the logic circuit in parallel or in series with the multipath loop. System according to claim 1, further comprising: a second multipath loop component; and a second logic circuit, wherein the second multipath loop is operationally coupled to the second logic circuit. A method comprising: detecting, in response to at least one environmental condition, via a logic circuit, whether a continuous circuit path has been formed by a multi-path loop component, wherein the multi-path loop component includes a plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, each having at least one discontinuity, wherein the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths forms a parallel circuit component, wherein the logic circuit is operationally coupled to the multi-path loop component, and outputting a signal via the logic circuit indicating that the formation of the continuous circuit path has been detected. The method according to claim 15, further comprising transmitting the output signal via an antenna. The method according to claim 15, further comprising transmitting the output signal via an antenna in response to receiving a high-frequency communication via the antenna. Method according to claim 15, wherein the multipath loop component is formed by etching at least one metallic etch into a substrate or by transferring electrically conductive ink onto a substrate. The method of claim 15, wherein the detection of whether a continuous circuit path has been formed includes determining whether a reactive component has responded to at least one environmental condition, wherein the reactive component includes a conductive material located near the area defined by the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the conductive material is spaced apart from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths upstream of the at least one environmental condition, wherein the at least one environmental condition causes the conductive material to touch at least one section of the area to form the continuous circuit path of at least one of during or after the at least one environmental condition. The method of claim 19, wherein the reactive component includes a fusible component that separates the conductive material from the plurality of nested discontinuous conductive paths, and the fusible component melts in response to the at least one environmental condition. Method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one environmental condition includes at least one of a temperature that satisfies a temperature threshold, a humidity that satisfies a humidity threshold, a pressure that satisfies a pressure threshold, a mechanical property that satisfies a mechanical property threshold, an exposure to a specified level of a chemical, or light that satisfies an illumination threshold.

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