Apparatus and method for monitoring the manipulation of a transportable object
10553133 ยท 2020-02-04
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
The problem addressed by the disclosure is that of specifying an inexpensive, easily operable and largely automatable and reusable apparatus and a corresponding method for monitoring the manipulation of a transportable object. For example, the disclosure can be used to monitor the actuation of an opening flap of a transportation box without a current. For this purpose, the apparatus has the following: a magnetic data memory for storing an item of control information; a permanent magnet for destroying this control information; a mechanism for destroying the control information in the magnetic data memory by means of the permanent magnet; a data interface; a data connection between the magnetic data memory and the data interface for interchanging data between the magnetic memory and the data interface in a bidirectional manner.
Claims
1. A device for monitoring the manipulation of a transportable object, wherein the device comprises the following base elements: a first magnetic data memory for storing an item of checking information; a permanent magnet for destroying the item of checking information, wherein the permanent magnet is spaced from the first magnetic data memory a distance such that the first magnetic data memory is unaffected by the permanent magnet; a mechanism for carrying out a destruction of the item of checking information of the first magnetic data memory by moving the permanent magnet closer to the first magnetic data memory; a data interface; a data connection between the first magnetic data memory and the data interface for the bidirectional data exchange between the first magnetic data memory and the data interface; a second magnetic data memory for separately storing the item of checking information, wherein the content of the first magnetic data memory can be separately destroyed by the permanent magnet and the content of the second magnetic data memory can be maintained unchanged simultaneously.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first magnetic data memory is embodied in MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory) technology.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism comprises at least one part, on which the permanent magnet is arranged and/or which mechanically interacts indirectly or directly with the permanent magnet and therefore the mechanism is capable of reducing the distance between the permanent magnet and the first magnetic data memory, to thus destroy the item of checking information stored in the first magnetic data memory.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said part is an actuator, and wherein the device furthermore has a housing, in which or on which the base elements of the device are arranged, wherein the actuator is held so that it is movable in and/or on the housing.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the actuator protrudes at least partially out of the housing for actuation and/or is actuable through a window of the housing.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the mechanism furthermore has a spring element, the spring force of which counteracts an actuation of the actuator.
7. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mechanism furthermore has a locking element and a bracket, wherein the bracket has a curved region at a first end and a locking region at the other end, which is capable of interacting with the locking element for locking.
8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking region of the bracket is formed by a toothed rack, which is distinguished in that it has teeth, which are spaced apart from one another by intermediate spaces, and in that the locking element has one or more counter teeth, which are capable of engaging in the intermediate spaces of the teeth of the toothed rack for locking.
9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the actuator and the locking element are either jointly embodied in one piece, or mechanically locking and/or unlocking.
10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second magnetic data memory each have a password protection.
11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises an RFID transponder or at least one RFID chip and an associated antenna.
12. A system, comprising a device as claimed in claim 1, and furthermore comprising the transportable object to be monitored, wherein the transportable object has a manipulation-significant part.
13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the object to be monitored is a transportation container and the manipulation-significant part is a closure, a cover, a door, a flap, or a lock, for opening the transportation container to be monitored for manipulation.
14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the system furthermore comprises a separate monitoring unit, which has a reader and comparator for reading and comparing the content of the first magnetic data memory and the second magnetic data memory and furthermore has an outputter for outputting an alarm display and/or an alarm message and/or an alarm signal, which are used to indicate a deviation of the content of the first magnetic data memory from the content of the second data memory.
15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the reader comprises an RFID reader.
16. A method for monitoring the manipulation of a transportable object comprising the following steps: a) providing a device including a first magnetic data memory, a permanent magnet, a mechanism for moving the permanent magnet, and a second magnetic data memory, as claimed in claim 1; b) transmitting and writing an item of checking information from a monitoring unit into the first magnetic data memory; c) transmitting and writing the item of checking information in the second magnetic data memory; d) transporting the object to a predefined intended location; e) destroying the item of control information by reducing the distance between the permanent magnet and the first magnetic data memory by using the mechanism; f) reading out, transmitting, and comparing the content of the first magnetic data memory to the content of the second magnetic data memory; and g) if a difference is established in step f) between the content of the first magnetic data memory and the content of the second magnetic data memory, an item of information is output which states that a manipulation exists.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the method is supplemented after step f) by the following step: if a correspondence is established in step f) of the content of the first magnetic data memory to the content of the second magnetic data memory, an item of information is output which states that no manipulation exists.
18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the item of checking information and/or in the second magnetic data memory takes place in an encrypted and/or password-protected manner.
19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the data transmission and read procedures in method steps b), c) and f) take place wirelessly.
20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein for the wireless transmission of the data, an RFID reader communicates wirelessly with an RFID transponder, wherein the RFID transponder transmits data to the first magnetic data memory and/or receives it therefrom via a data line.
21. An integrated component for carrying out a method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the component comprises the following: the first magnetic data memory for storing the item of checking information; the second magnetic data memory for retaining the item of checking information; a data interface for transmitting the item of checking information.
22. The integrated component as claimed in claim 21, wherein the data interface is embodied as an RFID chip.
23. The integrated component as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first magnetic data memory is embodied in MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory) technology.
24. The integrated component as claimed in claim 21, wherein the second magnetic data memory is an EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, an F-RAM, or an S-RAM.
25. The integrated component as claimed in claim 21, wherein the integrated component additionally has a microprocessor.
26. The integrated component as claimed in claim 21, wherein the integrated component is embodied as an integrated circuit.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in greater detail hereafter. In the figures:
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(17) The figures partially contain simplified, schematic illustrations. Identical reference signs are partially used for equivalent, but possibly not identical elements. Various views of equivalent elements can be in different scales.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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(19) The device 1 furthermore has a magnetic data memory 10 and a data interface 13, which are in bidirectional data exchange with one another via a data connection 14. An item of information, specifically an item of checking information 101, has already been written in the magnetic data memory 10 via the data interface 13 in the present case.
(20) Furthermore, the device 1 has a permanent magnet 11, which can be moved into the vicinity of the magnetic data memory via a mechanism. In the present example, the mechanism consists of an actuator 12, on which the permanent magnet 11 is arranged. The actuator 12 furthermore has a spring element 16. The actuator 12, and therefore also the device, are in an actuated state when the spring element 16, as shown in
(21) The non-actuated position is defined in this embodiment in that the permanent magnet 11 is located in the vicinity of the magnetic data memory 10, namely is arranged close enough thereto that its magnetic field is capable of destroying the information stored in the magnetic data memory 10. The content of the magnetic data memory 10 is then replaced by any random numeric sequence 101. By pressing down the actuator 12 again, of course, the actuated position according to the definition, as shown in
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(23) This second data memory 17 is in bidirectional data exchange with the data interface 13 via a second data connection 14. In addition, the item of checking information 101 can also be written in the second data memory 17. In contrast to the case of the magnetic data memory 10, the item of checking information 101 of the second data memory 17 is not destructible by the permanent magnet 11. The item of checking information 101 can thus be retained in this manner in the device 1 itself, in order to be compared to the content of the magnetic data memory 10, for example, at a later point in time.
(24) For a particularly good safeguard against possible errors, the two data memories 10, 17 are not in data exchange with one another in this embodiment, but rather are each in data exchange via a separate data connection 14, 14 with the data interface 13.
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(29) It is apparent that the illustrations shown in
(30) The arrangement shown in
(31) In a further embodiment (not shown in the drawing), the device 1 can also be introduced into a closure mechanism of the transportation box 4, and thus can be automatically actuated upon closing of the transportation box 4.
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(34) The actuator 12 can, as shown in
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(37) The symbolically indicated closure will be described hereafter on the basis of
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(39) In the present case, the data transmissions take place wirelessly via the RFID connection. This preferably occurs in a password-protected and/or encrypted manner. However, other wireless or wired transmission pathways are also possible in other embodiments instead of the RFID connection, e.g., Bluetooth or USB.
(40) The device has, in addition to the actuator 12 comprising its spring element 16 and the permanent magnet 11, an integrated component 18, which comprises the RFID chip 132 (not explicitly shown here) and the associated antenna 131 and also the magnetic data memory 10 and the second data memory 17. In its most rudimentary design, the device merely has to have any type of data interface 13, the magnetic data memory 10, a permanent magnet 11, and an actuator 12 mechanically coupled thereto, however, so that the method according to the invention can be carried out.
(41) After the transmission of the first message M1, the device 1 could write the transmitted item of checking information 101 both in its magnetic data memory 10 and also in its second data memory 17. In practice, however, two messages M1, M1 having the same content, namely the item of checking information 101, but different addresses and/or instructions are typically transmitted by the monitoring unit, in particular via an associated RFID reader, to the device. Accordingly, the content 101 of the one message M1 is written by the device in the magnetic data memory and the content 101 identical thereto of the other message M1 is written in the second data memory. This corresponds to electronic sealing.
(42) Optionally, firstly the following check is provided thereupon: For the check, the device 1 transmits the content of both data memories 10, 17 back to the first monitoring unit 2, in particular in the form of two separate messages M2, M3. The first monitoring unit 2 can therefore check once again whether the contents thereof correspond to one another and in particular also whether they correspond to the originally transmitted item of checking information 101. This corresponds to a check of the electronic seal. If necessary, the sealing procedure can be repeated. However, the contents will typically correspond.
(43) The device 1 can now be transported together with the object to be monitored, in the present case thus the transportation box 4, in which it is arranged. If, as shown in
(44) After the transportation, as shown in
(45) All data transmissions between the respective monitoring unit 2, 2 and the device 1 preferably take place in a password-protected and/or encrypted manner, to ensure particularly good data security.
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(47) If these contents do not correspond, as shown in the present case, an alarm is thus triggered via an output unit, for example, via a mobile wireless connection 24 as an SMS, a loudspeaker 24, a light 24, a computer 24, and/or via any other type of suitable device, to thus indicate the destruction of the seal and the presence linked thereto of a manipulation.
(48) The following embodiments are disclosed as further exemplary embodiments:
Embodiment 1
(49) a device for monitoring the manipulation of a transportable object (4), wherein the device (1) comprises the following base elements: a magnetic data memory (10) for storing an item of checking information (101); a permanent magnet (11) for destroying this item of checking information (101); a mechanism (50) for carrying out the destruction of the item of checking information (101) of the magnetic data memory (10) by the permanent magnet (11); a data interface (13); a data connection (14) between the magnetic data memory (10) and the data interface (13) for the bidirectional data exchange between the magnetic memory (10) and the data interface (13).
Embodiment 2
(50) the device according to embodiment 1, wherein the magnetic data memory (10) is embodied in MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory) technology.
Embodiment 3
(51) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein said mechanism (50) mechanically interacts with the permanent magnet (11).
Embodiment 4
(52) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the mechanism (12) is capable of reducing the geometrical distance between the permanent magnet (11) and the magnetic data memory (10), to thus destroy the item of checking information (101) stored in the magnetic data memory (10).
Embodiment 5
(53) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the mechanism (50) comprises an actuator (12), on which the permanent magnet (11) is arranged.
Embodiment 6
(54) the device according to embodiment 5, wherein the actuator has a spring element (16), the spring force of which counteracts an actuation of the actuator (12).
Embodiment 7
(55) the device according to either one of embodiments 5 to 6, wherein the device furthermore has a housing (15), in which or on which said base elements of the device (1) are arranged, wherein the actuator (12) is guided at least partially out of the housing (15) for the actuation.
Embodiment 8
(56) the device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device comprises, as a further element, a second data memory (17) for separately storing the item of checking information (101).
Embodiment 9
(57) the device according to embodiment 8, characterized in that the content of the magnetic data memory (10) can be destroyed separately by the permanent magnet (11), wherein the content of the second data memory (17) can be preserved unchanged simultaneously.
Embodiment 10
(58) the device according to either any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein the type of the second data memory (17) differs from the type of the magnetic data memory (10).
Embodiment 11
(59) the device according to any one of embodiments 8 to 10, wherein the second data memory (17) is an EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, an F-RAM, or an S-RAM. 30o Embodiment 12: the device according to any one of embodiments 8 to 11, wherein the magnetic data memory (10) and the second data memory (17) are arranged in an integrated component (18).
Embodiment 13
(60) the device according to embodiment 12, wherein the data interface (13) is additionally also arranged in the integrated component (18).
Embodiment 14
(61) the device according to any one of embodiments 8 to 13, wherein the device has a further separate data connection (14), via which the second data memory (17) is in a bidirectional data exchange with the data interface (13).
Embodiment 15
(62) the device according to any one of embodiments 8 to 14, wherein the second data memory (17) has a password protection.
Embodiment 16
(63) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the magnetic data memory (10) has a password protection.
Embodiment 17
(64) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the data interface (13) has an encryption and/or a decryption system.
Embodiment 18
(65) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the device (1) comprises means for wireless data transmission.
Embodiment 19
(66) the device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the device comprises an RFID transponder or at least one RFID chip (132) and an associated antenna (131).
Embodiment 20
(67) the device according to embodiment 19, wherein the RFID chip (132) is part of the data interface (13).
Embodiment 21
(68) a system, comprising a device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, and furthermore comprising the transportable object (4) to be monitored, wherein the transportable object (4) has a manipulation-significant part (41).
Embodiment 22
(69) the system according to embodiment 21, wherein the object to be monitored is a transportation container (4) and the manipulation-significant part (41) is a closure, a cover, a door, a flap (41), a lock, or any other means for opening the transportation container (4) to be monitored for manipulation.
Embodiment 23
(70) the system according to either one of embodiments 21 to 22, wherein the system furthermore comprises a separate monitoring unit (2).
Embodiment 24
(71) the system according to embodiment 23, wherein the monitoring unit (2) has means for reading (21, 25) and comparing (22, 23) the content (101, 101) of the magnetic data memory (10) and the second data memory (17).
Embodiment 25
(72) the system according to embodiment 24, wherein the monitoring unit has means for outputting an alarm display (24, 24) and/or an alarm message (24) and/or an alarm signal (24, 24), which are used to indicate a deviation of the content of the magnetic data memory (10) from the content of the second data memory (17).
Embodiment 26
(73) the system according to any one of embodiments 21 to 25, wherein the system comprises means for wireless data transmission between the device (1) and the monitoring unit (2).
Embodiment 27
(74) the system according to embodiment 26, wherein said means for wireless data transmission comprise the RFID transponder (132, 131), which is part of the device (1), and furthermore comprise an RFID reader, which is part of the monitoring unit (2).
Embodiment 28
(75) the system according to any one of embodiments 23 to 27, wherein the system has, in addition to the monitoring unit (2), a further such monitoring unit (2), wherein the monitoring unit (2) is arranged at a first location and wherein the further monitoring unit (2) is either embodied as movable as a so-called handheld unit or is arranged in a stationary manner at a second location, to electronically seal the object (4) at the first location, transport it to the second location, and be able to check the electronic sealing at the second location.
Embodiment 29
(76) a method for monitoring the manipulation of a transportable object (4) comprising the following steps: a) ensuring a geometrical distance sufficiently large for data storage in a magnetic data memory (10) of the magnetic data memory (10) from a permanent magnet (11); b) transmitting and writing an item of checking information (101) from a monitoring unit (2) into the magnetic data memory (10); c) transmitting and writing the item of checking information (101) in a second data memory (17); d) transporting the object (4) to a predefined intended location; e) reading out, transmitting, and comparing the content of the magnetic data memory (10) to the content of the second data memory (17).
Embodiment 30
(77) the method according to embodiment 29, wherein the method also has the following step between step c.) and step d.): c2.) reading out, transmitting, and comparing the content of the magnetic data memory (10) to the content of the second data memory (17) to check the previously performed data transmission and writing procedures.
Embodiment 31
(78) the method according to either one of embodiments 29 to 30, wherein method step d.) is supplemented by the following method step: d2.) destroying the item of checking information (101) by reducing the distance between the permanent magnet (11) and the magnetic data memory (10) by using a mechanism (12).
Embodiment 32
(79) the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 31, characterized in that the method is supplemented by the following step after step e.): f1.) If a difference is established in step e.) between the content of the magnetic data memory (10) and the content of the second data memory (17), an item of information is output which states that a manipulation is present.
Embodiment 33
(80) the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 32, characterized in that the method is supplemented by the following step after step e.): f2.) If a correspondence is established in step e.) between the content of the magnetic data memory (10) and the content of the second data memory (17), an item of information is output which states that no manipulation is present.
Embodiment 34
(81) the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 33, wherein the transmission and writing of the items of checking information (101) in method step b.) take place in a password-protected manner.
Embodiment 35
(82) the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 34, wherein the readout and transmission of the content of the magnetic data memory (10) in method step e.) take place in a password-protected manner.
Embodiment 36
(83) the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 35, wherein the data transmission in method step b.) and/or in method step e.) take places in an encrypted manner.
Embodiment 37
(84) the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 36, wherein the method comprises a wireless transmission of data to write the magnetic data memory (10) and/or to read out the content of the magnetic data memory (10).
Embodiment 38
(85) the method according to embodiment 37, characterized in that, for the wireless transmission of the data, an RFID reader communicates wirelessly with an RFID transponder (132, 131), wherein the RFID transponder (132, 131) transmits data to the magnetic data memory (10) and/or receives data therefrom via a data line (14).
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
(86) 1 device for monitoring the manipulation 10 magnetic data memory 101 item of checking information 101, 101 random numbers 11 permanent magnet 12 actuator 121 handle of the actuator 122 slide rail of the actuator 123 actuating pin 13 data interface 131 RFID antenna 132 RFID chip 133,133 internal data line 134,134,134 data terminal 14,14 bidirectional data connection 15 housing 16 spring element 17 second data memory 18 expanded component 18 integrated component 2,2 monitoring unit, further monitoring unit 21,21 antenna 22 memory 23 operator 24,24,24,24 output unit, mobile wireless connection, loudspeaker, light, computer, . . . 25 processor 4 transportation box 41 flap 42 hinge 43 hinge side 46 tab 461 slot of the tab 48 eye 5 padlock-type device 50 mechanism 51 bracket 510 curved region of the bracket 511 locking region/toothed rack of the bracket 513 teeth of the toothed rack 53 locking element 531 counter teeth of the locking element 532 diagonal slot M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 messages