Tamper detection with microcaspule rupture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9245202-B2
Application number	US-201313911430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for detecting a tampering event of a component. In a step, an exemplary embodiment encapsulates a fluorescent dye in one or more microcapsules. In another step, an exemplary embodiment embeds the one or more microcapsules in a translucent polymeric resin. In another step, an exemplary embodiment secures at least part of a component in the translucent polymeric resin. In another step, an exemplary embodiment detects a fluorescence of the fluorescent dye from a microcapsule in the translucent polymeric resin that is ruptured during a tampering with a light source that causes the fluorescent dye to fluoresce.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting a tampering event of a component, the method comprising the steps of:
encapsulating a fluorescent dye in one or more microcapsules, wherein the one or more microcapsules control detection of fluorescence of the fluorescent dye of the one or more microcapsules;
embedding the one or more microcapsules in a translucent polymeric resin, wherein a number of the one or more microcapsules within a volume of translucent polymeric resin is configured to allow differentiation between one or more ruptured microcapsules and one or more non-ruptured microcapsules within the volume of translucent polymeric resin based, at least in part, on a detection of fluorescence of the fluorescent dye;
securing at least part of a component in the translucent polymeric resin; and
detecting a fluorescence of the fluorescent dye from a microcapsule in the translucent polymeric resin that is ruptured during a tampering with a light source that causes the fluorescent dye to fluoresce.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent dye includes one or more of an ultraviolet dye or an infrared dye.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more microcapsules form a pattern in the translucent polymeric resin.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the securing the at least part of the component includes encapsulating the at least part of the component in the translucent polymeric resin.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the securing the at least part of the component includes coating the at least part of the component in the translucent polymeric resin.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a fluorescence of the fluorescent dye from a microcapsule in the translucent polymeric resin that is not ruptured with a light source that causes the fluorescent dye to fluoresce.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more microcapsules are opaque.

8. An apparatus for detecting a tampering event of a component, the apparatus comprising:
a fluorescent dye encapsulated in one or more microcapsules, wherein the one or more microcapsules control detection of fluorescence of the fluorescent dye of the one or more microcapsules;
a translucent polymeric resin containing the one or more microcapsules, wherein a number of the one or more microcapsules within a volume of translucent polymeric resin is configured to allow differentiation between one or more ruptured microcapsules and one or more non-ruptured microcapsules within the volume of translucent polymeric resin based, at least in part, on a detection of fluorescence of the fluorescent dye; and
a layer of the translucent polymeric resin securing the component.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fluorescent dye includes one or more of an ultraviolet dye or an infrared dye.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more microcapsules form a pattern in the translucent polymeric resin.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the securing the at least part of the component includes encapsulating the at least part of the component in the translucent polymeric resin.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the securing the component includes coating the component in the translucent polymeric resin.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fluorescent dye from a microcapsule in the translucent polymeric resin that is not ruptured will fluoresce with a light source.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more microcapsules are opaque.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Boday Dylan J
• Wertz Jason T

Classifications

• G01N21/6447 Primary

  by visual observation · CPC title

• G06K9/68

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/6202 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01N2021/6439

  with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks · CPC title