Anti-tampering System Using Rapid Discharge Capacitor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-theft and anti-tampering systems face issues with battery maintenance, size, weight, and power consumption, as well as the loss of status indication when power is interrupted, due to the use of traditional batteries and capacitors.
Innovation Solution
An anti-theft and anti-tampering protection system utilizing a rapid discharge electrical accumulator with a replicating electrical circuit and a MosFet-type transistor to isolate and retain the charged/discharged state, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements and reducing power consumption, while allowing detection of tampering attempts even without a power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If traditional batteries are used to power the protection system, then the system can operate autonomously, but the battery has limited lifetime, is bulky, heavy, and requires periodic replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the energy storage function from traditional batteries by using a capacitor to store electrical charge. This capacitor-based approach eliminates the need for heavy, bulky batteries while maintaining the ability to power the system autonomously during normal operation and trigger the alarm immediately when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy storage parameter from chemical energy (batteries) to electrical energy (capacitor). This parameter change allows for a much smaller, lighter energy storage component that can be rapidly charged and discharged, eliminating the weight and lifetime issues associated with traditional batteries.
2Duration of action of moving object
If rechargeable batteries are used to reduce replacement frequency, then the system can operate longer, but the recharging circuit takes up space and has high electrical consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential energy storage function needed for alarm triggering, using a capacitor that can be rapidly charged from the main power supply without requiring complex rechargeable battery systems. This eliminates the need for space-consuming rechargeable batteries and their associated management circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitor is periodically charged from the main power supply during normal operation and then rapidly discharged when the alarm needs to be triggered. This periodic charging approach eliminates the need for complex rechargeable battery systems while maintaining operational capability.
3Volume of stationary object
If capacitors are used as antitheft indicators, then the system size is reduced, but the status indication is lost when power is interrupted due to capacitor discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by keeping the capacitor continuously charged from the main power supply through a charging circuit before any alarm event occurs. This ensures the capacitor is always ready to provide immediate status indication when needed, eliminating the reliability issue of power interruption while maintaining compact size.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging circuit continuously charges the capacitor from the main power supply, ensuring the capacitor maintains its charge and can reliably indicate system status at any time. This continuous charging action maintains both the compact size advantage of capacitors and the reliable status indication.
4Use of energy by stationary object
If the protection system is connected to the power supply of the protected apparatus, then the system can operate with available power, but the system cannot detect tampering when power is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by continuously charging the capacitor from the main power supply before any tampering event occurs. This ensures that even if power is interrupted during tampering, the capacitor retains sufficient charge to trigger the alarm and maintain detection capability, solving the reliability issue while maintaining efficient power usage.
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
The system effectively detects tampering attempts without power, is compact and low-maintenance, and consumes less energy, enabling easy integration into devices with reduced production and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
such replicating electrical circuit has a very high input impedance (tending to infinity) on the connection to the accumulator, so as to substantially isolate the accumulator both when the replicating electrical circuit is powered and when it is disconnected
Implementation Method 2
it comprises at least one rapid discharge electrical circuit of the same accumulator and at least one actuator to activate such discharge electrical circuit if the system is subject to theft or tampering
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Anti-theft and anti-tampering protection system comprising: an electric accumulator (2) designed to rapidly discharge if the system is tampered with (1); a rapid discharge electrical circuit (3) of the accumulator (2); an actuator (5) to activate the discharge electrical circuit (3) of the accumulator (2) if the system is tampered with (1); a replicating electrical circuit (10) of the charged and discharged state operably connected to the accumulator (2) to replicate its state, the replicating electrical circuit (10) having, on the connection to the accumulator (2), a high-input impedance so as to substantially isolate the accumulator (2) when the replicating electrical circuit (10) is not powered so as to limit the undesirable discharge process of the accumulator (2) when the protection system (1) is not powered.