Authenticity Tag With Segmented Conductive Areas For Tamper Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authenticity tags, such as tamper-indicating seals, lack the ability to reliably verify whether they have been removed and reattached to a different object, making it difficult to ensure the authenticity of products like brand-name textiles or spare parts, as they cannot accurately detect changes in their position or arrangement.
Innovation Solution
An authenticity tag with a carrier and multiple electrically conductive areas that form a unique electrical pattern upon attachment, which is detected and stored, allowing for external verification of the tag's authenticity by comparing the detected pattern to a stored comparative quantity, ensuring the tag can only be accurately reattached in its original position, thus enhancing tampering safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tamper-indicating seals are used, then the seal provides basic protection and indicates removal, but the seal cannot verify whether it has been removed and reattached to a different object
Solution Approach 1:
The authenticity tag is segmented into multiple electrically conductive areas (first, second, third areas) that can be independently connected to different objects. This segmentation allows the system to create multiple possible connection configurations, making it possible to detect whether the tag has been removed and reattached to a different object by comparing the electrical connection pattern against stored reference patterns.
2Reliability
If multiple electrically conductive areas are added to enable authenticity verification, then the ability to detect tampering improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates electrical copies or representations of the connection patterns between conductive areas and objects. By storing reference patterns in memory and comparing them against newly detected patterns, the system achieves reliable tampering detection using simple electrical measurements rather than complex manufacturing processes. The conductive areas themselves can be implemented as simple conductive traces or coatings that are straightforward to manufacture.
3Ease of operation
If the authenticity tag uses simple adhesive materials like traditional seals, then the application is simple, but the tag can be removed and reattached without detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical adhesive bonding system with an electrical measurement system. Instead of relying solely on the mechanical properties of adhesive to prevent removal, the system uses electrical connections between conductive areas and the object to detect whether the tag has been removed and reattached. This substitution maintains simple application procedures while dramatically improving anti-tampering capability through electrical pattern recognition.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a simple and cost-effective method to increase tampering safety by making it economically impractical to remove and reattach the tag, while allowing for automatic and user-performed authenticity checks, reducing the need for constant monitoring and energy supply.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of electrically conductive areas (104) and control means (108) connected to the carrier (102)
Data Source
AI summary
An authenticity tag includes a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller attached to the carrier. The controller includes a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive area, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating at least one of the comparative quantity, the electrically detectable quantity detected and a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside.